GregInTheWater
CENTRAL SCOTLAND OPEN WATER SWIMMING COACH
Loch Lubnaig looking grim for a swim
It is spring time in Scotland which means that the days are getting longer, and it does get sunnier. Last week it was wall to wall sun for several consecutive days with temperatures nudging 20c. As I write this blog entry I am looking out the window at strong winds and a mix of snow and rain falling. Oh how the weather teases and tantalises those from warmer climes with its flirtatious glimpse of warm summer days.
I have not swum any events, but have continued my exploration of some of the lochs nearby. In early March I swam at Bardowie Loch with a water temperature of 5.8c, requiring me to wear all my cold weather gear. I was still adjusting to the burning pain on the cheeks as I swam freestyle, while thinking seriously of swimming breaststroke with my head up. I was slowly getting used to the feeling, and managed to swim for around ten minutes or so.
Bardowie Loch on the outskirts of Glasgow
A week later I was swimming at Loch Lubnaig in the Trossachs with some hardy souls from Wild West Swimmers. The water was cold, and even with the wetsuit on I could still feel that lovely trickle of icy water down the spine as it came straight from the snow-capped hills. I was amazed at the efforts of some of my fellow swimmers who swam in just their swimming costume in readiness for some ice swimming events. The photo at the top of this blog shows the cloud, the wind and the cold water.
Easter time it was a chance to return to Luss to have a swim again. When we went on New Years Day we had the place to ourselves; on the Easter weekend with the sun out it was almost impossible to find a parking spot in the large car park. This time I managed to stay in for around 20 minutes as I was adjusting to the cold water, and even swam freestyle the whole time.
Ben Lomond shrouded by clouds overlooking Loch Lomond at Luss
A week later I was swimming at Balloch in the early evening, and by now I was getting used to the water. Well that was what I told myself, but it had warmed up to around 8c, and you do notice the difference. It was great to swim as the sun slowly dropped to the horizon, especially with the glow hitting Ben Lomond as it looked over our swimming spot, and the words of the song Loch Lomond went around in my head.
I had also taken a trip down to North Yorkshire to get some more swimming qualifications. I had obtained my teaching award which allows me to teach swimming in a pool. The trip to Richmond was to enable me to obtain my full open water coaching qualifications. We did the practical at a stunning privately owned lake at Ellerton which is fed by a combination of river water and springs. The day I was there the water was a tropical 12c and I relished the chance to stay in the water for 45 minutes despite the cooling breeze blowing in from the North Sea.
Ellerton water in North Yorkshire was a joy to swim in
The next day I was back at Bardowie Loch and despite the 9.4c water I managed to swim around two kms on a lovely sunny morning. By this time I had adjusted to the cold water, and did not seem to feel that cold water burn on the cheeks. It was great to stretch out over the triangular course with a large group of 40 or so swimmers at the start that had dropped to less than 10 when I had finished. Most of them were triathletes having their first swim for the season and some of them were not enjoying it at all.
A few days later and another early evening swim with the swim crowd. This time we were at Duck Bay just north of Balloch on the western shore of Loch Lomond. It was fantastic to see the loch on a beautiful warm spring evening, with clear refreshing water to swim in. The jet skis that were buzzing around stayed away from us as we headed along the shoreline to commune with the sun and water. I enjoyed the views of the surrounding hills covered in yellow spring blossoms as we swam. This sure was different to swimming in the ocean in Australia: less buoyant, no sunburn, no wee nasties, no waves, no tides, and no surfboards.
Duck Bay with Ben Lomond in the distance
My last swim was at Balloch next to the Maid of the Loch on the weekend. The warm calm weather of the previous week had been blown away and on the way to the loch on the train there was rain and sleet. Another lovely day to swim in Scotland. Upon arrival there were several keen swimmers eager to get in before the next squall hit. So off we went, enjoying the path through the rocks that had been cleared by a local triathlon club a few days previously. A few of us punched into the wind and chop coming straight down the loch as we did the one km loop over to the marina and back. It was great to swim through chop again, i had not realised how much I had missed it. The water was a pleasant 9.6c this time, and I realised I was adjusting to it. I never thought I would be so happy to see water hitting 10c. My next aim is to start swimming without some of the neoprene: will I discard the boots, the gloves or the cap first? And the wetsuit…welll that could wait a bit longer yet, though I want to swim in the summer without it at some stage.
It is a new experience swimming in lochs, but thus far i have thoroughly enjoyed it. This type of swimming is so different, but it is great to swim with people who enjoy the water as much as they do.
Swim cap from races in Vanuatu 2013
On the morning of Friday 13 March 2015, the idyllic island paradise of Vanuatu was smashed by Cyclone Pam. The category 5 cyclone (also known as a hurricane or typhoon) roared in from the north with winds of up to 300 km/h (185 mph) and flattened everything in its path. The island chain was battered by the storm with large waves and storm surges adding to the misery. It has been estimated that 90% of the houses have been destroyed and most of the crops destroyed in this largely subsistence culture, putting a huge strain on this poor nation’s resources. Luckily the number of deaths has not been high.
When I heard the news from the other side of the globe I was devastated, as I visited Vanuatu in 2013. It is one of the most beautiful places I have visited, and the local inhabitants are extremely friendly and happy. The tropical island chain is perfect for open water swimming with warm water protected by coral reefs (though of course care has to be taken in navigating the coral outcrops).
Port Vila harbour in gentler times
This photo shows the serene harbour in Port Vila the capital city. I saw pictures taken during the storm with waves 5m high crashing against the harbour wall, adding to the destruction of trees stripped of leaves if they were left standing at all.
I know that this island nation will recover, but it will require assistance from its neighbours. At the time of writing help has been flowing in from Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The ABC in Australia also had a huge fundraising appeal for Vanuatu, and donations are flowing in to various charities.
Champagne Bay on the island of Espírito Santo
I have also seen reports on http://www.oceanswims.com about what can be done to help. They run trips to Vanuatu in June each year and at this stage plan to go again this year. The tourism industry forms somewhere between 20% and 40% of the economy, so it is important that this continues. I hope so.
I have also seen photos of whole islands that have been denuded of trees by the storm. This will make it a huge challenge for the cocoa copra and coffee industries in the islands.
One of the blue holes that are incredible
So my thoughts go out to the people of Vanuatu. Please if you can make a donation to help with the recovery after the devastation of Cyclone Pam.
Milarrochy Bay Loch Lomond with some snow on the corbetts in the background
It is February, which usually mean summer and the middle of the ocean swim season in Sydney. Each weekend from the beginning of January to the middle of April there is a swim on somewhere in or near the city. In late January and into February the following swims are usually held:
-There is the Big swim from Palm Beach (where Home and Away is filmed) to Whale Beach http://www.thebigswim.org.au;
-the Australia Day swim in Farm Cove next to the Opera House http://www.greataustraliadayswim.com.au;
-the North Bondi Classic which starts at the northern end of Bondi Beach and traverses south across the bay and back http://www.northbondisurfclub.com/oceanswims/classic/;
-the Coles Classic at Manly which was for a while the undisputed largest swim in Sydney but is now under challenge http://www.colesclassic.com.au;
-the wonderful Murray Rose Magic Malabar swim which raises money for a worthy charity http://www.malabarmagicoceanswim2015.gofundraise.com.au;
-the annual swim at Bondi Bluewater Challenge which starts and finishes in the middle of Bondi Beach http://www.bondibluewater.com.
For a complete calendar of these and other swims and results you have to go to the http://www.oceanswims.com site which plays a unique role in the swimming community linking swimmers to events.
I have swum all these, but this year I am not doing any of them. Now that is not because I have been there and done that, as I have done several of these more than once over the years, and no two years are ever the same due to the impacts of the surf, the wind and the tide. I am not doing these events because I have decided to give cold water swimming a go in that mecca of open water swimming of Scotland.
Loch Lomond
The weather forecast for Sunday was for a mix of cloud and sun, light winds from the south and a top temperature of nine degrees C. In other words close to perfect for this time of year. I had learnt from my swim on New Years Day at Luss and had purchased some gloves and boots to keep my hands and feet warm.
I joined a small group of intrepid fanatics from wild west swimmers who were fresh from competing in the Big Chill Swim in Lake Windermere in the Lake District where they swum in either the 450m or 1km event without a wetsuit in water around 5c.
For this adventure we had driven to Milarrochy Bay on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond just north of Glasgow. I noticed when we arrived that the water level was around 1m lower than it had been three weeks ago, apparently because it had not rained much over that period. There were five of us braving the fresh water today, and as the only male it was up to me to don the wetsuit, gloves, boots, surfcap and swim cap; while the others made do with their swimwear, boots and caps. I was feeling a small amount of trepidation as the water temperature in the shallows was around 6 C, but quickly got colder as the water deepened. This was my first serious attempt at having a swim in cold water, rather than just mere plunges like I had done on New Years Day 2015 and 2014. I was pleasantly surprised as I waded into the water that my fingers and feet were staying warm thanks to the wonderful layers of neoprene.
Looking west towards Luss
Sure there were no waves, no surf, no sharks, no tides for this swim. But there was another danger for this swim, and that was the water temperature itself. After wading into the water until it was up to my waist I eased myself in and floated on top of the water waiting for the wetsuit to warm up the water next to my skin. This was not too bad I though. And then I started swimming, and after ten strokes my face was numb, and after twenty my cheeks hurt. Time to stop and get my face out of the water to warm it up in the weak Scottish sun. How are these others swimming without the protection of a wetsuit I wondered? I know that it is a matter of getting the body used to the colder temperatures so over time it can adapt. Sure I expect it will always hurt, but once the body knows that it will be easier to push through it all.
I am not sure how long we stayed in the water, perhaps it was 15 minutes, maybe 20. But it was fantastic to be swimming outdoors again, knowing that I had taken another step on the path of meeting a new challenge. I was full of admiration for all those people who regularly swim in cold water year round.
I had been reading about the effects of cold water on swimmers, particularly when after they have put on all their clothes after swimming. After we all got dressed and did the universal thing about talking about our swimming adventures, I noticed the others were shivering. I was assured this was a totally natural outcome, and as they had several layers of warm clothes on, had drunk a warm drink, and eaten a snack they would be fine. Sure enough after a short while they all stopped shivering as the blood in their bodies moved back from the core to the extremities.
All in all a wonderful swim in Loch Lomond, helped in no end by the nice meal and conversation afterwards at Drymen (which I thought was pronounced dry men, but was actually pronounced drum men). A big thanks to Emma for giving me a lift from Balloch station.
Balmaha a few weeks earlier when the Loch was 1m higher
New Years Day at Luss, cool wet and windy
The first day of 2015 and I am in Scotland going for a swim at Luss on the western shores of Loch Lomond. This loch is the largest body of inland water (by surface area) in the UK. I had joined up with a hardy group of swimmers, the Wild West Swimmers, who swim year round. So far the winter has been quite mild, with some snow on the hills, and a few hard frosts. The day was forecast to be mild wet and windy, and so it proved. The air temperature was around 12 degrees C, and it had been raining most of the day, pushed ahead of a fresh southerly breeze.
The short drive up from Glasgow was not as scenic as normal due to the conditions, but as it was New Years Day the roads where very quiet. It appears that Hogmanay was always a bigger celebration in Scotland than Christmas, as it was not until 1958 that the birth day of Jesus became a public holiday.
To start 2013, I went for a swim with the Bold and Beautiful group at Manly in Sydney Australia on a gorgeous summer day. Twelve months later, I was going for a short dip at Coney Island in New York City in the midst of a cold winter with sub-zero temperatures. Now that 2015 has begun, time to go for another swim.
Too cold for me to stay in
I was determined to actually swim a bit this year, despite the cold water. So I wore my wetsuit, my skull-cap, my cap and goggles. However, unlike most of the others, I had not worn boots or gloves, and it was not long before the feeling in my feet disappeared. I did manage to swim for a couple of minutes, and then turned for shore to get out. I was not used to this cold water (under 5 degrees). I could only admire those hardy Scots who stayed in for 15 minutes, and some of them did not wear wet suits. I really should try to swim with the group more often to get used to the cold water.
It was very enjoyable in the fresh water, so different to the salt water I have been used to so far.
End of the pier in the rain and wind
As part of the tradition for the group there was jumping off the end of the pier, but this Aussie was too chilled to participate. They had fun jumping in, and a few of the dogs wanted to go in too. Soon they all headed back to shore to do a group handstand as part of a competition with a group in Cornwall.
Group handstand
After the swim, time to get changed into warm clothes before heading to a local cafe for a warming coffee and a chat. It turned out that several of the group had been on holidays with Swimtrek, and one gentleman was even in Prvic in 2013 just before I went there to work. It was good to meet some fellow swimmers. and with any luck I will be able to spend more time with the group in the months ahead.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,700 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 45 trips to carry that many people.
Some of my collection of swim caps
It is now mid October, and usually at this time I look at the calendar of open water swims at http://www.oceanswims.com, to start planning for the upcoming season. There are normally some old favourites I like to do, such as the Dawny swim at Balmain in Sydney Harbour, and the Australia Day swim at the Opera House. I also like to see when the various swims at Bondi and Malabar are scheduled, plus the fantastic Wedding Cake Island swims at Coogee. I also like to see when the ones on the Northern Beaches fro Manly to Palm Beach are on to get a schedule going. I also like to see if there are any other places I want to travel to for a swim in Newcastle such as Caves Beach, the Cross the Lake Swim, and even further north. If I am keen I will try to do a few swims at places I have not swum before such as Nobbys Newcastle and Stanwel on the South Coast. I try to have a swim planned for most weekends from mid November until late March, knowing that some of them will be cancelled due to adverse conditions.
I would normally try to do 20 or so swims during the season, even doubling up where I can. If it is a good season I might even get to do 30 swims. Ah the anticipation, the motivation to get more training done so I will not be disgraced in the water. It really is a nice time to dream of the upcoming season with all its possibilities.
But alas this year, I can only dream from afar. As I type this blog, the wind is a shrieking gale that is strong enough to blow a dog off a chain. The rain is beating a rhythm against the window like the drummers marching behind the bagpipes. The temperature is dropping and it cannot be long before the first snow of the season falls. Going outside requires at least three layers and a beanie, and it is not even winter yet.
My experiences of swimming with a warm sun on my back worrying about sunburn and blue-bottles will have to be put off for a while.
But in the meantime I have been doing some research of places to swim next summer in this part of the world. Most of these are lochs, which I used to think was a term for a freshwater lake. But now I know it can also mean a salt water body of water joined to the sea, that is called a bay in other places. They are usually long narrow bodies of water. I have included some photos so you can see for yourself.
Loch Lomond at Luss
Loch Lomond the largest stretch of water in the UK, overlooked by Ben Lomond in the background, is not far away.
Loch Fyne at Inverary
Loch Fyne is the longest of the sea lochs in Scotland and is in the heart of Argyll. It is famous for its oysters and other sea food.
Castle Stalker in Loch Laich, an inlet of Loch Linnhe
Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail might recognise this place, not far from Glencoe.
Loch Tay
Loch Tay is a beautiful loch overlooked by Ben Lawers, with the delightful village of Kenmore at its lower end.
So I will be keeping an eye on the swims in Sydney as I shiver through the winter in this part of the world. And who knows I might even have some reports in the next several months of some swims I have done in places like those pictured above. A different type of dream.
Sheltered harbour
June 2014 and it was time to head back to the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia for another stint as an open water swim guide. It felt quite strange to be back again after only nine months away as it was all so familiar and I could not quite believe I was back again for another stint. This time I was there for the start of the season, so we had a few days to get all the equipment ready. I was looking forward to sharing guiding assistance to more guests, as I really felt like a local this time, instead of a new boy. We were greeted warmly by the wonderful staff at the host hotel, and it was great to see the island of Prvic Luka before the busy summer season got underway.
Before we knew it though, the first guests had arrived and it was time to get down to work in these idyllic islands. Unlike last season though, the weather was not as kind to us, and we had several days of inclement weather and adverse winds in the first few weeks. Despite this though we were able to get in the water twice each day.
Descending funnel over the mainland
We took the opportunity this time to get some new swims in. Of course we made sure we did the glorious crossing from Zmajan to Kaprije, the sensational coastal at Zirje, and the swim down the Sibenik Channel. However, we also were lucky to have a dead calm day so we swam from Sestrica to Zlarin. It was one of those days when the sun was warm, the sea was calm, and there was just a hint of a zephyr bringing the chimes from the church bells on Prvic Luka which was around five km away. It felt great to be alive.
Other new swims for me included a swim from the western side of Zlarin into the harbour, and along Oblik, Rakitan and Dvainka. One of the great advantages of this location is that you can swim in a sheltered spot somewhere no matter which way the wind blows. Added to this are the high salt content of the water, the lack of tides, waves or swell, no sharks, no rips and crystal clear warm water. It really is a swimmer’s paradise, and I felt lucky to be able to work there again.
During the time I was in Croatia the World Cup was on in Brazil, and it was fun to follow the results. My home country Australia had qualified again, and despite been in the same pool as Chile, Spain and Netherlands there was always hope. It was great to watch the games with the Croatian commentary team, despite understanding none of it. There was a glorious four minutes when Australia was even beating the Netherlands during that game, but the Socceroos were gallant in defeat. While they may have been one of the first teams on the party plane home, they had great company with Spain and England amongst others. It was grand to watch the island come to a halt while Croatia was playing their games.
Once again I had a lot of fun with the wonderful swimmers who would come for a week to swim amongst the islands. Some of them even listened to our coaching tips that were aimed at improving their efficiency in the water. There was a unique pleasure in watching them get stronger and more confident over the time they were with us.
One advantage of having a milder summer this year was the great sunsets and sunrises due to the increased cloud cover. But before long, it was time to leave this little piece of paradise. A huge thankyou to the locals who made us feel so very welcome once again and provided great hospitality.
Fire in the water
Sunrise in Croatia
Well it has been a while since my readers have been rewarded with a new posting. I thought it was time to do my annual update of the swim season. Loyal readers will recognise that I use the season that starts on 1 June each year, and finishes on 31 May. While this may seem odd, it does match with some of the tests used for annual tallies of distances swum in races in Australia kept by oceanswims.com. So for now, I will continue to use the same season definition.
So for the twelve months ended 31 May 2014, I competed in sixteen ocean swim races, covering a distance of 32.3 km, and gaining five top ten placings in my age group. Once again this year, I did do some international races, with two in Vanuatu, and the other fourteen were in Australia. It was an odd season in Sydney as a number of races I had entered were cancelled due to adverse sea conditions during the summer months resulting in a reduction in the number of events I completed when compared to previous seasons. My career total of open water swim races now stands at 75 with a distance of 145 km swum.
So that is enough of the boring statistical background. Now for the highlights of the year, and this year there were quite a few.
Just another beach in Vanuatu at Lonnoc Bay
The year started with a fantastic trip to Vanuatu in the South Pacific to compete in two races, and to swim at some stunning places with coral reefs, warm clear water and great company being the highlights. If you ever get a chance to swim here you must take up the opportunity as it is absolutely stunning.
Lusty Glaze beach looking towards Newquay in Cornwall
Four days after getting back to Sydney from Vanuatu, it was off to Cornwall in England to attempt to obtain my beach lifeguard qualifications. Even though it was late June when I arrived, the difference in water temperature and conditions was huge. From swimming in 29 degree water in Vanuatu, to swimming in 12 degree water in Cornwall; a shock to the system. I was cold even with two rash shirts, a wet suit, and two swim caps. I survived the conditions, gained the qualifications and adjusted to the cold water. By the end of my stay there I was swimming in 15 degree water wearing just my speedos. Once I got used to the seven metre tides, I fell in love with the Cornish beaches with their long stretches of sand at low tide, and the dramatic cliffs.
View from Kaprije Dalmatia towards Tijat
After Cornwall it was off to the island of Prvic Luka in Croatia to work for six weeks as an open water swim guide. The island has no cars, and is part of the Sibenik archipelago on the Dalamation coast about one hour drive north of Split. It was idyllic location for open water swimmng with no tides, no swells, no sharks, and crystal clear warm salty water, and plenty of glorious sunshine. I fell in love with this place, as the light reminded me so much of Australia, and the locals were so welcoming despite my inability to learn much more than hi and thankyou in Croatian. The people I guided would come for a six day swimming holiday and would swim morning and afternoon on five of those days. It was a joy to work with people from England, Wales, Ireland, Canada, USA, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Singapore and Australia who all shared a love of swimming. I even was able to impart some of my knowledge of swimming technique to some of the swimmers in order to improve their efficiency in the water.
But all good things must come to and end, and too soon my six weeks posting was over, and it was time to board that plane to fly back to Australia. I managed to get four races under my belt at the start of the season, starting with my traditional opening event of the swim around Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour. Another swim around Wedding Cake Island at Coogee, and then a couple of swims at Toowoon Bay on the Central Coast and that was it for the 2013 calendar year. There was also the Now You Hear Night in Woolloomooloo in Sydney I spoke with nine other swimmers on the topic of our favourite swims, which was recorded for ABC Radio.
Hearty souls at Coney Islnd on New Years Day
Time to fly out of Australia again, and this time off to New York City to enjoy the polar vortex when the temperature plunged to -15c with lots of snow. The swimming highlight of this trip would have to been the New Years Day plunge at Coney Island with 2000 other crazy souls. On that day the air temperature was -2. the wind chill was -6, and the water was a balmy 4 degrees, which is the coldest conditons I have ever endured. Needless to say my plunge was one of the longest minutes of my life, and I have never managed to get so many layers of clothing back on so quickly until that day.
Part of the course for the Australia Day Swim
Once again a long flight home just in time to do the Australia Day swim at the Sydney Opera House. Back to Manly to do two events at the Coles Classic which is held at a lovely location, and for a change we were able to finish with the surf at Manly. After that was Malabar for the Murray Rose Classic, North Bondi for another couple of races, and then the Cross the Lake swim. This was my longest swim of the season, and you really could not have asked for better conditions, with early fog clearing to a warm sunny windless day. The season finished with a couple of events at Terrigal in late April, followed by one last swim with the regular group at Manly in mid May.
Coming back through the surf
So overall a fairly amazing twelve months in my swimming advenutres. I participated in swimming races in two countries; swum in open water in the Coral Sea, the Irish Sea, the English Channel, the Adriatic Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Tasman Sea; swum in five countries (Vanuatu, England, Croatia, USA and Australia), and was paid to swim and guide other enthusiasts in exotic locations.
Now for the next twelve months, who knows where my swimming will take me?
Nasty shore dump along the beach
Easter weekend in Sydney, and finally after 30 days of rain and showers over the previous 45 days, the forecast was for fine and sunny weather for the extra long weekend. Of course the presence in Sydney of the future King of Australia (even if he is English) and his wife and son seems to have helped bring out the sunshine.
The swim last weekend at Coogee around Wedding Cake Island was cancelled due to large swells caused by an east coast low. I was quite disappointed that this swim was cancelled, as I wanted to do the trip around the island one more time before going overseas again. So it was a relief that the Terrigal swim was on despite the large swells forecast. That east coast low from last weekend had combined with Cyclone Ita out near New Zealand to push large two to three metres swell onto the coast. Fortunately, Terrigal is protected from the south-east swell by the shape of the bay.
As you can see from these photos, the swells were large at the point and further down the beach. The swim though took place in the protected part of the beach, so while we had some waves to deal with, they had little power in them.
Terrigal is on the Central Coast of NSW and is about 90 km drive north of Sydney. I had swum here in 2013 and it was a good chance to swim again. The club does the swim in the old-fashioned way, with one wave start, no numbers on the arm, no timing chips, and a manual timekeeping system. This is so relaxing.
The one km swim was a straight forward course: out from the start line to the yellow marker, turn right and head towards the red marker at the southern protected end of the course, then do a 180 degree turn left and head to the red then yellow marker, turn right 180 degrees, back to the first yellow marker, and back to the start line.
The swim was started with a whistle and in we all went. I had started on the right hand side of the start line, as I had noticed a sweep going right to left. The water was lovely and warm, but because of the size of the surf, not very clear. There was no waves to go under on the way out, and I noticed that most of the field were being pushed away from the first marker by the sweep. My tactics worked well, and I was in a good position as I turned south.
It seemed to take a long time to reach the red marker as we had to swim against the current, and there was also some larger swells coming across us. Finally around that one, and then a sharp turn to head north to the large buoys that were easy to sight today as long as you timed it for the top of a swell. It was great to swim in the water today, and good practice for the technique.
Lots of water safety
The long reach north was quite quick with the current pushing us along. Soon enough it was time to turn again and head back to the start line. Around the last marker and I was with three or four other swimmers, and I decided to head left to try to get some assistance from the current. Into the beach, once again no waves to catch, but I had judged the current quite well, and only had a short jog up to the finish line, passing someone on the way. Grab the time from the timekeeper, and try to keep the piece of paper dry for the officials in the tent.
Now it was time for a rest before the two km event. Last year the swim headed a long way north towards the next beach before turning for home. However, because of the very large swells coming through that part of the course, the organisers had made the decision that the two km course would be two laps of the one km course.
Start of the two km race
I made a decision to enjoy the two km swim, as I had pushed quite hard in the first race. I had learnt about the conditions of the course earlier, and once again started at the right hand edge. Out to the yellow marker, and unlike most others I did not have to swim wide around it. Off to the red marker, and I did notice that there was a current pushing swimmers away from this marker, so I headed towards it in a straighter line. Oh it was good to swim in warm water, with the sun on the back. It made me think of all those swimmers in the UK who had just started their outdoor swimming season in water around 10c. Today, the water must have been at least 22c. I am sure to miss this when away from Australia.
I noticed that the swells had picked up on the back-end of the course, though they were no chance of breaking on the pack, so it was quite safe. I did get concerned when I saw a rescue helicopter off the point where there were a large number of surfers enjoying the large clean breaks.
Heading out the yellow marker. You can see the effect of the current by the angle of the buoy.
I was smiling as I swam today, not because I was swimming fast, but because it felt so good in the water. It was a joy to be out here over the Easter weekend doing something I enjoy in good conditions, in such a friendly location. But all good things must come to an end, and soon enough I had completed my two laps and it was time to head for the finish line. Surely today I could crack a small wave, as there were a few coming through the course. Once again though my timing was poor and I had to swim all the way to the beach. Just once I would like to be in a position to catch a wave in a race. I did mange to navigate my way back to the beach, and even ran up to the finish line.
Would this be my last swim down under? Thank you to Terrigal Surf Club for running such a fun small event.
Dawn light
I have missed a few swims through a combination of illness and cancellations, since my last event at Malabar in mid February. So I was looking forward to the Across the Lake Swim to be held for the 54th time on its usual Saturday. This is the third time I have competed in this event, and it always brings make so many memories for me. The swim is a 3.8 km race from Coal Point on the western shore of Lake Macquarie to Belmont, on the eastern shore. Lake Macquarie is the largest saltwater coastal lake in Australia, with a shoreline of around 175km or so, and is situated on the southern side of Newcastle, just north of Sydney. This particular swim is special to me, as the finishing point is where I spent many days sailing in a training dinghy with my brothers as a child.
The trip up the renamed M1 (it used to be the F3….why can our government change names of roads without a fuss, but refuse to make any social changes like gay marriage, republic, change the flag etc?). I left home in the darkness as the autumn equinox was the previous day, and sunrise was not until 7 am due to daylight saving still going. It is nice to drive that normally busy road at the time of day, with little traffic, and the mist swirling over the hills and valleys.
Fog hanging over the lake
I arrived just before 7 am to find that the registration had been going since 6 am (the organisers work so very hard to make these swims possible). This race starts at 8.30 am, and the registration is at the finish line at the Belmont 16 Foot Skiff Sailing Club at Belmont. The swimmers are then ferried over to the other side of the lake to the start line. This year there were over 250 starters, requiring three ferry trips. I was on the first ferry at 7.30 am. The lake was smooth, no wind, and fog and mist falling over the hills around the lake like lace curtains. If it was not so warm I would have sworn I was in Scotland or Ireland.
Dawn breaking as a swimmer warms up
So conditions were virtually ideal, smooth surface, warm water, no tides, no swell, and hopefully no sharks. As mentioned before this was the 54th time this race has been held, which makes it the second longest running open water swim in Australia. Some famous names have swum in it before, with a former national 1500m champion Glenn Housemann still holding the race record. Wonder if anyone would get close to that today?
I stood on the shore looking back towards Belmont picking out those landmarks to guide me, as the sun had risen in a cloudless sky, and we would be swimming straight into it. The Smif Bros arrived on the second ferry, and we went in for a warm up swim. The water was warm and quite clear.
Finally the third load of swimmers arrived, and the swimmers all floated into the water for the in water start. We had a short briefing from local legend Cliff Marsh (who swam in the very first swim), and the local Federal Member Jill Hall got us started. Away went in a splash of arms as the pod of swimmers nosed eastwards into the sun. From my previous swims, I knew it was better to settle into the right pace and not go too hard in the first 500m. So I followed that plan, as some people went past me. I did spend some time with some other in a pack where we seemed to take turns leading and drafting. But after the 1.5 km mark I decided to increase my pace and slowly pulled away from them.
The start line was at the base of the hills in the distance
It was a beautiful day for a swim and I was soon swimming by myself with a group of swimmers around 15m to my left. I worked hard on my catch, and engaging the lats, and was getting real benefit from the glide today. The sun was making navigation difficult, and it was not possible to see the big yellow markers very easily, so I was glad that I knew where I was. Despite this, I did start a bit north of the straight line, before correcting over the balance of the course. I kept a paddler in front of me as I trusted he knew where he was going as well.
At the 2 km mark I noticed a blue cap coming back towards me, and wondered if this was the younger Smif. We have a friendly rivalry, because there is no way I could keep up with the older Smif. So over the next km or so I slowly pulled away from this blue cap, not knowing if it was him or not. I was still swimming by myself at this stage, with a paddler just off to my right guiding their swimmer home. There was a large group around 50m in front of me, and I had been slowly gaining on them for a while. The houses along Ross St came into view, and I knew I was almost there, just like those sailing days coming up the leg from Green Point.
As I arrived at the last marker with less than 300 m to go I was surprised to suddenly see around 15 swimmers all round me. This was the group in front of me who I had caught. No would I have enough left to get past them? The lake bed at this point is quite shallow at less than 4m, and I was amazed that I could see the bottom so clearly. I had never seen the water so clean as it was today.
The sprint to the finish in the pack, and it was over. I had caught some, but not enough, and there were 8 or so swimmers who finished with a time of less than 10s faster than mine. I heard my name called out over the public address system as I ran over the line, grabbed a banana and some energy drink. I chatted with some of the familiar faces on the circuit, and then looked up to see the younger Smif cross the line behind me.
We all clapped the last competitor who was doing this swim for the first time in 34 years. A fantastic achievement.
So I had finished mid field again, but I was very happy with how my form had held up all the way across. Sure it was not as fast as my first time doing the race 4 years ago, but it was faster than my effort in the 2012 race. I was pleased that I had the experienced the joy of swimming on such a stunning day. A big thanks to my mate Steve who came over to support me, and have a coffee after the race.
My thoughts went out to the sailors who were floating around the lake after we had finished. It was one of those days when it was quicker to swim than sail. But that is why this time of year is great for open water swimming.
Great conditions for swimming, not sailing
GregInTheWater 