2k this Sunday - Board of Directors Vacancy.

Howsitgoin,

This Sunday May 4th is our "Y2k" swim. It takes place in Sportsco in Ringsend at 7pm.

Get there before 7 so you are changed and ready to start swimming at 7. We have the pool until 8 but we have been told its OK if we run over.

The objective is to swim 80 lengths which will be 2kms. Time doesnt matter. We have 6 lanes so everbody will have plenty of space to themselves. Simply swim at your normal pace! Breaks are fine, doing a bit of breaststroke is fine too, its all about swimming 80 lengths.

For directions to Sportsco check out: http://www.sportsco.ie/map-static.html

If you need a lift post a comment below with where you are coming from and we'll sort something out4ya.

If you are out of the country or injured or otherwise and cant make it let me know.


We have an opening on the Board of Directors for a 40Foot Walruses Sea Swimming Club Director of Boats and Canoes. This is an important role which involves organising safety boats for the day. If you have access to a phone, can understand Highlanders and want to join the Board of Directors send me a mail.


We'd a great Sunny Sunday Dip and Swim last weekend. Rambo Denny, Luke, Torpay, Pixie, Trev, Sham my Mum and me. We got wetsuits out and all.

If you fancy a dip this Sunday at 12.30 come on down. Otherwise see you in Sportsco.

Anyone know where you can get a good pint of Guinness in Ringsend?

Happy Paddling,

Alan

Appointments to the Board- Info on Charities- Pool is Booked!

The Board of Directors

Howdydoody,

The 40 Foot Walruses are proud to announce 3 Appointments to the Board of Directors:

Aran "BigPerm" Byrne has been appointed "The 40 Foot Walruses Sea-Swimming Club Director for Communications and Relations with Schools".

Handsome DaveD has been appointed "The 40 Foot Walruses Sea-Swimming Club Director for Artistic Endeavour and Design" (watch this space for a slick-ass logo).

Donal "TheFishMan" O'Gorman has been appointed "The 40 Foot Walruses Sea-Swimming Club Director for Communications and Relations with Wells for Zoe".

If you have any freakish talents you could lend to the club please let us know, in particular a Director of Photography and a Director of Corporate Fundraising are particularly desirable!

Sponsorship Cards will be printed and distributed in mid-May. In the meantime, here is a word from Aran as to how the funds raised will help Underprivileged Schools:

Aran (Director of Communications and Relations with Schools):

"We are aiming to donate €2,500 each to 2 under-privileged schools in the local Dún Laoghaire area. They are the 'Holy Family N.S.' in Monkstown Farm and 'St. Kevins N.S.' in Sallynoggin. These schools are funded by the Department of Education but like many schools in Ireland this funding only provides for 2/3’s of the basic everyday running of the schools. The remainder comes from parents.

Al and myself met with the principles of the two schools last week and asked them to put together a wish list of equipment the children could benefit from. Holy Family N.S. informed us they wish to start coaching kids Olympic Handball, but the gear (nets etc.) they have now is over ten years old, and a health hazard! St. Kevins N.S. teaches music but has little or no equipment, through buying musical instruments we can help them get a good music program up and running.

From our point of view, as a group, these are great things to be providing for children who otherwise wouldn't have access to this type of equipment."

Thanks Aran, beautifully put. Next week Donal will give us the low-down on how the funds we raise will be put to use by Wells for Zoe to help poor folk in Africa.

May 4th 2km swim.

"Our Man Sham" booked the best pool in Dublin, the 25 metre pool in Sportsco for May4th, and the legend got it for €40 quid (other pools were quoting €200). The whole 6 lanes of the pool will be ours from 7pm-8pm on the day. Check out link below for details and directions:

http://www.sportsco.ie/facilities/swimming-pool/swimming-pool.html

Who's at 2k?

Fair Play to Kedders, Sue, Trev and myself for reaching the 2km mark since last Wed. Well done of course to Denny, Donal, Madeleine, Paudie and Sham who were already there! The table (found in blog no. 2) is updated every time a swimmer either e-mails me a new distance or posts their new distance on the blog. Updated distance are in green!


4o Foot Sundays

We had a suprisingly good turnout of Hardcore Heads for the Splash in the Storm last Sunday; Sham, Donal, Madeleine, Aran, Simon eile and myself braved it, and it was suprisingly pleasant!
We'll be there again at 12.30 as always this Sunday.

Newbies- Swimming Table- News of the World Page3!

Rocco swims 2km

Howrya Doin',

We've 2 new swimmers with us Damon and Paudie, you's are both very welcome to the 40 Foot Walruses Sea-Swimming Club and Loch Ness Challenge lads. D&P are gonna swim the Loch with us and they are looking forward to swimming the sea races this summer too. Our group of Nessie Swimmers is now 17 strong and our travelling group is now 20!

Here is a table with where everybody is with distance right now. The purpose is to give everybody an idea of where they stand. The Nessie Challenge is not a race (mainly because we'd be shamed by the mums!) so the table is not for competitive purposes, it's simply a frame of reference for you.
To update/change your distance post a comment with your new distance and I will update the table.

Al 2
Al's Mum ?
BigP ?
Butler 1.75
Damon 2
DaveD 1.5
Denny 2
Donal 2
Jamie ?
Kedders 2
Kedders' Mum 1.6
Madeleine 2
Paudie 2
Sham 2
Simon ?
Sue 2
Trev 2

It is now 3 Sundays and 2 and a half weeks until the May 4th 2km swim. If you can cover the 2kms in under 45 mins on the day that is super, well done. But the priority is to cover the distance on the day! Our man Sham is organising a pool for the swim.

There is going to be a photographer from a Sunday Newspaper down in the 40 Foot to get a snap of The Nessie Challenge Group over the next few weeks! So dont miss "the Semi-Naked to the Nation" photo Opp!!! Come on down for 12.30, we had a smaller than usual turnout last Sunday, so hopefully you can get down this Sun.

Any ideas for a name for the distances table??? If so please post a comment!

Happy Paddling,

Fat Al
Simon "The Torpedo" Torpay


P.S. Rocky IV training clip below, for me there is no better motivator. Pump up the volume and kick back with a mug of raw eggs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Kg_w-0y_w

Nessie Challenge Bloggs!

Welcome to the first Nessie Challenge Blogg. This will replace the weekly e-mail newsletter as The 40 Foot Walruses Swimming Club swims bravely into the future.

Feel free to add comments, translate into Hindu, or enjoy any of the wonderous futuristic features of Bloggland.

Well done to Chesney "Sham" Hawkes for his solo winter dip on Sunday, he truly is the one and only!

Pics above are of the superduper dip we had 2 Sundays ago at The 40 Foot, thanks to BrianB and Sarah for the photos!

It is now 3 1/2 weeks and 4 Sundays to May 4th 2km swim. If you're training is going well and you are nearly at the 2kms well done! If you are finding it challenging mail me and let me know how you are going and we'll put a training plan together, no hassle.

The message when training is still focus on swimming the distance first. Then when you are completing the 2km, work on time. We can be flexible on time on the day, but you want to complete the 2kms on Sunday May 4th.

As always we will be having a dip and a spot of tea at the 40 Foot this Sunday at the regular time of 12.30, do come on down, weather forecast looks good and its always a bit of craic!

Happy Paddling,

al

alfonso
Simon "the Torpedo" Torpay
The 40 Foot Walruses Sea Swimming Club