We are back from California but things are crazy around here. I guess that is what happens when you go out of town for 5 days, take 3 days off work and still try to cram everything in. Yesterday we went to the gym and I wanted to run but it is getting cold here and I don't have cold running gear yet so I hopped on the treadmill instead. Eew. The treadmill is really terrible. I can't believe I ran on it all winter last year! I need to invest in a running jacket immediately!
Enough complaining about the cold, it's time to tell you about the our amazing trip to California. The first wedding was on Friday night in La Jolla (North of San Diego). When we realized that we were going to be spending a couple of days in La Jolla we knew we had to go swimming. So instead of packing an extra pair of pants I packed my wetsuit instead :) Rachel, blogger at Diary of an Amateur Triathlete, has blogged about swimming in the La Jolla before so we sent her an email and asked for some tips. She wrote us right back and told us the best place to go! (By the way, I just went to her blog to find the entry about swimming in La Jolla and found a picture of the giant squids that washed up on shore this year - thank God I did not see these pictures before the swim!!) Thanks Rachel!
On Thursday morning we woke up bright and early and headed over to the cove. It was easy to find and since it was still early, about 8:30am, we had no problem with parking. We were greeted by this amazing site:
Enough complaining about the cold, it's time to tell you about the our amazing trip to California. The first wedding was on Friday night in La Jolla (North of San Diego). When we realized that we were going to be spending a couple of days in La Jolla we knew we had to go swimming. So instead of packing an extra pair of pants I packed my wetsuit instead :) Rachel, blogger at Diary of an Amateur Triathlete, has blogged about swimming in the La Jolla before so we sent her an email and asked for some tips. She wrote us right back and told us the best place to go! (By the way, I just went to her blog to find the entry about swimming in La Jolla and found a picture of the giant squids that washed up on shore this year - thank God I did not see these pictures before the swim!!) Thanks Rachel!
On Thursday morning we woke up bright and early and headed over to the cove. It was easy to find and since it was still early, about 8:30am, we had no problem with parking. We were greeted by this amazing site:
This is the little patch of beach where all the swimmers leave there things.
A lifeguard was on duty which made me feel a bit better...
Getting ready to swim!The clouds were clearing and the water was calm. It looked wonderful. Now I have a secret to share. I was very scared to swim in the ocean. I grew up in Northern Minnesota and I am a fresh water lake girl. I've never been a fan of even playing around in the ocean. It is salty. It is rough. It is full of scary animals like sharks and sting rays (and giant squids)! So, it took a lot of courage for me to get out in the water.
I was surprised that even though it was salty it didn't bother me too much. My goggles didn't leak so my eyes were fine. The water was incredibly clear and I could see lots of fish swimming below me. I saw several large orange fish while we were still close to shore. The water was so clear that I could see all the way to the ocean floor. This sounds cool in theory but it was actually a bit scary. I kept thinking that the seaweed was actually ocean animals that were getting ready to spring up at me. I kept moving from feeling amazed at the beauty and terrified of the unknown. There were 3 buoys in the cove and Rachel had told us the last one was the 1/2 mile so we were planning to swim there and then turn back. Once I got a bit further out I couldn't see the floor anymore and I actually felt more calm. I did see several schools of fish with hundreds of tiny fishes. It was so cool (until I thought about sharks eating schools of fishes)!
When I made it to the last buoy I stopped and waited for Sam. I spent the most amazing 4 minutes just floating in the ocean. It was unbelievably peaceful. I can't even describe what an amazing feeling it was. I couldn't hear anything other then the water moving and the birds singing. The ocean was so blue and the sun shined on my face. It. was. incredible.
Sam arrived and we floated together for a minute and then we headed back to shore. My trip back to shore was not quite as peaceful. Once I was able to see the ocean floor again I started to panic. I was really freaking myself out about the ocean life. I was always breathing with my face in the sun so when I put my head back in the water I would see the "sun streaks" which I would think were jelly fish. I ended up swimming as fast as I could just so I could get out of the water. It only took me 13 minutes to get back to shore!
The picture above is Sam swimming back in (he is in the middle with the white cap and arm coming out of the water)
This was the only time I had a chance to swim because I was busy with my bridesmaid duties, but I did get a chance to go for a run on Friday morning. It was a short run but it was also beautiful to be along the ocean. The air was fresh and the people were so friendly. I passed about 12 other runners and everyone waved and said good morning! I couldn't imagine living here and having the opportunity to swim in the ocean like this on a regular basis (okay - maybe I can imagine). In fact, I may or may not be scheming to figure out how to relocate at this very moment :)
When I made it to the last buoy I stopped and waited for Sam. I spent the most amazing 4 minutes just floating in the ocean. It was unbelievably peaceful. I can't even describe what an amazing feeling it was. I couldn't hear anything other then the water moving and the birds singing. The ocean was so blue and the sun shined on my face. It. was. incredible.
Sam arrived and we floated together for a minute and then we headed back to shore. My trip back to shore was not quite as peaceful. Once I was able to see the ocean floor again I started to panic. I was really freaking myself out about the ocean life. I was always breathing with my face in the sun so when I put my head back in the water I would see the "sun streaks" which I would think were jelly fish. I ended up swimming as fast as I could just so I could get out of the water. It only took me 13 minutes to get back to shore!
The picture above is Sam swimming back in (he is in the middle with the white cap and arm coming out of the water)
This was the only time I had a chance to swim because I was busy with my bridesmaid duties, but I did get a chance to go for a run on Friday morning. It was a short run but it was also beautiful to be along the ocean. The air was fresh and the people were so friendly. I passed about 12 other runners and everyone waved and said good morning! I couldn't imagine living here and having the opportunity to swim in the ocean like this on a regular basis (okay - maybe I can imagine). In fact, I may or may not be scheming to figure out how to relocate at this very moment :)
3 comments:
I feel like I need to crack a joke about swimming in the Hudson, but I'm coming up blank. :)
Thats awesome that the water is so clear out there. I prefer swimming in salt water with ZERO visibilty so that my brain doesn't go into "What if?" mode and starts questioning which critter or scary sea monster is gonna get me.
13 mins on the way back? Woah!!!
Loved the post..
The pics are great, I've been doing all my swimmin in a pool so far, I'll have to get in the open water in the spring, It won;t be as warm as Cali here in Nova Scotia Canada...
Kenny
I think it's so cool that you did this. And awesome that Rachel was kind enough to help you out.
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