So Much Water
Leaving the house at 11:00 this morning. It’s cloudy and, in fact, it was drizzling at my house just a little bit before. As I drive to the beach, I can see some hope of blue sky out near the horizon and a few splotches leaking through here and there more directly above as well.
I drive by Doheny and the scene appears tranquil with some decent waves rolling through. There is a small south swell dominant in the water today which is unseasonable for this time of year.
When I get to the beach parking lot, I can feel (not so much see) more of that sunlight piercing through the cloud layer. The water’s surface is a soft and somewhat luminescent grey. It is peaceful walking down the stairs. Not a lot of people here and the sounds that I hear is mostly surf and birds - both very agreeable. The thought of the impending cold plunge is in my mind but it’s not so much at the forefront. I wonder if there will come a time when it is just not something I think about at all. How many times do I need to enter the water without negative consequences in order for my body to welcome the experience immediately beforehand?
There is some signage just above the asphalt road warning that the “area” might be closed at high tides due to construction. I wonder what they are doing. Two days ago on my last swim, I noticed deep tractor tracks just in front of the ramp. Today, it looks like they are digging up just in front of the ramp and there is a orange mesh barrier blocking access to the make shift path above the rocks that walkers use at high tide.
Once I reach the sand, I spot a small pod of dolphins heading south right in front of me. They are swimming way in shore. They can’t be more than 15 feet away from the lone surfer out there now. The water feels fairly comfortable on my feet. I was reading in this week’s water temperature forecast that we are now within a half a degree of the climatological average for the month. I had thought it has been warmer than usual but maybe that is just because I have this time last year stuck in my head which was definitely below average.
I can tell the sand is up another few inches based on the level of the rocks where I stash my pack. I don’t have to reach up at all today and place it in my usual nook that is now at chest level. I get into the water and it’s high tide now so I start swimming after just a couple steps. The cold rushes over and through me. I have learned not to react to it but just to observe it as it rests on my skin. It doesn’t take long before I feel pretty well adjusted.
I head south and just allow my mind to merge with my stroke. This part of the swim always seems to fly by - from the start to the south end of the beach. The water seems much clearer than Tuesday. I’m not sure if that is because Tuesday’s late afternoon light made the water look so dark. It’s mostly a mellow light blue right now and I can see the shadows of rock pass beneath me.
Every now and then I think I can sense the glow beneath the surface intensify as the sun becomes more dominant. I feel the water move in and out of warmth and cold. The water becomes downright pleasant for several strokes and then cools. In the coolness I draw my awareness to different areas of my body that feel most affected by the cold and focus to relax and let the cold subside. I often have that feeling akin to being cold in bed but not cold enough to rouse oneself from a horizontal position and find an extra blanket. One minute I feel cooler in my lower arms and another in the upper sides of my torso.
On the entire trip north, I watch the massive cloud bank sitting on the horizon. So much water. Water on the earth and water in the sky. Even my own body is mostly water - 60%. It’s like atomic space. We imagine that we move about around solid surfaces but these surfaces are just vibrating particles existing in vast spaciousness.
The northbound trip moves faster on this swim than it has on the past few swims. Maybe it’s that south swell pushing me. There are lots of kelp stalks on the northern end of the swim and I seem to swim over them pretty swiftly. I’m surprised how far out I am swimming. I’ve been trying to stay closer to shore the entire swim but without much luck. I wonder if that is one reason why my last few swims are taking more time. Who knows. Today I am 15 minutes faster than the last couple swims which is still 15 minutes longer than my hour norm. I’m definitely feeling better at the end of the swim than I did on Tuesday. No cramping today.
I can see that I have overshot my finishing location and start to head to shore slightly angled to the north. I swim to the sand bar where I just sit on my but on the sand and take in the scene. I know I am just on the edge of the rocky trough so I lean back into the water and resume swimming until I am practically, but not quite, on the exposed sand. I’m having trouble standing up because one leg is just starting to cramp and I am in this inflection zone where the water surges in and then quickly changes direction to break. I manage myself eventually to a standing position and grab my pack.
Today’s walk up the stairs is like paradise compared to the evening time chill on Tuesday. It is a very nice walk and my hand holds the rail all the way up for its warmth. I shower and it is not terrible.
