Qualifying Swim 3 Weeks to Go....

City Beach a Little Stormy

I was down at City Beach on Friday morning, as I was early for an appointment and just felt the need to get some fresh salty air. This is where our 10 kilometer qualifying swim will be held in three weeks. Looking at how the water way on Friday I am so hoping for better conditions. It was rough, and windy, and not what you want for a qualifying swim when you have a time limit set. Yes it would be do able, but would probably take me more than the allotted time of four hours and fifteen minutes.
 

Tuesday at City Beach

Even last Tuesday was windy and there were some small white caps, but at least the water didn't look like a washing machine. City Beach seems to be a bit more open than my favourite swimming place (Cottesloe Beach). I remember swimming at City Beach as a kid with my dad and having no fear about the waves and swimming out over my head. Its interesting that as we get older we tend to fear more, and seem to put more restrictions on ourselves. I was standing on City Beach last year waiting to do a 2.5 kilometer swim, and as us girls were the last in the water I was seeing the waves building and getting rougher by the minute. I stood there pacing and thinking..."what the hell am I doing??" I nearly pulled out at the last minute, but even though it was one of the toughest swims I had, had to date, I was happy that I completed it and knew within myself if I could do that, I could do anything.

Stormy Sky  City Beach

 So here we are, only three weeks to go, and I have to admit the nerves are starting to show up. Though it is going to be a matter of hoping for the best weather conditions and knowing that I have trained hard enough and done enough to get to where I am now and that I will qualify. There is always a plan B though in the back of my mind, as much as I don't want to think about it, if for some reason I don't get the City Beach swim done in the allotted time there are a number of other swims that I can do to qualify. Though I feel that I am capable of getting through the ten kilometers at City Beach. I guess for me the most important part over the coming weeks is going to be getting enough rest and fuel intake, and keeping stress to a minimum, as I know stress affects me big time, which showed yesterday in a training session.

Rough Waters

 So today's plan is another five kilometers in the pool today and then head to Cottesloe Beach to see if the weather holds so we can get in and maybe get a couple of kilometers done, as next Saturday is the first of the Open Water Swimming Series swims and we are doing five kilometers, and I would prefer to be able to get back in today.

I hope everyone has an awesome week...

Hayley xx