representing yous guys

a little swim report for your reading pleasure: saturday, early, claudia, dianadarling, lftc.
the 3 girlies decided to beat the swell and dive in early. we had planned to swim to the pier where david was working, climb up, get a ride back and drink greyhounds in diana's truck (because we are those kinds of girls) but time wasn't on our side. we swam from the marine room with a fairly easy entry and honest to god, we saw a dorsal fin cruising right at our feet in maybe 2 feet of water. a small dorsal fin, most likely a leopard shark but it was so cool! we looked all around but he was gone. anyway, we made it in after a long and torturous walk in, it felt so cold but my watch read 57 steadily. that's not cold, you all know it. we swam almost to the pier and we could not tell if dave was on the pier, we didn't want to swim all the way over there, big swells were causing a hard slant: the water building from the west was high in relation to the water on the shores, like a slide! we were worried that climbing up the ladder would be bumpy or dave wouldn't even be there and we'd have to swim all the way back since there'd be no way i'd get out anywhere along the shores. we turned around and swam hard all the way back with diana leading us along in magic fins. we raced to the jacuzzi at the club and checked out the cove, big waves moving in, poor girl lifeguard standing at the water's edge in all her gear, waiting for something terrible.  so, it turns out that dave had been watching us for our entire swim with his super bionic binoculars, he said he felt like a pervert as there were guys fishing off the pier for scripps aquarium, he was standing near the chain gate with these enormous binos watching 3 swimmer girls. whatever, he watched us until we turned around. pretty cool.  so that's your little swim report for today. oh, we did stop several times to look for our crew but there were no swimmers out except us but we stood in for all of you. we represent!
lftc-out

ennead: any group of nine. how's that for pretentious?

some prepping and priming. and cary's cute butt.

the march down: it looks sunny but it's cold and windy and the stairs wiggle.

only

still marching, still wriggling only to face;

this! the swearing that ensued is amazing and spoken while submerged!

ok, getting it together slowly but surely, most of the gasping is over and notice how all moved out into the sun?

still looking around, bobbing in 56 degrees, dave is on the pier trying to get us into a group.

a l m o s t there...

closer, wait for it..

ditto

we did it! talent right in your face! we got it together for about 30 seconds.

we exited at the marine room and the day was looking like this!

swim report, sunday 3-25, 11am; steve, leonard, ralph, diana, the other diana, claudia, the mighty canning's & lftc launched off the pier because david loves us. thanks david!  we all gathered in cool but sunny weather, cold looking, slate green seas waiting for us. we prep and prime, wetsuit up, bodies lubed, fins in hand and down we go, the march down the wobbly stairs give me butterflies, it's shaky, cold, windy, narrow and dark down there under the pier. but, i still go as i'm following the brave and i'm a sheople, if all the swimmers in the pics were to jump of a bridge, i'd be right behind them. 
9 little swimmers jumping in a row, the swearing that ensued! (i won't even tell you what i heard from sweet little cary yesterday, who knew?) the water was 57 during the first 1/2 of our swim, 56 the second 1/2 but we had sun! come on, what more could i expect? very clear all the way to the bottom, zillions of baby sand dollars and the backs of huge waves to entertain us.  we swam against the current the whole way, everyone was working hard and it was so clear that these are people who can really swim. and swear. my world is complete. 
thank you to all for being with me today! 
lftc-out

cold but clear

Cold, cold, cold but Clear, clear, clear to the bottom today. And even a little sun at midday. Great picnic afterwards with LFTC, Phoenix, Cary, Bill, Ralph, Leonard, Toni, Claudia, Diana1 and Diana2.

The water was freezing today

It was the same 55 degrees it's been before this winter but the water felt the coldest it's felt all winter.  There was great visibility.  Just went to the caves and the quarter mile buoy.  Who wants to start swimming after work now that the days are longer?

My spin class aka the tour de point loma

Since it's raining, cold and windy out, not that inclement weather could stop any of you, I'll tell you a story about a recent spin class I attended. I emailed this little ditty to Diana, she thought it was highly amusing.
David and I went to a spin class class a few weeks ago and while we were walking in I crossed paths with 'Uber Bike Guy', you all know the type from somewhere, all outfitted up in his sponsored neon yellow cycle togs, bike top with 30 little pockets all around, short little pants, shaved legs (white shaved legs are the worst) and worst of all: attitude, like 'watch out for me people, I'm gonna kick some ass'. Really, I could feel it wafting off him and the outfit? WTF? If he'd of had a bike helmet I wouldn't have been surprised. Anyway, we start the class in FULL LIGHT which sucks, lots of spin classes are conducted in dark or very low light rooms-for a reason-Uber Bike Dude is sitting directly in front of me, like my eyes were looking right at him so I had to look!  I'm very distracted by my annoyance but I'm cruising along when 10 minutes into the class, Uber Bike Guy whips out a Power gel pack from his little bike blouse pocket, tears the top off with his teeth, spits the wrapper on the floor Clint Eastwood style and shoots it like an oyster! Dude, really? What, are we not in the 24 hour gym but really in Tour De France? 10 minutes? Puleeze. So I'm thinking all of these mean things and the stand up drills begin when I see that Uber Bike Guy has a split in the seam of his little yellow pants, right in the middle, every time he stands up that little split shows his crack and of course he has no unders on because that's the way we do in the Tour , baby.  Now we are reaching comical territory, I cannot stand up for the evil snickering.
Finally, I brave a look in the giant, wall to wall mirrors at the front of the class and I see that UBG has his bike blouse  unzipped  all the way down to his waist, exposing his white shaved chest and torso. You have got to be kidding me. It was horrifying and there should be rules.  I turn to look at Dave who is right next to me but he's nearing cardiac arrest and can't listen to my comments or laugh with me. I don't even remember a thing about the class or the workout, all I recall is Uber Bike Guy but I do know I'll never go back to that class.
There are a couple of lessons here: check your pants before going out and don't ever workout with me, I'll make it a story.
Miss and love you all!
LFTC-out

Ruth is home for a visit swim...

What a surprise -- a visit with Ruth and 12 or 13 (I lost count) showed up to greet her and swim Saturday.  A glorius day--warm and sunny, smooth, calm waters, and a BIG CHILL for the water temp (55ish-yikes!). It stung our faces, hands and feet until they were numb... Many of the usual suspects were happily gathered -- Leonard (for his double dip!), the MCs, Ruth, Janie, Doug, Don, Chris, Carol and Bob, Kathy, Dana and some others (I don't know names, just that they were others out swimming with us because it was such a beautiful day).  With the icy water temps, we zipped as fast as we could, still frolicking a bit to visit with our Ruth. We've missed her!

We gathered at the A, then zoomed to the B, then 1/4, then over to to the caves where it was crystal clear inside and saw not one, but TWO horn sharks swimming around out front, like they were guarding the cave--really, seriously, though. I have witnesses...  We saw a cute little sting ray swimming in front of the cave too, not far from the horn sharks, and a giant starfish inside.  Janie and Dana had headed back in skipping the cave and were lucky enough to see a mola mola on their way in! Wow--a great and magical day... nice to have Ruth and a big gang to swim with. Carol posted this photo of all of us smiling before we got wet.  CHEESE:

Gathering for a smile -- a dozen! Bill, Leonard, Cary, Ruth, Janie, Kathy,
Dana, Carol,  Don, Bob and Doug... 

A good day... missed yous not there, as always.  Just so you know... true confessions and all--Bill and I ran up to soak in the jacuzzi and felt guilty with pleasure from the warmth of the water... love the club--getting spoiled we are.  I don't know what we'll do once March is up and my free month is over... I'll think about that tomorrow.

~mercari

secret votes, hypoxia, the pier and we peoples.

Saturday 'the Ruth Day' swim report: I didn't swim with Ruth today as the 'Ruth' time was a bit late for me but I did get a swim fix with Claudia, DD and Ralph. We had a paddler along too, it seemed easy for him to keep track of our far wandering group. We swam from the boat launch to the other side of the pier and back, Claudia swam more more more as she is wont to do. My watch read 58, we had sun but serious chop, I gulped lots of sea water today. Weird colored sea, very greeny looking close to shore then dark blue out and beyond. Silty water, algae bloom? We sailed along and close to the pier I stopped to get a read on where we were and I happened upon a secret vote by all my swimmers and paddler that I should ditch my magic fins. I was with the group, I wasn't trying very hard, I was cruising along happily, I didn't ask why this vote was up, it was like a Survivor episode or Lord of the Flies mentality. Whatever, we all swam along nicely until Ralph tried to pace Claudia. Um, WHAT? WHY? WHEN-EVER? My guess is he didn't want to be voted on, for anything. He had to veer far inland after he lost all lung capacity, he needed an exit strategy. At this point Claudia had Don stick with Ralph and DD, (no such vote for DD, she's hardcore and could swim a hurricane in her bikini without blinking an eye AND she'd be smiling) then we stuck together until I bailed at the boat launch. My hands ached and my lips were numb. Ralphs feet were white as snow, DD was pink and moving oh so slow. But there is our Claudia sailing South. Rock star swimmergirl. Sorry to have missed Ruth Day! I hope your swim was awesome in every way!
lftc-out

Angel Shark Sunday!

What a gorgeous day for a swim. I think everyone in San Diego came to the cove today because of the summer-like weather and clear, cool sea.  We had CFTC, LFTC, Diana-darling, Ralph,  Leonard, Steve, Kevin, the MCs,  and Phoenix -- a ten pack ready to rocket out to sea! What a crystal-clear cove greeting us with low, barnacle knocking low-tide.  We headed south to Children's pool for variety and it was perfect.  Great going south but pushing back was a tough slog through the current -- had to work for it, but the work was worth it. Some had to pull out early to get back for things, but Steve, Leonard, Kevin and the MCs made it to the end of the reef past Childrens... we were FAR OUT... then, we headed back -- Cary found an angelshark and felt so happy (we found out later it wasn't a horn shark)!  Dolphins had already surprised her swimming out of the cove with Phoenix (I know, I wanted to swim with the dolphins!) -- such adventures we have...  And as if we hadn't worked hard enough, Leonard headed off to the A to get some more strokes in! He gets the prize today... what a swim. Here's a few pics I took after our leisurely soak in the jacuzzi -- spoiling me!!!  Thanks to all of you that make swimming at the cove more fun that I could ever have imagined...

 Crystal Clear Cove

Looks different on land... just north of Children's Pool

Heart graffitti -- north of Children's Pool

Calm seas at Children's... what a day!

swimsuit edition, lftc and the drug trade. and waves.

do you see the waves? oh yeah, there are the girls but see the waves?

do you see the waves? ok, diana and claudia are looking fantastic but see the waves? overhead, behind them?  

dammit.....

sports illustrated swimsuit edition-look for it near you.

dianadarling waving at me while she exits, only my tiptoes are in the water because of the waves back there!

Beat down and beat up for fun today! Surf everywhere, from the cove to the marine room to the pier and beyond, DD and Claudia swam under and out, way far out they said, I swam along the shoreline to play in the surf. I did have a little dust up with one wave but we all had fun in the glorious sun! 58 degrees, outstanding company and sand lodged in places you only read about in the Enquirer.
I did have one tourist near our bench ask me if the planes overhead were 'drug planes'. What? I guess when I came strolling up, cold and wet in my Speedo I looked like someone who knew about the drug trade. I told him no, don't be stupid, it's for tourists. In retrospect I should have told him yes and that I was just dropped in (like a Navy Seal commando) for a delivery. It would have been fun to see the reaction. Bratty, I know. I had fun watching the kayaks getting dumped one by one, over and over too.
Another day amuses me....
lftc-out