The test

In order to test my new found comfort with ocean swimming my body decides to develop the 'flu. Top of the list of things you absolutely should not do whilst sick with the 'flu. Ocean swimming. Add an ear infection to the list and I swear the GP was looking at me as though I was crazy (not for the first time, mind you) when I told her I'd done a 2km training swim and a 1.6km race on successive days.

Actually. She has a point there.

Was strictly necessary to attend training though to receive (duh dunana) my Can Too Cossies!! Never has a pair of cossies cost so much (literally in terms of the minimum fundraising and figuratively in terms of the amount of effort involved).

Swam out to the head, across to beyond icebergs and then back. Funnily enough two colleagues were on the beach but I didn't run into them. So slow. Like iceberg slow. Ironic given that's what I was sighting. Do 2km in over an hour. This is about 20 minutes slower than my PB. If I were Susie Maroney (IF, IF, IF) this would be like the 'flu transforming you into Eric the Eel. Sadly I later check and am pretty sure Eric would have been faster than me.

Head up to Warriewood on the Sunday for the Warriewood to Mona Vale swim. My first "journey" swim (I love the lingo) between two points rather than in a big circle. Intense surf greets us at Mona Vale, and again at Warriewood (when we finally work out how to get there). The three colleagues who joined me last week for Avalon have become a self sustaining movement, encouraging me to forfeit my week off. There are varying degrees of enthusiasm upon being confronted with the early hour (by their standards), grey, overcast, drizzly day, and intense surf. The boys attack it like life saving pros (as opposed to the volunteers they are) but us girls are a little more circumspect and even consider dropping out when we warm up. Briefing session with Longie (Bondi / Can Too legend who regularly takes out his age group) helps quell the nerves a little and the girls strike a faustian pact: no competing with the boys for the sake of company getting out through the break.

We make it safely through the break, and fall off the back of our bunch so successfully that the next wave of swimmers are upon us before we make the first buoy (boating) / booee (swimming) (not so sure I love the lingo anymore). Glorious in the back straight, truly transparent water, easy intervals between booees and very friendly surfers. One of them keeps me company most of the way and informs me of my progress between sets, and every 6 strokes. Delightful chap. Not at all a waxhead.

Surf is equally intense getting in. First 4 are too big and breaking too early to even think about catching so let them pull me forward, revelling in the sight of the wash through the googles. Then catch wave after wave in and overtake all those poor suckers in front of me. Then have to run uphill in sand and we're all even stevens again. Another colleague has come down to cheer us over the finish line and I hear my name being yelled in support. Awesome feeling.

The boys, and uber fast girl have done it in a very fast time. The girls have done it in style. And by style I mean not drowning. One colleague has won her age category and she of masters gold winning fame comes second in her age category.

We head off to lunch, which is vastly aided by actually finding the intended restaurant this time, and paddlepops. Epic argument about which flavour is better. Personally, I think given how much more successfully we were able to eat our icecreams this week the flavour argument is rendered moot.

Fundraising Minimum Smashed!!

The $1250 minimum fundraising amount has been reached thanks to the extraordinary generosity of my family and friends:

With huge, huge, huge thanks to:

The Federal Court and all its employees, including two wonderful judges, Pam, Mum, Sarah, Lauren, Steph, Patrick, Diccon, Laura, Emily, Reena, Emma, Lisa, Peter, Vivian, Adam, Pia, Mitchel, Carolyn, Margreet, Yvonne, Jacinta, Jennifer, Anna V, Zsofi, Urshi, Marianna, Erin, Siobhan, Dad, Isa, Alex, Tam, Airlie, Justin, Matt, Ben, Alison and Rachel.

It's been absolutely amazing how many people have come forth from the tapestry of my life and supported this event, clearly cancer is something that affects us all, even if we live without ever receiving a diagnosis.

And I assure you, the warm fuzzy thoughts of people putting their hard earned cash behind you is incredibly helpful when struggling around a buoy in cold water and copping an elbow to the googles. It is you guys, as much as the training that has gotten me through, including those whose support hasn't been financial.

I am thoroughly indebted and incredibly grateful.

You all Can Too! And now I get my Can Too Cossies. Orange. Hot!!

And the fear slowly subsides

The water is amazingly clear ...

Bronwyn Bishop becomes convinced she can too [move her eyebrows]

Oh what a glorious day!

We head to the start line

And it starts ...

photos courtesy of Oceanswims.com



Training on Saturday was bizarre. I got through the break and started swimming instead of panicking. Having been advised to dive deeper I found myself focusing on that rather than my impending drowning and for the first time ever actually enjoyed Ocean Swimming. Susan, our team captain, was totally vindicated and crowing that she had promised eventual enjoyment. I rolled my eyes at the time. How does one go about retracting an eye roll? Counter clockwise perhaps?

Then Avalon. Another 1.5km swim. Went up the day before with a colleague (the Federal Court proving a very fertile hunting ground for recruiting ocean swimmers) to test out the waves. Massive. She handled it with great aplomb included a massive wave, that came from no where (i.e. beyond the break) and blotted out the sun whilst diving underneath it, and even still swept us both up in it.

Sunday morning. Bright and early. Well bright at least, by my standards. Meet 2 fellow associates, grab a third and head to Avalon. Glorious day. Minimal wind so no chop. Convince recalcitrant associate to have a go. Her aplomb holds throughout the race and she finishes with a smile a mile wide and exclamations of never having had quite so much fun. I literally burst with pride; especially considering the nervous quivering mass I was during the first four weeks. The blokes smash the race. 30 minutes and 30 seconds and 31 minutes and 30 seconds respectively. I'm a ways behind but still improve my time from Bilgola considerably. Am totally stoked. Having never been in the second wave I'm used to my time not having to be adjusted. The blokes point this out to me and I attempt to knock them out with my flailing arms as I star jump for joy.

Mel (of World Masters gold medal glory) comes 3rd in her age category and the colleague who joined me for Bilgola is only moments behind. Impressive.

But most exciting, is that, for the first time, instead of panicking during the race, I swim. Even when I take a gulp of ocean instead of air, or someone elbows me, or swims over me, I'm totally relaxed and just keep setting a steady pace. I'm blaming this wonderful development on my lovely fellow associates. Clearly they are a calming presence.

Swim 5km in the pool. Almost non stop (I take two breathers without touching the bottom). Am now actually EXCITED for the Big Swim in a greater proportion to the part of me which dreads it. This is entirely unprecedented. It no longer looms as an impossible Herculean feat, but rather something achieveable. I guess I Can Too!! (Fingers crossed)

Past the $800 mark for sponsorship. Not sure hassling people for money isn't the harder part of the program!

Euphoric post finish line!

Oh, so that's why we're doing this

1.5km swim on Monday to try and deal with the lactic acid. Sprinted 1km which ended up at about 20-22 minutes, making the 43 minutes for the 2km in the Bondi Roughwater quite respectable relative to my abilities.

Cross training bike ride in the morning followed by 4.5km swim on Wednesday, 1.5km with the boyz (significant lapping) and then 2.6km on the trot with a 400m warm up. Passed out on couch after carbo loading.

What you really want to back up that distance with is a 2.2km session of interval training. Words cannot describe my loathing for interval training. I make sloths look particularly quick. Thus sprinting for up to 100m and then doing an equivalent distance at an easy pace kills me.

On the positive side, the method to my madness was finally brought to bear. We met Phoebe, a researcher in pancreatic cancer who outlined for us why Cure Cancer and the funds raised by Can Too are just so vital. Cure Cancer made the specific choice to provide research grants to young postdoctoral researchers. Traditionally research grants are based on experience and reputation, and in particular previous grants. Thus, it is even harder to get a start in research than those industries in which each opening requires you to have experience. Cure Cancer saw that there was particular merit in funding young researchers who may well have novel approaches and new metholodologies but had to work for others in order to get their foot in the door.

Phoebe in particular has been trained in cutting edge US technology immediately following the completion of her PhD and she choose Pancreatic Cancer because it is essentially a death sentence. There is no cure, and no effective treatment. The entire gamut of chemotherapy medications fail to act against pancreatic cancer and Phoebe discovered that this was due to scar tissue which is a co-effect of the cancer, rather than an incidental side effect. This scar tissue absorbs the medication and prevents it from reaching the tumour itself. She's developed a protein (from chinese herbs) that attacks the scar tissue allowing the medication to be absorbed which is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials in the US. Phoebe indicated that without Can Too and Cure Cancer she never would have received her first grant, which allowed her to bring another researcher on board, and put her in line to receive further grants.

She couldn't thank us enough, which made us all rather embarrassed for our efforts. It's given me renewed resolve to try and quell my fears of getting out through the break.

Have signed up for the 1.6km swim at Avalon on the weekend and have at least 2 colleagues joining me. Woot.

Fundraising has passed the $700. If everyone donates $10 we'll pass the $1200 minimum easily (which also means I get my orange cossies).

Visit http://www.cantoo.org.au/ and click on sponsor a participant and search for Price to donate.

From Lake Bondi to Bondi Roughwater

I'm the really professional looking one to the right, face out of frame. (Jokes)

The finish line, a most welcome sight!

All the Can Tooers doing the 2km swim

We rock up at training on 2 January 2010 only to discover Bondi beach has been replaced by Lake Bondi. Nary a wave to be seen. Why on earth could it have not been like this on the first week?

We do a point to point (Boat Ramp to Icebergs) and shock! I enjoy it! Without the waves I can just relax and settle into a routine.

Next Saturday is much the same, calm and relaxed. Given almost everyone is doing the Bondi Roughwater swim the next day we work on the course. Decide rip is the best option. Am now voluntarily swimming in rips. Who would have seen that coming?

Race day is brilliantly organised. Instead of the 45 minute reg queue it takes 5 minutes. We cheer the 1km swimmers home and then go warm up. Sou-Easter has hit bringing swell with it. Joy.

Hard slog out to the first buoy. Am overtaken by Mel (a friend who wins gold medals in the World Masters!) very happy to be overtaken by someone I know. Bit easier from then on. Get into a rhythm. Despite having been told it wouldn't be necessary to go through the gate (two buoys lined up) I almost run into a surf ski that tells me it is necessary. Keep on stroking. People keep swimming into, over, under and around you. Disorganised chaos. Sprint up the beach, stoked to have reached another girl in my age category. Only to realise she'd already done the 1km event.

Wow!

Last out of the water is a Can Too mentor. She's done the program before in response to a death in her family. This is her first time ever swimming 2km. She sprints over the finish line in tears. Suddenly my fears seem pretty stupid!