5km. Finally.

After finishing my first Palm to Whale Big Swim in 2010 I set my sights on a 5km swim. I thought there was only one in NSW that didn’t clash with Can Too commitments: Coogee to Bondi.

A bit of a bitch about Coogee to Bondi

In 2010 I suffered a debilitating bout of sea sickness in the Malabar swim, didn’t train enough and so deferred to 2011. When the race was a complete schmozzle and reset to a swim inside Coogee. After an hour and a half standing in the freezing rain whilst they reset with no announcements I gave up and headed for home.

Coogee Closed For Business 2011

In 2012 I came down with an awful flu / cold thing that bound me to bed for a fortnight, coinciding with my bronze part B assessment to become a surf lifesaver resulting in a failed boards component and meant I couldn’t swim.

Moving the final buoy mid race is a no-no

2013 they didn’t run the race because they were setting up a SUP board business. God knows what will happen in 2014.

It should be noted that most of the ocean swims are run by surf clubs and they do it very well. Some are run as private profit making exercises (like the Cole Classic) and are quite expensive but are still very well run. It is incredibly hard to run a journey swim from one beach to another, when that swim crosses the territory of two councils and 5 surf clubs. However, Mermaid Jo, who coaches at icebergs has never impressed as a race organiser. Despite a $75 race fee there was an abject failure to communicate in 2011 and the final buoy was moved without warning after the winners had passed it in 2012 - both poor efforts. So it’s unsurprising that a great, epic, journey swim has yet again fallen into disrepair.

It would be great to see the surf clubs take this on.

So following on from the previous abject failures to swim 5km I did what the Pet Shop Boys have been telling us to do for years: Go West!

Western Australian Adventures

My gorgeous gal pal, the ever lovely Courtney calls Perth home. We met in The Hague and have hung out (both east side and west side) a few times since returning to Oz in 2008. Great incentive to head west to tackle my first 5km.

The Davey Real Estate Sunset Coast Swim 2014 is run by Scarboro SLSC on Scarborough beach (confused yet?). It’s a 2km loop followed by a 3km loop. They also run a 2km and a 1km swim.

There is also a 1:40 time limit. Always a great idea to read the fine print. Coogee to Bondi has a 2 hour time limit to clear McKenzie’s point so it’s about 2:20 in total. These Western Australians are fast. I am not. This is a problem. The winner did this swim in 50:26. That’s 10 minutes per kilometre. I am stoked to hold 20 minutes per kilometre.

Heading to the race briefing I run into my great Can Too swim mate, Alice Boxhall, who lives in San Francisco but happened to be in Perth for a conference and encouraged her friend to try the 1km. Such a boost. Beautiful, random moment.

Random Run Ins - Awesome

Scarborough is an unbelievably beautiful and long beach. Always lovely to have something nice to look at.

Deep water start, we tread water between two buoys and we’re off.

I’m dead last from go to whoa. I’m in it to complete not to compete.

The 2km lap is easily done, sighting is a little tricky in this super flat water but it’s so clear and blue I can hardly complain. Onto the 3km lap. With 15 minutes and 1km to go the water safety starts harassing me. They tell me I have 10 minutes to go. I’m timing myself and know I have 15. I give back as good as I get and I’m told “let’s just get you to the finish line”. I’ll show them. The kick kicks in and I cross the line in 1:39:54. 6 seconds until being disqualified. Waste not, want not.

An otherwise great swim marred by a very different attitude to ocean swimming than what I’m used to - encouraging participation. However, absolutely stoked to finish and finally complete a long standing goal.

Did I say stoked? I meant STOKED!!!

Catch up with Courtney in yet another great café (Perth hipster culture is absolutely brilliant). Somehow we manage to work out a plan that involves a crazy roadtrip, including catch ups / meetings / love matches with the gorgeous Kristy – Courtney getting back into town in time for a meeting and my seeing even more of the gorgeous Western Australia – including idyllic rural backwaters.

So we hit the road. Which is partly melting in 40 degree heat. Thank goodness some like it hot, including me.

And all three of us love a good devonshire tea. Even in the road melting heat.

5 hours and 420km later we hit Albany. Which it turns out is a hive of cool hipster bars, great restaurants and an unbelievable waterfront arts centre. We all have hot chocolate at the seriously cool bar because we’re super cool and all. It’s also housed within our hostel.

Next morning I realise I may have outgrown hostel accommodation as an epic 3am spooning sesh in the bed below impairs my pre race sleep plan. Kind of hilarious though. We head to Middleton beach on Albany Harbour about10 mins out of town.

This is my kind of swim. Casual, relaxed, and with a 2 hour cut off.

Lucky Number 125

It’s a 1.25km loop, so they run a 1.25m, a 2.5km and a 5km swim all starting at the same time. With our red, yellow and green swim caps we look like a traffic light convention at the deep water start.

Again, this is all about pacing. Feeling surprisingly fresh after yesterday I don’t go quite as slow at the start. (I probably did my first km at warm up pace yesterday). By the end I’ve been lapped by just about everyone doing the 5km swim and have my own personal board paddler who tells me “I’m awesome” and when I give her a massive hug at the end tells me she’s awed (especially by the consistency of my pace).

Better than a win any day! Finishing dead last is so much better than not finishing.

Simply the most stunning location. Photos below are from the gorgeous coastal walk back into town.

Love WA and its inhabitants.

A note on training:

5km is not to be attempted lightly, especially with crazy fast time limits. I did a mix of pool and ocean swim training for this. Including a couple of 4km swims on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve getting up to 20km a week in total. I find a mix of pool technique and interval sessions combined with long ocean swims works for me. 

Katie Can Too Run. Sort of. At least until being banned.

Today was race day.

My predicted pace was between 7:30-7:45/ km.

I ran 14km in 1:42:12. That's 7:18 / km.

My previous best effort was 1:59:43 or 8:33 /km.

And the last time I ran 14km was 3 weeks ago.

That's the power of orange. (Described in detail below).

In an atmosphere of unconditional and unlimited support how could one not improve beyond your wildest dreams?

My inspiring sister Annabel ran the ultra half marathon (23km on the Saturday) in 1:50:17. Her predicted time was 1:55. She finished together with her pace buddy Laura, and the two of them collectively achieved what they might have individually struggled to replicate.

There was one point where I had to walk because I was in so much pain (bloody knees). I only walked 10m because I was terrified I couldn't start running again. And in that 10 m I thought of every one of you. Talk about a jump start. I flew out of the walk.

Thank you. I am so grateful, for all the support (financial and otherwise). This is a cause I passionately believe in: curing cancer through the funding of young (7 years post doctorate)  researchers with burning passion and fresh ideas. So thank you for believing in me.

Thank you to those who ran with me, cheered me and called me crazy. 'Cause it really was.

Especial thanks to the professionals who kept me on the road, Paula Luke, Tanya Bowden and Karen Rook. 

With thanks,

Katie

Fast Facts and Figures

• Funds raised this program: $2060 (Thank YOU!!)
• Total Funds raised by me: $8806 for Cure Cancer Australia since November 2009
• Can Too has raised $11,000,000 since 2005 and funded 22 researchers in 2013
• I have run over 150km in training. This is equivalent of Wollongong to Gosford.
• I’ve used 256 metres of strapping tape since the program began.

Dirty secrets:

• I still don't enjoy running. I spent almost the entire race pushing through knee pain. Towards the end I couldn't get my pace up and finally relied on my hatred of running. It worked.
• I do, however, enjoy running up hills. There's no impact on my knees. There was one final hill before the finish and I was so relieved to see it. Weird, I know.
• I had my GPS watch set to swim mode at the start. Wishful thinking perhaps? I was "swimming" 29 second 50m laps. It's my fastest ever swim. But a very confusing run pace.

The power of orange

Our cheer squad lined the start and finish, including my lovely sister. One of our team couldn't run but had a loudhailer at the top of the first decline / final incline. It was a loop course so everyone who ran past wearing orange (even if not a Can Tooer) on the way back down got a hero's ovation. Each geographical Can Too pod  (we were 14km North) has a team captain and mentor. Our mentor encouraged me to run our own race and got an injured team member across the line. Our team captain's husband stationed himself at the 2km point and cheered us all. Our team captain and coach got the fast runners over the line then came back to ferry us slower souls across the line. Again and again. They ran about 20km that day. Annie, who founded Can Too, paced her inspiring and injured husband (fellow fish out of water, Simon) over the line and then ran back to help everyone up that final hill. Then she did the next thing for the half / ultra marathon the next day. She probably ran 60km over the course of the weekend. And everywhere you looked there were examples of a community of (Orange) people encouraging each other to achieve beyond their imagination. 

Race Report

I decided to run my own race, with an eye on my pace but without being a slave to the pace. It was a genuinely beautiful run to the paradise picnic spot through beautiful countryside complete with cantering horses. Despite 12 weeks of strength work, weekly physio and clinical pilates sessions the right knee protested every step. I broke my promise not to run through the pain. But if you stuck a camera in my face I forget the pain. The middle 6km of the race was a gentle hill. I loved the incline up to the turn around and hated the decline - but it did help me to negatively split. 

The winner (a Kenyan who looked like he wasn't trying despite running faster than my sprint pace) passed me at the 3km mark. I made a point of cheering everyone. I was determined to enjoy the race as much as possible and encouraging others is my favourite part of Can Too. 

At the final kilometre the beautiful, generous, inspiring and supportive Abbie (Team Captain) and Simone (coach) ran back to collect me. Somehow I picked up the pace beyond what I thought possible, only to slow right at the end so I could High 5 absolutely everyone. I waved, jumped, smiled, thumbs upped and thoroughly enjoyed the end. It had been a long time in the making.

After icing my knees I felt like I could have kept running. There's still a lot of work to do there. I then jumped into Apollo Bay (17 degrees) for a recovery walk in the water and swim. 

Everyone thought I was mad, but after a second swim the following day I was pain free. Best recovery ever.

What's next?

I've signed up to do the half marathon in September. However, 20 years after chipping my patella stuffing up my knees, I'm finally getting a surgeon's opinion. I'm also having my running style assessed to try and remove any technique based problems.

So the half will have to wait and see the outcome of all these efforts. [Post script - my knees track so badly I will inevitably required a full bilateral reconstruction. If I run it'll be necessary in 5 years, if not I have 20 years. I have been banned from running.]

In the meantime, my group and I are going to keep doing short runs together. They are just such an incredible bunch of people with whom I really want to stay in touch. Plus I get to ramp up my swimming efforts again (YAY!!!) ahead of a planned very long distance swim. 

Can Too Mentor

I'm super excited to be a Can Too mentor for the Thursday East 7pm C&P Pod. I'm the mentor for the "Dory" group, who just keep swimming!

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!

'Stralya Day

You could celebrate Australia day by getting boozy with it the night before. Or you could do it the right way by kicking of your day with some serious exercise - a 2.5km swim around Farm Cove with the likes of Geoff Huegill and Tony Abbott. I picked the latter.

Farm Cove was the site of my first ever panic attack in deep water - being unable to see the bottom rendered me unable to put my face in the water and I swam the whole 400m of the BRW triathlon without breathing in the water. It was that experience which partly inspired me to join Can Too.

I returned to the site of my original panic attack by way of a deep water start from the Man 'O War steps to Lady Macquarie's chair and then along the farm cove wall. Totally fine. Amazing what Can Too can do.

Got a little lost turning around the buoy, but so did Mr Oceanswims so it's okay. Finished last in my age category - not uncommon but in a respectable 50:17 beating Tony Abbott by about 5 minutes.
How 'straylan can you get?

Bluebottles Attack!

Presenting the sadistic blue bottle
Red equals sting, white equals three different kinds of stingoes and ice equals pain relief.

Although I have contemplated pulling out of many an ocean swim, I have only pulled out of two. Both due to blue bottles; to which I am mildly allergic making a painful experience even more so. I have to say both times, I've been back on the beach within 3 minutes of being stung. These lifesavers know their stuff.

The mighty Mona Vale marathon last year was grim, overcast and had an incredibly intense surf. This year it seemed Avalon and Mona Vale had swapped.

I had a few goggle issues getting out but otherwise it was quite an enjoyable swim. I'd discovered travelcalm during the week that includes an antihistamine for all those bitey things in the ocean to which I am allergic. Consequently, the chop out the back didn't worry me. Hurrah for pharmaceuticals!

Swam along nicely until the final buoy when the water safety directed us in as close to the buoy as possible due to stingers. I swam in close to the final buoy but whilst rounding it got bluebottle tentacle across my face. The pain was intense. Whilst treading water to try and pull the tentacles off the sadistic bastard got me across the arms, chest and back. I started screaming from the pain. Some lovely swimmer, on the home stretch when you're most competitive asked me if I was okay, to which I replied no and raised his arm for the rubber ducky to come rescue me. I felt like such a goose. I was so occupied trying to get the damn things off I hadn't raised my arm. Not sure but I think that's grounds for stripping you of your Australian citizenship. They hauled me into the boat, and another Can Tooer in my age group who'd been stung into the boat, brushed all the tentacles off and zipped into the shore. Raced up the beach, faster than I ever have at the end of a race in search of first aid.

Two hot showers, and two ice applications later I was still in a lot of pain. More antihistamines and panadol and kindly ministrations of both friends and strangers and I was okay. However, even after a boiling hot shower, more ice and a nap my face still looked pretty angry.
See the welts below:


It's now 11 hours later and my ear still feels like it was lacerated by the tentacles. It's bright red.

My woes however were nothing to the poor bloke who was unable to walk unaided after being stung and due to anaphalaxis left the beach in an ambulance. I hope he's okay!

Please keep your fingers crossed for a blue bottle free run at Whale Beach next weekend!

Surfs Up at Avalon

There is very little in life that scares me but the surf at Avalon was pants-wettingly terrifying. The tide was going out making the waves bigger but the water to clear them less and less.
Six foot surfs are uncommon at Avalon.
During my warm up I caught one of the waves which was a thrill until I fell off the front of the damn thing. I'm pretty used to getting dumped and normally don't mind it - but falling off the front of the wave and through air into the wash below is genuinely terrifying. Names of spinal injury cases kept flashing through my mind.
Alice and I, Can Too Twoers that we are, elected to swim together and so, having stopped to meet up at the first buoy (I'm always slower to start) we swam stroke for stroke together. The water was surprisingly calm past the break. We were incredibly lucky in our starting wave (25-29 female) which had a fairly calm start. The blokes ahead of us got smacked by a set beyond the break.

I have no idea how we managed it, but we stopped and surveyed the sets behind us and managed to get a clear patch to get back in the beach. We crossed the line hand in hand before I made my debut as a Can Too spokesperson.