Saturday Samoan Festival. No Swim, Just Pictures

I went to the beach about 6 PM and it was still very crowded.  The Samoan Festival was going strong and lots of people were all around the pier area.  I didn't swim, although the ocean looked great at low tide.  I think I'll be on dry land for a bit until my back is feeling better. 

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

No Swim Thursday, Just Pictures

I was kept out of the water today by low back pain and muscle spasms.  I stood at the sand and wavered between going in or not.  The 'not' won out.  The water was sloppy--no waves, a choppy surface, and the sky was totally overcast. 
I thought about wearing fins to exercise the back, but I didn't have any with me; I had cleaned out my trunk a week ago.  Oh, well.  Maybe it's better to rest up?  I'm guilty of contradicting my post-script this day.

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

Jellyfish Sting Oceanside Pier

So I was watching the Olympic Trials in swimming this afternoon and looking at the difference in kicking beats per stroke in the 1500 meter swim heats.  I noticed that all the top 1500 swimmers were kicking their butts off continuously in what I think is 8 kicks per 2 strokes; the other swimmers were kicking at 4 beats per 2 strokes-I think.
Flash to 7 PM and I am in the water swimming around the pier with a continuous 8 beat kick per 2 strokes around the pier.  I think that I'll be swimming faster than before but it didn't seem to help much.  I got around in 29 minutes in calm, great swimming conditions.  I guess I need to keep working on it.
The exciting thing is that on the way in I brush against what I think is a pink/purple shirt which startles me.  Instantly I realize it is one of these 2 foot jellyfish and it starts to sting.  It got me on my left arm, left underarm, left leg a little bit.  So I swim in and keep thinking that I'm going to have an asthma attack or something on the way in--but nothing happens--except the stinging hurts some more.
I get home and rub the sting spots with Adolphs Meat Tenderizer mixed with water and it stops the stinging.  It has papain in it--an enzyme that breaks down the proteinaceous toxin in the jellyfish sting.  I also took a Benadryl to play it safe.

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

Crowded Downtown Oceanside Farmers Market Thursday Night

Tonight was very much like last night--the water conditions and currents, that is.  I went to the beach about 5:30 PM.  There was lots of action in the beach area.  The Farmers Market had lots of people strolling the booths.  The chop wasn't there tonight in the water.  I swam north to south with the current.  I turned around outside of the south-side surf zone and headed back. 
The water was gorgeous--that greenish-blue hue that I love.  I hit the current heading out and trying to swim back to the end of the pier.  It was surprising;  the water seemed so calm but it was moving.  I got out fine but as I was at pier-end water, just south of the pier about 80 yards, I really felt the current.  I didn't really want a hard swim tonight but I got one.  I had to swim hard to reach the pier, and then to get past the pier.  I was tired swimming in because the current, albeit weaker, still was there.  The swim was 1 hour and 11 minutes total.  Kicked my butt.  Well worth the parking meter fee of 1 dollar.


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