Defining What is Possible

What a fantastically magical day this was in the water. Where do I even start? I got home over an hour ago and got caught up with work stuff and now that I am writing this and recalling the swim, I find myself returning to the ocean in my mind and getting emotional thinking of what I saw and felt.

I left a little after ten o’clock and the day is pristine. The sun is shining and there is not a single cloud in the sky. As I drive past Doheny and arrive at the Strand parking lot, the water looks more calm than it did yesterday and it was fairly calm yesterday. There is some haze on the horizon hiding Catalina Island from view. It is peaceful here and the sounds I hear are birds, the breeze in the leaves on the trees and the surf on the beach.

I’m trying to keep a positive mindset around the water temperature as I walk down the stairs. Looking at the buoys this morning, temps are up a degree. What was 53 yesterday is 54 today. Oceanside is the big winner moving from 55 to 58. Too bad there is no time for a road trip today. I was inspired today, as I am on many days, by Jennifer Brown who I follow on social media and who regularly swims in New York at Long Beach. Today she said the water was 42 degrees and she is lounging in the water as if it is a spa. She is speaking on a video in a calm and collected voice. She is waxing poetic about the beauty of her environment. She also participates in official ice swimming events where you literally swim in a hole in the ice. I have swam in what I consider to be cold water here in Dana Point and I have never ever once seen ice or snow on the ground or water.

What can I learn from Jennifer? Well there is certainly an element of body adaptation. I definitely notice that 55 degree water one week is warmer than 55 degree water the week before. However, I honestly believe a huge amount of stamina and enjoyment can be gained from the right mindset. My very first winter here I learned that the way to get along in the cold water is not to resist it or even try to wish it away but to relax and be curious about it. I believe the body is capable of things many believe impossible and it is our beliefs that define what is possible. For centuries, no one could run a sub 4 minute mile. Someone did it and before you know it, it’s done frequently because people realized it was within the realm of possibility. So I keep thinking, if Jennifer can swim in 42 degree water, I can do 54. We are both members of the same Human species. Don’t get me wrong, if I feel overwhelmed, I’ll leave the water, but while I am in it, how can I embrace the experience to its fullest and yield the maximum amount of goodness from the swim?

Lets get down these stairs and find out! The tide seems lower as it rises from a -0.2 and miraculously there is more sand on the beach. The step down from the concrete ramp is about 6 inches shorter today than yesterday. I walk what feels like a considerable distance to reach the water and it still feels darn cold. Not a problem. It can’t be any colder than it was yesterday.

The water in the shallows is super clear. The waves are smaller today than yesterday and it just looks so beautiful all around. It’s not summer but it looks like what one would imagine a perfect Summer mid-morning would look like. Once I am at the edge of the surf, I dive in and start to swim. Today I try to imagine my whole body opening up to the feeling of the water and being completely receptive to whatever it has to give. I feel my throat grow stiff but I feel very noticeably stronger than I did yesterday. My legs go through a brief period of fatigue but they bounce back pretty quickly. After about 10 minutes I am totally comfortable.

As I swim and raise my head to see the shore, everything about this place feels full of nurturing energy. What bad thing could possibly happen here? Of course this is the ocean and I won’t kid myself but I will allow myself to indulge in these vibes of well being while they are here for the taking. The water is so smooth and it is quite clear in spots and I watch the kelp sway and dance and yield to my forward movement. I’m feeling good. I can feel warmer spots in the water where yesterday it just seemed extremely cold everywhere. I’m hoping to get in a full swim today but won’t hold myself to it if I feel like I’m faltering.

As I near the south end of the beach, I veer westward to avoid the waves. They break way offshore here but they are pretty small and don’t cause me any anxiety. The ocean floor here is a smooth sandy bottom. When I reach my usual turn around point, I pause and I am amazed that I am in shoulder high water. This is way out past the big rock. The tide is low but not unseasonably low. I have never seen the water so shallow here. There must have been some sand accumulation here to account for this. Everything I see here is stunning. It feels like a gift just to be here because it is. There are so many rocks that are usually submerged standing tall above the water. I enjoy watching the gentle waves break here and feeling them push me high above the floor and then drop me back down.

Well it’s time to head back north. I’m feeling good. I swim through these cuttingly cold spots but I know that there will be a warmer reprieve waiting for me just ahead. Exactly where, I do not know, but it will come soon enough and surely it does. I pass by the spot where I started and it is clear that I have it in me to proceed to the north end of the beach. I am losing dexterity in my hands but I’m fine. I focus on the kicking of my legs as they propel me forward. I get to the north end and notice there is what looks like a surfing competition event at Salt Creek. Lots of tents on the shore and someone talking over a loud speaker. I linger here for a bit and then head back for the final stretch.

Once I’m about three fourths of the way to the finish, I pass through a stalk of kelp and a dolphin suddenly appears right in front of me. I mean RIGHT in front of me. I can clearly see it’s entire form beneath the surface. It is amazing. It swims across my front and then circles back right by me and rises above the surface. I just can’t grab my camera fast enough to get a good shot. I get one but it’s all out of whack. I realize there are a whole bunch of dolphins right here - maybe 10. They all just swim around right here for a good while and I probably wade here for about five minutes. In these five minutes, I have no awareness of cold water. The dolphins are all that I see or know to be. Eventually they are just gone and the day returns to me just as I left it, which is in pretty fabulous shape.

In just a few minutes, I am walking again towards dry sand. I grab my pack and proceed to the parking lot all the while in a state of semi-disbelief of what I just experienced.