Hi there again,

The Mount swim turned into the Pilot Bay swim due to big swells breaking over the gaps in the rocks through which swimmers would have been required to negotiate. This swim proved to be a difficult endeavour due to an increasingly strong outgoing tide. The disappointment of swapping a scenic swim through the mouth of the Tauranga Harbour for a triangular three lap swim was in some part diluted by the presence of beautiful large pink jellyfish, not unlike the one displayed on this webpage. The Bay was also littered with vast amounts of sea lettuce and what was later identified as plankton (although the identity of it had earlier created some discussion, the bulk of it not suitable to be recorded in this report.

The Wellington Sovereign swim was held amid blustery Northerlies and choppy seas. The water was about 18 degrees, noticeably colder than the sea up here in Auckland. The next day was even rougher and I set out for a swim in Oriental Bay determined to take advantage of the cooler water and the chilling wind. I was accompanied by my friend and fellow suicide squad member, Pat, who paddled beside me on a surf ski. We completed two circuits around the lighthouse before deciding that two hours in these conditions were probably enough for starters.

During this swim we were spotted by Philip Rush who later informed me that I may need to increase my stroke rate to maintain a body temperature necessary for the completion of the swim. He also pointed out to me that I was resting on my right arm, an unwelcome and long standing idiosyncrasy of mine that develops when coach Carmel is not looking. These observations have kicked off what seems to be the final preparation stage before the swim, this being to maintain distance while increasing my speed and of course completely losing the holiday mode that seems to have been hanging around since Christmas. So far I have made a good start on both of these endeavours.

A couple of weeks ago I completed a six hour swim in the harbour which saw me cover close to twenty-two kilometres. Coach Carmel organised a group of swimmers and a paddler, all of whom took turns at accompanying me through various stages of the swim. I do confess to a slight loss of momentum through the middle of this marathon. However, with a couple of kilometres needed to take us to the six hour mark, I was joined by Mike, a fellow Polar Bear (a group of deranged people who swim at St. Heliers all year round) and member of the Cook Strait suicide squad. I have raced Mike many times back from the ‘white stick’ (shipping beacon) to the ‘club rooms’ (changing sheds) amid comments such as “we’ll just take it easy on the way back eh”. This easy swim seems never to eventuate and again after six hours I could still not resist the temptation to ‘push it along a bit’. This leads me to the conclusion that a way to keep up momentum during the big swim would be to have the support boat lead and dangle Mike over the stern.

The first week in February saw a full competitive calendar. This started with a 2 kilometre sea swim at Waihi on the 1^st February. I managed to place as 3^rd non-wetsuit woman home overall and was a little disappointed that I was leading this category around the last buoy only to be overhauled by two young surf swimmers on the way into the finish. Monday the 2^nd saw the start of three nights of pool competition at the Masters Games in which I managed to post ‘solid’ and ‘steady’ swims, although nothing spectacular. The Masters Games swimming program finished with a 2 kilometre lake swim on the Thursday and this time I was very happy with my swim, finishing 4th woman overall.

The next day we travelled through to New Plymouth to compete in the Flanagan Cup. This is a 3.6 kilometre event and the sea there is a similar temperature to Wellington, clocking in at around 18 degrees. Again I had a strong swim and this is where I acquired an unappreciative jellyfish which got trapped down the front of my togs. I can see that the page co-ordinator could not wait to tell you about that.

While staying in Wanganui for the games, my brother, who works for the local newspaper could not wait to dob me in to the press, who published a nice article about my upcoming swim, given that I am a local girl by birth. This article resulted in a generous offer from Sid Salek (Supasid), pool and surf swimming legend to supply me with a new pair of prescription goggles for Cook Strait. Sid, I am so grateful….I want to be able to see those dolphins clearly!!!!  

I am now preparing for the Corsair Bay Classic in Christchurch (21^st February) and I am looking forward to meeting up with some stiff competition that will push me to my limits and I am hoping that the increase in intensity of training will produce a better swim in the ocean.

Here’s hoping, I shall get back to you after the swim, and thanks once again to all the support I have received from Roskill Masters, Polar Bears and others.