6 Months to goooooo!!

Apologies as this one will be slightly longer than those that follow. The last year has comprised of a few swim events, an acceleration in the training program and a lot of preparation work. I have also routinely visited a physio. The body isn’t quite what it used to be. That is enough of the comments, I am meant to be insulating myself a little. Since November 2012 my aim has been to swim approximately 35km per week. The workouts have consisted of a base building period, strength and endurance, with some speed work thrown into finish me off! Meanwhile, my food consumption has gone ballistic. I have found various sources for nutritional guidance and I can highly recommend H2Open magazine as an enormous support, in all subjects concerning open water swimming. Congratulations to Simon and the team. Last August saw my first long distance event swimming the length of Lake Zurich, Switzerland. Previously, I had never swum more than 15km once, two months before Zurich. The swim was 27km long, with beautiful scenery and great company provided by my kayak support team who will also form part of my boat crew for the big day this September. Thank you David and son Jack. I gained two 3rd places one in a 5km river swim and one in a 800m pool race, in my age category and have competed in several other open water events in France and San Francisco. This has been supplemented with numerous trips swimming off the beach in Dover and the Devon coast. Pool workouts have been the flavour of the winter months unless I have been lucky enough to visit San Francisco, where I am a member of the South End Swimming and Rowing Club. San Francisco figures heavily in my build up preparations for the Channel. It is a natural playground for any open water swimmer. The cool bay waters average between 6/7C during the winter and rise to a heady 17/18C in the summer. The sea conditions? They vary from flat calm on a beautiful sunny day to.. well, lets say choppy. Oh, and the currents.. Yes there are currents! An excellent training location indeed. One of the most difficult practises during this period is maintaining my body conditioning to temperature. Always hoping for colder destinations, rather than the Caribbean. My pool workouts are being conducted in public pools in France, Hampton in London and the University of San Francisco. The workouts have required 2-3 hours in the pool and there are days when I must swim twice or for 5 hours. Luckily, I now have carnal knowledge of ‘chlorine’ in several trusted locations. However, I must not rely on only using a pool to train in. This would be disastrous. Open water swimming will now become more of a focus. I will venture for an icy dip in a lake near to home and the odd trip to Dover leisure beach, which is currently about 5/6C. The body must become used to long periods of time submersed in cold water. This can only be built up gradually and includes sleeping with only a sheet or very light blanket at night and avoiding wearing coats and jumpers when possible. So, there you have it my previous year has been a very busy one. I intend to keep you all posted with small blog updates each month from here on in. Enjoy your duvets, winter boots and puffer jackets.. these are but dreams for me...

About Me

Hi, my name is Gary Bruce. I am 49 years old and employed as a pilot by Virgin Atlantic Airways. This blog exists to chart my progress through one of life’s experiences, swimming the English Channel. Physical fitness, training and accepting challenge has always and will continue to be a fundamental part of me. Born in Exeter, my childhood was spent in a sporting-coaching family. We lived, at times, on or near to the south coast of England where I watched my father coaching athletics, basketball and rugby amongst many other sports. I took my first steps in the School gym and my first sprint on the Leisure Centre sports hall floor. All I wanted to do was to join in the fun! This ambition continues as I watch and participate with my own children today. Throughout my school career I took part and represented schools, districts and regions in many sports, in particular Rugby and Basketball. I joined the British Army and went to The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Here the highly professional team began to perfect and develop skills deep within me. Upon graduation with an even greater hunger for physically challenging and adventurous goals, I joined 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. I successfully completed one of the most difficult physical selections of my life to date… The Parachute selection course to win a coveted ‘Red Beret’. For the last five years of my military service I completed the Army Pilots flying course and flew helicopters. In 1995 I left the services and began my civil airline licencing process. I became fully qualified and gained employment as an airline pilot in 1996. I have been flying ever since and now work for Virgin Atlantic Airways employed as a Captain on the Boeing 747-400, the iconic ‘Jumbo’. During these 17 years in the air, I continued to train, and as I moved away from team sports, my interests developed in running, cycling and swimming. Three things I was able to do no matter where I found myself. I had realised at the age of 18 years old that there was something to be conquered on my doorstep. Something that less people have succeeded at than have summited Mt. Everest!! The English Channel. This was of great interest to me and cried out. As a busy young man the time was not right. At the ripe old age of 45 years old, I began to hear the calls again. I had by this time joined a swimming club in San Francisco, California and became ‘immersed’ once again. I was lucky enough to accompany my dear friend, Edison Peinado, upon his personal journey to cross the Channel in 2010. Cross he did and I was honoured to be his pacer, swimming approximately 4 and half hours during his crossing. I set my heart on this challenge and returned within two weeks to book my place with a knowing ‘Pilot’, Reg Brickell, who had predicted privately that I would be back. My choice of charity is ‘Free the Children’. I want to try and make a difference for young children who may not otherwise receive a chance in life. It is always the children who suffer. Life is full of mystical events and turns in fate. I now have a confirmed ‘Window of Opportunity’ booked for September 2013. My Everest...

Support me

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all those individuals and organisations that have sponsored and supported me in many ways along this ‘journey’. Without your continued help and comprehension, this challenge would have been made much more difficult. Good.. now all I have to do is swim up to 30-40miles in 16C water in September 2013. The challenge of swimming the English Channel is already one that requires enormous respect, planning and execution from an early stage. As a long-haul pilot on a fleet that mainly services beach destinations in the Caribbean some would say ‘lucky devil’ that sounds perfect. The reality is that I require ‘cold water’ destinations to give me any sort of chance in succeeding. Thus San Francisco is the only place to be. A natural outdoor playground for aspiring ‘open water swimmers’ of all levels. To this end, fellow Virgin pilots, who have suffered my continual harassment to swap trips, thank you and thank you for helping me out when you can. And thank you to all those who have kayaked by my side or eaten my ‘scoobie snacks’ whilst waiting patiently for my return during the past few years. My Number One...