NEWS UPDATE! On July 1, after approximately seven hours and 10 miles, Boris Fernandez ended his attempt at becoming the first Cuban to swim across the English Channel. Kidney problems, brought on by hypothermia, thwarted his ability to continue.

Triathlete Boris Fernandez was Florida’s sprint champ in 2006 and 2008 and runner up in 2007. He won the Key Biscayne Trilogy Series from 2004 to 2008 and twice has gone to age-group world championships. His triathlon awards have piled up.

For a challenge, in July the 35-year-old Key Biscayne resident will swim the English Channel. Twenty four miles through frigid water far from Biscayne Bay. So we had to ask, Why?

South Florida Adventures: Why? Why did you decide to swim from England to France?
Fernandez: I’ve been doing triathlons for a while so I wanted a new challenge and to do something with a little more meaning. I’m doing this to help a charity. All the money I’m raising we’re donating to Manos del Sur, to build a school in Nicaragua.

This swim is like the top event in training. It’ll be a personal achievement and will have a social meaning. I also want to help the (humanitarian aid) organization AMURT in Haiti.

SFA: How long will it take to swim across the English Channel?

F: If it’s only 10 hours, that would be awesome!

SFA: How are you training?

F: I swam 50,000 yards last week.

I’m trying to increase that little by little, up to four or five hours of swimming per day. From the big bridge (Rickenbacker Causeway) to Miami Seaquarium and back, three times. Each way is one mile so the total is six miles. I’m doing that almost every day.

SFA: Have you always been a swimmer?

F: Yes. I started swimming at age 5 in Cuba then at age 10 went to the swimming national school until I was 19. I went to nationals several times and placed well, won a bronze medal. My dad and I now coach Rockway Swimming Team at Miami-Dade Community College. So I’ve always been a swimmer.

In Cuba there’s not much to do. I played badminton three years in university then came to the United States in 1995. I didn’t do much in sports for the next two or three years but then I decided to start training again.

SFA: Is swimming your best component of triathlons?

F: Cycling is probably my best. Swimming is next, running is behind. I’m not the best runner in a triathlon, but usually in the top three. On bikes I can be the top person by a lot. On the swim, I’m not usually the best but usually top three.

SFA: Will you compete in triathlons again?

F: Maybe, after the English Channel.

SFA: How did you start triathlon training, and how has that affected your swimming?

F: With a swimming background, it was hard to start training for running. Swimmers don’t have strength in their legs. I used to have a lot of upper-body muscle, had a heavy upper body, so I was getting shin splints all the time when I started running. I had to lose weight. I weighed 185 pounds and now weigh 159.

I made a huge effort to improve my run for triathlons. But as a result my swim and cycling went backward a little. Running long distances gives you muscle. Your legs become a little tight. On top of that, you lose body fat which takes flotation from your body.

SFA: When you train for tri’s, what’s your schedule?

F: For running, it’s five days per week. Usually one long run once a week, not over 1 hour 20 minutes, then I do speed sessions like 10 100s uphill one day a week. Then a tempo workout another day. The other two sessions will be easy runs of maybe 45 minutes. On the tempo run I usually warm up with two miles, then four miles faster, then four miles at a 10k pace. Finish with a one-mile cool down.

I kind of do the same for cycling. Most of the season I do daily speed sessions of 10 by 10 seconds. I jump out of my seat and pump for 10 seconds all out. Then I rest three minutes. Another day I’ll have a tempo session: three times for 20 minutes at 90% of my time-trial pace. And one day a week I’ll have a group ride for one hour. The other two days I do easy riding for an hour and a half.

SFA: Where do you run and cycle?

F: I cycle on streets. I like to run on grass but I start at my house and run over the (Rickenbacker) bridge so the terrain is mixed. Sometimes I run barefoot on sand to strengthen the muscles in my feet. It’s easy running barefoot on sand.

SFA: Do you lift weights?

F: I do a little functional training, exercises that mimic what I do in sport. I use a lot of medicine balls. I try to incorporate weight training into swimming, like swimming with my legs tied so I cannot kick at all. This strengthens my arms.

SFA: What’s your diet?

F: In the morning I’ll have coconut water, lemon and spirulina. With antioxidant protection, spirulina is like a super food. During the day I’ll have king rice which is high in protein, almost every day. I eat fish here and there, and a lot of vegetables. I drink smoothies with a lot of fruit.

At lunch I eat more carbohydrates. At dinner I eat more vegetables.

SFA: Do you take any supplements?

F: I take fish oil, lecithin, maca from Peru, chlorella, Sun Warrior protein, glucosamine and BioAstin.I’m also using a new product, Moxxor, that has omega-3 and antioxidants and is good for joint inflammation.