I pick up my training partner and we head to the beach a 30 minute drive. Its fairly quiet in the car as I tend to become quiet. Going through things in my mind slowly and try not to let the nerves get to me so much. We drive into the car park and find a shady spot as we know it will be stinking hot when we get back to the car later that day. Registration, we get our names signed off and get our package which has in it, a race cap...a stunning pink, timing strap that goes around our ankle, information note. Then we find our paddler for the day, and awesome bloke that made the day a little bit more relaxing and funny.
We take a seat on the sand in the shade as we wait for the 1.25 kilometer swimmers to take off. Then its our turn. I sit with my head of my knees with my eyes closed and compose myself ready for the biggest open water swim I have done to date. You never know just how bad the water conditions will be till you get in the water. We swim out to the starting buoys and people are already getting stung. I know then its going to be a long hard day in the water. The starters gun goes off and we are away, We were out to swim our own race, one that would allow us to finish within the time required and hope to hell we would make it.
By the second feed I asked our paddler how we were going, roughly averaging 48 - 50 minutes per 2.5km which was great, though I kind or knew the last lap would take its toll. We felt every sting from the jellyfish as if they were sharp needles piercing through our skin to our nerves. We got stung on the face, back, arms, neck, under the arms, legs...well our entire bodies really. Its hard to work out exactly how you are pacing along when you swim, but I was still hoping we wouldn't get that tap from the officials to say you won't make it.
We started the last lap and I knew this was going to be so hard. We turned the first turning buoys and got to our paddler who was talking with safety crew and I had a sudden sinking in my stomach, then as we were taking our last drink, we were told we were going to be fine and would have part of the safety crew guide us through to the next turning buoys which was great, it made me feel like I was that little bit stronger and would be able to get through the fatigue I was feeling so badly. We turned the last turning buoys and I could see that we now had safety crew on a jet ski with us as we swam to the finish. I saw the last buoy that we needed before turning to shore and the finish line. The only things I had running through my mind was that I wanted this so much! I did not want to have to go through another morning like this again for a little while.
My training partner and I were the last in the water to make it in under the cut-off time of 4 hrs and 15 mins. I got that last wave into shore, stood up got my bearings and walked slowly out of the water with a little help from the safety crew as we got our balance back. I ran up the finishing chute and officially had a time of 4:07:18. We qualified!!!
So with so much that had happened I still don't think it has completely set in that I have swum, conquered some fears and mental games that were playing around the 7.5km mark of wanting to get out, but to know that we now have made it to swim the Rottnest Channel Swim on the 27th February 2016, is huge! Now its time to rest this week, and by rest I mean light easy swims to let the body keep turning over and make sure the muscles don't cease up. Its also time to de-brief the swim and workout what we need to change and try and do for the coming three months before Rotto.
Have an awesome week coming...
Hayley xx
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