North Bondi Classic Ocean Swim

 

On February 9, 2014, I entered two ocean swims at North Bondi , the 1 kilometre and the 2 kilometre. These were my last competitive swims at Bondi for the foreseeable future. North Bondi has a special place in my heart. It’s  where I started ocean swimming in 2008. I joined a group headed by Spot (mad-as-a-cut snake) Anderson of Bondi Fit. I learned how to get through the waves, take the rip on the way out and make a racing finish on the way in. I’m still rubbish at these skills but at least I know how it should be done.

This year I am not so competitive in my ocean swimming. Being two months short of the next age category, getting placed is unlikely. Also I have a shoulder problem and have been trying very hard to work on my stroke so it does not make the injury worse. This means bilateral breathing, long slow steady stokes, shoulder engagement, rotation and most importantly engaging the core (engage your core Lindy, engage your core). I consulted my shoulder about the North Bondi event and it said I could do both swims only if I “gan canny” (‘take it easy’ in the Geordie dialect). So canny I went.

Conditions were perfect: The water was 19 degrees with a 1-metre swell. It was clear and glittery. There were fish - and a pod of dolphins was reported (although I missed those). The morning  was warm and sunny and it was great to catch up with my ocean swimming chums. We had a sizeable contingent from my swim squad, Wett Ones, my regular ocean swimming cronies. Sid, my husband, swam too. Doing the two swims was a real bargain at $50. I did both.  The first at 9:25 was the 1-km (1.2 really). It went pretty well and I managed 24:12 which is an okay time for me. The 2-km set off at 10:30 and was beautiful. We swam across the bay to the point with the swell and back against it. The water safety was tremendous as per usual. I managed 43:31 - another okay time. No prizes but with a happy shoulder.

Thanks to Paul Ellercamp AKA Mr Oceanswim for the lovely underwater shot of me in my new flamingo cossie!

I am always inspired in these ocean swims by the swimmers, particularly the older swimmers. Swimming makes you live for ever, I’m convinced of that. We have swimmers in their 60s (almost me), 70s and even Dennis here who is 90 years old.

I think wistfully that this is my last Bondi swim as we are moving to the UK. It’ll be very different. There will be new swimming experiences, murkier, colder swimming experiences but no sharks, rips and thunderous surf. I’ll still live forever though.