English Channel Swim, England to France, Saturday, August 20, 2011. 11 hrs 31 min 7 sec

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English Channel Swim
August 20, 2011 (window was August 19-27)

Why is this swim so unique?
The English Channel is considered by many to be one of the most physically demanding and challenging swims in the world.  The water is cold, and contains jellyfish, seaweed, and driftwood. It is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
How far is it across the Channel?
Approximately 21 miles in a straight line.
Why have some people swam many more miles than that?
Shortest distance is 21 miles. The current moves you from side to side as the tides change. Many people swim closer to 30 miles.
How long will it take?
The fastest time is a little over 7 hours and the slowest nearly 27 hours.
What can you wear?
The English Channel Swim Rules state that the "standard swim costume" must be of a material not offering thermal protection or buoyancy and must be sleeveless and legless. 'Legless' means the costume must not extend onto the upper leg below the crotch. The swim cap as well, must not offer thermal protection or buoyancy. So what does this mean? I get to wear a regular swimsuit (NO WETSUITS ALLOWED) and a layer of grease for protection against chafing.
What is the water temperature?
Around 57 to 62 degrees Fahrenheit is the average water temperature of the English Channel in August.
Where will the swim take place?
Swims usually start near Shakespeare's Cliff (in between Folkestone and Dover), and aim to finish at or near Cap Gris Nez (between Boulogne and Calais). Swims are typically from England to France (and some people, swim back again).

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Fast Facts

Number of Swimmers:  Around 1200 swimmers have completed a total of 1651 solo swims. For reference, by 2004 Everest summit had been climbed 2049 times according to or nearly twice as often.

Number of American Swimmers:  Based on records kept since the first solo swim in 1875 by the English Channel Swimming governing bodies, Channel Swimming Association (CSA) and Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation (CS&PF), less than 300 Americans have completed a solo swim of the English Channel. 

Number of Swimmers from Michigan: Based on records kept since the first solo swim in 1875 by CSA and CS&PF, there is only one recorded swimmer from Michigan to complete the English Channel crossing (Brian Burke, July 13, 2004, 11 hours, 29 minutes).  There are no recorded female swimmers from the state of Michigan. I crossed from England to France on August 20, 2011, in 11 hours and 31 minutes.

Average Age of Solo Swimmer:  33 years
Average Time for Solo Swim:  13 hours, 23 minutes and 4 seconds.
Typical Channel Temperature in August:  62 -65 degrees Fahrenheit
First Crossing/First Man:  Captain Matthew Webb, 21 hours 45 minutes, 24 August 1875.
First Woman:  Gertrude Ederle (USA), August 6, 1926.
Queen of the Channel:  Alison Streeter (England) has made 43 successful crossings.
King of the English Channel:  Kevin Murphy (England) has made 34 successful crossings.
Fastest Crossing:  Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria), 6 hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds on August 24, 2007.
Fastest Woman:  Yvetta Hlavacova (Czech Republic) seven hours, 25 minutes and 15 seconds on August 5, 2006.
Oldest:  August 2004, George Brunstad (USA), 70 years 4 days; his time was 15 hours 59 minutes.
Oldest Woman:  August 8, 2010, Susan Oldham (Australia), 64 years 10 months; her time was 17 hours 32 minutes.
Youngest:  Thomas Gregory (England), 11 years 11 months*, 11 hours 54 minutes on September 6, 1988.
Youngest Girl:  Samantha Druce (England), 12 years 118 days*, 15 hours 27 minutes in 1983.
Longest One-Way Swim (England to France):  Jackie Cobell (UK) 28 hours 44 minutes, 24/25 July 2010.

* A minimum age limit of 16 years for solo swims has since been introduced.

Sources:
http://www.dover.uk.com/channelswimming/records.php
http://home.btconnect.com/critchlow/ChannelSwimDatabase.htm
http://www.everesthistory.com/everestsummits/summitsbyyear.htm

I've learned a lot from reading many books about marathon swimming.

Recommended Reading

Swimming to Antarctica, Lynne Cox, 2005
Grayson, Lynne Cox, 2008
Wind, Waves, and Sunburn, Conrad Wennerberg, 1974
Take it to the Limit, Julie Ridge & Judith Zimmer, 1985
Conquest of the English Channel, Chad Hentzle, 1985
Young Woman & the Sea, Glen Stout, 2009
Dover Solo, Marcia Cleveland, 2008
The Crossing, Katy Watson, 2001
Open Water Swimming, Penny Lee Dean, 1998
Nothing Great is Easy, the Des Renford Story, with Ian Heads, 1992
The Alcatraz Swimmer's Manual, Joe Oakes, 2002
Other Shores, Diana Nyad, 1978
The Great Swim, Gavin Mortimer, 2008
Swim to Glory, the Story of Marilyn Bell, Ron McAllister, 1954
Swimming the Channel, Sally Friedman, 1996
America's Girl: The Incredible Story of How Swimmer Gertrude Ederly Changed the Nation, Tim Dahlberg, Mary Ederle Ward & Brenda Greene, 2009
Open Water Swimming, Steve Munatones, 2011
History of Open Water Marathon Swimming, Capt. Tim Johnson, 2005
Gold in the Water, P.H. Mullen, 2001
The Man Who Swam the Amazon, Martin Strel, 2007
Call the Suit, Sheila Taormina, 2010
Swimming Anatomy, Ian McLeod, 2009

Memorable Workouts from the year

4 x [1 x 1500, 2 x 1000], 300 easy [14,300m]
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33 x 300s, 100 easy [10,000m]
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600 warm up
15 x 400 free  
400 cool down [7,000m]
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                                    700 warm up
                                    2 x [1 x 400, 2 x 300, 3 x 200, 4 x 100]
                                    7 x 100 (50 stroke/50 free)
                                    100 cool down [5,500m]
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                                   500 warm up
                                   4 x [1 x 400, 2 x 200, 4 x 100]
                                   200 cool down [5,500m]
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                                   500 warm up
                                   10 x 50 (stroke/free)
                                   24 x 200 free
                                   200 cool down [6,000m]
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