I have to look up how long it has been since I've been swimming. Gimme a sec. Oh, boy, March 19, 2014 was my last brief swim in Oceanside. Sixteen months off--I'm embarrassed.
Today, for some unknown reason, I felt alive, my pain was low, my body felt straighter, and I took a dip at the beach. So what? For me, this is a big plus. I have been doing the stretching out and moderate strengthening exercises for the back recently and they are helping my back.
The beach I went to was the one at the bottom of Surfrider Way, just down from Pappy's. The area was very crowded with cars and people enjoying a lovely 77 degree day. The water was approximately 64-65 degrees, according to my internal thermometer. Very warm. I took a full fifteen minutes standing in the shallow water to adjust my mind, relax, and get comfortable with the water-which seemed chilly at first to me.
Most of what I was thinking was 'don't pull anything in the back,' and the buoyancy of the water was terrific for me. I eased into stretching, relaxing, swimming several short distances, and playing in the waves. For a surf report, the waves were 1-3 feet, rough, and there was just a couple of seconds interval so the small waves pounded and pounded repeatedly. Not surfable.
Three times I tried to swim out through the multiple sets of waves to get beyond the surf zone but I was not up to it. In normal fitness, I would have been fine but not in my early recovery fitness.
It felt so nice. What a cool place this Oceanside beach is! I will go tomorrow again-Sunday. I feel hopeful.
"The first time you quit is the last time you try."
No comments:
Post a Comment