"The Flow des Gabarriers is a magnificent race".

A 33 km descent that's far from being hell!

April 2022, I'm in the home stretch of my preparations for the Channel crossing... I've got to hit the ground running and plan for a month of June with a heavy training load. I've organised an 8-hour swim in the pool, and found two courses where a 6-hour run is organised... Perfect, but I'm still missing a race to round off the month of June in style and push the machine to its limits one last time.

So I set off in search of a very long-distance event in France... but there wasn't much to get my teeth into.

A certified 10 km? For swimming in general and open water in particular, I think it's great that these events are being democratised. More open water races means more people can try out the longer distances, which means more people can say to themselves "holy cow, 10 km isn't that difficult!" and finally start a virtuous circle for open water swimming.

I've done one or two races of this type in my preparation, but it's not the competition I'm looking for - my ego has taken too much of a knock! I remember seeing Axel Raymond (world champion over 10 and 25 km) beat me to the post at the finish line of a 10 km race in Quiberon... well, I still had two 2 km loops to do while he was finishing his 10 km nicely, but still J

In short, I'm looking for something very long, and above all, something that doesn't take up too much of my time. I opened the federation's website mechanically, looked through the available races one last time and, as if by magic, came across a piece of information I hadn't seen before... the Flow des Gabarriers, 33 km, June 2022. How could I have missed it?

So I dug deeper into the subject and gradually discovered a magnificent race, along the Charente, from Châteauneuf sur Charente to Cognac... and not too far from where I live. I'm in!

Amazing! At last an unusual race. I decided to contact the organiser to get a better understanding of all the subtleties involved in organising such an event. Wow, he got back to me in the morning and we agreed to talk on the phone.

I quickly realised that I was dealing with someone who was passionate about his work. Everything is very well organised, which is reassuring because I have a lot of questions: accommodation, support, refreshments etc... everything is planned and anticipated!

The only problem is that open water races are usually loops with feed stations at the end of each circuit. Here, it's a 33km 'descent' along the Charente, so you need to be accompanied by a kayak for safety and also for the feed stations. The only question I ask myself is "who's going to agree to accompany me on this dinguerie for 8, 9 or 10 hours?

I put an ad on my Facebook page and within an hour I had a message from a friend, Catherine: "You've got your two kayakers". Top! So Fred, Catherine's husband, and Arnaud, two kayaking enthusiasts, will be accompanying me on this extraordinary event.

This race has two benefits for me: firstly, I can test myself over a 10-hour swim at 'Channel crossing' pace and secondly, I can finally adapt my refuelling in real conditions.

D-Day has arrived. All the participants meet on the banks of the river before the start.

I'm surprised there are so few of us in swimming costumes - the water's 21°, so it's almost hot!

I'm feeling serene, I know I have what it takes to finish this race, the aim is really to do a dress rehearsal before the English Channel and I'm really pleased that Fred and Arnaud are coming with me.

The start is given and we all set off down the Charente.

In just a few minutes, some of them are already off. As for me, I'm making a 'cautious' start, as we've set off for a day's swimming, so I'm not going to tire myself out just yet.

I looked at my watch after just over an hour... 1.10 in the 100m! Which is a far cry from my usual performance. I completely underestimated the current carrying us. It's so comfortable to swim at this speed without any pressure. Yes, it's a particularity of the Flow Des Gabarriers that the current carries us in a very advantageous way.

On the other hand, it's not as much fun for my companions, as I'm finding out that it's raining down at times. Personally, I don't care, I'm already wet! But for my two companions of the day, it's not so great. But I'm lucky enough to have some passionate people with me, and they'll get through it on their own with a smile on their faces.

Another special feature of the Flow Des Gabarriers is the locks, of which there are 3 and 5 dams to pass. No choice, you have to get out of the water to dive back in... and the very first one stings a bit, I admit: the ladder to grab is quite high and I have to make quite an effort to put one foot on the first rung. What's more, I've put on 18kg for the Channel, which doesn't really help my agility and grace. From the outside, I think it must be a very funny scene to watch.

I think it's great fun when you get out of the water, bump into the volunteers, say a few words, have a few jokes and go on your way... and above all thank them! I love those moments and it's very important to me. As a volunteer, I'm often disappointed by the attitude of the vast majority of CAP or triathlon participants, whether they're first or last. I promise you that a little gesture, a little smile and a little thank you goes a long way for a volunteer.

At the second lock, around the 2-hour mark, I started to see the first drop-outs.

I'm surprised to see this "Golgoth" (which in my jargon refers to a guy cut in a V-shape, but in my case the V is more like upside down), with a blank expression on his face and carrying a survival blanket over his shoulders. Which immediately got me thinking: "I smell hypothermia, maybe that's not so bad after all, 18 kg more to cope with the cold".

The kilometres and the hours follow each other and become more alike. I'm happy in the water, I'm not forcing myself, I feel at ease and I'm now spacing out my refuelling every 40 minutes (every hour for the first 3 hours).

It's these breaks that I'm extremely vigilant about, and I have to keep them as close as possible to my Channel crossing, i.e. my feed stops have to be as quick as possible: according to the pilots who accompany the swimmers on the Channel, a break of barely 2 minutes means, depending on the currents, taking the risk of going back 300/400 metres, and over a 42 km swim, that can be very costly!

So I force myself not to exceed one minute for each feed and to always be on the move. I try out lots of solutions, that's why I'm here in the first place: effort products, banana compote, savoury bars, chocolate bars, fruit paste and even mashed potatoes. I'll come out of the water saying to myself: "That's it, I have total confidence in my supplies for the Channel". As a little anecdote, I'll be having a great hachi parmentier in the middle of the Channel.

About 5 hours into the swim, at the exit of a lock, I was very surprised to come across this young swimmer, who is also due to attempt the English Channel in August, looking livid beside an ambulance and wearing a survival blanket. She explained that the cold made her hip ache and that stopping caused her to suffer from hypothermia.

I plunged back into the Charente. Phew, she'll overtake me 40 minutes later and finish the race.

Everything was going well until the 6am swim. I start to feel a nasty pain in my right shoulder. I'm forced to ask myself the question: "With two months to go before the crossing, should I really continue this race?

I'm not a 'swimmer', I started swimming at 38 and I have very poor technique, which exposes me to these physical problems much more than others. My right arm reaches far too far to the side and, over long distances, gives me this very strong pain in the shoulder ligaments.

I decide to continue. The pain was severe and persistent for 1? hours. I stopped for a feed, set off again and... Miracle, the pain was gone. I still don't know what to make of it. In the 14 hours I've been crossing the Channel, I'll never have this problem. It's strange how the human body can adapt to pain and stress.

Last barrage, that's it, the race is coming to an end. Before getting out of the water, I take stock of the situation: I'm happy, in great shape, I'm no longer in pain and I've never had any problems with the cold. I think it's the easiest race I've done in all my preparation.

The Flow des Gabarriers is a magnificent race. First of all, the environment of the Charente is grandiose because of the diversity of its landscapes. Secondly, it's a perfectly organised race, with nothing left to chance.

Oh yes, one day perhaps, when the Flow Des Gabarriers celebrates its tenth edition, the legend will tell that, during the very first edition, a guy came out of the water after 8 hours 20 minutes of swimming, smiling, and ran towards the refreshment bar to drink a beer. If you've read these lines, you'll know that this legend is true.

Well, even if I admit that I took the wrong stand between the refreshment stand and the end-of-race refreshment stand, which was opposite. They put a beer in my hand and I wasn't going to turn it down, was I?

"These 33 kms represent my biggest open water event to date!!!"

It's 5.15am when the alarm goes off. It's time to get ready, put on your jersey and finish off the refreshments!
6.05am, with Anthony, my friend and kayaker for the day, we head for the finish of the race, in the pouring rain!
At 6.30 am, the bus leaves for Châteauneuf sur Charente with many soaked swimmers on board.
We arrive at the departure point at around 7.10am.
I start spreading Vaseline on my skin to keep it from rubbing against the jersey, and put on my hat and goggles. I keep something warm until the 8am start.
Anthony is ready, on his kayak and on the water.
13 solo swimmers, and only a handful without wetsuits
8am the start is given, some run, others walk to throw themselves into the water!
And off we go!
3 locks and 5 dams to cross.
It was with a pace that was a little too fast that I set off on this 33km, no doubt due to the emulation of the group.
I feel really good in the water! I'm even warm... But...
First lock, first galleys.
Getting out of the water is complicated and above all long. You have to take the kayak out and then put it back in the water. With the bad weather and the fresh air, the cold was making itself felt.
Then I return to the water and get my pace back. The refuelling went pretty well. It's not easy steering the kayak and mixing the compotes with the drink! But Anthony did his best and managed like a pro!
Second lock, trajectory error.
The kayaks head for the lock, not the weir.
2 metres high to get the kayaks out of the water! It took a long time to get back in the water! I caught a cold... But I went back into the water again to try and warm up.
The machine is back up and running and I'm off to a very good start.
3rd lock well crossed!
We're now heading for the 1st roadblock with 15km already on our hands!
At the 20th kilometre, what I'd dreaded most happened. My hips... My hips became painful, just like last year.
Is it the cold when getting out of the water? Is it mechanical?
I concentrate and grit my teeth.
21st kilometre, 3rd roadblock. I decide to take a break. I rest my hips and stretch them. I was covered with a survival blanket to avoid getting any colder than I already was.
30 minutes later I set off again after 4 hours 45 minutes of effort.
And then, at last, the pain went away! I'm swimming really well and it feels great.
Anthony sends me all his support and encouragement!
Only 10km to go, then 9, then 8 and finally 7km.
Then comes the 4th barrage.
I'm struggling to get out of the water and have to push on my legs, and the pain has returned.
I dived back into the water, trying as hard as I could not to think about it. It was out of the question to stop now.
5km to the last dam, the worst 5km of my open water life.
31km, 5th and final roadblock. I can't stand up without the help of the volunteers, so I walk slowly to the entrance.
With 2km to go, Anthony is screaming and cheering me on at the top of his voice!
I'm accelerating, my arms are turning, my legs are working and I'm gritting my teeth!
7h56. I finally reach the finish. I get out and run until the end! With a livid look on my face, I was picked up and taken care of by the first aiders and a masseur. A very painful massage, but a very effective one to reduce the pain!
33kms. These 33 kms represent my biggest open water event to date!
I'm really proud of myself, I can tell you. It's only been 2 months with L'Arctique. My body is really incredible!
This was the first stage before the big event!
Now it's time for recovery
A huge thank you to Anthony, for accompanying and supporting me through this 8-hour ordeal! Many thanks
Thank you Le Flow Des Gabarriers for this wonderful event in a magnificent setting, and thank you to the organiser Grégory and all the volunteers.
The smiling Penguin who has recovered well