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12-Jan-2014 Bondi Roughwater Swim
I drove to Bondi to swim the 2km Roughwater swim which goes from North Bondi to South then back again in like a big square. I love Bondi and always have since I first went there all the way back in 1974.
Unfortunately although the conditions were great, we swam through a patch of bluebottles which stung many people causing lots of evacuations. I got lots of stings but struggled to the finish but didn’t feel well at all and had to seek medical help. I felt like I wanted to sit down, then lay down, then stand and just couldn’t get comfy. I was breathing heavily and the medics were worried I would hyperventilate etc. Some people were taken to hospital. My notes were a Pulse of 90 and a blood pressure of 150/90 which dropped to 130/80 after I had some oxygen via a mask. After the oxygen I stabilised and got a lot better, although it took about 30mins or so.
I took my time having a coffee and bite to eat (recommended by paramedics). I eventually got home but retired to the hammock on the back deck then went to bed early.
I came in 506th from 674 – ie 75% down the field in a time of 39min 02secs (fastest was 23.00, the slowest 1.02.48)
2-Dec-2012 Bondi to Bronte
This was about my 4th swim at the annual Bondi to Bronte and certainly one of the highlights of my yearly calendar. It’s about 2.3km-2.4km depending on conditions and the exact line you swim.
The conditions were very rough this year and I finished 923rd from 1319 – 69% down the field which is about average for me in 52min 47secs (fastest was 27.26 and the slowest 1.42.6). I enjoyed the swim – I am a bit like how I am when running races : the worse the conditions, then the better I go. Many times you could barely even see the buoys it was so rough (and they are BIG).
Afterwards I walked back to Bondi along the coast path, had some vietnamese rice paper rolls and a coffee for lunch. A quick look at the shops and the market then home by approx mid-afternoon.
yellow cap start (mine was pink hats)
21-Dec-2011 Bondi plus Indian food
As usual everyone got up quite late. I did the washing up from the night before, then went down to the beach for a swim. The weather was warm & sunny, the tide was low, no waves, crystal clear water, so swam to Bonnie Vale, which is always a good swim – most of the time the water is maybe 6 feet deep and easy to see the bottom and some big fish. By the time I got back, people were up and we sort of got ready to go to Bondi, where we walked along the coast to Bronte and had a swim in the pool there, and bought some cold drinks.
I usually park halfway up Bondi Rd down a sidestreet as there is usually free parking there, and I always walk past a clothes shop in Bondi with this really cool poster on the wall – I finally found a copy of the picture on the internet. noice!
In the evening we picked up Dawn after yoga and drove to Surry Hills and went to the Maya Indian restaurant, believe it or not the kids were desperate to go here (good brainwashing on my part!!!) The kids are starting to eat more of the food and quite enjoy it. We bought some deserts to have at home (not vegan!). All up approx $100 including drinks and deserts.
Home & bed approx 11pm.
31-Jul-2011 Busy day Sunday
Sunday was a very busy day. The older 2 kids were playing soccer at Sylvania at 8.10am so we had to leave home at 7am, so up at 6.15 to coordinate the troops. Kirsten was staying (from Dubai) and little Ko was coming to watch also. It was 4C when we left home! After the game (lost 2-1, last game of the season) we went to Brasserie Bakery in Botany for breakfast which was very good (my first time there, but now the bread well, although I don’t really eat bread now … (more on that later). Then we drove to Bondi and went for a walk, went to the markets and finally after almost 2 weeks out of the water (bad chest cold cough etc) I went in for a swim. Undoubtedly the highlight of the day – the water was crystal clear, beautiful little waves, and quite warm (didn’t see the temp but I estimate 17C or 18C) then had a little jog along the beach.
We then dropped Kirsten off at the airport where we met her sister then flew on to Melbourne. We drove back to Cronulla and dropped off the older kids to take the ferry home then went to Yoga where me & Ko met Dawn. The yoga was massive – 60 people max reached and he sent loads home. It must have been all the Living Social ticket users (like us) who bought a month’s yoga for $29 instead of $165. It was really hot and the mats were only 20cm apart or so – very squashy.
After that we went to Cronulla, met the kids and saw Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows part 2. I am not a HP fan at all, so I could have done without that. Got home approx 10pm. Buggered. But enjoyed the day.
22-Sep-2008 Rapture
I got up “not early” on Saturday and did stuff around the house, can’t remember what. oh yes posted some loco shoes (walk along the beach). it was a hot day and lots of people on MY beach.
Went for a kayak with the missus to bonnie vale – it was great to get out, but after we went past Gunnamatta headland the wind was blowing quite hard, so we headed to the beach. picked up litter whilst we were kayaking – most from the boats at bonnie vale for sure. wankers. got back to hordern’s in quite big waves, dawn lost her nerve and bailed before the waves broke so I swam out and paddled it in.
Later in the afternoon I ran (started approx 4.20pm as was fiddling around with ipod – first time used in approx a month), it was still hot, humid and no breeze. I wanted to run to wattamolla and back. As I was going up a hill you get this view to marley and across to wattamolla – got there just as rapture by blondie (a remixed version) was playing (hence the title for this post) – I was on quite a high.
At wattamolla I went for a quick dip – brrrr. the sun was going down. I also drank for the tap that says quite emphatically “do not drink from this tap – water unsafe” or words to that effect. I got back to marley as the sun went down – very beautiful indeed. I ran well and got into a good zone – even running in the dark, no torch. I got home approx 7.30pm – had been dark for about an hour. I was very thirsty/dry – didn’t take a drink. I went for a quick dip on hordern’s beach. like ran in, went underwater and ran out.
Sunday I got up lateish and sorted some shoes out as we are selling Loco shoes thru John Hill’s shop at Bondi Beach. I was dropping off his stock at 2pm. After that I went to Newtown to look at Futon frames and bought some chai and veggie sausages from a health food store as the kids wanted a bbq tonight.
Read the posts on coolrunning about the sydney marathon/half. it would have been good to run but couldn’t be arsed.
Kevin Tiller 
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