The morning before Mavericks

So tomorrow is the Maverick Invitational which meant the crew HAD to get in the water today.
(It sounds crazier than it was and nothing like this http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_22410094/san-francisco-eve-mavericks-contest-riptides-put-surfers )

This was the first time I've tried to swim in the ocean on a non-pancake day, but the jetty blocked the scariest stuff during the entry/exit and the sets were far enough apart that it was rather tame. The only snag came when I walked out of one of my fins (Thanks Kique for saving my fin and swim).

Waist deep and still smiling.  What a beautiful morning.

And this was Kique BEFORE he saved my fin!

I wish my little lumix had captured this better, but you can see the action towards Kelly and our turn around buoy. 

Definitely want to thank Joel, Randy, Gabor, Lezlee, Dan, KeKei and the shore patrol (Nicole, Nancy) for making this happen.  I can't think of anyone else I'd want to spend 30-40 min in 52 degree water with.

Saturday in Santa Cruz

Lezlee, Gabor, Joel, Betty, Gus, me, Nicole (My parents were there too)

I spent Saturday morning swimming around the Santa Cruz Pier with friends and together we raised more than $3K for the Half Moon Bay "No Strings Attached Breakfast" Program
(The event raised $40K with 50(?) swimmers).

The water was not warm, but the air temp probably made the spectators colder than I felt in the water.

Plenty of great ducks (I'll link/post picks of them as I find them).
Yes, I got to pull one! (Joels duck was not satisfied with its Thanksgiving swim in HMB)

Chris didn't get to swim this year, but he still drove over and paddled his outrigger canoe next to Nicole and me.

Trying to stay warm before the start.  Where's Nicole?  Check out Gabors cool Super Duck.

I'm still swimming with (very long) fins - I may have to from now on - but so happy to be out in the salt water with the gang.

Thanks Mom and Dad for making the trip and for hauling our towels/clothes from the start to the finish.

Note:  Joel kicked the 1 mile despite having heart surgery less than two weeks ago.  What a stud!  (Now you know one of the reasons I don't whine very often.)

Going solo

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

I haven't posted in awhile.
Guess I am starting to feel like my life is becoming as unremarkable as it was pre-Maui.

I can happily report that I survived my first week of living solo. 
Sure I considered using a hammer to open a pasta sauce jar and I am glad that there are no cameras to see how I get through the day, but I now have proof it's possible. 

I even upped the degree of difficulty by riding my cruiser to the store and buying 3 bags of groceries today...after a morning swim in the Pacific with the gang.

Prosthetic arms in the NY Times

A friend sent me the link to this in todays paper
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/us/prosthetic-arms-a-complex-test-for-amputees.html?smid=pl-share

Swimming for a cause

I've never needed much of a reason to go for a swim, but the Will Swim For Food offered up plenty of them:

• A cold water swim with friends,
• Around the Santa Cruz Pier,
• With bagpipers to lead us out,

 

•  and swimmers towing hand-painted ducks

 And the proceeds go to a food bank of my choice.


I am sooo ready.  Where do I sign up?

So if you would buy me a beer in a bar, please consider donating $10 so that we can help provide a hot meal to some hungry Coastsiders. 

Thanks,

John

It's not cold. It's home.

Today I finally got in the ocean

No, not the +60 (or 70) degree salt water that I grew up with, but the 50-something degree stuff that I have learned to love over the past few years and have been denied the last 14 months.

The wind had been blowing all night, but the sky was clear (something to celebrate here in HMB) and Surfers Beach was glassy AND EMPTY.

Me, Joel, Lezlee

 

I decided against the wetsuit, but had to throw on some cruiser fins so that I'd have a chance to make it to the Miramar and back.

They gave me a head start (and I needed it)

I knew that it wouldn't be easy getting into 54 degree water and I wasn't disappointed.
What did surprise me was how good it felt 10min into the swim.

My wing-men: Gabor and Joel

I really want to thank Gabor, Joel and Lezlee for sharing such a magical morning with me.

No green thumb required

The weeds were getting a bit too tall (even for me), so I decided to test my mowing skills.

I was even able to remove and empty the bag when I was done.