Bicycle Race Across America Starting to Get Ready at Oceanside, CA Pier

Today's swim was a repeat of yesterday's in that I did the same swim in the same temp water in the same time.  I had a bit of a chop to the water today but it was very nice.  Not many people down there but a number of bicyclists preparing their cycles and gear for the upcoming bicycle Race Across America. 

link to North County Times article

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

Sunday Swim Oceanside Pier

Wow, the beach water was warm yesterday in Oceanside.  Surfline.com had it at 65-67 degrees.  It was flat, no current, waves about 2-3 feet.  I just swam out past the end of the pier on the north side , looked at my watch; it read 19 minutes; and returned the way I came.  It was a 37 minute swim.  Even so, a wave did almost pull my goggles from my head as I came in.  Nobody was on the north side.  I just took my time and relaxed in the bath-like water.

No pictures because I had my camera set on "movies" and I got several mini-movie pictures.  Maybe I'll try to post a few of those now.

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

Avila Beach Swim

On Thursday, June 7th, I swam for 35 minutes at Avila Pier while we were on a trip for our daughter's college graduation at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  The water was cold with a moderate current moving to the south.  I'm guessing the temp was 52 degrees because last week when I swam there in 54 and 53 degree water, I was not as cold as the Thursday swim.  My head and face hurt for a good ten minutes and I started to get used to the water at about 15 minutes.  I stayed cold and never felt like I was generating any heat at all; my heat was just being drained from me.  I went a little past the end of the pier, then went south around a small, round red float, back to the pier against the current, and then in to the beach.
I'm glad I got the swim in at about 2 PM.  Avila's summer water temp is about the same as Oceanside's winter temp.  Interesting.

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

Avila Beach Saturday Noonish Cold Swim

So, I have Saturday free until the Cal Poly Student Symphony this evening. My daughter is the pianist accompanying the student symphony show tonight.  I woke up with a sore body from yesterday's swim to the first buoy off the end of Avila Pier and back.  Since I'm here with free time, I took advantage of this gorgeous beach and did the same swim again today.
When I got in today, there were small waves at Avila.  And the water felt colder than yesterday to me.  I was cold in my unlined jammers, swim cap, and goggles.  I have a higher degree of respect for Rob D and his crew for their ongoing cold-water swimming. 
I don't know if it's just me, but once you reach the end of the Avila Pier and look for the first white buoy, that thing seems way the heck out there!
Is it about the same distance from the beach to the pier end as from the pier end to the first buoy?
I hit a warmer area half-way to the buoy which was pleasant.  However, today I had the creeps pretty significantly near the buoy.  The creeps, to me, is a feeling of discomfort mentally because I am thinking about an impending shark attack. 
I swam faster because of the creeps and did the swim in 40 minutes today.  I feel good now--about 2 hours later after a hot bath & hot shower.  And some coffee.
No photos because I didn't want to go back and forth to my car with the camera. 
Avila is Awesome!


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

Avila Beach Pier Swim

I got a swim in late this afternoon at the pier in Avila Beach, CA.  This place is a tiny beach neighborhood near Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  While visiting for a symphony concert I took advantage of the beach.  The water per surfline.com was 53 degrees, and I believe it.  The good thing about the cold water was that it kept my mind on the cold and my stroke and off the sharks that live out here.
My swim was 44 minutes.  I just went straight out along the pier and then on to the white buoy about a quarter mile past the end of the pier.  There was a bit of a current moving northward and a rippled chop to the water. Heading out I felt like I was swimming into incoming water.  My neck gave me a lot of grief, so breathing was a pain.
I had a good swim, a good cold water swim, I should say, and I'm tired tonight. 

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