Overcast and breezy this Saturday morning. Started off with a 6 mile run to the end of the jetty road and back. The water looked pretty textured and jumbly and I could tell that today’s swim was going to be a rougher ride than the past few swims, but that is totally ok!

On the jetty rocks I found two canvases with these pretty paintings of the sun. I didn’t want to take them but snapped a photo instead.

I head to the beach at about 9:30 and the skies were still completely overcast. I wasn’t sure if I’d see things burn off before my swim ended.

I stopped at Trader Joes for some apples and there was an accident while I was inside that completely blocked traffic to the freeway on Camino De Los Mares so I took the scenic route via Vaquero and PCH. Before I was born, my grandparents owned a home on Vaquero somewhere between the 5 and the beach that they bought for some ridiculously low price.

When I got to San Juan Creek, it was still overcast but you could tell the sun was getting ready to make an appearance. It probably just needed to brush its teeth and put on some clean underwear.

I arrive at the Strand parking lot and it is definitely a different vibe from yesterday’s summertime fantasy, but the air is pleasant and I know it’s gonna be a great swim. This breeze is coming from the South East. That means the water is only gonna get warmer.

I get to the beach and get in the water. Sure its cloudy and breezy but this water feels good.

I head South and I am definitely going against the traffic. It’s a good thing I was thirsty.

I get to the South end and I can see the clouds beginning to burn off in earnest. I head North and feel like I just stepped onto the train. As I look to the side I can see myself moving with the waves.

The time it takes to get to the North end definitely seems to pass quickly. As I look out to sea I see lots of blue sky and a thick bank of clouds.

When I make my final sprint to the South I feel like my energy output has steeply increased. Am I even moving? I notice Bob Marley to my left and it recedes into the distance so I am definitely making some headway. I’ll get there eventually.

It actually feels like it happens pretty fast. I get to shore and it is grown to become a beautiful day. Not that it wasn’t beautiful before but now it’s really showing me something.