The picture above was taken at the top of the Femes Mountains after Eddie's and my 'dual' race to the top.  The Lanzarote Ultra has definitely become a race that I will go back to at a later date.  After a business meeting with Eddie a few days ago, we went through our diaries and discussed the options we had for this August as an A2A athlete had cancelled his slot on the 12th.  The obvious solution was to contact the 2010 athletes and see if any of them wanted to bring their challenge forward a year, or to hope that we could fill the slot with a new athlete asap.

Last night after a couple of Jack Daniels, I decided that I wanted another bash at the record.  One of the reasons that I have not considered it before, is that I could train to be even fitter than I was in 2007, only to find that the weather turns bad again before I reach Dover.  I would then be in a position that I may lack motivation to swim across to France.  I needed another incentive.  Of course, on the 'things to do list', I have a non-wetsuited swim planned before I get old and crusty.  So I now have a plan.  My No 1 aim is to swim solo without a wetsuit over to France.  No 2 - to this being the first person without wetsuit to complete the A2A.  No 3 - to break the world record along the way.

Only 10hrs after making this decision, I made a trip down to the Cornish Coast for a dip in the 10 degree sea.  I could have only been in their 5mins (OK - 3), but it was enough to freeze the boobs off a blue tit.  I reckoned I might of backed out if I tip-toed into the channel, so I ran straight in there (and after 3mins - ran straight out!)