Saturday morning swim with the Oxnard swimmers

Kelly and I got up at 0500 to meet at Theo's house to go over to the beach to swim with his group.  We met Tom, Stacey, Tamie, and John.   We got out past the surf and I looked back and Kelly was back on the beach so I told the group to go ahead and I would stay back with Kelly.  I swam back, and realized that I had passed heading in.  It was still dusk and apparently his goggles fell off and he went to put the light stick back on the beach since his goggles weren't available to place behind his head.  I swam back out past the surf to him and we talked for a bit while he did side stroke.   He was so comfortable with sidestroke that his preference is with that stroke.

I looked towards the pier at the north and saw the group way up ahead.  I thought that I'd try and catch up since Kelly said he was just going to go between the two jettys that were right there near the beach.  I attempted to catch up, but lost sight of them.  The sun was still not up over the horizon and I looked back for Kelly and couldn't see him.  I turned around swam back.  Still couldn't find him.  Then I looked to the beach and the sun was just popping up making it so I could barely see where we started from.  I decided to head back in and see if perhaps Kelly had got out, or what.

I swam back to the start and the total time spent in the water for me was 36 minutes.  Kelly wasn't there and so I quickly got dressed and went back out to the beach with my binoculars.  He was just coming back in.  We met up with some other swimmers wearing wetsuits.  Triathlon people.  They were very friendly and Kelly talked to them about his Anacapa attempt and encouraged them to try it too.  I admire the way Kelly can just walk up and talk to anybody.  He's a very outgoing person and that's awesome.  Me, I'm a social moron.

We went back to the hotel, gathered our stuff and took the Pacific Coast Highway back to LA enjoying the coast and talking quite a bit.  Kelly is a very passionate person.  He is greatly involved in his political beliefs.  We think similarly about government and our standings.  Except I'm just not passionate about it.   I have so many things on my plate that I haven't been able to balance family, work, church, and personal stuff very well and then throw in other things, although important things, onto my plate as well.  I have to prioritize and unfortunately I just don't have the energy, time or resources to give attention to everything regardless of their huge worthiness.

I was sad to say goodbye to him.  I thoroughly enjoyed bonding with the man and admire and respect him.  I look forward to working with him in accomplishing his swimming related goals and visions.

Total Swim: 36 minutes (1 miles)