Sept 13 2009 La Jolla ... The Gatorman

Another great swim this year with many swimmers making the trek from Phoenix to La Jolla. Tempe Sun Devil Masters had approximately 25 swimmers plus six (Robert, Janice, Peter, Pat, Rico and Dave) swimmers from SACistan. Dinner at Hennessey's the night before the race was coordinated by our SACistan race volunteer Mike H was very nice and a great opportunity to meet Rico and Trisha's daughter Annie.

The Rough Water Swim earned it's title this year with swells running 10-12 feet but I made it to the 3 mile race turn around point in my best time to date but the swim back from the pier took about 1/3 longer than the way over. Against the swells and chop and at times it seemed like I was hardly moving. The final 200 yards I had to stop and watch how the waves were breaking onto the beach to get the timing right and to be able to not get swept into the rocks ... but land on some soft sand :-) Now I may have had a seed planted in my head from Rico the night before telling me about an 11 foot shark that lived in the cove ... but not to worry as he was a bottom feeder ... right. BUT, when I was moving to the right side of the cove to line up with the waves I looked down and I don't think I was hallucinating I saw a shark bigger than me ... and I looked twice to make sure ... about 10 feet below me. I kept telling myself "he is a bottom feeder" but I still tried to swim faster and after some brief leg cramps made it onto the beach. Happy Swimming!

Update ... After I wrote the above I stepped out to buy a pair of sneakers at New Balance ... I know TMI ... but as I'm checking out at the register a song comes over the speaker ... the one about "Lola" if you are old enough to remember the 1970 song by Ray Davies. It reminded me on Sunday that when the waves spit me out on the beach and I staggered to the finish line I was welcomed by a line of women passing out food bars and water and the first one was holding out her arms to hug me and as I got closer I realized she was bigger than me ... had chin stubble ... and gave me a hug that took the wind out of me ... sigh ... this is California.