In my other life (the one where I wear clothes) I often have to quantify the subjective and rate the vague. I was thinking about this and started wondering, how am I going to rate this swim?
How do I quantify this swim against all the others I have done? How do you rate it on a gloomy day when there is a sudden break in the clouds and sun pours through like a ray of god…RAAAAAHHHHH!
What about on the days when you nearly need a change of swimmers as you see a huge dorsal fin out of the corner of your eye, only to see Silky swim up underneath you from no-where. What about on the days when you get the stuffing knocked out of you in the swell, or you complete your first double.
I couldn’t help but create a rating score – I call it the RAHHH factor (inflection on the HHH).
It sits between 0 and 10 (10 being the days that Silky turns up and 0 being the days that you don’t go).
I feel like the score needs to start at 6 – If you are lucky enough to have two legs and a heart beat and healthy enough to get in the water in the first place then your day is already above average. You can add points for personal performance, visability, the conditions as well as any extraordinary events.
Swimming with good friends always seem to bump up the score, as does a bit of wildlife and the promise of a good coffee at the end of it all. Points can also be deducted for the days when you are just not on your game, conditions are poor or the wildlife get a little close for comfort.
So…. today, here is how I rated my swim, starting from 6 and just adding points across these criteria.
Personal Performance – 0.3 / 0.5 ( not my worst, yet not my best )
Visability – 0.2 / 0.5 ( pretty clear in parts, yet not perfect )
Conditions – 0.4 / 0.5 ( sunshine was amazing and not a cloud in the sky & at 18.4 degrees – wow )
Ambience – New and Old Friends – 1.0 / 0.5 ( Damian swam with B&B for the time this morning & loved it and will be back for more on Friday, whilst Jen was back for a second week – so double points here ).
Extraordinary Events – 0.0 / 0.5 ( Surfing the waves back in was good, yet not extraordinary )
Safe entry and exit – 0.5 / 0.5 ( Full marks here today )
So there you have it, my Raahhhh Score for this mornings swim – 8.4 / 10.
How was your Raahhhh Score this morning ?
Did someone mention a Cake Stall this Sunday
Pick up a delicious cake on Sunday morning and support the Sunsuper Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Jennie Rees’s husband Olly is doing this two day, 200 kilometre ride, and as part of his fundraising efforts there will be a cake stall after the swim on Sunday.
So bring your money with you.
Bold & Beautiful in Numbers
Swimmers – 110
Newbies – 4
Water Temperaure – 18.4 degrees
Raaahhhh Score – 8.4
Raaahhhhh Moments in Photos
Its always good to share
Raaahhhhhh & enjoy a wonderful Wednesday.
Mel (Melissa McConaghy)
13 comments
Lesbubbles
01/10/2014 at 4:23 pm
Love the last 2 photos! Very cute and pretty desperate if they eating banana!
Elaine de Jager
01/10/2014 at 4:27 pm
Great blog Dave. I like your rating idea. I was exhausted before the swim with running and Booty Camp so as I did a bit of a cheaty swim to halfway and back so feel I can’t properly rate the swim! Heather, Skye and I did have a beautiful PJ swim beneath us that came up really close which was pretty special. (I hear STD Shark Toucher Dawkins saw PJs mating!)
Tim
01/10/2014 at 4:34 pm
Excellent blog;lots of original thought and really gives an insight of the many factors contributing to the swim.
David Brown
01/10/2014 at 5:58 pm
Thanks Tim, all Mel’s (Melissa McConaghy) creative & photos.
David Brown
01/10/2014 at 5:59 pm
Thanks Elaine, all Mel’s (Melissa McConaghy) creative & photos. I am just working in the print room today.
David Brown
01/10/2014 at 6:00 pm
Thanks Les, all Mel’s (Melissa McConaghy) creative & photos. I am just working in the print room today.
Claudia
01/10/2014 at 6:10 pm
Great creative and photos, Dave! Well done!!
Claudia
01/10/2014 at 6:10 pm
😉
David Brown
01/10/2014 at 6:18 pm
Hi Claudia & thankyou.
All Mel’s (Melissa McConaghy) creative & photos.
I am just working in the print room today.
Raaahhhhh.
David Brown
01/10/2014 at 10:14 pm
Hi Elaine, it looks like I have not been with B&B long enough to know what a PJ is and I am thinking I will need your help in explaining what some of these new terms and phrases are all about. Do you swim every day Elaine, or does it just appear that you swim every day.
Lainey
02/10/2014 at 4:41 am
Sorry Dave. A PJ is short for a Port Jackson (shark). I have been swimming every day in school holidays but usually 5 times a week! You must try and get a coffee after on the benches as that’s when lots of this special B&B talk occurs!
David Brown
02/10/2014 at 7:34 am
Hi Elaine, thankyou and a coffee on the benches is a great idea. Enjoy a super Thursday.
Bev
02/10/2014 at 4:13 pm
What a great post. Really sums up everything that is wonderful about this group.