Be careful what you wish for - Bilgola Ocean Swim

Signed up for the Bilgola ocean swim today - on the basis of a conversation with a colleague who joined me in my madness. 1.5 kilometres between the headlands of North and South Bilgola. Cracking sou-easterly wind and more seaweed than populates the gardens of Atlantis (presuming the legends to be accurate).

I, of course, wished for a small surf with infrequent waves. Only had to duck under 4 times to get past the break- and unlike yesterday could catch a full breath between them - but had to run through about 2m of solid seaweed to get to the break. I think I looked like a creature out of Harry Potter by the end.

We started in waves: white, yellow, red and green but by the end we looked like and endless procession of traffic lights. Suprisingly wasn't the last out of the water - being in the first group probably helps with that.

People had warned me that ocean swimming is like organised chaos. They lied, it's just chaos, people swim into you, over you, around you and under you. It's hilarious because unless you are excellent at swimming in a straight line for the 10 strokes between sighting your mark, we're all interweaving like some bizarre version of a maypole dance.

You're protected by the headland for the first two buoys, but between the second and the third you are totally exposed and swimming straight into the waves. Getting a fix is impossible most of the way so I focus on the cliff. And the profound beauty of the vast expanse of water beneath me as the ethereal light dapples and dances on the endlessly shifting sands.

Couple of jelly fish. Unfortunately useless as floatation devices, darn.

Couple of inconsiderate folk breastroke, particularly around the buoys. This is a big no-no in ocean swimming as your kick extends well beyond your body, generally into the person behind you's face.

Made it back through the break, and the seaweed, only to race up the beach. God running through sand is tough. It's like ... running through quick sand. Funny that.

Rescued by parentals and sister taken to lunch. All of whom are convinced they could never do that - I didn't think I could either 6 weeks ago.

Have totally earned dessert so have two. Yay!

Week 6

Swam 2km in my practice swims and 1.9km in my training session. 2.7km doesn't seem quite so far now but it still seems like a bloody long way.

Beach session involved everyone swimming out in waves like a real race. I didn't get entirely overtaken by the fast group but I was certainly the last one in the middle group. Possibly due to hang over (5th of my life). Waves were seriously intense, we kept coming up between sets only to have to go straight back down again which meant I couldn't get my breathing right. Boo. The water was so beautiful though, sun beams came down through the water and glistened on the shifting sands. I kept getting distracted by the beauty and swimming in wiggly lines.

Sighting a buoy that's about 20cm high between waves is a very tricky business, so I decided to sight my fellow swimmers. This is problematic when they're not sighting themselves.

Have signed up for my first ocean swim tomorrow at the urging of a colleague with whom I was discussing ocean swimming. Argh. Nerves. Have also signed up for the Big Swim from Palm Beach to Whale Beach! No turning back now...

Week 5

Finally got the requisite 4 swims per week in that we're supposed to be doing. Starting to feel very at home in the water. Wonder if it's possible to devolve into some kind of amphibious creature, that would be one way to solve my breathing issues.


Swam out to the boat ramp again at Bondi. Serious surf to navigate. Got past the break and then almost got smashed by a freak wave. Utterly exhausting swimming out. One very kind person noticed how terrible my breathing is when I first get started and am totally terrified so she swam next to me so I could just sight her instead of the boat ramp and get my breathing sorted. Not sure if I'll be able to start swimming properly from the get go next week. Ride home wasn't nearly as draining as normal. Must be getting used to that evil hill!