Friday, December 17, 2010

I could really get into this ocean swimming malarkey




Bondi has to be the most mercurial beach ever. It can be so rough that ocean swims are cancelled because the buoys (let alone the swimmers) are being washed on to the rocks. It can then be flat as a tack.
As the bus pulled up this morning my reaction was "why hello there Lake Bondi! I had begun to doubt your commitment to sparkle motion!"

Not only had Bondi been becalmed, but it had also warmed up. Ocean temps of 20.6. Comparatively bath like. Brilliant.

I was formally recognised as a fundraising star and received my orange togs. Best swimmers ever and at a cost of $2500 (in terms of minimum fundraising) you would really want them to be.

Point to point at training today - Ben Buckler boat ramp to Icebergs and back again. I have now accepted that my fears will never subside to the point where I can just immediately fall into a swimming rythym upon entereng the water, but I've now gotten around that by breathing every second stroke until I stop hyperventilating (usually takes about 30 strokes) and then changing into my normal every 3 strokes. Alice, Larissa and I swim together, for the most part (except when I drop off or get squeezed out by other swimmers) and occasionally synchronise so perfectly it's beautiful.

The water is glorious, you can see everything through it, finish the swim in a faster time than ever before and really enjoy it all.

Huzzah!

Pool training this week was interval training. I kept up barely with 3:45 200m splits but I was desperate for that really cold ocean water by the end of it. My face was still flushed 20 minutes later.

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