Winter Training

Coogee Beach this morning (almost)



I can see why open water swimming is mostly a summer sport.
The water at the beaches is getting cooler. The days are short. It's harder to get up early for training. Even training at night in the heated outdoor pool is tougher with the cold air temperature.

Anyway, it's too late to back out now.
I've entered the Magnetic Island to Townsville (Queensland) swim in 2 weeks.

I enforced a month off in May to get some protection and rest after a busy last season, then lost a couple weeks in June with the usual winter head colds
Getting back into it, though
I clocked up about 18k in training this week, including 3 of Chad's tough squads and a 3k non-stop swim in "freezing" 16c water at Coogee this morning
Thanks to the small group who stopped and waited for me to catch up halfway to the island. Usually they leave me on my own 100 yards out the back doing the rearguard shark patrol.

Will have to work hard next week to clock up some distance, before tapering a little next week.
In terms of fitness I'm about where I was at the end of last season (the Coogee- Bondi 5k swim), maybe a little slower and a bit stronger.
Not quite where I wanted to be before an 8k journey swim, but it will have to do
I might be able to bluff myself into making it across
Looking forward to it, actually