Cold fronts, waves, timing and more

(photo from a flat picnic day ... notice those clouds)

I mentioned in my past blog post ... in fact ... in several past blog posts that my timing is really off when it comes to taking off in the waves. Well, I can say my timing is off in other areas as well. For instance, even though I can surf most days now, I still miss some days of surf by not logging on to the cams at the right time. I have a little more times these days to prep, but I still seem to forget something or miss something simply because of bad timing. 

This fall, I have had the opportunity to surf more than I have during the past few years because of retirement. I have even been able to make the trek to Gtown as the cold fronts are coming through. For instance, last week, I made it down just in time for some beautiful waves to roll in. They were probably waist-to-chest high. I paddled out easily to find a spot in the crowded line up. I paddled more to the east, closer to the 41st street jetty. Although the waves looked beautiful from the seawall, by the time I paddled out, my perspective changed. They were still beautiful sets, but from my position on the board in the line-up ... especially when paddling in prone position and looking back, I thought the waves looked HUGE.  Not sure why it bothered me so much or looked so big to me, but I suddenly thought I needed to paddle in. 

During my paddle in, I lined up with another surfer. He made small talk and I told him to I was paddling in to play in whitewater because I was freaking out due to the size. He urged me to hang in and even tried to get me to paddle into a wave. On hindsight, I wish I would have. I caught a couple of small waves ... mostly whitewater, but I'd give anything to go back to that day so that I could attempt to paddle into those waves. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to pop up fast enough. I've been watching pop up videos and practicing, yet again, on the imaginary line on my living room floor. I had been worried that I developed some bad habits, and that I was popping up incorrectly by bringing my back leg up first. I watched videos, and was particularly pleased to see that one of the videos described the pop up the same way I typically did it by bringing the back leg up first. The video warned that this particular method would only work on a longboard and could not be done as quickly as some of the other methods. All this time, I had been trying to change my method. Most suggest that you bring your front leg up and then slide the base leg forward. I haven't been doing it that way in a very long time. I felt relieved seeing it in a "how to" video. I have not been back out since seeing the video and strengthening the pop up I was already using.

I mentioned in a previous post about me skateboarding -- more specifically, land paddling. I think it will help me with my surfing since it lets me practice my balance and my stance. As I found by land paddling, I need to bend my knees more, sit back a little and let the rest come naturally. I need that to transfer to my surfing. Wish me luck!

Timing, timing, timing ...

 (https://youtu.be/5bhmDaYfj5I)

Now that I'm retired, I should have more time on my hands. And, I guess I do, but it sure gets away from me. I forget the day and I definitely forget the time. Just the other day I made the mistake of going to the grocery store at 5:30 p.m. I was surprised at how packed it was until I realized that everyone was off of work and doing their on-the-way-home shopping. My timing was definitely off that day.

This week, Galvestonians and Houstonians focused on the weather. Hurricane Delta had crossed into the Gulf and was scheduled to strengthen. Forecasters promised that the trajectory of the storm would change and, thankfully for us, it did. Louisiana folks weren't quite as lucky, and they braced for their second storm in a month. These storms are definitely causing stress for everyone, but they are also providing some waves to all of us Gtown/Surfside/Corpus Christi surfers. During this particular storm, I made it to Gtown on Thursday evening with a friend from my former job and paddled into waves that were knee-to-waist-high and borderline clean. While they got quite big on Friday, they didn't clean up again until late Friday. I think a couple of very skilled, local surfers were waiting on the shore for these momentary clean waves. I watched on the cam. Much to my surprise, I noticed on a couple of the wave forecasts that the forecast for Saturday called for clean knee- to thigh-high waves. Those are my kind of waves ... perfect in size. I couldn't believe it, nor could most who thought it would either be flat or too rough still, but I knew I wanted to be ready for early Saturday morning just in case. And, I was sure glad that I was. The waves were beautiful, California-esque sets that could be read and rode. The only unfortunate thing about this outing was my inability to paddle into the waves -- timing -- something I've struggled with for a long time.

On Saturday, I was determined not to be pushed out of the line by more aggressive surfers. I shouldn't have worried about it because the sets and the waves were long and generous. There was room for everyone and defined sets and waves long enough and spaced out enough for many to ride. I can say that I caught two solid waves, but I should have been able to catch more of them because they were so perfect. I almost caught a couple of them, but probably stopped paddling too soon. My friend Brian says I need to paddle sooner. What's odd is that I didn't have as much trouble last year, but suddenly this year, I'm struggling. My timing is off. My surf friend Dave was having the same trouble on Saturday, not able to catch a wave. Some in the lineup were catching everything heading their way. A couple of others were catching every other wave. I don't have any trouble riding the line once I catch the waves, but I don't want to have to wait for the wave to break before I catch it. I've watched videos, but I think the only way to really learn the timing is to surf .... surf .... surf, which I hope to do this fall.

To practice my footwork ON the board, I have taken up skateboarding. I bought my first longboard earlier this summer. It is a 6'6" Hamboards Classic. I love it and it is perfect for land paddling. Since then, I've bought a shorter 4'2" Braap Big Wheel Fiberglass Camber Longboard that is a low profile longboard with large narrow wheels, which provide a softer ride. I also bought a 19" Bamboo Egg Longboard, which is actually a mini longboard. It's much easier to carry than my Classic longboard, but it is also harder to maneuver on the cracks in the parking lot in which I practice. Ninety percent of the time I use my Classic, and I really believe it helps me find my balance and maneuver my surfboard. I love it! 

For the past few years, I also have been considering buying a GoPro. I searched Amazon and couldn't convince myself to buy a $350 camera. I bought a $70 no-name action camera instead. It came with a small bag of accessories, which I love. The clip attached is from the camera and shows me practicing my turns on the Classic. I still struggle with the right-hand turn, which is not that unusual for a goofy-footer like me.

Timing in Life and Surf

Sometimes, especially
as I'm training for my
marathon, I might be safer
riding one of these.

Last Wednesday evening I decided I needed some time in the water. Surf reports weren't bad so I loaded up after work and drove to 36th street and Seawall. The waves were a little bit of a mess, but, after all, it's May in Galveston, Texas. These kind of waves is what is expected this time of year. I made my way down to the rough and tumble surf, went out and caught a wave right away. The session lost its charm after that. I would catch a wave every now and then, but many times I misjudged when the waves were heading my way.  I would either think they were coming through nice and strong, paddle for them and then be disappointed, or I wouldn't think they were going to form and watch fairly nice waves pass me by. I got caught on the inside early on and wiped out 'causing me and the board to separate and the board to pop in the air and land much too close to my foot and leg, and, in fact, hit my foot. Although I felt pain at the time of the accident, it wasn't until I ran 20 miles two days later that I realized I might have done some damage. My foot has been swollen since that time. Timing is bad for me to have a swollen foot since I'm only approximately three weeks from running in my first full marathon.

The foot didn't slow me down though. I cycled on Saturday, surfed again on Sunday, and completed the three-day Memorial Day weekend with a bike ride on Monday. My Sunday surf session might have been slightly more successful than my Wednesday surf session. I caught some waves despite the fact that the waves were a jumbled mess. I ran into a couple of surf buddies who I hadn't seen in awhile, which made the surf session even more fun. I kept noticing my foot though, which would swell up pretty big by evening. I think it is only severely bruised, but I'm certainly going to keep an eye on it.

I have several major things going on around me in life these days. Sometimes I just need to surf or ride or run to work through it. I'm losing a dear friend who is moving to another country. I hope we can continue to be close despite the distance. I've got a lot of change going on right now, so the timing of her move seems wrong for me and yet, seems consistent with an ever-changing world. I hope the timing is right for her!

Reconnecting with Roxanne

Friday waves were a little
disorganized, but at least we
had enough wind for them.

What a spectacular weekend! I had the opportunity to participate in all of my sports. The Gulf is still pretty flat, but, on Friday, rumor had it there were a few waves. Actually, the "surf dude" called me early on Friday and said that the waves were not bad, verifying the rumor as fact. Of course, by the time I made it down at around 2:15 p.m., the wind had shifted and it was kind of mess. But, hey, I can't complain: WE STILL HAD SURFABLE WAVES! I loaded Roxanne as soon as I got home from work and headed to the island. I drove down the Seawall looking for the best spot, and the waves were better around 36th Street, but because of summer crowds, there was no place to park. So, I drove back to 45th.

I paddled out in the rip current and immediately caught a wave. My timing was good and the ride was spectacular. Of course, I struggled after that. The waves were small and weak AND a little jumbled, so reading which waves to go for was difficult. The "dude" came out to surf with me about 3 p.m., and he made it look easy. It had been a little over two weeks since I had been out, and although that doesn't seem like a long time, when a person is still figuring out the intricacies of a new sport and on a new board, practices means everything. The "dude" caught three waves to my every one. At one point, he said that I wasn't paddling for waves soon enough. I know he's right. I almost always wait a little too late. Part of the problem on Friday was that a few of the times I paddled for a wave, the wave would fizzle out before it made it to me, leaving me worn out and deflated. So, I would wait until I could tell that the wave would make it almost all the way to me, which is way too late. I saw B lose waves, but I could also tell that he had a sixth sense about which waves would stay together until they made it to him. I caught several more waves, but missed several too. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I know I still need to practice; in particular, I'm still looking down rather than out when I surf. I HATE THAT! Also, about every third ride I have an awkward pop-up that leaves me feeling like a bird with peg legs struggling to find my balance. I'm able to salvage the ride, but I hate that it happens. I'm very successful turning my board to the left because I'm a goofy-foot, but I also need to practice going right. Oh, there's just so much for me to learn and practice! I hate it that this summer has been so flat.

I heard the waves returned briefly on Saturday, but Saturday is my run/ride day. And, since I have a half marathon coming up soon, I need the cardio. I was hoping to surf again today (Sunday), but it was too flat. In fact, B had to cancel his lessons. The forecast is dismal for the rest of the week, but I'm hoping that changes soon.

Books! I'm looking for a new surfing book to read. The hardest part about choosing surfing books is making sure that you choose one that actually shares valuable information and isn't just a lame story. One of the best I read so far was "The Wave" by Susan Casey, which I read about two years ago. I haven't found another really good one since. But, who knows... I'll just keep looking.  I'll have a little bit of time to do just that. I've been spending a lot of the evening hours watching the Tour de France. It finished today (a Brit won!), so I'll have some spare evening time once again.

Another cold ride - Just do it!

Winter riding can be miserable. Getting warm and staying warm can be difficult. To continue training for surfing, I must keep up my normal activities, so although it was quite chilly, I managed to bundle up for a 60-mile bicycle ride today. Arm warmers, knee warmers and a vest made the start of the ride a little more comfortable. About ten miles in, though, I had to get rid of the vest. The wind was cold, but every once in awhile, the sun would peak through just enough to warm me up for a few moments. The group was big, probably because of those training for the upcoming MS150. A bigger group means more people to help pull in the paceline. We definitely go a little faster as a group. Although I managed to stay with the 21 mph group most of the way, I eventually pulled out to wait for friends. Today's ride was definitely about finding the right spot in the line. Being too far back, can easily cause a rider to be dropped. That's what happened to my friends. They weren't able to find the right spot in the line. I suspect that catching a wave while surfing will also have to do with timing. Throughout life, much of what happens can have to do with where you are at a particular moment just like in the ride. Finding the right spot at the right time is sometimes beyond one's control, but, often times, we have the ability to choose our spot. I need to remember that being in the right place at the right time can, occasionally, be up to me.