Pier Swim w/Fins Sat 1PM Dec 23

Wow. The beach was a repeat of yesterday-flat, beautiful, sunny, cold water.  I swam north to south around the pier and it was totally flat.  I felt good-the neck was okay-so I turned around and swam back.  The red harbor police boat stopped by me to check me out-just a wave "Hi" back and forth , and that was cool.
What was weird though, was that the wind whipped up and the water got choppy and rough on the return trip.  Very strange.  I was swimming into the chop and the wind.  I got a good workout on the trip south to north.  22 minutes one way and 29 minutes to get back.  51 minutes in the water with my trunks was invigorating.  Old guys rule, I believe we say.  (In a few things, anyway).  Mostly we're just old and broken down.  My neck seems to be getting unjammed over time, thank goodness.

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Gorgeous, Freezing, After-Work, Sunset, Oceanside Pier Swim

I'm not ready to swim yet because my neck is still jammed down from my own stupidity.  I used to be 5'10" but presently I'm 5'8".
  But, I miss my ocean.  I drove to a store at lunch and bought a cheap bathing suit ($9) so that I could swim today.  The beach was so doggone beautiful that I had to swim.  The water was a rich blue and totally flat.  A mild offshore wind was blowing that lifted the curl of the 1-2 foot waves up into a beautiful mist. 
There were about fifteen surfers out getting some action on the smallish waves-the shape was great, albeit small.
I wore fins and shorts, with my good swim cap.  I took a relaxed swim around the pier and the neck felt pretty good.  My swim was 29 minutes and I haven't been that cold in a very long time.  But what a swim; the sun was setting so I had a great view as I swam.  Also, not a cloud in the sky.  Wow.
I put the car heater on as high as it could go and was still freezing after getting home.  I wrapped myself up in two blankets over my clothes, hat, and jacket; and started to warm up after about half an hour.
Surfline.com says the water temp was 58 degrees at 1 PM but no way at 5 PM.  For the first time this year my face hurt when I got in the water from the cold.  To me, face-hurt cold is about 55 degrees.  Too bad I didn't have my camera.  Anyway, I loved the flat ocean, the solitary swim, and even the deep-freeze.  It makes one feel alive. 

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Sunday Late Afternoon Kick

This afternoon late I got in and kicked around the pier on my back again with the fins.  Jeepers, it's cold.  I've just lost my edge with the cold, it seems.  There was a surf contest happening today-the Scholastic Surf Series-a high school contest.  The waves were poor, but like fishing, just going surfing and getting in the water is enough.
The high schoolers seemed like a great bunch, and the parents were happy and involved.
There was a chop to the water and 2 foot waves blowing in northeasterly-an unusual direction for around here.  A slight northward current that moved me a bit as I kicked.  I was wrapping my arms around my chest with my fists in my armpits the whole time to try to keep warm-well, not warm-but less freezing.
Took me 16 1/2 minutes to kick out to the half-way point off the end of the pier.  Like yesterday, at four minutes into my swim, I started to get used to the temp a bit.  The first four minutes must be the hard four mentally. 
I backstroked in the second half of the swim to try to get my neck to loosen up.  The swim was about 28 1/2 minutes.  Glad I went.

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Sat Pier Visit After Neck Issue

So, it has been thirteen days without salt water for me and that is too long.  My neck is still pretty messed up and out of whack--these are the technical medical terms.
I wanted to get in and just kick around lying on my back with fins so as not to upset the neck.  I got in at about 2:30 PM, and it was freezing.  I added a tight rash guard shirt to my swim attire-the wimp factor is gaining ground on me rapidly.  Surfline.com has the water temp at 58 but it feels colder.  After 4 minutes slowly kicking out, I was ready to quit and go in.  Then I thought about my little saying at the bottom of my posts, and stayed in.  Eventually, the feeling passed.  Life is that way about quitting, it seems.
On my way in close to the beach, there was a small surf contest ongoing in small 1-2 foot waves.  A Christian kids surf contest-the kids looked about 11 years old.  That's nice for them-the people who go to the effort of setting up the booths, stage, etc, for the kids.
My neck is not ready to swim-not even close.

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."

Sunday Afternoon Swim Accident

I got into the water at about 2:30 PM and waded out to swim.  The water was almost identical to Saturday's conditions.  I have been wearing this pair of lousy goggles for several days that have weird lenses-they make the view one sees distorted.  With the goggles on I dove under a wave and hit the bottom straight on with all the force of my dive striking the top of my head against the sandy bottom. 
Now, this is not a good thing to do.  I almost knocked myself out and I heard cracks and felt intense pain and burning down my cervical spine and into my right, rear shoulder area.  I hurt myself badly and I was lucky not to break my neck. 
This led to an emergency room visit to rule out fractures or movement of the plate that I have in my fused neck.  I haven't had pain like that since after my neck surgery two years ago.
I tried to work today but had to leave with severe pain and muscle spasms.  I'm wearing my rigid neck brace now.  It's hard to believe I could do something so stupid.  I'll be out of service for several days or more, I'm sure.  No swimming for me for a while.

"The first time you quit is the last time you try."