Sea swimming update .... Christmas morning I was roped into a sea swim with my Ironman coach - Tony, my swim coach - Liz (my coach's partner) and my nephew Troy and his wife Monique. I did try to get out of it, but Liz wasn't having any of my usual excuses, and I had to do it.

So 7.30am Christmas morning I made my way to the Takapuna boat ramp and unfortunately all the others turned up to! I was really hoping they were kidding!!

The weather forecast had not been great, so I was amazed that it was a pleasant morning with no wind. Somehow I think Mike was looking after me and giving me some of his wonderful encouragement he used to dish out - boy, I do miss you Mike - I can only imagine what you would be saying if you could see me now! Laughing your head off, I am sure, as you knew how much I HATE the sea!

The tide was one of the biggest I have seen at Takapuna and it was choppy - great! (My stomach didn't have butterflies, it had stampedeing reindeer!!)

After some encouragement, we wandered into the water - which was actually not too bad - quite warm in fact, and that is saying something from me.

Tony decided we would swim parallel to the shore for a while, to get me used to being in the sea. Well, that's what we did, but I stopped every 50 metres or less breathing very hard due to being in a slight panic. Afer about 500 metres, Tony then said we were going out to the white buoy - oh no!!! My biggest fear - deep sea water. Unbelievably after many stops and panic attacks I got to the white buoy and punched it with sheer joy - or was that frustration? We stayed a short time at the buoy so I could get used to bobbing in the sea and using my wetsuit to keep me afloat. I certainly wasn't relaxed at all which didn't help one bit - but to cut a long story short, I eventually made it back to the beach again. I did it! I survived the deep sea water.

There was no way I thought that I would have been able to get out to the white buoy at 7.30am - but I was pleased I got pushed into it. My Christmas dinner tasted all the better for that - I am sure I used up 100x more calories than normal due to nervous energy.

But, it didn't stop there. Liz told me I was meeting her same place, same time tomorrow (Boxing Day) - oh no! So, that's what we did this morning. Troy + Monique also joined us to support me.

Now, today's effort was 100% better than yesterday. Again, a big tide (so I have more swimming to do to get to the damn buoy) but we swam straight out to it instead of swimming along the beach. The water was also flatter than yesterday, thankfully. Although not totally happy about being in the sea, I was much more relaxed than yesterday (which wasn't hard, I can tell you). Then when we got to the white buoy, Liz made me go beyond it!!!! Wow, I was out in the deep water and still alive - yay!

Then the swim back which was much better than yesterday. For some reason yesterday on my way back I had some major panic attacks, but today only a couple of minor incidents.

I certainly feel that I will be able to survive the Tauranga swim now, especially if I do the sea swims most days until the Half Ironman in Tauranga. I know that it is going to be slow, but it will be my first ever swim and my first ever triathlon, so all I want to do is survive it.

I feel much more confident and in a pretty good place at the moment (a big turnaround) - so a HUGE thanks to Tony, Liz, Troy + Monique - you are my rocks. Thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement you give me - I do really appreciate it, even though I do moan at the time!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Tauranga, here I come ....