No surfing this week..

The cold snap this past week made it impossible to surf; not just because it is so darn cold that I don't want to even think about getting in the water, wetsuit or not, but also because it flattened out the surf. No waves, so, naturally, no surfing. I visited with my friend Robin this week. We are planning a short trip to Mexico. While I was at her house, she showed me a new yoga for surfers video that she recently ordered online from Netflix. Yoga...I definitely need more of that. Right now, my training for surfing is a a lot of spinning, some weight-bearing exercise and as much cycling as I can get. I used to swim several mornings, but I have found that the swimming exercise isn't as good for me, believe it or not, as the weights. The weights are increasing my swimming on the board. I think yoga will help me overcome the severe muscle memory I have from riding bikes in a slightly, hunched position for so long. I need to be able to arch my back more for the swim out. When I watch the really good surfers, they all have great form on their swim out. They arch their backs and make it look effortless. Just got to keep on practicing!

Holiday surfing

Fortunately, I get the week off between Christmas and New Year's. Unfortunately, the weather doesn't always cooperate 'cause it is usually just cold and rainy during week 52. This week was no different, but that didn't stop me from going surfing on Wednesday and Thursday. With my 5-4 wetsuit, surfing in the cold isn't a problem. The only issue is the strip-down after we finish surfing because, by then, my hands are so cold that doing anything that requires finger dexterity is nearly impossible. That 10 minutes could, quite possibly, be the coldest 10 minutes of my life. As ridiculous as that may sound, it is exactly how I feel. And, because I'm wet, my booties are suctioned to my feet and require a lot of pulling and tugging. My wetsuit literally fits me like a glove so that removing it is like peeling off a layer of skin. It's definitely a two-person job, and I'm lucky to have my surfing dudettes Andrea and/or Robin, as well as Brian to come to my rescue when I, literally, get into a pinch.

This week, while Andrea and I were out surfing, Andrea's husband, James, showed up and shot some photos. He got some fabulous photos of Andrea catching waves!! She was even able to successfully post one as her Facebook photo. She looks great. He caught a couple of me also; especially one of me doing the pop up completely wrong. Instead of popping up on both feet, I'm moving to one knee first, which is a complete waste of time and downright goofy-looking, and it has nothing to do with my anchor foot (I'm a goofy-footer, so that last sentence was my attempt at humorous sarcasm). Brian wants me to call him so we can critique the photos, but I haven't had the time to do that yet. Although, I really don't need a critique as I can see my positioning issue. I'm practicing my pop up now on the living room floor, but even though I can do it in the comfort of my home doesn't mean I will naturally do it right out on the board. Not sure what to do about that one, but I'm willing to take any suggestions!

Melancholy surfer

Melancholy is the best word to describe the way I often feel in December...especially during the holidays. This year has found me even more reflective and, possibly, remorseful for things I either have or haven't done. On a positive note, I've managed to learn how to surf, and even discovered that I love it. I've also kept a promise to myself to keep writing on this blog. It's been quite cathartic for me actually. I'm not sure who, if anyone, actually reads it, but it doesn't matter. I enjoy writing it. I've made new and wonderful friends this year, including my surfing guru Brian, world-class surfer and lady Ashley, my surfing instructors Melissa and Maite and several other surfers from all over the world. Unfortunately, I've also met people who have disappointed me, who have pretended to be nice and kind, but aren't who they have been in my mind. I have a tendency to create lives for people I meet and to make those lives fit into the people I want them to be. And, when that doesn't happen, I am very disappointed. Perhaps, they never really were the people I needed them to be so the fault is not theirs, but rather mine. Nevertheless, the pain one feels when that happens is very real. I'm blabbing on and on about something that has nothing to do with surfing, and this is a blog about surfing, so perhaps I should at least try to make a comparison to a wave. Sometimes, paddling out can be difficult, but then I think that if it's that rough to get out, the payoff will be good. But, that's not always the case. I'll paddle out past the pier and then I get in position to wait for my wave. I look over my shoulder and wait, until what seems to be the perfect wave heads my way. But, because I'm such a beginner, what may seem to be the perfect wave might actually close out quickly tossing me off my board. It wasn't the wave I thought it would be or needed it to be. Of course, there are times that it turns out to be the perfect wave and I get a great ride. So, I never know really until it's on me. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's crystal clear that the waves are good. They are what they seem to be. It's just those other "uncertain" times that can be disillusioning. Here's hoping that I get a little better at telling the difference between the good and the bad in both waves and "friends."

SUNDAY SURF UPDATE: While things looked quite flat earlier this morning, by mid-morning the waves were returning. So I loaded up my Daisy and took her for a twirl. Although the sets were few and far between, good waves were abundant for the patient surfer. Many of the local surfers were willing to wait for the right wave, so I definitely had a lot of company. We all had on our 5-4 wetsuits and booties 'cause the water was quite chilly. It's amazing though how quickly I warm up when I get in the water! It was definitely worth it.