TERRIBLE IDEA.
We get there and let's just say we were lacking motivation. The beach was looking really nice with the Sun coming up over a deep pink sky and a cruise shipping coming into port in the distance. Little did I know how ugly this swim was about to become.
The water wasn't a very pleasant temperature and I immediately was nervous it was going to be this cold the whole time. I did warm up pretty quickly so that made starting the swim a little easier. We decided to make a crescent moon shaped circle along the shore and then head back to where we started. I felt pretty comfortable with this idea because we were sticking close to shore and it was the same general area where the swim for Boston Tri was. I'm just swimming along and all of a sudden I feel something with my right hand. Not too sure what it was but I figured it was just that little whirlpool circle thing that happens during your stroke. I swam a little more and felt something again. I tried to assure myself that it was just the water swirling or just me being paranoid. ...And then I really felt something. And I screamed. Yup. In the middle of the freakin ocean at Carson Beach I let out a nice girly (I just saw a spider) AHHHHH!!!! Followed by a GREG!!!!!!! Who was too far away to hear me. I know it was probably just a jellyfish but in my mind it was:
It really didn't help that the stupid geese were totally laughing me. I know what you're thinking, and believe me, if you were there, you would have thought they were laughing too (or maybe you would be laughing at me as well...)
Trying to gather my composure, I took a look at my watch. 4:36. Damnit. I really did want to get in a longer swim so I told myself to suck it up and at least make it to 10 min. I figured if I swam 10 mins in one direction I would feel better swimming the 10 mins back and I could 20 mins in. Ok I trudge on. Horrible feeling. I kept my stroke really really close to my body and just kept chugging along. I looked at my watch and it was a little over 10 mins. I was like, you know what I can make it to 15! And then I felt another jelly around 12 mins and was like NOPE, heading back. I decided to stay very very close to the shore this time. I was going along pretty well until I smacked my fingers really hard on the sand and scared myself. Yup, I was swimming that close to shore haha With the geese still getting a good laugh at my expense, I tried to go further away from the sand. I guess the appeal of just getting out of the water and running back to my stuff was too much in my subconscious because ended up being really close to the shore and hit my hand several more times. I got back to where we started at the lifeguard chair around 24 mins and I realized I could just keep swimming and get at least a 30 min swim in pretty easily.
At this point my mind started focusing on other things (as it usually does when I work out.) I had a pretty ridiculous event happen at work this week which still isn't completely settled in my mind and I have a show with Ledger tonight so those thoughts started to over take my mind. I decided I was going to turn around when I saw my watch hit the 30 min mark. I forgot my watch switched over to only counting hours, minutes and seconds when hits the 30 min mark so I couldn't really see with my goggles. I realized it was about 31 mins when I turned around. I saw Greg coming in and getting out of the water with the "Where the heck is Cat?" look on his face. I felt really bad because I veered off from our selected course. When I finally got in my watch read about 37 mins which was great because that's what I swam at Walden last week. Yes, the first thing I thought was, who's laughing now geese?!
I apologized for scaring him and told him about my wonderful middle of the ocean freak out. He said he felt so many jellyfish too and at one point felt one slide across his face. UGH. As we were laughing, this gentlemen yelled over at us, 'Are you guys going to work now?' We were like haha yup! And then he asked if we were professionals... I wanted to be like buddy, did you not hear my it's the-end-of-the-world-scream out there?
And then asked if we were triathletes. Ding ding ding!
...but that's bad triathlete to you buddy :)
Stupid F-ing geese!
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