Arch to Arc

AdventureAndy

Hello!

Just a note to see if any one would like to give me some tips and advice?! I'm going to attempt the Arch to Arc (i.e. Run from London to Dover, swim the channel and then cycle to Paris) next August and so would really appreciate any advice on long distance running. I'm OK on the cycle - I cycled London to Paris last year in a not too shabby time - and the swim whilst daunting and not to under estimate it something that I know deep down I can do - but what fills me with dread is the run. I've run marathons and half marathons before but 89 miles just terrifies me! Any help and advice gratefully received.

You can follow my progress on http://andy-archtoarc.blogspot.com/

Thanks for any info and tips,

AdventureAndy

TRIumphant

Nuts. You must be crazy. Good luck anyway.

But I now must google it just o find out more.

AdventureAndy

Thanks for your kind comments

I've had to change my blog address - http://marble-triomphe.blogspot.com/

As I say the scariest thing for me is the run; I've cycled London to Paris in the past and my swimming is n't too shabby ... but that run ... any advice on this distance (about 89km) would be gratefully received.

TRIumphant

Can't be too constructive I'm afraid, only real advice is "DON'T DO IT". And you say the scariest thing is the run, that must be because it's first. You've got an awesome swim and then bike after. Good luck.

Hopefully someone on this forum will be able to give you a bit more useful advice, but it;s out of my league.

Bopomofo

One of our forumites (formerly known as SquareClare, possibly?) has done the channel swim as a relay event.

To be honest I'm astonished that you reckon the swim will be no problems. I mean, you've obviously thought about it lots and you must be an accomplished and experienced swimmer, particularly in open water, but I reckon the Channel Swim is far beyond the run and bike sections of the Arch-to-Arc in terms of difficulty.

When running you can stop and walk. Or eat. Or even sleep. Same goes for cycling.

For that swim you are up against the clock. Sure, you can eat/drink to keep your energy levels topped up (or rather sinking slightly slower) but you cannot get around human survivability in cold water. You have a million things to go wrong, even just a simple cramp 'cos you've recently finished a 60-whatever mile run and suddenly you're into hypothermia and game over. No matter how good a swimmer you are, there's only so many tide-turns you can go through before you are making backwards progress.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but I can't think of anybody who can comfortably dismiss a cross-Channel swim as being no problem. In fact, I'm pretty sure that somebody who has already done it would be even more cautious about attempting it a second time.

A double or triple marathon, assuming you are actually allowed to slow down, stop, eat, sleep etc? Yeah, I can see that as being achievable. Same goes for a 200mile bike. But that swim? There is no room for error, complacency or mistakes.

Tell us a bit more about your sporting background. Have you done the channel before? Did you win gold at the 10km swim in Beijing? etc...

AdventureAndy

I think I may have expressed myself badly; I don't think any of it's going to be easy, I'm referring more to my level of comfort with each of the component part. The cycle I've done already from London to Paris but I do appreciate that this time it will be after the run and the swim. I think it's my mental attitude that I'm actually reflecting upon, I just dont have any comfort factor in running, I'm not at ease or comfortable with myself.

Thank you all for your comments.

Firestarter

If you go on to tritalk.co.uk you'll find a couple of the guys there have done Arch2Arc if you PM EnduromanIV AKA Steve Heywood as he's completed the event and frequents the forum. He will no doubt be more than capable of offering you any tips to complete your goal.