MULTISPORT
Images : Big Bay Events , Physiopedia , Ray Chaplin , Sean Altern & courtesy Leigh De Necker
Healthy , balanced meals are now more important than ever
times has resulted in a bit of weight gain . However , I am trying to be kinder to myself , and using it to my advantage in adding extra insulation for my continued ventures in open ocean swimming .
However , the best treatment – and the most important part of my recovery – is having my period return . As a woman , having a regular period is the best indicator that your body is doing what it should , and that your hormones are at appropriate levels . This is not only for reproductive function , but for overall mental and physical health . Mine returned shortly after fracture # 1 forced a cut-back on training intensity . My body left ‘ survival mode ,’ rebooted to factory settings and essentially , has been repairing itself ever since .
False Bay Adventures
Snuggled in bed on an August night , my dozing was interrupted by a message from my new open water swimming buddy , Kat . Her text messaged consisted of a few short words , offering an 8km swim around Cape Point in three days ’ time . Naturally , I said yes . On the morning of the swim , I stood at Miller ’ s Point , riddled with excitement ( and dread ), staring across a temperamental False Bay . The sea was not flat , as the forecast suggested , so I put my wetsuit on to endure what promised to be an eventful boat ride . This was a wise move , as we were soaked before the swim had even begun , compliments of the bumpy , bouncy South Atlantic waves . Breaching whales , acrobatic seals and frolicking penguins along the route accentuated an already thrilling adventure .
Ready for another therapeutic swim in the ocean
The official start is on Dias beach , so we had to swim from the boat , through the shore break to the beach . The massive waves were full of kelp and tossed us around , throwing all eight of us onto the beach and robbing both Georgina and I of our goggles . We then had to go from the beach ( without goggles ), through the giant kelp wave , to get to the boat to get spares . Already breathless from the chaotic start , we set off towards Cape Point , swimming through 1.5km of washing machine waters . Between being slapped in the face by the sea and swallowing entire waves , looking up at the cliffs was just magnificent . I felt humbled , cycling between looking up at the majestic mountains and down into a mystical blue abyss .
Conditions got calmer around Cape Point and it was smoother swimming till the end , with the sun making its way through the clouds and glittering the clear , blue water . Our safety boat stopped us to feed every 45 minutes , and I took Biogen Cytogen endurance race mix – amazing stuff . As we approached Buffel ’ s Bay and moved into shallower water , we swam over a magical kelp forest . I changed my breathing to every fifth stroke to keep my head in the water longer , looking for any cool critters that might be below . Zig-zagging through shallow kelp , we found ourselves in the slipstream of the leading swimmer , and my competitive edge kicked in as I initiated a sprint finish to overtake him .
Back on dry land at Buffels Bay , we were stopped by authorities , seemingly wanting to arrest us for touching their slipway . They expected us to pay entry and present ID ( because I always carry cash and ID when swimming around the peninsula ). Besides nearly being arrested at the finish , and being spat out by the giant wave at the start , everything in between was epic .
Taking the Plunge Again
Two weeks later , another spontaneous long distance swim offer arrived in my inbox from Kat . This time , 10km from Simon ’ s Town to Muizenberg . I was terrified by the idea , so of course I said yes ! It was an interesting start , with me running around Simon ’ s Town , half dressed in my wetsuit , in search of a tampon , while Kat lost a tooth to a vicious energy bar . Furthermore , the weather turned out to be a little less swimming-friendly than suggested by the forecast .
Swimming through the wishy-washy waters around the majestic Cape Point with Kat and Greg
Once in the water , we were hopeful that the South-easter wind would assist us in our mission to Muizenberg . Instead , it shook us about for the duration of the swim , making every breath in the offshore direction ‘ a slap in the face .’ When we made it to Glencairn , I must have turned my head a million times , as we had not seemed to move from the perpendicular line with Elsie ’ s Peak . The feeds could not come soon enough , either . Every turn of my head to the boat was a tiny breath of hope , through a mouthful of ocean , to see Derrick holding out snack bottles .
There were moments during the swim when I felt blissfully calm , and moments when I was filled with fear ! I had to keep changing the playlist in my head to the peaceful Oceans by Hillsong , but a remix of the Jaws theme tune and The Weekend ’ s Flashing Lights lingered . At the halfway mark , somewhere off Fish Hoek , the skipper stopped us for a feed . Fish Hoek has a history of fatal shark attacks , so this was the section that scared me most . Thankfully , my fear was overthrown by the prospect of a snack .
The wind steadily dropped , the ocean settled and the water transformed through shades of green to blue . However , the last 4km were not easy . My arms got really tired , shoulders a little sore , and various other aches presented themselves – for example , a single patch of chafe formed behind my right knee . Finally , I could see ripples in the sand and feel an increase in the size of the waves around me , which meant one thing : Muizenberg ! We waved the boat goodbye and surfed the waves to finish , to round off an awesome , bouncy , bumpy swim in my favourite , beautiful , breathtaking False Bay .
High fives for Leigh and Kat after another successful swim
Destination Muizenberg , a breathtaking experience , in every sense
Challenges Welcome
This was a mental and physical challenge , but above all , a real spiritual experience for me . For 10km and 3.5 hours of staring down into infinite , green waters , being able to trust myself and trust what I believe and who I believe in , for protection , peace & strength ! Grateful for this journey , this experience , this ocean , this life . My life ’ s greatest challenge , however , is to refrain from doing anything monumentally stupid that will result in another fractured femur !
About the Author
This piece originally appeared in Leigh ’ s blog , the Running Shark , at https :// leighdenecker . wordpress . com . Leigh has always been drawn to nature and animals , with an intolerable fear and fascination with sharks , which drove her to become a marine biologist . She currently works at the V & A Aquarium in Cape Town . As a youngster she trained as an elite artistic gymnast , which instilled in her a lifelong love ( and mild obsession ) with physical exercise , eventually leading to her becoming a marathon runner on the road and an ultra-trail mountain runner , as well as an open water ocean swimmer .
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