From Palm Beach to Whale Beach, the big swim redux

The Big Swim. 2.7km around the headland between Palm and Whale Beach.

This is the headland that doesn't end, my friends. Or at least it feels like it.

Last year my googles leaked, I got seasick, sun burnt, stung and struggled to get up the beach at the other end.

This year my brand new googles (cheers to Swim shop for their voucher!) were brilliant, travel calm and antihistamines kept both seasickenss and stingers at bay and my brilliant Can Too rashie provided sun and sting protection.

Start was glorious thanks to all the extra tips I picked up joining the beginners a couple of weeks ago at training. I had been porpoising all wrong which was why I was having such trouble getting out through the break leading to panic attacks.

Took a nice wide course, avoiding all the chop next to the headland and only joining up with the main body of swimmers as they rounded the headland. Was utterly convinced I had misremembered the headland as I didn't feel tired by the end of it and thought I had much further to go. Finally found those teeny tiny intermediate buoys I'd searched for last year and then the final buoy much too soon. I was having fun!

I did a warm up at both Palm and Whale beaches which meant I picked the gutter going out of Palm and knew what the waves were doing at Whale. Caught three broken ones into the beach and sprinted for home with two cheer squads on either side of the finish line cheering my name: The Can Tooers, especially Alice, Toby and Allison on the left and then Tom, Em, Elizabeth and the Garsias including Anna on my right.

Best 15 minutes of fame ever!

Now onto that Coogee to Bondi monster!