Ocean Swimming - The Adventure Begins (2009/2010)

Email 1 as follows:

Many of you will be aware that I have hit a major milestone this year turning 40....if any of you need proof of the impact this can have on one's thinking....read on!!!!
As a youngster, in those innocent days where sunscreen was still a foreign word and a good dose of sunburn would "harden" you up for the summer months ahead, I thought nothing better than spending my holidays (and there were soooo many of them when I was a student) lazing at the beach (or Essendon pool!) and frolicking in the waves out beyond the breakers. I was FEARLESS and neither shark, rip nor having to get out of the water at some point in my bathers (or cossie as they call it up her in NSW!) would phase me.
Then I hit the high points of getting older, which I will NOT bore you with...suffice to say weight gain, fear of leaving house in bathers, natural risk avoidance that comes with having children (not in that order...actually, YES in that order) and last summer I realized that for the FIRST time in my entire life, I was scared of going out into the waves. I determined to do something about this...that is once someone detatched that baby with the saturated swimming nappy from my hip and relieved me of the sand toys!! So, in the spirit of reclaiming the zone beyond the breakers I have embarked upon a HUUUUUUGE challenge...........the CANTOO OCEAN SWIM PROGRAM.
For those of you ignorant to the good work of the CanToo organization, go to www.cantoo.org.au and check it out! These tireless charity workers manage to combine raising money for Cancer research (a cause dear to my heart after mum's brush with breast cancer this year) with helping people of all shapes and sizes achieve their goals - whether it be running a marathon (clearly NOT me) or swimming an ocean race next February with a gazillion other nutters!!!!!!!
My goal is to swim the 2km Cole Classic at Manly on Sunday February 7th 2010. If I'm feeling REALLY good, I also intend to compete in the 2.5km Big Swim from Palm Beach to Whale Beach on January 31st 2010.
Now the way this works is that I get to do the hard slog of training for these events and in the process I raise money for Cancer research....and this is where you guys come in. I NEED YOU TO SPONSOR ME (yes, capitals - I'm yelling at you all!!!!) Any contribution will be appreciated and I WILL be emailing you over the next couple of months to keep you abreast (excuse the pun...they are coming in useful as flotation devices) of my progress. Go to www.cantoo.org.au and take the "sponsor a participant" pulldown...I know you're all internet savvy so this shall not daunt you!
I have had my first pool session where I got back into the swing of following the black line, and a surf session where we practised "wading" and "dolphin diving" to get out past the shore break (absolutely exhausting - if the event was yesterday I would have retired after getting out past the breakers!). I will be keeping a diary on my facebook page so if you're not already my friend, now is the time to become one to ensure a front row seat as I work towards my goal whilst maintaining my sense of humour in the face of wedgies and sand up my clacker! Yours in crazy act's of the 40yr old woman!