2009-2010 Season

The season looms, and I have not been able to train as much as I would like. Not for want of trying, but the local 25m indoor pool is run at 28-29 degrees. OK for the old girls doing aquarobics, for what it's worth, but for me, it's like being stewed in one of those big cannibal vat's that you see on the cartoons. I then struggle to clear the sinuses and can't breathe for the rest of the day. So, I have braved the cold water at Terrigal, Curly or wherever my family get together's have taken me, to clear the brain fog. I now understand how people can swim all year round; it just takes effort and discipline to get the toes wet in the surf.

I am booked in for the Morpeth swim in the Hunter River. Not an ocean swim as such, but still an open water swim. I swam it last year and happily accepted my bottle of vino for an age-group 2nd. As you swim upstream for the first 750m, it's a free ride back, with the flow of the river; although I think Morpeth is about the tidal limits of the river. The water is brown, we are marginally drought declared but there is nice coffee, and a few tri stalls to gander at; plus not a big crowd.

Then, I will do Forresters Beach. I need another of those beaut wooden trophies shaped like waves. Got 2 in my collection, but best of all, the swim is around a reef, full of sea critters. And it's run like a family get together, not much of an agenda, but things seem to just happen. It's at that swim, I have met some interesting characters, that I continue to see. A bunch of die hard ocean swimmers/tragics. I'll see the same bunch for the next six months or so, every weekend (nearly); so I guess they are my weekend buddies.

I have set my self a goal of clocking over 100 swims; I counted the swim caps; 75 I think, so it's doable, but probably won't see the family that much during the summer. Toowoon Bay looms, Balmain beckons; bring it on!