Hooi Ling Teoh

RACE WEEK….Ahhh!!!

Completed another 1km time trial this evening, not sure of my times yet but I swam my heart out so let's hope I knocked >30s off my previous time. Tonight was my last training session and it has been a short and sweet training programme where I've met lots of wonderful and inspiring people. I left the pub feeling rather nostalgic and wondering what am I going to do with myself every Wednesday evening and Saturday mornings? Not forgetting the improvement to my swim and how I know how to swim pass a break, sight while swimming and into the big beautiful blue. I am definitely more comfortable in swimming freestyle now, dare I say more comfortable with freestyle than breast-stroke :-) Sure, I've yet to catch a wave to come back to shore but at least I'm not getting dumped every single time. And the just impossible task of breathing both side. I just can't figure it out, I'm so dominant with my right arm that my left arm is usually redundant but when it comes to breathing on my right, I just can't do it, 25m OK but >50m and I feel like I'm sinking. Everyone tells me practice and you'll get it. Just one of those things, when it clicks you'll never forget and so far not clicking yet.

Fundraising has been fun. First time I've had to ask for money and I'm so thankful everyone has been so generous. Thank goodness, I haven't resorted to begging on the streets to meet my target. Thank you everyone who has donated. If there's anybody else that wants to donate, please do as race event is coming up so fundraising will close soon. The sky is the limit. Being a researcher myself and having to write grants for funding before, I know it is hard and all so dissapointing when you have a brilliant project but due to funding, can't take it off the ground.

So race day is this sunday, 31/01/2016. This is Palm beach to Whale beach. A beach that I'm unfamiliar with and my first swim pass a headland and the distance is a range of 2.5-3km, more like 3.5 for me coz of my inability to swim straight. I can only give it my best shot so wish me luck everyone. Say a prayer if you are religious. :-)

Is it really Week 10 already?

Today marks the 1st day of Week 10 of training which only means the goal event is 3weeks away! Sure I did the 2km Bondi race successfully but finished bottom of my age group...49m47s and I was second last! Sure I had my first experience of blue bottle stings and suffered for having no respect for it previously. But most important is I met my 2k goal, thanks to all you generous folks. Generous not just with your $$$ but your words of encouragement. None of this would have been possible without the guidance of both the pool and ocean coaches...they have been amazing! Always so patient and full of encoragement and making training both fun and educational. Not forgetting the water safety crew that has saved me from the waves, myself but also held my hand througha big wave and this includes my personal one that comes FOC. Big thanks to all of you.

Now that I read back, I sound like I'm writing my OSCAR winning speech. I guess I'm still on a high from finishing my first race. :-)

So, what's up for the last 3 weeks. Training, training and more training so there will be more swimming related talks, my friends. And if anyone has tips on how I can develop a tail and gills to tackle 2.8km in 3weeks, please let me know.

Week 6&7

Lots of achievements this week. I reached my pledge with cantoo and got awarded a cool swim suit with cantoo printed on it. Really happy with it so thank you very much to cantoo. But most importantly, thank you to everyone who have donated to this amazing cause. I would not be healthier and able to swim in the ocean if it wasn't for your support. Everytime someone donates, it makes me want to swim a bit harder. Session on Saturday at Bondi was amazing! Water was cold but despite that, we swam the legth of Bondi and of course, I freaked out a little with other swimmers around me and at one poine, someone grabbing my feet and I couldn't kick. Also nearly got kicked in the face! It got better when nature took its course coz being a slow swimmer, I was eventually at the back of the pack and didn't have to share the ocean anymore....lol! It's not the sharks I have to worry about, it's the competitive humans!

Because the water was still calm at Bondi on Sunday, Chris and I went back for more swimming and this time, I swam from one end to the other and back! Took awhile but I got there. I would say I did at least >2km because of the zigzag swimming that I do. Not easy to swim straight when the ocean does not have blue lines to guide you. Then obviously the bad weather came and it did not stop raining for 2 days. Did that stop me from swimming...NO! I had my best friend to accompany me so off to the pool we went and we did 1.7km. Yeah!

Off to Norfolk Island tomorrow so no more swimming pools but I've been told Emily Bay is like a swimming pool so I should be able to get lots of training in. Have got to burn off all the Christmas eating and trust me...there will be lots of eating. Pate and short bread by Pam Hyatt. There will be no stopping me. I hope she made plenty :-)

5th week challenges

The 5th week has been about challenges. Monday, I challenged myself to swim 1.5km and Wednesday was 1km time trial and although I was the slowest in my group, I was happy to get 25min 20s, swimming freestyle all the way with no breaks in between. Everybody tells me it can only get better....I hope :-) Then Saturday was another challenge as it was pretty rough in Bondi. For the first time, I actually got scared going in coz I knew I'll be somersaulting and drinking sand and sea water and the waves would again be telling me who is boss. I knew I wouldn't drown but there are other injuries one could get apart from drowning, like some serious neck injuries. Anyway, my first and second attempt was pathetic and I did get thrown multiple times and the water safety person actually held my hand while we tackled the waves together. The 3rd and 4th time was an improvement and I didn't need hand holding anymore so practice makes perfect!

I didn't actually feel like I did much swimming coz the under current was just pushing me towards the flag then the waves would return me to shore. Easy! LOL. But because I didn't feel satisfied with my attempt that morning, I went to coogee that same evening and the waves were so much kinder and I got to swim north to south and back. A girl has got to keep her spirits up. So, the tally of stars this week is 8 because I get a double star on Sat for bravery and swim on Sat :-) And for that, I have raised an extra $290 this week. Hooray to me! Thank you very much to all my sponsors, family, friends and colleagues. All of you the are the best!

4th week

Being a paediatrician, I believe in the star charts and reward system. I have been thought that (in children), if you wait too long to reward them, it will not work as they can't remember why they are receiving the rewards for good deeds that they did few days ago. This is even more profound in a dog, where rewards have to be given immediately in the forms of treats when you are teaching them to do a trick. I have created a star chart for myself (see photo) based on the training programme provided by CanToo and I must say I'm proud. However, waiting for a reward on 31/01 with the swim is way too long and I think my memory is more like a child where I need to be rewarded quite quickly. So here goes, who is up for giving me a reward now that I have 17 stars?

3 weeks in

Argh.. is it 3 weeks already? I think my swimming muscles are starting to develop. I feel them coz they are sore but maybe with an eye of faith, I can see them. I have attended every single pool and beach session and done all the swimming on my suggested training timetable. To sub for cross training and core strength, I add an extra swim on Sunday. I don't enjoy running but made myself run on Friday! I'm loving the training and still have doubts on whether I can do it but I'm not one to give up so one week at a time. The beach sessions I find very challenging and so far I'm still last one in and last one out but at least the group is kind enough to wait for me to come back to shore before they leave again.

Chris was in Bondi with me on Saturday and at one point he thought he better jump into the water coz I looked like I was wandering away to New Zealand. Thanks to the water safety boy that swam after me and yelled so loud, everyone could hear from the beach for me to swim back to the group. I like to say I was being smart and decided to swim in an triangle instead of a square but really I think it's just my bad sense of direction. When all the waves and the horizon merge into one big nowhere, it is pretty hard to know where you are. Recognising the seaweed or the fish in the water is no help and really should not happen but frequently does when I find myself swimming on the spot AGAIN because of the waves. Sigh.....!