P.S. I forgot to mention the lovely little impromptu apre race birthday party that Nicolee, Tacoma Jim, Rosie, et al, put on for Mrs Sparkle at Caves Beach on Sunday. I'm sorry I can't remember who baked the cupcakes but they were in superb nic. They put on a marvellous little spread of deadset ironman food, which of course included a birthday cake, adorned with a singing candle, along with a wee tincture of champers to desalinate the vocal chords for singing "happy birthday" to the lucky girl.
And just as Mr Os.c bangs on about the kulcha of oceanswimmin, it doesn't get much more kulcheral than that. What beautiful gesture to cap a beautiful weekend.
Regs,
Davo.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Achy-breaky-body no more!
After a weeklong bout of a debilitating mystery fever that I've named "Achy-breaky body syndrome", and therefore no training, I was a doubtful starter at Lake Macquarie on Satdy.
But what glorious day it turned out to be. The sun was shining, the wind was light and we had a lovely ferry ride over to the start at Coal Point. The Nor'easter threatened at the start but we called it's bluff and swam into the lieu of Green point whereupon we had glassy conditions right to the finish.
To my regret, with approximately 500m to go, I tried to drag off a fellow swimmer of similar ability, whom I'd been match racing for the best part of course across the lake; whereupon I copped a couple of filthy calf cramps for my trouble, and got done like a dinner by him.
As I tried to stretch my calf muscles out and keep swimming, the shin cramps came in and it was all over. As I'm sure many a fellow swimmer has experienced before, it was like dragging a pair of bootmaker's lasts through the water behind me.
But on the whole a great event. Well done to the organisers at Swansea Belmont SLSC; I'll be back again with a little more stamina next year.
Albeit stiff and sore, but without a shadow of doubt in my mind, I headed on to Caves Beach the next day. Another ripper sunny day except this time a different challenge. Not one of shear distance, but one of adverse marine conditions. The Nor'easter was fairdinkum this time and the chopped up open expanse of the Tasman Sea lay before us; littered with sea lice and peppered with blue bottles. Slap, sting, splash and itch was the order of the day.
But what great swim? The seabed was visible throughout the entirety of the race, especially as we swam along the bombora a little outside the cans. And at one point a set even broke across the course, with a foot high foamy wave necessitating a dive under it, lest one should cop a gob full of the mighty Tasman.
Aarrgh me hearties! Now that be ocean swimmin, yer hear!
Once again, love the work of the organisers at Caves and I'll be back again with bells on next year.
Regs,
Davo.
But what glorious day it turned out to be. The sun was shining, the wind was light and we had a lovely ferry ride over to the start at Coal Point. The Nor'easter threatened at the start but we called it's bluff and swam into the lieu of Green point whereupon we had glassy conditions right to the finish.
To my regret, with approximately 500m to go, I tried to drag off a fellow swimmer of similar ability, whom I'd been match racing for the best part of course across the lake; whereupon I copped a couple of filthy calf cramps for my trouble, and got done like a dinner by him.
As I tried to stretch my calf muscles out and keep swimming, the shin cramps came in and it was all over. As I'm sure many a fellow swimmer has experienced before, it was like dragging a pair of bootmaker's lasts through the water behind me.
But on the whole a great event. Well done to the organisers at Swansea Belmont SLSC; I'll be back again with a little more stamina next year.
Albeit stiff and sore, but without a shadow of doubt in my mind, I headed on to Caves Beach the next day. Another ripper sunny day except this time a different challenge. Not one of shear distance, but one of adverse marine conditions. The Nor'easter was fairdinkum this time and the chopped up open expanse of the Tasman Sea lay before us; littered with sea lice and peppered with blue bottles. Slap, sting, splash and itch was the order of the day.
But what great swim? The seabed was visible throughout the entirety of the race, especially as we swam along the bombora a little outside the cans. And at one point a set even broke across the course, with a foot high foamy wave necessitating a dive under it, lest one should cop a gob full of the mighty Tasman.
Aarrgh me hearties! Now that be ocean swimmin, yer hear!
Once again, love the work of the organisers at Caves and I'll be back again with bells on next year.
Regs,
Davo.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Malabar Cup
Yes! What a great swim indeed?
The course can certainly be compared to such great journey swims as the time honoured Palmy to Whalo Big Swim, Foster's Club2Club or the relative newcomer of similar vintage to yesterday's Long Bay to Little Bay event, The Tama2Cloey.
But in terms of organisational excellence, The Malabar event wins, as HG would put it "pants down with daylight in second place".
However I too found it a bit hard to spot the distant bouys, even with my new fangled View prescription goggles; but not impossible due to the wise choice of colours. So I must join the chorus: "get the shape of the bouys right please!"
On the subject of nomencalture, I feel compelled to have my two blob's worth as well. The labels "classic" and "challenge", whilst entirely appropriate (particularly the latter) to describe yesterday's event, are far to hackneyed. HG reckoned yestdy that it should be called "The Long Bay to Little Bay Fantastic.... get up in the morning and say: I'm gonna swim The Fantastic today." Truly a great line of thinking.
But as I've stated many a time, I reckon a few turf terms should be employed, to give the impression that there's somethin more than a little kudos ridin on the result. Some examples are:
The Farm Cove Stakes (Sydney Harbour)
The Port Hunter Weight-for-age Handicap (particularly if it gets into the Hahn Series -Newcastle Harbour)
The John Fairfax and Sons Cole Plate
and wait for it...
The Stockland - Rainbow Club of Austalia Malabar Cup.
The Malabar Cup! Get workin on the silverware folks, it may be ocean swimming's first perpetual trophy.
Remember you heard it from me first,
Swim with yer head, not under it,
Davo.
The course can certainly be compared to such great journey swims as the time honoured Palmy to Whalo Big Swim, Foster's Club2Club or the relative newcomer of similar vintage to yesterday's Long Bay to Little Bay event, The Tama2Cloey.
But in terms of organisational excellence, The Malabar event wins, as HG would put it "pants down with daylight in second place".
However I too found it a bit hard to spot the distant bouys, even with my new fangled View prescription goggles; but not impossible due to the wise choice of colours. So I must join the chorus: "get the shape of the bouys right please!"
On the subject of nomencalture, I feel compelled to have my two blob's worth as well. The labels "classic" and "challenge", whilst entirely appropriate (particularly the latter) to describe yesterday's event, are far to hackneyed. HG reckoned yestdy that it should be called "The Long Bay to Little Bay Fantastic.... get up in the morning and say: I'm gonna swim The Fantastic today." Truly a great line of thinking.
But as I've stated many a time, I reckon a few turf terms should be employed, to give the impression that there's somethin more than a little kudos ridin on the result. Some examples are:
The Farm Cove Stakes (Sydney Harbour)
The Port Hunter Weight-for-age Handicap (particularly if it gets into the Hahn Series -Newcastle Harbour)
The John Fairfax and Sons Cole Plate
and wait for it...
The Stockland - Rainbow Club of Austalia Malabar Cup.
The Malabar Cup! Get workin on the silverware folks, it may be ocean swimming's first perpetual trophy.
Remember you heard it from me first,
Swim with yer head, not under it,
Davo.
Monday, February 8, 2010
C'arn Cole....Supersize Me!
Last Sunday gave my sore shoulder a rest and gave me a chance to recuperate from a dreadful headcold. The way the weather was, the timing couldn't have been better; especially considering that I've competed in an oceanswim somewhere in NSW on every weekend (with the exception of the Boxing Day weekend) since the Coogee Island Challenge, as well as 'Straya Day in Newie.
But my decision to sit out the Cole again this year was made long ago due to the exorbitant entry fees and the lack of a "Supersize Me McMeal Deal" for both distances, as well as the organisers well known aversion to the risk of swell.
For the kind of bickies they are charging at the Cole, I could take me Lovvies to a matinee sesh at the flicks and spring for a spot of lunch as well, and still come out in front.
This means any combination of the following is true:
a) Davo is tightarse, and/or
b) The Loves are cheap date, and/or
c) The Cole is a ripoff, or
d) All of the above.
Youz be the judge.
See yuz for the chance of a wave in both distances at North Bondi this Sundy.
Regs,
Davo.
But my decision to sit out the Cole again this year was made long ago due to the exorbitant entry fees and the lack of a "Supersize Me McMeal Deal" for both distances, as well as the organisers well known aversion to the risk of swell.
For the kind of bickies they are charging at the Cole, I could take me Lovvies to a matinee sesh at the flicks and spring for a spot of lunch as well, and still come out in front.
This means any combination of the following is true:
a) Davo is tightarse, and/or
b) The Loves are cheap date, and/or
c) The Cole is a ripoff, or
d) All of the above.
Youz be the judge.
See yuz for the chance of a wave in both distances at North Bondi this Sundy.
Regs,
Davo.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Short Changed At The Big Swim?
Yes Richard,
I reckon you're onto something there. I timed myself with my watch in the same group and found my published time to be a few minutes longer than expected. I wasn't particularly disappointed with this as my time was still a good couple of minutes faster than last year's. But I did find I had slipped a few minutes with respect to the winners' times; a useful benchmark that many of us use to measure our performance.
I'm no cup hunter so I wasn't going to mention it; especially since it was such a great, well run swim. But I certainly could use the extra Hahn points if an error is uncovered, and I reckon some of our number, "the gentlemen of the sea" as described by the anouncer on the day, may have had a little more riding on it up the pointy end.
Did anyone else in the pink caps notice this?
Maybe worth looking into?
Kind regards,
David Love.
I reckon you're onto something there. I timed myself with my watch in the same group and found my published time to be a few minutes longer than expected. I wasn't particularly disappointed with this as my time was still a good couple of minutes faster than last year's. But I did find I had slipped a few minutes with respect to the winners' times; a useful benchmark that many of us use to measure our performance.
I'm no cup hunter so I wasn't going to mention it; especially since it was such a great, well run swim. But I certainly could use the extra Hahn points if an error is uncovered, and I reckon some of our number, "the gentlemen of the sea" as described by the anouncer on the day, may have had a little more riding on it up the pointy end.
Did anyone else in the pink caps notice this?
Maybe worth looking into?
Kind regards,
David Love.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Port Hunter Handicap - 'Straya Day 2010
What a crackerjack 'Straya Day 'twas in Newie yestdy?
After being woken several times by the torrential rain and thunder storms of the night before, I clambered onto me treadley on the Warners Bay side of Speers Point early in the morning and had good cause to wonder what shabby weather Huey might serve up for us at the harbour swim. 'Twas a very grey morning indeed, 100% relative humidity they said on the radio at 6 o'clock, but not particularly cool though. This made hard enough work of the first half of me bike ride alright. But by the time I climbed the challenging last and steepest bit of Hillsborough Road, and crossed the watershed that separates the vast Lake Macquarie Basin from the even vaster Hunter Valley, the sun began to burn off that foggy haze and the sky began to clear. And as I fanged down Park Avenue towards the flat bit that is the floor of the Hunter Valley, it became abundantly clear that this was gonna be a special day.
As an expatriate Novocastrian living in Sydney I relished the chance to get back to me old home town and frolicking in it's main artery, The Hunter River; which for me is akin to stopping the traffic and trotting over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
And as Mr. Os.c puts it so well "it’s all about the kulcha!" shortly after arrival and registration of my attendance, I was lucky enough to engage in a little "kulcharel" exchange. I got chin wagging before the race, as ya do, to a feller of similar age who turned out to be an expat Sydneysider now living in Newcastle; a Firey named Bob originally from Sydney's Eastern Suburbs; the part of the world that I call home now. We parted company for the 1400m swim at the jump off the wharf only to meet at the finish line within 5 seconds of each other; Fireman Bob in front of course. It's a small world but I wouldn't wanna paint it.
As Mr. Os.c warned us, the race required some tactical allowance for the flow of the tide. Before the 700m kicked off the tide was not long after high ebb, just beginning to run out. But by the time the biggie got underway it was running out much faster. Despite attempting to allow for this, I still got caught with at least a few others having to swim upstream to get around the first buoy at Stockton. But on the way back I sufficiently adjusted my course to bring me directly in at the gates; but I saw many others who didn't, struggling upstream in the even faster, later flow on the outside of the river bend. All good lessons learnt for next year, hey?
Thanks to all the people who ran the event, it was well worth the drive and ride. Next year I'll be back to do both races if I can?
The way read the entry form, you could only do one race or the other and there was no supersize-me discount for doing both. But there were certainly plenty of punters backing up after the first race. So I reckon you had to pay and register for both separately. Maybe that's why Catrin's time was not recorded for the 14 hunjee as she stated above?
So to the good folk at Stockton SLSC, how about a McMeal deal price for swimming both distances next year?
And Mr. Os.c, how about gettin it inta the Hahn Series? Then we could call it The Port Hunter Handicap; to give the impression that there's more than just a little kudos ridin on it? It could be the equal of, if not superior to Sydney's Farm Cove Stakes in March?
Remember, you heard it from me first; swim with yer head, not under it.
Davo.
After being woken several times by the torrential rain and thunder storms of the night before, I clambered onto me treadley on the Warners Bay side of Speers Point early in the morning and had good cause to wonder what shabby weather Huey might serve up for us at the harbour swim. 'Twas a very grey morning indeed, 100% relative humidity they said on the radio at 6 o'clock, but not particularly cool though. This made hard enough work of the first half of me bike ride alright. But by the time I climbed the challenging last and steepest bit of Hillsborough Road, and crossed the watershed that separates the vast Lake Macquarie Basin from the even vaster Hunter Valley, the sun began to burn off that foggy haze and the sky began to clear. And as I fanged down Park Avenue towards the flat bit that is the floor of the Hunter Valley, it became abundantly clear that this was gonna be a special day.
As an expatriate Novocastrian living in Sydney I relished the chance to get back to me old home town and frolicking in it's main artery, The Hunter River; which for me is akin to stopping the traffic and trotting over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
And as Mr. Os.c puts it so well "it’s all about the kulcha!" shortly after arrival and registration of my attendance, I was lucky enough to engage in a little "kulcharel" exchange. I got chin wagging before the race, as ya do, to a feller of similar age who turned out to be an expat Sydneysider now living in Newcastle; a Firey named Bob originally from Sydney's Eastern Suburbs; the part of the world that I call home now. We parted company for the 1400m swim at the jump off the wharf only to meet at the finish line within 5 seconds of each other; Fireman Bob in front of course. It's a small world but I wouldn't wanna paint it.
As Mr. Os.c warned us, the race required some tactical allowance for the flow of the tide. Before the 700m kicked off the tide was not long after high ebb, just beginning to run out. But by the time the biggie got underway it was running out much faster. Despite attempting to allow for this, I still got caught with at least a few others having to swim upstream to get around the first buoy at Stockton. But on the way back I sufficiently adjusted my course to bring me directly in at the gates; but I saw many others who didn't, struggling upstream in the even faster, later flow on the outside of the river bend. All good lessons learnt for next year, hey?
Thanks to all the people who ran the event, it was well worth the drive and ride. Next year I'll be back to do both races if I can?
The way read the entry form, you could only do one race or the other and there was no supersize-me discount for doing both. But there were certainly plenty of punters backing up after the first race. So I reckon you had to pay and register for both separately. Maybe that's why Catrin's time was not recorded for the 14 hunjee as she stated above?
So to the good folk at Stockton SLSC, how about a McMeal deal price for swimming both distances next year?
And Mr. Os.c, how about gettin it inta the Hahn Series? Then we could call it The Port Hunter Handicap; to give the impression that there's more than just a little kudos ridin on it? It could be the equal of, if not superior to Sydney's Farm Cove Stakes in March?
Remember, you heard it from me first; swim with yer head, not under it.
Davo.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Bondi's Bloody Red Gates
I had a similar problem with, I'm sure were well intentioned but unfortunately a little over enthusiastic clubbies on their mals on the Tasman side of the those bloody red gates.
As I've written in previous blogs, I often like to swim a "deep sea" course for what I believe to be reasons of good sense. Whether it be to safely stand off a large swell breaking closer to shore or simply to avoid the impedence of the stand-up effect that shallower water has on swell; or to avoid often slight but nonetheless present opposing currents closer to the bay (wanna try one out with the stopwatch? go down to Coogee!); or simply to avoid the rabble of misguided punters desperately trying to swim back out to the last mark, only then having to make a hairpin turn to get around it.
In any fairly onshore swell I usually much prefer a steady reach, working ever so slightly against it across the bay and then a gentle hyperbolic slingshot curve around the last turn with the swell behind me, rather than the aforemetioned shitfight anyday.
In true tortiose and hare fashion a slow mug swimmer such as myself can pull back plenty of their own coloured caps, and maybe even a couple from the colour behind that had just overtaken you. And if a mal or ski stands to interrupt your cunning strategy, hold your breath and swim under them. Deadset easy, they don't draw that much water. I wouldn't wanna try it on with a surfboat or rubber ducky though; lest one might get brained by an oar or the leg of an outbaord.
Remember, swim with yer head, not just under it.
Regs,
Davo.
As I've written in previous blogs, I often like to swim a "deep sea" course for what I believe to be reasons of good sense. Whether it be to safely stand off a large swell breaking closer to shore or simply to avoid the impedence of the stand-up effect that shallower water has on swell; or to avoid often slight but nonetheless present opposing currents closer to the bay (wanna try one out with the stopwatch? go down to Coogee!); or simply to avoid the rabble of misguided punters desperately trying to swim back out to the last mark, only then having to make a hairpin turn to get around it.
In any fairly onshore swell I usually much prefer a steady reach, working ever so slightly against it across the bay and then a gentle hyperbolic slingshot curve around the last turn with the swell behind me, rather than the aforemetioned shitfight anyday.
In true tortiose and hare fashion a slow mug swimmer such as myself can pull back plenty of their own coloured caps, and maybe even a couple from the colour behind that had just overtaken you. And if a mal or ski stands to interrupt your cunning strategy, hold your breath and swim under them. Deadset easy, they don't draw that much water. I wouldn't wanna try it on with a surfboat or rubber ducky though; lest one might get brained by an oar or the leg of an outbaord.
Remember, swim with yer head, not just under it.
Regs,
Davo.
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