What a difference a year makes

I had never prepared myself better for a race than I had for Canberra in 2005. So when it went pearshaped at about 26kms I vowed that I would return bigger and better next year. 2006 was to be the year for redemption.

Canberra in 2005 was unseasonably warm and was probably my downfall. So as I stood in nothing but a pair of smugglers with a cold sou wester whipping off a chilly Lake Macquarie (that I was just about to jump into) at about 9.55am, I couldn't help but think that this was about the time I would have hoped to have crossed the finishline at Forest Public School, about 500kms south as the crow flies. Life certainly has its ironies!

So why was I standing there in my speedos? Long story. I had promised my Brother in law(BIL) that I would do one of these ocean swims. We had arranged to do the Balmoral swim 3 weeks earlier as he was organising some of his swimming club to do this swim also. With a race to aim at finally I had some direction with my swimming and hit the pool every second day religiously. Unfortunately race day coincided with me being at my worst with a bad chest infection and I opted not to swim.

My BIL is a hard bastard who would not let me off lightly so to prove my inability to swim I actually turned up at Balmoral. His comment was that the swim would help knock it out of my system! I declined but promised to keep my word to do an ocean swim with him and decided on the Caves Beach swim.

So mother and I packed the kids in the car on saturday and headed up to Ourimbah to stay with my parents for the night. We met my parents and my brothers family at a Thai restaurant and I was advised that a 5 metre swell courtesy of a massive low in the Tasman Sea would hit most of the NSW coastline tomorrow. This at least took my mind off the noahs!

Actually I am not put off by sharks but I am no hero when it comes to the big stuff. But I knew that it wouldn't be on in those conditions so had switched my mind to not swimming and spending time with my parents tomorrow.

However an early morning call on sunday from BIL advised that the race would now be held in Lake Macquarie from Raffertys Resort.

As I headed up the F3 to Swansea I started to get the pings in the stomach that go hand in hand with the realisation that you are about to challenge yourself. Having never done an open water swim longer than 500 metres this presented me with a real fear of the unknown. Each time I raced last year I would get this feeling. I realised more than ever that life is at its best when you stretch yourself from your comfort zone. It was nice to have that sensation again.

I taught myself last year how to compose and channel myself - so running does help your swimming! As I took that plunge off that jetty into Lake Macquarie I just told myself to relax, nothing silly at the start and once you get some room to take it from there.

It was bloody unreal and I enjoyed every second of the race. I started from my wave somewhere in the middle of the pack and followed my plan of not trying to outsprint everyone but chill until I had some open water. Once I got into some space I just put my head down, concentrated on being long and strong and not swimming too far off course! We swam a recangular course pretty much directly into the southerly on the way out and had it behind us coming back. Apart from a bit of a shocker after the first buoy when I headed for a wrong buoy I wasn't too directionally challenged.

I finished the 1.5km swim in 26.02, I was really pleased and felt like I had a fair bit of petrol left. I was really impressed with the vibe. The local Caves surf club put on the race and it was very friendly, not dissimilar to turning up to a small but well organised local fun run.

On the running front my foot is still no better, I have done some marshalling, which is good as it allows me to keep in touch with my running friends who I probably wouldn't see otherwise. It is by far the biggest thing I miss.