Monday Laps at North Sydney Olympic Pool

My Olympic pool...

One of the suggestions Coach Jon made in one of the Wednesday training sessions was to try and really get our distances in this stage of the training.  This means that with me training for the 1 km swim, I really need to be able to swim this in the pool, and then some.  Coach Jon also suggested to try and get the distance training swim, either in the pool or in the ocean, over and done with on Monday, early in the week, before work and the busy-ness of life in general pops up various excuses not to go swimming.

I've always been able to swim 1 km in the pool, albeit rather slowly (my fastest has been in 30 minutes), and with breaks at either end that can include a few neck stretches and swigs of water. But swimming in the ocean is a totally different beast.  And specially for someone like me who is incredibly fearful, I end up expending more energy (what with the thrashing about, screaming, crying and other carrying on I've been doing so far...) compared to someone who is a bit more calm about swimming in surf.  The unseasonably cold water temperature doesn't help either - the body expends more energy trying to keep itself warm, so I tend to get seriously tired from swimming, really quickly.

So I resolved to do just as Coach Jon suggested and get some swimming happening in the 50 metre outdoor pool in North Sydney, every Monday. 

An interesting point to make - prior to doing Can Too training, I absolutely detested swimming in the North Sydney Olympic pool, even though it is my local pool.  I simply didn't like the saltiness, I didn't like the temperature (I always find it too cold), I would freak out when I would get to the deep end bit of the pool and hyperventilate, and I really hated the "lap Nazis" who would swim over you if you were a bit on the slow side.  I would always defer to swimming in the nice, warm 25-metre indoor pool, where all the grannies and the kiddies swim. 

But I knew that I needed to get over ALL of this, to try and get my head around this ocean swimming gig.  It WILL be salty, it WILL be cold, it WILL be deep and there WILL be lots and lots of people who will try to swim up, over and around me on dreaded Race Day. I simply just have to TOUGHEN UP.

To make the experience even more enjoyable, I decided to take the ferry from Circular Quay to Milson's Point where the pool is located, which is a no-brainer given that my workplace is just up George Street a mere 10 minute walk from the ferry wharf. 

And I have to say - doing my laps on this brilliantly beautiful day, with THAT Bridge within line of sight, really makes me feel grateful that I can swim, and that training with Can Too motivates me enough to go out there and experience all this.  Can't wait for my next Monday training date with myself, and yes, in the 50-metre salty, cold and busy pool!