I was about half way through my training session at Boy Charlton, when BOOM! it just started bucketing. I got even wetter than usual.
Wednesday mornings have always been the mainstay of my swimming regime. I try to fit in lunchtime swims on other days during the week, but that's always dependent on it fitting in with the work day.
Not so Wednesdays: in the pool by 6am, out of the pool by 7.30am and then to the office, so it's very unusual for anything to get in the way of the Wednesday swim.
For years now, Wednesday morning swims have been an activity shared with my dad, who's been a keen swimmer since boyhood. The swim is preceded by the drive in together - generally with me yawning the whole way - and is followed by breakfast.
It's a great ritual, and apart from the exercise benefits, it's been a wonderful way for us to spend some time together each week.
It also demonstrates that swimming can be a very social sport. Of course, the actual swimming bit - following the black line up and down the pool - isn't all that social, but it's all the opportunity for gasbagging before and after the swim that do make it social.
I first got into oceanswimming circa 2003 thanks to a bunch of guys who were regulars at some of the weekend oceanswims. Pretty much any weekend between late October and late June every year, you can do a Saturday or Sunday race at one of Sydney's amazing beaches with 500-1,000 of your nearest and dearest swimming friends (can you see me? I'm wearing a blue cap).
The Cole Classic (back when it was run at Bondi, rather than Manly) was my gateway drug to the sport. So much more fun than lapping in a pool, so much opportunity for friendly rivalry with your mates, and as Mr Oceanswims.com would say, so much culcha.
A big thanks...
...to all who have so generously donated already. We hit the $2k mark early yesterday, and today we're nudging $3k!
This is really encouraging, and both Glaucoma Australia and I are really grateful for the support.
If you haven't donated yet, please consider it. It's easy, just click here.
A big thanks also to oceanswims.com for giving me a plug in this week's newsletter.
And get your eyes checked!
Training update
This last week, being the first week of my campaign, has involved mostly cross-training. I had a decent length swim last Wednesday (3.3km), and another 4.4km this morning, but with a trip to the Blue Mountains over the Easter long weekend intervening, cycling and trail running took precedence.
That wasn't entirely accidental, however, since on Saturday 6 April I'll be doing a 100km mountain bike ride in the Blue Mountains. For those of you who know the trails up there, we'll be riding from Glenbrook up the Oaks Fire Trail to Woodford, then up Ingar Fire Trail to Wentworth Falls, followed by a return to Woodford on Andersons Fire Trail and then down to Glenbrook on the Oaks again. Lots of climbing and a sore butt are assured.
It's a long way, so maybe I should take one of these:
Stay tuned...
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