Carn all you C2B 5k'ers!
Did summint happen out there that no one wants to talk about? After all the brou-ha-ha following the Mollymook swim there doesn't seem to be too many of youz havin ya two blob's worth about it! Didn't anybody swim over the top of anyone, or scratch or heel-waft, or miss a bouy, or simply marvel at the beauty of the marine reserve that youz were swimmin over, or anythin?
I wish was out there with yuz, it was such a crackerjack day. I opted instead for conducting my daughter's 3rd birthday party, bang on her actual birthday, at the kiddies bike track in Centennial Park, where she went absolutely mental on the prezzie we gave her, her first bike. I reckon the swimmin race mighta been easier work but I don't regret for a second missin the it for the sheer joy we saw her experience.
Even so on Satdy night I was secretly hopin for accutely localised subtropical cyclonic coastal weather conditions to visit themselves upon youz, but not us in the hinterland of the park of course, so that I could perhaps join youz on a rain date later this month.
I'm glad it went off for yuz, but yuz should whoop it up a bit more to tease me for next year. ANZAC day falls on a Sundy next year thus my daughter's birthday will be on the Monday. Tell me, which day do I have to schedule the party for?
David Love.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Open Your Eyes!
The middle buoy at the Mook was definitely moved just BEFORE the start of the race, I saw it with my own eyes; and rightly so for the abovementioned reasons. It happened just after receiving our last briefing and blind Freddie could see it being done with a rubber duckie. I pointed it out to a bloke right beside me, remarking that the course was now virtually a straight line between northern and southern headlands. He in turn pointed it out to some one else, and within a coupla minutes a coupla ladies told the man with the loud hailer, who had his back turned to the action while he was adderessing us. He in turn responded by telling everone who would listen that this was the case, and even stated the worsening reefbreak reasoning.
I reckon that swimmers should keep their wits about them while still on the beach and take notice of stuff like this. It ain't rocket science.
It's commonsense that one wouldn't wanna swim too far into the bay anyway; not only because of the worsening beach and reef break, but also beacause you are swimming further than you have to, and have to fight the swell a little harder, more head on and standing taller in the shallower water, to get back out to the final mark.
Such navigational tactics are one of the few advantages that a slow but strong, portly middle aged swimmer such as myself has to remain in the slightest bit competitive. I should've kept me mouth shut on the day and even more of youz would've wandered off like Brown's cows into the bay.
So to read the rest of yuz all whinging about it really get's my goat. Get over it, it's OCEAN swimming, warts and all, and it's part of the challenge. Isn't that why we we're in it?
If ya don't like ocean swimming, stick to so called "open water" swimming which pretty well just means there's no roof on it. The water might be a bit muddy sometimes and there may be a bit of a current or wind chop, but the buoys will be a lot easier to see, there'll be heaps more of em, and they won't move around, or be moved round half as much. I hear FINA do a nice line in it! (Shameless dodgy pun fully fully intended yet again)
David Love.
I reckon that swimmers should keep their wits about them while still on the beach and take notice of stuff like this. It ain't rocket science.
It's commonsense that one wouldn't wanna swim too far into the bay anyway; not only because of the worsening beach and reef break, but also beacause you are swimming further than you have to, and have to fight the swell a little harder, more head on and standing taller in the shallower water, to get back out to the final mark.
Such navigational tactics are one of the few advantages that a slow but strong, portly middle aged swimmer such as myself has to remain in the slightest bit competitive. I should've kept me mouth shut on the day and even more of youz would've wandered off like Brown's cows into the bay.
So to read the rest of yuz all whinging about it really get's my goat. Get over it, it's OCEAN swimming, warts and all, and it's part of the challenge. Isn't that why we we're in it?
If ya don't like ocean swimming, stick to so called "open water" swimming which pretty well just means there's no roof on it. The water might be a bit muddy sometimes and there may be a bit of a current or wind chop, but the buoys will be a lot easier to see, there'll be heaps more of em, and they won't move around, or be moved round half as much. I hear FINA do a nice line in it! (Shameless dodgy pun fully fully intended yet again)
David Love.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Hard to the power of sick!
Hard to the power of sick down The Mook or what!
(for full bibliographical reference please follow the link http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150323844720 )
The weather turned pretty nasty down The Mook on Sundy but to the credit to of the organisers, they still held two of the three races. The 2km was the toughest bloody race that I’ve ever been in, even tougher than the B2B of ’07, where plenty of punters couldn't get out and had to do "the walk of shame", as me ol' mate Fergie calls it, back to Bronte.
A little after nine o'clock in the morning it looked like there was a real chance of them bailin out on the whole show; with a call for a show of hands at the first race briefing to see if "anyone wouldn’t be too disappointed if they called the races off." Whether it was down to peer pressure or sheer determination, nay a hand was raised. That's why I reckon youz're all hard to the abovementioned power; water safety personnel, volunteers and competitiors alike. None of us was there for a haircut!So they ran the kiddies’/novices/old farts’ warm-up 500m race first off the beach in worsening but challengingly manageable conditions, which I did as registered participant. A few parents went in it unrego’ed as well just to give the kiddies a bit of support and extra safety. Good on em I say!
By the time that was done and we’d been shuttled up the Northern end o the beach to start the biggie, the swell wind and rain had worsened considerably. But the organisers held their nerve, as did we. We set off tucked right into the corner of Banisters Head and caught the equivalent of the North Bondi Express out. Even so plenty of swimmers still got clobbered by a set or two on the way. Then it was simply the hardest 2km slog I have ever swum, against the increasing Sout-east ground swell and Southerly Buster wind. The rain squalls and mist were so bad at times you could hardly make out the shape of the southern headland, the only available point of reference, let alone see the buoys. Without a glimmer of exaggeration I reckon this race is probably one of the best and toughest dead reckoning navigation exercises any of us will ever experience at sea in our lives.
Thence upon return to the southern end o the beach, most of us got dumped by a 5-6ft sucky close-out beach break over a shallow bar. And it was still f!@#ing raining. I reckon there’ll be plenty more written about it on The Two Blob's Worth!
I reckon we should all get triple Hahn points just for completing it!
A massive thanks to the organisers and their seconds, loved the free sausage sizzle van out front o the Surf Club, just what the doctor ordered.
All up a great weekend. Fridy’s n Satdy’s weather was lovely. We (my wife n kids loved it too) will be back next year for a longer stay for sure. Plenty of pretty places around there to visit, and the Mook n Dulla itself is just gorgeous.
David Love.
(for full bibliographical reference please follow the link http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150323844720 )
The weather turned pretty nasty down The Mook on Sundy but to the credit to of the organisers, they still held two of the three races. The 2km was the toughest bloody race that I’ve ever been in, even tougher than the B2B of ’07, where plenty of punters couldn't get out and had to do "the walk of shame", as me ol' mate Fergie calls it, back to Bronte.
A little after nine o'clock in the morning it looked like there was a real chance of them bailin out on the whole show; with a call for a show of hands at the first race briefing to see if "anyone wouldn’t be too disappointed if they called the races off." Whether it was down to peer pressure or sheer determination, nay a hand was raised. That's why I reckon youz're all hard to the abovementioned power; water safety personnel, volunteers and competitiors alike. None of us was there for a haircut!So they ran the kiddies’/novices/old farts’ warm-up 500m race first off the beach in worsening but challengingly manageable conditions, which I did as registered participant. A few parents went in it unrego’ed as well just to give the kiddies a bit of support and extra safety. Good on em I say!
By the time that was done and we’d been shuttled up the Northern end o the beach to start the biggie, the swell wind and rain had worsened considerably. But the organisers held their nerve, as did we. We set off tucked right into the corner of Banisters Head and caught the equivalent of the North Bondi Express out. Even so plenty of swimmers still got clobbered by a set or two on the way. Then it was simply the hardest 2km slog I have ever swum, against the increasing Sout-east ground swell and Southerly Buster wind. The rain squalls and mist were so bad at times you could hardly make out the shape of the southern headland, the only available point of reference, let alone see the buoys. Without a glimmer of exaggeration I reckon this race is probably one of the best and toughest dead reckoning navigation exercises any of us will ever experience at sea in our lives.
Thence upon return to the southern end o the beach, most of us got dumped by a 5-6ft sucky close-out beach break over a shallow bar. And it was still f!@#ing raining. I reckon there’ll be plenty more written about it on The Two Blob's Worth!
I reckon we should all get triple Hahn points just for completing it!
A massive thanks to the organisers and their seconds, loved the free sausage sizzle van out front o the Surf Club, just what the doctor ordered.
All up a great weekend. Fridy’s n Satdy’s weather was lovely. We (my wife n kids loved it too) will be back next year for a longer stay for sure. Plenty of pretty places around there to visit, and the Mook n Dulla itself is just gorgeous.
David Love.
After The Buoys Of Tama Have Gone
On the subject of the relative visibility of various types of bouys, what about those cylindrical ones with the helium filled balloons floating a metre or two above. I seem to remember them being used at Bilgola over the past coupla years, and not having any trouble seein them at all; even before Santa got me a pair of those specky prescription goggles from View for Chrissy. Since then I've been able to spot markers of all shapes and sizes much more easily, as well as have a much better gander at whats goin on below the water (shameless testamonial plug fully intended in the hope of scorin a freeby or summint).
As for the Tama2Cloe race, what a ripper, hey?
This race has deadset got legs!
Thanks to the Tama n Cloe clubbies, their respective sponsors and event partners, youz put on a great event. A new classic is born; but don't use the word "classic" to promote it coz the word's so five years ago now! Call it a "derby", "stakes", or "championship", or sumfin sporty like that. Get ya spin doctors onto it, I'm sure they can come up with sumfin.
David Love
As for the Tama2Cloe race, what a ripper, hey?
This race has deadset got legs!
Thanks to the Tama n Cloe clubbies, their respective sponsors and event partners, youz put on a great event. A new classic is born; but don't use the word "classic" to promote it coz the word's so five years ago now! Call it a "derby", "stakes", or "championship", or sumfin sporty like that. Get ya spin doctors onto it, I'm sure they can come up with sumfin.
David Love
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