Wind, Waves and Wintry Weather

Once upon a time, a gal wanted to strengthen her surf skills so she decided to pick a couple of days week to chase waves. However, because of the beach she was forced to choose, she didn't get to hone her skills the way she had hoped. Oh well! The past few weekends have been flat. The waves have

I was forced to wear a 5-4 wetsuit. Brrr...

only made an appearance at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays when I'm at work. But this weekend was a little different. A strong south wind had sprung up by the end of last week and by Saturday, it had kicked up quite a bit of action. Surf forecasters had said that by Saturday afternoon, the waves would be head high. Several of my surf friends on Facebook were excitedly anticipating the waves and posting their surf plans. I decided I would need to wait until Sunday because of conflicting Saturday plans. And the forecast for Sunday was going to be about the same.

I was in the water by 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Several surfers were already out, and I stood on the seawall a few minutes to see how I would go out. The waves were crazy. They looked big, but soft. I was just trying to figure out how to get out past the rough waves to the outside. And, that would be my biggest dilemma for the day. I took the rip current out the first couple of times and had no trouble, but after about 45 minutes, the waves got even rougher. The rip current even got a little rough. The tide and the wind kept pushing me into the jetty, which I hate because the barnacles and rocks cut my hands and feet. I was tired before I made it all the way out. I decided to just stay on the inside to catch re-forms or white water, which included some fun waves. However, I am a little disappointed that I couldn't make it out, and I'm angry with myself for giving up. I should have kept trying to get to the outside, forcing myself to swim past/through the waves. On hindsight, I'm worried that I gave up too soon. Although, the air temp was in the low 70s, the water rep was still quite cold. Because of that, I was forced to wear my 5-4 wetsuit, which also seems to make it more difficult to paddle because it constricts my movement a little. Can't wait until it gets warm enough to either wear a 3-2 or not even need a wetsuit. I'm definitely ready for spring/summer.

Surf reports for this weekend show another weekend of waves, with 5+ foot waves forecasted. Not sure if the report will hold, but I think there will be some sort of wave action. Right now it is FLAT, but a slight wind shift is all that is needed for the waves to be generated. I'll just have to wait and see how big the waves get.

Inconsistent Waves and Lots to Do

As usual, winter proves to be a difficult time to guess about the waves. If the north wind comes through strong enough, nice, clean waves are available. But, the weather has been so bizarre that the north winds are either too strong or too weak to create waves of any worth. It's also seemed so unusually cold this year. Case in point: last week, I looked at various webcams and saw some waves. They weren't the prettiest waves, but they were surfable, and I needed to get wet. Well, I think the water temperature has been hovering around 55 degrees, so I was definitely out in my 5-4. I hate having to surf in a 5-4.  My movements are hindered, and it is a pain in the behind putting on and taking off. Ran into a few people that I met through Facebook, and they seemed to be having a good time. But, they too, complained about how cold it was, the good and bad about wearing booties, and the uncertainty of the waves.  I went out at 36th Street, and because the waves were fairly weak and because I'm not the best surfer, I only caught a couple of waves. Many were having trouble, so I didn't feel so bad. But, I sure miss catching nice waves.

Waves are calling…somewhere.

I'm dreaming of travel again. I've looked up some warm places to travel that might be inexpensive and easy to travel to, and that might have surf. I could fly back to Ixtapa, Mexico, and go to Troncones, but I think I would be nervous going alone or with just a friend. So, then I thought about Cancun. I would feel pretty safe traveling there, but I'm not sure the waves are great. I found a couple of surf schools, which I think I mentioned in a previous post, but I'm just not convinced the surf would be very good. What to do, what to do…

One thing I can do during these winter months is build stamina and upper body strength. I've started a 28-day challenge for doing planks. I'm on day 8, and I've already skipped a couple because I've forgotten, but I'm now back on track and must stay in plank for a minute, building to three minutes by the end of the month. I certainly see how doing plank can help with surfing, as well as my other sports of running and cycling. Most sports require a strong core, and the planks are one of the best ways of getting that core. From the plank position, I can practice the pop-up. I certainly could use more practice with the pop-up. I think I'll be practicing that forever.

Please send some waves my way!

Yoga, Running and Very Cold Water

Several years ago, I was a yoga convert. I started taking it when someone decided to hold yoga sessions in one of the classrooms during lunchtime at work. I wasn't sure I would like it, but there was lot of hype about how good it was for you. I remember thinking that it can't be that great because people taking it don't sweat. I found out after a few sessions that I was wrong. Not only was it quite a workout,   it also helped me to strengthen my core, something that is incredibly helpful for any sport, including surfing. I wasn't surfing at the time though. I was cycling then, and it helped me to get faster on the bike. However, I did get a couple of yoga sessions when I went to Chica Brava Surf Camp, and each time I had a session, I seemed to have a better day in the water. I decided last Tuesday and Thursday, on a whim, to go to the yoga class at my gym. I felt better than I had for the previous four days. As I've mentioned before, I'm training for a marathon, so I've been doing quite a bit of running. For some reason, my runs for the past couple of weeks have resulted in lots of leg pain. I don't have time for "rest" since my marathon is in just a few days. So, yoga was the next best thing to rest. And, it was a miracle. My leg felt great. At least, for a few hours…

I ran the Chevron Houston Marathon today.  It has required a lot of training, a lot of long, painful runs.

My 2015 Chevron
Houston Marathon
Finisher's Medal

I was both nervous and excited as the day approached. I really never know how I will do. I wanted to run it faster than I did last year, and I did by 10 minutes. My leg hurt a little at the start, but was much better than it had bee. The yoga must have helped. Of course, none of this really has anything to do with surfing. I haven't been surfing in about two weeks. I went out on the 3rd this month. It was definitely quite cold. Water temp is lower than I remember it being since I started surfing.  Right now, I think it is hovering around 48 degrees. And, with the air temp around the same or slightly above, it makes it downright miserable to surf. I went anyway though. I surfed some beautiful waves. Many surfers were out. It was a Saturday, and I had just finished a 15-mile run.  I was wearing my 5-4 wetsuit, but had chosen not to wear booties or gloves. Needless to say, I only lasted about two hours before I was freezing and had to get out of the water.  After that, I thought I probably should stay away from surfing until after the marathon. I had trained too hard and didn't want to get hurt or sick before the big day. I'm on the final countdown right now, and, so, I'm avoiding large crowds lest I get around someone sick, and staying away from any activity that might be dangerous for me right now. I can't afford to get hurt. Although, I must admit that I miss surfing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the water will warm up and waves will form and I can go surfing again soon.