Nice view over Pandora ponds on the outskirts of Napier. If you look very closely you can see an orange buoy in the distance. Just in front of the orange buoy is a white buoy. That is the first part of the course I swam today. And yes the water was as freezey cold as it looks. 
There I am waiting to start, with my feet getting used to the water. I should have got the rest of me used to the cold water too, it was a hell of a shock to the system when I did plunge in.
I am the one in the water behind the girl still standing in the gray and black top. At first it was chaos. There were people everywhere going in all directions swimming in various styles. Would you believe that some people did the whole course back stroke. For the last two years I have been teaching myself to swim front crawl or freestyle as they call it here.
Unfortunately the shock of the cold water and the fact that I can not swim in a straight line meant all that training was a waste of time. I ended up doing 80% of the course breast stroke. 
There is a bit of satisfaction being able to keep up with and pass other swimmers who were able to do freestyle. 
Above is me rounding the last buoy. This is one of the better pictures there were some hilarious ones of me grimacing and attempting to breath at the same time, but I will keep those to myself.
Even thought I was exhausted and staggering out of the water, I still seem to have time to make sure my swim top was pulled down so my bum was not showing! Thanks Peter for snapping all these shots. And can I just point out all those other swimmers in the background who started at the same time as me still with a long way to go.
And there I am triumphant at the end, very glad that I have finished. Oh and by the way my eyes look that wrinkled because of the goggles, honest.
But this triathlon was not all about me, really! I had two other team members, Linda walking and Vicki cycling. They both did a brilliant job. Above is Linda fixing the timing tag to Vicki's leg and below Vicki looks really happy to be finished.
I don't know where we came, I only know we did not come last. Which is what we were aiming for. I will update you when I find out. Would I do it again, hmmm I am not sure. It was tough, but the actual sense of achievement was incredible. I have also learnt next time start slow, don't get panicked into a rush and have fun.
In a few weeks time I am going to take part in a triathlon as part of a team. I have been volunteered for the swimming part, a swim of 600m. I am prepared I have all the gear - hat, togs, goggles and rashie top. I decided that a wet suit would not be a good idea at all. The distance did not bother me, I swim between 1000m and 800m in the pool at least a couple of times a week. That was until last week when one of the other members of the team accompanied me down to Pandora Ponds to take a look at the course, to have a go at swimming in the cold sea and against the current. Now the distance bothers me. I have to swim out to that far off distant white dot on the horizon and back over to the other side and then down to the shore. That seems to be a very long way! Then there is the other bit I had totally forgotten about. The clambering out of the water and running up the pebbley shore, dripping wet in my togs to tag the next member of my team. If anyone dares take any pictures of that bit they will be in very big trouble.
When I am not working, running around after kids, washing and ironing, cutting the grass, sanding doors, painting walls, blogging - I like to spend the odd 30 minutes swimming up and down, and up and down, and up and down. Opposite the place where I work is this lovely swimming pool which I visit after work, forget everything and just swim. Another few weeks and it will be Winter here, I don't know how much longer an outdoor swimming pool is going to be feasible. But as long as I can cope with the cold getting to and getting out of the pool (the pool is heated) I will be there, three times a week, swimming up and down.
Nice view over Pandora ponds on the outskirts of Napier. If you look very closely you can see an orange buoy in the distance. Just in front of the orange buoy is a white buoy. That is the first part of the course I swam today. And yes the water was as freezey cold as it looks. 
There I am waiting to start, with my feet getting used to the water. I should have got the rest of me used to the cold water too, it was a hell of a shock to the system when I did plunge in.
I am the one in the water behind the girl still standing in the gray and black top. At first it was chaos. There were people everywhere going in all directions swimming in various styles. Would you believe that some people did the whole course back stroke. For the last two years I have been teaching myself to swim front crawl or freestyle as they call it here.
Unfortunately the shock of the cold water and the fact that I can not swim in a straight line meant all that training was a waste of time. I ended up doing 80% of the course breast stroke. 
There is a bit of satisfaction being able to keep up with and pass other swimmers who were able to do freestyle. 
Above is me rounding the last buoy. This is one of the better pictures there were some hilarious ones of me grimacing and attempting to breath at the same time, but I will keep those to myself.
Even thought I was exhausted and staggering out of the water, I still seem to have time to make sure my swim top was pulled down so my bum was not showing! Thanks Peter for snapping all these shots. And can I just point out all those other swimmers in the background who started at the same time as me still with a long way to go.
And there I am triumphant at the end, very glad that I have finished. Oh and by the way my eyes look that wrinkled because of the goggles, honest.
But this triathlon was not all about me, really! I had two other team members, Linda walking and Vicki cycling. They both did a brilliant job. Above is Linda fixing the timing tag to Vicki's leg and below Vicki looks really happy to be finished.
I don't know where we came, I only know we did not come last. Which is what we were aiming for. I will update you when I find out. Would I do it again, hmmm I am not sure. It was tough, but the actual sense of achievement was incredible. I have also learnt next time start slow, don't get panicked into a rush and have fun.
