From our eyrie here in Paris, it all looked noice. While we've been here (three days in Paris after a week darn sarth), spring has arrived (see right). Now we know why scientists say the seasons change on the equinox, because this one certainly did. Paris is greening as we watch it, and the railway corridor yesterdee from Paris to Orleans was a corridor of emerging colour.
We swam on Fridee in a pool in Paris, and that was an experience that we'll blob about in the next couple of days. We'll have Aquagirl's report from Bonbeach, last weekend's season ender in Victoria, up very soon. But tell us about your swims this weekend...
This was a great 1km swim - lucky I'd been out 'training' at North Bondi the previous day where the waves were up, the wind was up, the rain was coming down, oh and the water was wild. Never'less, it was great prep for a day when it looked gloomy to start (but I got up anyway) and even a little intimidating for a rookie red cap like me - but I followed some locals in at the far right point, used the sand bar to make some headway, took on the big waves by ducking well under and finally (whew) made it past the white can to turn. Then a truly lovely swim it was ... I just relaxed and tried not to think of getting back in. But that bit proved easy, tho' that little drag took me to the wider gutter - which just meant more running at the end. Then the sun came out! I had a coffee (ahhh) and all was truly right with the morning. Noticed the waves seemed much calmer for the 2.8km - but them's the breaks! Next year.
ReplyDeleteMade the 3 1/2hr trek to South West Rocks for the Gaol Break Swim on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteFrom the surf clubhouse, the conditions looked beautiful, with a light offshore wind and small swell. The registration was well organised and the volunteers friendly and welcoming. I spoke to one of the organisers who said it would be a deep water start this year. Great! Love a deep water start.
Caught the bus around to the start point under the shadow of Trial Bay Goal and swam out to the starting bouys as a bit of a warm up. Back to the shore, then the 140 or so starters gathered around for the pre-start briefing. The official pointed out the very small buoys (with little flags attached) laid out about 30 metres offshore around the bay. The briefing created a bit of an uproar as the official explained that the swimmers needed to keep all of the bouys on their left hand side. Everyone quickly realised that this meant that a shortcut straight across the bay was going to be the quickest option. Not sure how long this made the swim, but it was much reduced from the round the bay route.
The start, from the beach (apparently the bouys that I swam to were for some other purpose), left turn around the 1st marker, then head for the pine trees on the other side of the bay. The water was crystal clear, with the sandy bottom visible all the way across. The finish featured lots of watermelon and even very expensive bananas!
Amazing that a swim with manual timing can also produce finish certificates with names, times and places before the end of the presentation.
Overall it was a really good day, but the organisers need to put some thought into the most important part of the event, the swim.
Funny, I got smashed by the break way more on the 2.8km swim than the 1km swim at North Steyne on the weekend. Once past the first buoy, the 1km felt like a pool swim compared to the chop down to Shelley on the longer swim - just shows how much the timing between wave starts can vary the conditions!
ReplyDeleteDespite the rapidly changing weather - rain, wind, lovely sunshine, oh and rain again - it was a lovely morning, results were up quickly (although, accuracy a ?), and the best marked out course of the season... plenty of buoys short distances apart, I could always see a couple ahead of me and thats reassuring on a long swim.
Thanks North Steyne, will be back next year when hopefully the sun might come out and stay out!
Yeah I noticed some of the red caps from my wave went off early with the previous wave, that would have thrown out some of the times.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame them though. Rather a few troublemakers in the red caps wave.
One led a conga-line of swimmers on a southern migration, looking for a perfect path thru the surf, until most of the field was almost out of range of the starters gun.
Another was amusing the crowd by faking his starting run into the water with the wrong wave, trying to trap some unwary swimmers in false starting.
That's half the fun of these swims, the shenanigans that go on behind the start line.