Kayak the danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. Kayak the danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea.
Swimming the English Channel as part of my JOG to the Black Sea. 21 miles on a good day, the English Channel is the ultimate open water swimming challenge.
Swimming the English Channel, all official swimming the English Channel swims start from the beaches of Dover and at 7.05am I began mine.
In every single cold water training swim I did, I entered the water with a wince Swimming the English Channel. With a brief thought of sneaking out of the water and back into the warmth without anyone noticing.
Today however, there were no such thoughts, I don’t think that the water was any warmer than it had been in the past few weeks.
But I just didn’t feel that the water was cold Swimming the English Channel. This wasn’t the time to be feeling cold, this was the big one!
Swimming the English Channel as part of my JOG to the Black Sea. 21 miles on a good day, the English Channel is the ultimate open water swimming challenge.
Swimming the English Channel, all official swimming the English Channel swims start from the beaches of Dover and at 7.05am I began mine.
In every single cold water training swim I did, I entered the water with a wince. With a brief thought of sneaking out of the water and back into the warmth without anyone noticing.
Today however, there were no such thoughts, I don’t think that the water was any warmer than it had been in the past few weeks.
But I just didn’t feel that the water or was cold Swimming the English Channel. This wasn’t the time to be feeling cold, this was the big one!
In every single cold water training swim I did then I entered the water with a wince. With a brief thought of sneaking out of the water and back into the warmth without anyone noticing.
Today however, there were no such or thoughts then I don’t think that the water was any warmer than it had been in the past few weeks.
Kayak the Danube but I just didn’t feel that the water was cold. This wasn’t the time to be feeling cold, this was the big one!
Kayaking
The final section of the Jog, Kayaking the entire length of the River Danube, from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. The second longest river in Europe, The Danube was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire, and today flows through 10 nations. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for 2,860 km (1,780 mi), passing through or touching the border of Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine before emptying into the Black Sea. Its drainage basin extends into nine more nations.
Motivation
Along with cycling the length of the UK, riding at least some of the Danube has been a goal of mine for a few years. Kayaking the entire length is a much more recent ambition. Despite being a relatively new motivation, kayaking the Danube has quickly become the stage of this trip that I am most looking forward to. The more research I do, the more excited I am about this section. The Danube passes through 10 countries, 9 of which I have never visited before, I imagine kayaking through a country gives a peaceful element that is not possible with most other forms of transport.
History
While writing this, I am trying extremely hard to think of a time that I have ever even been in a kayak before. I can think of two instances, my issue is that they are so far removed from my memory that I doubt the experiences will prove any use once I finally arrive at the Danube. In fact, I cannot be completely sure that they are not fictional creations in my mind, rendering them even more redundant. For lack of further information, here is a kayak fact; kayaks were initially constructed from seal skin stretched over a whalebone frame. Mine will be made from plastic.
Training
Training for the Kayak has been limited, at the time of writing, I do not and have never owned a kayak. Mostly for my own peace of mind, I have concluded, perhaps incorrectly, that all the swimming training that I have been doing will be beneficial for the kayak section as well. In addition to this, I am a regular occupant of the rowing machine at the gym, which again in my mind is a very similar exercise. Once I return back to the UK, I will increase the kayaking training, however, I will be on the kayak for so long that I am confident that even with a basic level of skill and fitness I will quickly improve.