what a weekend! Part Deuce

Sunday morning started out a little gloomy, but as we sat at Swami's enjoying the scenery, the sun broke through the clouds and made its shiny rays down to the shores of So Cal - making the ocean swim on the near horizon that much more enticing...


i have been helping Dana with her nutrition for a little while but it all seemed to be very overwhelming for her, so we decided to go grocery shopping together so i could help her pick out the right ingredients to fuel her everyday life. Dana hates grocery shopping when it involves thinking about food, looking at food or actually buying food. she sort of has "freak out" moments mid aisle which i was so lucky to witness during our adventurous trip to Whole Foods on the way up to Vineman :) so we went into the Seaside Market with a plan and pretty much stuck to it. no major freak outs and now Dana was stocked for the week, maybe even two with the arsenal she needs to feed herself in a positive manner - no more lean pockets and protein bars. all whole, natural, raw ingredients will be entering her body to fuel her through her normal days and her training days. she was even ready to conquer the ocean with me on this very fine day...

i have literally been dreading this swim all week long. when i read ahead to my schedule for this particular day, i had a feeling of complete dread sweep over my body, my hands started to sweat and my mind started to race. 60 minute swim - shoot for two miles (duhn, dunh, duhn) IN THE OCEAN...AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! is CB not aware of my complete fright of swimming in the ocean? i mean it scares me shitless, literally. i have stomach issues leading up to the swim, just knowing i'll be in the water with all of the many sea creatures AND SHARKS lurking off the coast of La Jolla. BUT, i had a plan for today and it was a good one:

1) fact: predators prey on the weaklings - LEARN HOW TO SWIM SO YOU APPEAR TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND TRICK THE MAN EATERS INTO THINKING YOU ARE STRONG!
2) fact: prime feeding time for fish (i.e. sharks) is early AM, and late PM - SWIM MID AFTERNOON TO MINIMIZE SHARK HUNGER!
3) in my head: its less likely to have sharks eat you if you are in a group setting - SWIM WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE!
4) in my head: wetsuits protect swimmers from these "lurkers" - WEAR A WETSUIT NO MATTER WHAT, EVEN IF THE WATER IS 90 DEGREES!
5) in my head: stopping to rest = less surface area for the shark to come up from underneath and chomp - JUST KEEP SWIMMING!

after my swim lesson with Luke the day prior, i was feeling good about my abilities and felt confident that #1 had been taken care of. i had a lot to think about technique wise, so at least i wouldn't be thinking about the sea life swimming beneath me. i know Coach Brian said to shoot for two miles, but i was dead set on doing two miles. no excuses, no renigging, no turning around before my feet touched the opposite shores. i even made a public announcement of my intentions so i couldn't back out. the day was here and i was ready to do it - after 4 bathroom brakes and and the shaking subsided...

we arrived to the shores at about 12:30 PM taking care of #2 on the list and then i saw what made me smile and wiggle with glee - there were hundreds of people EVERYWHERE. not only were these droves of families and friends on the land, they were swimming in the sea! that means #3 was covered and i didn't even have to do anything to accomplish it. the gorgeous sun had provided my salvation! Dana wasn't sure she wanted to swim with her life jacket (AKA wetsuit) so we went down to check the water temps while we waited for Sandra. it definitely could have been a day for a wetsuit-less swim, but take two girls from Texas and throw them into the Pacific Ocean, and you will more times than not get the wussy side of things. we both decided ditching the suits would be a less than ideal choice which just so happened to wrap up #4. we headed back up to situate our things and start the hilarity that getting on a wetsuit always seems to be, ending with the three of us finally making our way into the water to head out on - what i was thinking - would be a very long excursion...

BUT IT WASN'T!!!!!! i have never moved through the water so smoothly in my life. just like on the bike when i hear Brian in my head i heard Luke "rotate the hips - g l i d e ...&push, rotate the hips - g l i d e...&push." i never kicked once throughout the entire two mile jaunt and was swimming faster than i ever have before. i mean, i was kicking (or really stroking) ass and taking names. ha ha, that sounds dirty - but really, i felt so fluid, strong, efficient. i was finally letting the water do the work for me instead of fighting it. i was actually smiling as i swam. fantastic. and to make the experience even better, the water was a clear crystal blue the entire way there and back. i have never in my life seen the Pacific Ocean in all of its glory as i did that day. amazing. the entire affair was simply moving. i can't describe the joy i felt. i was finally swimming. i was finally in the water. i was finally not freaking out at every single moment. i was calm, serene, happy to be in the open water with the sharks who were not eating me. #5 was a bit of a quandry as Dana was not having a good day and had to stop on numerous occasions to fix her leaky gogggles (note: Dana needs new goggles ASAP) but i didn't want her treading out there all alone so i treaded with her. in the end, i was able to keep my cool the whole way out and even the majority of the way back. there were a couple near miss panic attacks, but in the end we made it through in one piece. me - happier/prouder than ever as was CB when i called to update him on my progress :)

i feel that the wetsuit really helped things "click" today as it allowed me to over exaggerate my movements which produced the desired outcome of speed and efficiency. i know i still need to work A LOT on my technique out of the wetsuit and in the pool, so have no fear - no slacking will come out of this enlightenment except the feeling of knowing what it should feel like. we got out of the water and headed out to finish our day of training with a leisurely 50 minute jog. what an incredible encounter - when training meets awe...

i spent a lot of time talking to God that day, thanking him for the sheer joy of what the experience had produced in me, for the ability to live in such an incredible place and the blessings to have done so much with my life up to this point - but even more so for the opportunity to have life, no matter what the cards i've been dealt thus far have provided, in the space to come.