August Surf

At least this year, we have had a little rain. Thank goodness! Sometimes the small summer storms cause the waves to build a bit. Of course, we rarely get the strong, clean sets, but we do get some mushy waves that are, at least, surfable. Two weeks ago, I went with my friend, Dave, to G-town for a pre-work surf session one early Friday. He texted and said that after driving by 43rd and 36th, he thought the surf was better at 25th, also known as the Pleasure Pier, and formerly known as Flagship. Only a couple of other people were out on that early Friday morning at 25th, which left a lot of waves for many to catch. I took the rip current out and caught a wave right away. I knew it was going to be a good morning. Several more surfers came out, but there were enough waves for everyone. Dave also caught several too. As it turns out, I even got my picture taken by a local photographer/writer who writes surf reports and posts pictures online of surfers and other Gtown scenes. I didn't know until I received a text from Dave. After five years of trying, I finally made it on. He caught me on a good wave for Galveston, but I long for the day I can have a picture of me on a big wave. Hmmm…yeah, that would be nice.

By Sunday, the waves looked small…borderline surfable. A friend of mine and I decided to take our SUPs down for just some fun in the water. When we made it to 43rd, there was a little wave action. But, we were able to knee paddle out and then stand and paddle to our heart's content. Eventually, my friend who is quite good on the SUP, decided to take a surf lesson. The waves were perfect that day for lessons. She took one from my friend Brian who had her standing on the board and surfing in no time. I think I might have a new surf buddy, and I'm so glad.

This past Friday, the waves were back. While they had been bigger in the morning, they were still quite nice in the afternoon by the time I got finished from work, loaded the board and headed down. Thought about paddling out at 43rd until I saw about a dozen or more surfers already out there. I drove by 36th and saw two or three surfers out there also. Fortunately, only about two surfers were out at 25th. I immediately unloaded and paddled out. I caught a wave right away, but during the second paddle out, I realized that it was easier with the current and wind to paddle out closer to the pilings under the Pleasure Pier rather than the jetty. Brian, the surf dude, made it out. He suggested that the best place to be was in the corner pocket of the Pleasure Pier. Because of the way the wind was blowing, the waves were coming in from east. At first, it was just me and the surf dude, but after a short while, a couple of others paddled out to the pocket. One of the guys was a very good surfer who had no problem catching every wave. I pulled out of two waves because of him, and loudly protested. Once he noticed, he let me catch a few. Wow! One of the waves I caught reminded me why I love this sport. Hope to catch more waves this weekend.

Really Small Waves and Some SUP Time

I have been wanting to surf. But, like always, when I am off, there are no waves. I know I have said/wrote it before: The best waves are always Wednesday mornings at 8 or 9 a.m., just as I am about to go to a meeting or right after I finish one. Therefore, I miss the good waves. Of course, no matter what day or time it is, I think many people think they miss the "good waves." I was determined last week to go to surf on Friday afternoon, which is my usual time for surfing. The forecast didn't look great, but by Friday morning, I could see a few little ripples out there. On the webcam Friday morning, it looked as thought a few people were out at 45th. I kept my fingers crossed that it would stay that way until I got off work on Friday afternoon. I originally had planned to got to Surfside, but with the waves being "iffy" at best, I decided Galveston was my best option. Made it to 43rd around 2:30 p.m. and worried that I had almost missed them all. However, I paddled out and noticed there were a few little peelers just for me. I got caught on the inside once, causing me to flip under the water and lose my sunglasses even though they were on a string around my neck. I am always caught off-guard when these things happen. Never even saw this happen. I caught a few little waves and had lots of fun. The beach was quite full because of summer vacations, but I was still able to get out past the crowds in the water. One young lady was out (Autumn) and she was making the waves look pretty and easy. I was in awe of her abilities. A couple of young boys were also out and, of course, they told me how the waves had been bigger in the morning. I chuckled. The only other eventful thing that happened was when the key I wear around my neck became detached from the ribbon it was on and, in slow motion, fell first to the top of the board just as a wave was coming in. Of course, I never saw it again. But, after a $115 visit from a locksmith, I was able to get back in my car. All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon.

By Sunday, it was even smaller than Friday. I loaded up my SUP and met a friend at 43rd for a quick morning session. We had a ball. I hadn't been out on my SUP in awhile, and I still have a lot of learning to do, but I still had fun. I fell off the board twice -- once when I was was wading through the white wash to get out past the break, and another time when my board was knocked awry by the beginning of a wave. If the waves had been a little bigger and stronger, I would have definitely been surfing, but the waves weren't really breaking until they got closer to shore. I started to question my decision of buying such a short SUP, but at the same time, I realize that if the board was bigger, I would definitely have trouble loading and unloading. I think my friend had fun too. As the summer flat spell hangs on as it usually does in July, I'm so glad I can least go out and SUP.

Remembering Where I'm From and Watching Fireworks

What a busy and exciting week! I decided for the first time in three years to return to the Smoky Mountains for some hiking. It hasn't exactly been three years since I went hiking, but it has been three years since I had been to the Smokies. It was nice to be back on the trails I had hiked many times before, as well as to try a few that I had never set foot on before. I had a couple of unusual things happen during a particular long and treacherous hike. At about mile 6, my phone rang. What makes this unusual is that I hadn't had much of a signal most of the time we had been in the mountains. In a strange turn of events, it was a newspaper editor calling about my job at the university…he wanted to know if the university would be open the next day because of a forecasted tropical storm approaching the area. I explained I had no idea and that I was in the mountains. What I can't quite figure out about it, is how I was able to receive a call in the middle of a forested trail in the mountains. I hadn't been able to  get a signal during most of the trip and, now, in the middle of a hike, I was able to get a call. Then, about a mile later, my right hiking boot feels odd so I stop to check it out. Thinking I had a rock caught in the tread of my shoe, I expected to dislodge the rock and keep on; that is, until I realize that the tread of my boot had come detached from most of the shoe except the toe. I just shook my head. What is most odd about all of this is that, for the first time, I had packed my trail running shoes in my backpack. I'm not sure why I did it, but I was incredibly happy that I had. Once I changed into the trail runners, I realized how heavy my hiking boots were, and how light the trail runners are. I was light on my feet and almost immediately decided that the next pair of trail shoes I would get, would not be high boots, but a lighter weight, lower cut hiking shoe. The hike became much easier with the lighter shoes, which is a good thing since the trail we were on turned into a a difficult one with multiple downed trees, high weeds, lots of stinging nettle and a little poison ivy. All of those on the hike made it through even though we were crawling, climbing and high-stepping through the trail. In the end, it would go down as one of the all-time best 10-mile hikes I had ever been on, with just enough intrigue to keep me on my toes.

I returned to Texas on that Thursday (6/18)…after the storm had passed. I had already decided that

I paddled out at 37th and had fun!

Friday would be a surf day and, fortunately, there were a few waves. They definitely were not as big or well-formed as they had been just before the Tropical Storm was about to come through. But, at least there were waves. I traveled to 37th, paddled out about 150 feet to the east of the jetty and, almost immediately, began to catch waves. Needless to say, it was a great ending to the week. I even rode earlier that morning, which meant that during the week, I had already hiked, biked and surfed. I was having a stellar week. And, a fun one. I ran on Saturday morning before going to my family's church to help with their rummage sale. My mother had requested my assistance some time ago, but I had forgotten about the sale. Since it had been scheduled at three other times and then canceled because of rain, when she called me on Tuesday of the week before, I knew that there was no way for me to get out of it. And, I'm glad I didn't. It turned into a beautiful day at the church in which I grew up…the church in which I was confirmed. I saw people I hadn't seen in a long time as well as met new people. I watched my mom compassionately lower prices on clothing priced at a quarter for people who didn't have a spare 25 cents. It was a humbling, yet wonderful experience. And it was good to be with my kind and loving mom.

Later that evening, I did something else fun. Let me backtrack a little. A couple of weeks ago while surfing social media, I found a link to a night-time SUP tour in Galveston. I couldn't resist. I signed up immediately and persuaded a friend she needed to go also. What a fun evening! We met with the tour leader at the Offatts Bayou parking lot on 61st Street. They brought us 11'2" SUPs and we launched from the boat ramp. we paddled to Moody Gardens and waited for the weekly fireworks display to begin at 9:30ish. Saturday evening was beautiful and when it came time for the fireworks, we locked our SUPs together by putting one end on top of the end of another. Then we each leaned back and watched the fireworks, which appeared to be right overhead. I never saw fireworks so close. It was as if the show was just for us. We then paddled back to the boat dock to unload. The only scary part was making sure that the boats passing by could either see us or hear us. I would probably buy a waterproof headlamp for the next time…and I definitely plan for a next time. I'm hoping to do it again another night this summer. Until then, I can just close my eyes and relive the bright and beautiful lights as I remember them.

April Showers Bring May Waves???

Rain and a busy schedule has kept me from surfing, and I'm really starting to miss being in the water. Thought this weekend and last weekend would give me at least one successful surf day, but I was wrong. With Easter and several other activities last weekend, I probably wouldn't have had time anyway, but this weekend, I had time to go down on Friday evening, Saturday afternoon or even this morning. I kept my eye on the webcam. Friday, during the day, several surfers went out and had a great time. I watched them on the webcam, but I couldn't leave work until 4 and, by then, the waves were gone and the rain was beginning. I was bummed that I missed it, but thought that after my run on Saturday, I would certainly be able to get in some surfing. By Saturday, the waves were still gone. It was very windy, so the water was rough, but no waves were forming.

I then thought that perhaps I would get a chance to surf on Sunday, but, again, waves were a mess. But….jump ahead to next weekend.

New post -- April 23

I started this post two weeks ago when finding waves was impossible. However, last weekend was a different story. I decided to take a weekend trip to Galveston. I registered for a half marathon that would start in downtown and then take runners to the Seawall before landing them back downtown. I ran the Diva Half Marathon last year, and because the run ended with the death of another runner, I knew that I needed to run it again just so that my last memory of it wouldn't be of a young girl dropping dead. I took last Friday off from work and made it to the island early on Friday morning to get in some surfing. Waves were disorganized, but at least there were waves. I went out on the east side of 43rd and caught a few. However, I kept feeling like it was carrying me close to the jetty because of the wave direction, which was definitely pushing west. I changed sides and went out on the west side, and even caught a few there. I missed several also just because of my inability to accurately read the wave. I was chilly when I arrived so I wore my 3-2. Since air temps were a little cool, I knew that with water temps in the 70s, I would be cold. I'm glad I wore it. Had a blast. I still need to work on my turning though. I always seem to ride toward shore. I might ride the wave at a little bit of an angle, but I always end up close to shore as if I'm just riding it straight in. I know I'm getting better, but I still have a long way to go.

Since I was staying in Galveston, I couldn't resist going out again on Saturday. I knew that I wouldn't have a chance to surf after my run on Sunday, so I decided to ride my bike down the beach to see where the best waves were. As it turns out, the best waves looked like they were across the street from the hotel at 51st Street jetty. I had never surfed there, but quite a few surfers were already out there. By the time, I changed into my suit and my shorty (my 3-2 was still wet) and headed out. I thought I would be cold, but I wasn't. Well, I was cool right at first, but I warmed up in no time. The waves had subsided quite a bit, but I still had fun. It felt good to be out two days in a row. I'm not sure that surfing two days in a row helped my run the next day, but I sure had fun. It was a great weekend.

Another new post…April 26

Now, jump ahead again, to this weekend. This morning (Sunday) I heard there were waves. I didn't believe it. The webcam didn't show very many waves. It looked flat to me despite a text from a Gtown friend who said he was going out. I had a crazy day planned, but I decided to head down and, just in case, I opted to take my SUP instead. Once I arrived there, though, I was wishing I had one of my other boards. The waves were, in fact, nice little peelers. A ton of people were out. I was glad I was there. And, I definitely needed the SUP practice. I'm thinking about talking lessons. I struggle surfing waves on it. I can catch them, but I don't get into the surfing stance fast enough. I feel a couple of times just because it was rougher than it usually is when I'm on my SUP. I saw an old friend who was in town, so even though I missed the surfing, it was still a great morning.

(Sorry to anyone who might be reading this confusing post. I need to get back into a regular pattern of posting. I need to stop letting life get int the way.)

SUPing at night, racing and a little surfing

Another Sunday night and I'm bushed! I generally have a busy schedule, but lately my schedule has been unusually crazy. Last weekend, I went to Vegas to be a part of my nephew's wedding. It was a great family outing, and I sure hope they have a lifetime of happiness. I had been hoping to do a little SUIPing in Lake Mead, but alas, I ran out of time. Since writing on my blog a couple of weeks ago, I've had a wonderful couple of surf and SUP sessions though. 

The week before leaving for Vegas was a crazy one, as they usually are the week before a trip. The Sunday before the trip, though, I found some time to go surfing. A cool front had come through and even though it was a little gray, I  took Petal and headed to Galveston. I hadn't been out on the 9'6" board in awhile, and I had a chance to rediscover why I love that board. I went to the 37th Street jetty and had a blast. I was only out a short while, but I caught multiple waves.  Today, I  took my 9' Softop and went out at the 43rd. I chose the west side of the jetty because of the way the wind was blowing. Only one other guy was out, and he had been there a short while. He told me that he thought we might have been the only surfers finding waves. However, I had already seen several at 37th and a couple at 25th, so I knew that surfers were out down the beach. The afternoon was beautiful, and although I would have probably surfed better using Petal, I needed the Softop today because of a luncheon that would have my board sitting outside in the sun for a longer period of time. Sometimes, I just prefer using the Softop on days like this. The air temp was warm, but the water was cool…the intrusive hint of fall. I dread needing a wetsuit soon. 

I've also been SUPing a little more. A couple of weeks ago, one breezy weeknight, I loaded Penelope

I had a ball SUPing in the moonlight!

(my SUP) and met up with an SUP group in Galveston. The sun was on the verge of setting, and I drove down after a busy day at work. The group met at a parking lot on 61st Street on the side of Offat's Bayou. A friend from work also showed up. We unloaded the boards and dropped them in the water at the end of the boat pier. Just as the sun set, we took off across the water with lights and a required life vest.  The group stayed out about an hour, and I look forward to doing it again sometime soon. The experience was awesome. I met some people active in the SUP community, and learned about some events especially for SUPers that sounded like fun. One, in particular, was a race that took place this weekend (Saturday/yesterday). The race allowed people to register and compete in one of three events: 12' boards, 11'1 boards and an open category. I felt like I had nothing to lose and opted to register for the open event. Since I know so little about SUPing, I had no idea what to expect. Saturday was quite windy, so the course was rough. The route was three miles total, meaning two 1.5-mile loops. Racers lined up at the end of the pier at Moody Gardens' Palm Beach. About 30 racers showed up on various forms and sizes of boards. I could tell the racing boards from the boards like mine. They were long, narrow and thick. They were made for speed and the minute the bell went off, those speedy boards took off. I was pulling up the rear and struggling. The current was as strong as the wind, which was causing small waves to form.  Many people were falling off their boards, and, eventually, I fell; but only once. I noticed many were on their knees at the beginning, and I followed their lead. I got lapped by about six people, but I kept going. After I finished the first lap, I considered quitting, but opted to go on. I was sorry I did. The emergency crew rescued someone from the rocks, and, very soon, I noticed that only a few of the novice people had gone on for the second lap. I turned around and went back to the finish line. I was proud of my work friend who made it through most of the second lap. However, he didn't "officially" finish either. He's on an 11' board, which makes it a little easier for him, but I think the current was even a little strong for him. Overall, though, he did great! I'm a little jealous of his performance. I thought I handled the board well, but I have a lot to learn. I know that my board is really geared more for surf, but I still think I can get stronger on the flats with it. Practice, practice, practice!

Running, Cycling, Surfing, Bowling, SUPing

Until I bought an SUP about three weeks ago, the surf has been flat. So an SUP was the way to go. With my birthday a few weeks back, it was easy to decide what gift I was giving myself. I did a little research and decided to check out the sales going on at a store located near me called West Marine. Not only did they have a full selection of SUPs, the prices were pretty good. I dropped by the store to look at them, and I fell in love with a JimmyStyx 10' epoxy SUP that was covered with a pink design and a huge pink painted ribbon representing breast cancer awareness. I lifted it and found it more manageable than some of the other boards I have seen, lifted or used. I went home to think about it. I bought it two days later. I loaded it myself inside my vehicle. The hatch didn't close all the way, but I tied it down with bungee cords. The next day, as I was showing a picture of it from the website to someone in the office, I saw that the SUP was discounted even more. I immediately called the store and found out that would be getting $100 back. Not only did I get the SUP I wanted, but I got it even cheaper than I first thought.

Love my new SUP!
Thinking about naming
her Penelope.

I called my SUP friend and she and I decided to take out our SUPs on the following Sunday (two weeks ago now). She would be purchasing hers from a beach dude in G-town that day. Although the day was perfect for SUPing, getting hers purchased took a little longer than first planned. So, we played on mine for a little while. What a blast! Once hers arrived, she got out in the water for a little while and we practiced fighting current and attempted to catch some of the waves coming to shore. We had a ball. We've since gone again, but in Taylor Lake…close to home. The current was strong on that occasion, but we still had a blast. I had to maneuver getting on and off the board from the pier, which I managed to do without falling in the water. The only problem that day was that I jabbed my hand pretty hard with a nail on the edge of the jetty. But the blood and pain didn't last long at all, and I made up my mind that launching there should always be fun and easy.

Since starting this post, the waves came back for a short while. I surfed twice…once last Sunday morning (at 43rd) and once Thursday evening (at 25th). Both times, the current was strong and the waves were unpredictable, which made paddling out a little more difficult. But, both times, I caught waves. My Thursday evening surf this past week was, for the most part, out past the jetty, but on the inside of the waves. I caught a couple as they were breaking, but caught most after as forceful whitewater. Had a ball though! On Thursday night, I stayed out until it was almost too dark to paddle. It was great to be in the water and helped ease the stress of a crazy week, and I'm very glad I went.

Mixed in with all the fun water sports was my usual running and cycling. I continue to train for my next marathon, which isn't until early next year, but still requires training…lots of it. My cross-training includes hard rides on the bike, which I try to do at least twice a week. Finally, this week, I even went bowling and know that I should NEVER consider a career on the professional bowling circuit. I love staying busy, and I'm always looking for the next adventure.

Waves One Week, None the Next

Because I don't exactly live in a surfing mecca, I long for some weather abnormality that gives me waves when I least expect it. So much depends on the wind. One of the reasons surfing is so much better in the winter when it's cold is because the North wind cleans up our usual mushy, messy waves. Of course, during the summer when the strong south wind blows, I depend on those mush, messy waves for my fun. This year, we've had some north winds blow through on a semi-regular basis. The timing has been good for me since it has been the weekend. A couple of weeks ago, north winds were forecasted. Friday was a rainy day, so I went SUP shopping with a running friend. I hadn't planned on buying anything that day, but I wanted to look at what was out there, lift them up and see if they were too heavy for me. I'm pretty sure I have it narrowed down to one or two, including one that Brian has that is very reasonably priced. The two I have it narrowed down to both have pink designs. Go figure!

The 43rd Street jetty got quite
crowded two weeks ago when
an unusual summer north
wind brought some pretty sets.

By Saturday (two weeks ago), the rain had stopped and the north wind had blown through bringing with it somewhat nicely formed waves. The beaches were crowded, not just because the waves had finally re-appeared, but because it was July. Local families and vacationers from afar packed the beaches. And, surfers crowded the breaks. 43rd was crowded so I went down the street to 36th. Had a great Saturday afternoon of fun. It didn't stop there. On Sunday morning early, with waves still appearing on the webcam, I headed to 43rd Street. I went out and caught the first wave i paddled for and had an incredible ride. I started on the east side of the jetty, but quickly moved to the west side because the waves looked a little stronger and the east side of the jetty was so crowded. I had a blast. I caught some and missed a few, but I had pretty waves to play in for a little while. I stayed for a couple of hours, and it felt good to be out. As I was packing up to leave, I noticed quite a few more surfers were out. In fact, it was quite crowded, especially on the east side of 43rd. I was so happy to have had a few waves to surf.

The past two weekends, though, have been completely flat. Last weekend, although flat, was too windy even to go out on an SUP, which meant I didn't participate in any water sports. But, by this weekend, I knew I had to get back in the water. Fortunately, although it was flat, the wind was weak enough to make SUPing a possibility. I contacted Dude B. about using a few of his SUPs. I had a couple of friends who wanted to go out on an SUP. Because of the wind direction, we decided it would be better to go out at 25th near the Pleasure Pier. What fun we all had. We began by paddling against the current toward the beach near Murdoch's (the old bathhouse turned souvenir shop). We paddled under the Pleasure Pier and safely made it to shore. Then we paddled back with the current. What a difference the direction made. Although it hadn't been unbearable to paddle against the tide, paddling with it was extraordinarily easy. We floated all the way back to the beach at 25th in no time. It was a wonderful morning and a great way to start Sunday Funday!

A Quiet Summer

This has been an unusual summer in G-town. For one thing, the seaweed has been the worst I've ever

Met pro surfers Teddy Navarro, Morgan Faulkner
 and Sunny Garcia while they were in
Galveston promoting the Mauli Ola Foundation.

seen. And, secondly, it's been unusually flat … especially on the Fridays and Sundays when I can surf. That hasn't kept me from getting in the water though. Thankfully, Dude B has been willing to let me rent/use a SUP. I'm even thinking about buying one. I've investigated a few. My problem with the SUPs is that I'm afraid I won't be able to carry one in my car or from my car down to the shore. The ones I've borrowed have been so heavy and long that carrying them across the beach is difficult. I can't imagine having to lift it to put on the top of my car, and I doubt that either of the ones I've used will fit inside my car. Hmmm… I've had a good time on them, and it definitely gets me in the water when there are no waves, but I can't decide if I should buy one.

On Friday, it was too flat to surf and dude wasn't able to bring the SUP. By Sunday, though, I knew I needed to get in the water.  Dude B thought the waves were nice enough for him to have lessons and even believed that if I had the right board, I might be able to surf. So, I packed up "Petal," my 9'6" Senator surfboard, which I don't surf often, and headed to the 43rd St. jetty. Fortunately, Dude B brought his 10'6" SUP too. I went out on the SUP and floated around for awhile, before deciding there might be just enough waves for me to go out on Petal. I got her out of the car, and I was glad I did. The waves were very small … so small, in fact, that I had to paddle really hard to get into them. In the end, though, I found a few small waves to surf. It may not have been pretty, but it sure was fun.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will have something to play on this weekend wave-wise. Not completely sure that I will, but we will see. The surf forecast projects waves all weekend. The weather forecaster, though, also predicts some bad weather. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I might even go take a look at the local surf shops to see if I can check out an SUP. Again, I will have to figure out how I will carry it. But, just going to take a look at them will be an adventure. And, I love adventure!

Squeezing In Surf Time

Beautiful blue skies, clear aqua water and clean waves make my heart smile. If I squint real hard, I have that every time I get to go surfing. Of course, in reality, I might have the blue skies, but the clear water and clean waves can be hard to come by. I take what I can get though. As I've moaned before, the good waves rarely appear on the weekend, which means I have to take what I can get. Last week, I made the trek down to Gtown after work on a Monday evening, because I could see a little surf on the webcam. It was rough and quite a few people were already out, so instead of surfing at 43rd as I usually do, I went out at 36th. I surfed for about two hours until it was almost too dark to see. It was a great way to end the day. 

SUPing is fun when I can't surf.

By the time the next weekend rolled around, surf had disappeared…at least on Friday. Saturday kicked up very rough, but un-surfable waves so a running friend and I decided to go paddle boarding. She had always wanted to do it, and I knew I wanted to get wet. So, I contacted surf Dude (aka Brian) and discussed either renting a couple of his SUPs or asking him to give us an SUP lesson. He was more than happy to do it and took us out to 99th street -- the bay behind the golf course. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we had a great time. Neither of us fell, and because the water was so calm in the bay, we didn't struggle to get up or find our place in the water as I had the previous times I had SUP'ed in the wavy Gulf. We floated through the water, laughed and paddled into some of the canals. Later I learned that gators hide out in the marshy area, which was a little alarming and may stop me from heading back to that area again. My friend said she was more frightened of snakes, which also had never crossed my mind. Fortunately, we made it out of the bay unscathed by the experience. But, although I will SUP again, I will definitely have to think twice before going out at 99th. 

This weekend, I made my first surf trip to Surfside. Many Houston surfers believe that Surfside is THE surf spot. On Friday, I loaded up and headed down. Waves were rough and the current was strong that day in Galveston, and the conditions were no different in Surfside. It's a new surf break for me, so I wasn't sure where or how to get to the outside. I saw three surfers outside, but most were just playing on the inside whitewater. I opted for the second choice since it was my first trip. I had a rough time even doing that. I don't know the beach, so I wasn't quite sure where to line up. Because the current was so strong, I got pushed quite a ways down the beach right from the start. I caught a small wave in and walked back down to my original spot. Basically, I fought the current the whole time…and watched the guys on the outside. I only stayed a little over an hour, but I plan to go back. I'm hoping to connect with some gals from Chica Brava, whom I've never met, but seem pretty cool through email and social media. 

Yesterday (Sunday), I surfed at my "home break." Again, the current was strong and the wind was

ridiculous, but I just had to get wet. I took the rip out and caught the first wave coming my way. It reminded me why I love to surf. I rode the wave forever, and even though my subsequent "rides" were weak and pretty awful, that one ride rejuvenated my soul. I can't wait to surf again!

Flat water, SUPs and a full weekend

We are definitely in the doldrums (no waves), although SwellInfo is predicting a comeback this Thursday (2+ waves...yes, we/I get excited about 2+ waves...sad, but true). I was determined to get into the water this week, so when Friday afternoon rolled around, I arranged to go stand up paddleboarding after work. When I arrived in Galveston, I realized, though, that I should have brought my 9'. I think I had enough to do a little surfing. The waves were breaking on the inside of the jetty, but they were somewhat consistent, arriving in sets. I didn't have a board though. Brian said he would go home and trade in the paddleboards for surfboards, but I told him it wasn't worth it, that I could get the workout I needed on the paddleboard. Well, what an eye-opening experience that was! I hadn't SUP'd in very rough waters before. It had always been flat and calm, but, like life, the unplanned, choppy water made things a little difficult. I got out and up, but trying to catch waves with the paddle proved hard to me. I was bounced off numerous times, and I was lucky not to lose my cap or my new surf sunglasses. Again, like life, I think I need a lot more practice.

My weekend was a busy one. I cycled to work on Friday, went SUP'ing in the afternoon, rode 42 miles early Saturday, ran 4.4 miles mid-morning Saturday (note to self: it's too darn hot to run at 10:15 a.m.) and then cycled another 66 miles on Sunday at the Tour de Braz. Although, surfing and cycling are my passions, I need to start making running more of a priority as I train for the San Francisco Half Marathon (7/31). I need to increase my distance and somehow work it into a regular training regimen. I bought a Garmin to help me track my times and distances(note pic above). But, more than a Garmin, I need discipline when it comes to running. Again, in comparison with life, I have to learn that the things we want don't come easily, that they require an investment of time and hard work. Ummm...is it possible that cycling and surfing are favorites because I feel better while doing them and because I can't be as contemplative? Is it possible that I have too much idle brain time while running and, therefore, am forced to think about uncomfortable things?

Oh well, I need to figure all these things out. Maybe, surfing uncertain waves will help me do that in a way that running cannot. I'm just all over the place with this post. ummm...