2025 - a look back.

 2025 a look back at the year!

2025 was another fantastic year for Team Asha - we had 80+ athletes taking part in a multitude of events. Open Water Swims included: Alcatraz, Bridge to Bridge, Donner Lake Swim, Santa Cruz Wharf, Gull Park, Coyote Point Park. 

Triathlons included: Tri Santa Cruz sprint and Olympic, Santa Cruz Triathlon Sprint, Santa Cruz 70.3, Oregon 70.3, Ironman California 140.6. 

It was great fun to train with a big group of athletes, 25+ of our team participated in the Santa Cruz 70.3 (Half Ironman) and the team was supported with a huge cheering squad! 

Santa Cruz 70.3 finishers.

7 of us started the Full Ironman in Sacramento, CA - including 3 first timers! Once again we had a big support group turn out and cheer the athletes on the 11 to 16 hour race! Huge congratulations to all the finishers and a big thank you to the cheering squad. Great to see growth in this grueling distance event.

All in all a great year for the program. 2025 was my 21st year of coaching Team Asha - it was also the last year. I decided that it was a good time to move on and let the next generation take over. I will still be part of the team, but as an athlete only. Over the years we have groomed coaches from within the program who understand the needs of the team, I look forward to seeing them take the team and the program to new highs. My best wishes to all of them and the mentors, coords, volunteers. 

My year was pretty active with a host of swims, runs, and triathlons.

February: San Francisco Half Marathon 13.1 miles

April: Prison to Prison 9 mile Swim (San Quentin to Alcatraz) - details below.

June: Cupertino Splash & Dash 1

July: Donner Lake 2.4 mile swim.

August: Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim (my 16th Alcatraz crossing), Cupertino Splash & Dash 2, Tri SC Swim/Run, Cruz Cruise 2 mile Open swim.

September: Santa Cruz 70.3

October: Ironman California DNF! 

Prison to Prison Swim - April 2025.

As I rolled into my 60s I decided to do a marquee swim in the San Francisco Bay. The swim is called Prison to Prison - The route is from San Quentin to Alcatraz (or the other way around, depending on the tide). The distance is about 9 miles and although it is a tide assisted swim, it is still considered one of the more challenging swims in the Bay. After signing up for it with Pacific Swim Co (the best captains and bespoke swim organizer in the Bay Area) - I began my training in earnest in December 2024. I white boarded the plan (at least the long swim days) and worked my way up to that distance. 

The challenge was getting extended times in the pool and managing longer swim in the Bay. It was a mix of swims at Aquatic Park (AP), Gull Park (GP), Coyote Point Park (CP) and Santa Cruz (SC). The AP swims were during my work lunch break - where I'd cycle from office to AP and get in a 40-50 min swim and bike back to work. The Aquatic Park Swim group (a Facebook group) was of immense help as they took care of my stuff on the bleachers while I was in the water. For CP - I'm make it there when the tides were right and often have company from my Team Asha friends - Harshita and Bunty would accompany me whenever they had the time - thank you both! 

A visit to India in Feb 2025 disrupted the training as there was no pool big enough to get long swim in at Udaipur - but in hindsight that break was a good rest for the shoulders - once back I managed to get those 3:00 and 3:30 hour swims in the pool. I kept the calorie intake simple at 50g of carbs and hour - mostly either a Gel or a sports drink that I had on the pool deck or in my swim buoy during open water swims.  

On the saw day in April I got the Horseshoe Bay (across the Golden Gate Bridge) nice and early. It was a spectacular morning! 

Golden Gate Bridge in the early AM

Sylvia, the captain who would be guiding me throughout the swim, met me and went over the route and the conditions. The coast guard said that there were whales in the bay! I was super excited and was hoping to see them from the boat or while swimming! But as luck would have it - they stayed away! Sylvia dropped me off at San Quentin - the conditions were perfect - pretty calm and the water was warmer than normal! With a swift ebb tide assist I kept up a decent pace and stopped every half hour for a quick feed (sports drink and gel) that Sylvia would toss out to me from the boat.

Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

The conditions changed with the wind and it did get choppy at times but nothing too rough. The course charted was hugging the coast near Tiburon and past Racoon Strait to Angel Island. As the protection of the land on my right would disappear, like at  Racoon Strait and the open bay past Angel Island, the winds and chop would pick up. Swirling eddies and white caps would leave me a bit confused about the direction I was going but looking up to see Sylvia smiling and pointing out the direction I had to swim was super calming and you felt totally safe out there. The views while swimming are superb, I never get tired of swimming in the bay - it is truly a unique view and we are blessed to be able to be out there. I had already swum sections of this course when I swam along the coast of Tiburon and when I did swim around Angel Island a few years ago so a lot of it was very familiar. Give my training and the swift ebb tide I covered the distance in under two and a half hours! That was much quicker than I had anticipated. I would like to thank Sylvia and Pacific Sim Co for guiding me through this swim. They are the best in the business! 

Strava snapshot.

All in all a great swim and a fantastic way to ring in my 60s :)

Ironman California (DNF)

After my last full Ironman (IM) race in 2017 (IM Canada) I had decided that this was it for me with these 140.6 races. I continue to enjoy the half Ironman events as they are easier to train for, probably healthier than the full event in the long run, and it helped me keep in shape. As the 2025 season rolled in and as I rolled over into a new age group - some of my team mates convinced me to do one more full IM with them. Although I was not really into it I convinced myself to go for it. The training was good. I managed to get some really good miles in on the bike and was feeling pretty solid. IM California is a flat course, but has had weather related issues over the last few years (heavy rain, wind, etc.). Keeping with the mantra of 'manage what is within your grasp' I tuned all that out and went into the training fully committed. The new Maurten gels and sports drink was working really well for me so I was pretty confident on getting in a decent race. I did quit the Whatsapp group as the constant weather updates was getting annoying :). 

We drove to Sacramento on Friday and met up with the Team Asha athletes for the check in, Jayant, Chalana, and I checked in together. It was Chalana, Vaidehhi, and Jayant's first Full IM and I was super excited for them. Radhika who was also training with us unfortunately picked up an injury and had to drop out at the last minute. Heartbreaking stuff - as the training and time management throughout the season takes a toll on everyone. It is only a matter of time, she will get to the finish line soon enough. 

Few of us (Sumit, Maneesh, Vishal) had booked into the Governers Inn Hotel. A decent place and walking distance to the swim start. It was perfect! The hotel had really catered to the event and had breakfast ready for us at 4:00AM! I had signed up to join the trial swim on Friday 17th - Vishal, Chalana and Jayant came along as well. It was my first swim in the American River (AR) - and I was pleasantly surprised to find it deep enough for a decent swim. 1900 yards along Discovery Park and finishing just before the AR joined the Sacramento River (SR). Water temp was 64F - very comfortable. I swam in my shorty wetsuit. We had heard that the SR was a lot colder and the flow was a lot faster than the AR and we had to be carful about that left turn as if one did not swim to the far right before the turn you would miss the buoy. Given this I had decided to wear my full wetsuit on race day.  

Rest of the weekend was uneventful, bike checked in, run and bike bags checked in. All was set. We all met for lunch and the excitement was high! The only thing that was bothered me was the lack of sleep. For some reason I just could not sleep - Friday and Saturday night I was up most of the night trying to fix the AC temp - I just tossed around in bed. Other than that I was all set.

The goal was to nail the swim, stay calm on the bike, and run a good marathon. I was in decent running shape and was looking forward to a good run. And I had intended to RUN the marathon. All my bricks were good, and I had nothing to worry about. The quote, "I never won a fight in the ring; I always won in preparation." by Muhammad Ali, is spot on - and I had trained pretty well for this. 

Swim:

Race day morning: Other than Vishal and Maneesh, we had all decided to go to the transition and check our bikes in the morning and then head to the swim start. The hotel had arranged a bus for us to get to the transition so that saved Renuka a trip in the early AM. After checking on the bikes - we took the race organized shuttle to the swim start. It was a crowded area - with a narrow chute leading into the water. We squeezed in and waited. The team looked excited and nervous - what a journey it had been for them! From learning how to tackle open water to finally getting to the start of an Ironman race! It was years in the making! It was a great day and as usual for me - all I was hoping for was for them to have a safe swim - the rest of the event is fine! They were well trained. It is always the swim that can spook folks and wishing them a safe swim was all I wished for. Once we got the the start I took off. The water was nice, I found some clean water and got into a nice rhythm. Even though we were warned about the left turn into the SR at the merge - it caught me off guard! The power of the Sacramento river was more than I had anticipated and I barely made it around the turn buoy! There were 10-12 folks hanging onto the buoy and some were really struggling to stay calm. I stayed away from those flailing arms and legs and managed to make a safe turn. The SR was not only flowing a lot faster it was also a lot colder than the AR. It was a bit of a shock and I was glad I had my full wetsuit on :). Given it was a down river swim I was done in about 63 mins. 

Swim leg

Bike:

The bike route was two loops and pretty flat. We were expecting headwinds on the second loop and I figured I'd suffer for those 26 miles :). First loop went well and I was doing fine with my nutrition (300 calories/hr) and water. I did see all our teammates, Chalana, Jayant, Maneesh, Vaidehhi on that loop and it was nice to cheer and get cheered! 

Loop 2: for some strange reason I missed the first aid station at the start of the second loop - I just did not see it! Around mile 66/70 I ran out of water and was super thirsty. I just plodded on hoping to see the next aid station. Finally I stopped at the next aid station - topped up and literally had a bath :) - around mile 80 I got really bored with the ride - it was one of those moments where I really lost interest and was hoping this was over and done with. I chatted with some other riders and just plodded on.  I kept up the calorie intake - but may have already caused an issue with hydration and electrolytes with that aid station miss. By mile 100 I just done with this ride. Such a boring course - I was hot, bored, and not enjoying this at all. I hoped the run would be better! I managed to crawl into transition - saw Ajay there - he was volunteering (an amazing person - always so helpful!) - he said 'this is your leg now, go get it!' I may have mumbled something and plodded on to the change tent :). 

Bike leg

As a great philosopher once said - 'Everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face' - that was Mike Tyson of course! :) 

Run: 

It was a weird loopy course but flat. I started well enough - but by mile 4 I knew I was not running this marathon! That really did it for me. The thought of walking 22.2 miles...ugh! As I crossed the huge Team Asha (TA) cheering squad I managed a smile - what a fantastic group! They had driven to Sacramento in the early hours to come and cheer all of us! But my race was falling apart. I knew I was in trouble as I started feeling lightheaded. Shashi came by and walked for a bit, he looked at my fingers (mildly swollen) and said "Hydration! Salt! Have some chicken soup." I stopped and had a small glass of soup and felt better. He left me to look after some of the other TA athletes. I had even forgotten to pack a headlamp! So Shashi got one for me. I saw Renuka around mile 6 she was sure I would be fine if I sat for a while and picked up the run in a bit, I had plenty of time. But mentally I was done - I just did not have the motivation to walk the rest of the way. I met Vaidehhi and she said she would walk with me "I will not let you drop out coach!" :) too cute! But knowing how things change in these long races I urged her to get going and finish - I'll be fine! She danced her way to the finish - what a super athlete and person she is! As I crossed the bridge (probably mile 11) I met with Rohan, Shashi and Renuka - I was ready to stop - Renuka was more upset than I was :) - 'sit for a while and you can start after some rest' - even though she was right - I just did not have the interest. I had pushed mile 7, 8, 9 only to make sure that I would not wake up the next morning regretting my decision to drop out. I knew I would not regret it. Along the way I saw Maneesh, Chalana, Sumit, Vishal, Vaidehhi, I don't think I saw Jayant on the run. But he and all of them finished with aplomb! Sumit, nailed the race and got a PR! We've trained together for a few years now and he is such a talented athlete! Like Vishal and Maneesh, Sumit too had done IM California before. As for me - Shashi and Renuka took me to the medical tent where I was kept warm and given some gatorade. I hung around there for 40 mins or so and then Protima very kindly dropped us back to the hotel. 

Run leg

The only regret I had was that I missed seeing my team mates finish the race! Or had a chance to thank the cheering squad. Vishal and Maneesh sign up for this event every year! Such strong athletes! Maneesh who loves to swim and bike and is a beast on the bike had another IM finish! Vishal who runs like the wind (and coaches the East Bay run program) is one of those special people. I've not met anyone with his bubbly and upbeat attitude! Having overcome some drastic injuries - he has always been super positive! Chalana - I remember her first swim with us - it was during Covid! She is a superwoman - has been coordinating the program for years (officially and unofficially) and has been a coach for the tri program for a few years too. Her focus and diligence is unmatched! Vaidehhi - a serial marathon runner :) and a magnet for getting flats on the bike! She battled her open water demons over the last few years and made her dream of finishing an Ironman. Huge congratulations! Jayant - who was coaching the TA biking program, joined the triathlon program - already a good biker, he worked hard on his swim and having finished a few 70.3 races over the years has become a coach for the triathlon program. It is just so nice to look back at the journey all of them have made - I'm not sure they remember, but I remember their first steps into the world of triathlon! Super proud of all of them! Thank you to all the cheering squad!

As they were finishing their Ironman - I was back in the hotel, had a shower, and was dead to the world - woke up fresh the next morning! And I had no regrets of having dropped out. I am just sure that I am not yet mentally ready for another full Ironman and probably will not be ready for the foreseeable future!  

This makes it my third DNF (Did Not Finish)! All of them around the same mile on the run. The DNFs are catching up with my 11 finishes ;)

2024 an update.

2024 a look back.

2024 was a super season for Team Ash Triathletes. 70+ athletes in 2024. 

Since the program began, 11 years ago, we had the largest number of participants in the Half Ironman Santa Cruz 70.3 (27) and the largest batch for the Full Ironman Sacramento 140.6 (10). Our new triathletes took part in the Sprint and Olympic distance races in Santa Cruz. We continued our annual traditional of participation in the Alpine Fresh Water Donner Lake Swim with about 15 of us making the trip up to Donner 

Santa Cruz 70.3 check in day.

At the finish!

Our swimmers completed the Alcatraz Crossing and B2B swims with Odyssey Swims. We continued to improve our mentoring and Open Water Support with 5 folks on SUPs as water support. All in all a fantastic year for the team.

Santa Cruz swim group!

The Alcatraz escapees!

Personally I had a great year too. Kept active and volunteered for TA and other organizations:

Feb: Ran The Kaiser San Francisco half (virtual).

The race was a washout as San Francisco had a major storm. I ran the half in Sunnyvale.

April: Ran the Big Sur marathon (my first marathon since 2019!)

Shashi having dropped out of Big Sur due to work commitment he transferred his registration to me. I had not run a marathon since Covid. This was as good a reason as any to get back into it. Managed to to get a decent amount of training in and finished in 4:10:04. Not too shabby! It was a beautiful day and I started right up front with the top guns :). It was great to see a bunch of Team Asha folks along the way. Good to be back in the marathon game!

June: SUPed to and back from Alcatraz as support for the Alcatraz Sharkfest wim.

Rather than swim the event I decided to volunteer to Paddle for the race. This was my first time paddling out in the San Francisco Bay. Most of my paddling is in Santa Cruz. It was a great experience - 200+ swimmers. A few of them did need some rest and they came by to hang on to the SUP for a few moments till they gathered their wits and breath. Having done this swim many times, I know how intimidating it can be. Towards the end, near the Aquatic Park (AP) entrance, the current and chop got the better of a lot of swimmers. Assisted a few and calmed a few down and worked with the life guards to reel them all into the AP opening. Wonderful experience and will definitely do it again in the future.

The start line

Paddling with the GGB in the background.

Approaching Alcatraz

July: Alpine Fresh Water Donner Lake Swim (2.4 mile swim).

This was the 6th year of camping and swimming at Donner Lake. I love this trip. Great place to unwind and relax up in the mountains. I did manage to run around the lake as well this time - love the campsite and to have our dear friends living just outside the campsite makes it a super trip. Camped with new friends this year and it was great fun! 

6 years of swimming the Donner event.

The Podium Beer!

Aug: Santa Cruz Rough Water 2 mile swim.

Vishal, Harshita and I decided to swim this event. It was really well organized. I've never been this close to the wharf - but it was safe as the life guards had cleared out all the fisher folks and the sea lions. I did end up getting super cold towards the end but all in all a fun swim.

Sep: Santa Cruz 70.3. 

My 8th time doing this event since 2003. One of the most beautiful courses around. 1.2 mile swim around the Santa Cruz Wharf, 56 miles along highway 1 and a 13.1 mile run along cliff drive and the coast. Stunning! 

I did have an eye issue during this race and should have gone to the medical tent after the swim for a quick eye wash. But I did not and ended up with minor abrasions due to sand. The problem was caused due to us running late for the race. In my hurry I borrowed a gel defogger for my swim goggles. While rinsing the goggles in sea water (I did not have by water bottle) I must have got some sand into the goggles. Over the 40 min swim some of that sand got into my eyes and caused a lot of pain. I went to the medical tent at the end of the race (6 hours + later!) and got it rinsed out. Had to make a trip to the doctor on Monday to have it checked. Luckily no major issue. Unfortunately could not celebrate with the team as I had to rush home as I was in a bit of pain.

Over the years.

2003: 6:06:52 (Big Kahuna)
2004: 6:26:08 (Big Kahuna)
2014: 6:21:46 (Big Kahuna)
2016: 6:39:28 (Bought by Ironman )
2017: 5:38:14* (short swim due to fog)
2022: 6:32:38
2023: 6:28:35
2024: 6:12:19

Sep: Bridge to Bridge swim (10K)

On a whim I pinged Radhika, Vishal and Harshita to see if they would swim the B2B with me. They all said yes, we contacted James Dilworth and he fixed a date for us. It was an experience, plenty of chop and eddies and currents. At one point we had to make a detour around Alcatraz as we got stuck in an eddy. It only added to the fun. James is a fantastic captain and I highly recommend him for your Bay swims.

The Strava tracker

Under the GGB at the start

Alcatraz. Half way there. 

A short video of the swim.

2023 update

2023 a look back

With 60+ triathletes 2023 season was the biggest season for us in Team Asha Triathlon. The team took part in Tri Santa Cruz Sprint and Olympic distance triathlon - we also gave back to the sport by volunteering  during the race. Other events we were part of were:

1) Alcatraz swim (20 swimmers) - with Pacific Open Water Swim Co.

2) Bridge to Bridge swim (B2B Swim 10Km) (10 Swimmers) - with Pacific Open Water Swim Co.

3) Donner Lake swim (Team participation)

4) Lake Tahoe swim (Team Participation)

5) Tri Santa Cruz Sprint/Olympic

6) Santa Cruz 70.3 (Half Ironman) (23 athletes)

7) Ironman California (Full Ironman) (4 athletes)

23 of us completed the Santa Cruz 70.3 (Half Ironman) and had a great time training and participating. 4 completed the full Ironman in Sacramento and we had 20 folks who swam from Alcatraz to the city and 10 who completed the B2B swim (10Km). All in all it was a fantastic year. We continue to build a strong base of swimmers and triathletes. Many of our past participants have become mentors and are instrumental in inspiring new people into the sport and into a life of fitness. 

The team before the 70.3 race in Santa Cruz

At the finish - Santa Cruz 70.3

  

Team Asha at Donner Lake swim

The Alcatraz Escapees!

Personally, I kept fit by running a half marathon in Feb, swam 2.4 miles at Donner Lake (July) and Lake Tahoe swims (Aug). Did the Santa Cruz 70.3 half Ironman (Sep). I continue to hone my Stand Up Paddleboading (SUP) skills by volunteering at the Team Asha swim support. 

'The incredible, wildlife-filled experience of swimming off Alcatraz Island'

Article in the Mercury News:

'The incredible, wildlife-filled experience of swimming off Alcatraz Island' 

Covering the experiences of local swimmers in the Bay Area. 

https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/04/20/the-incredible-wildlife-filled-experience-of-swimming-off-alcatraz-island/

I had a nice quick chat and exchanged a few messages with John Metcalf of the Mercury News for the above article. I've always loved swimming - and swimming in the Bay and around Northern California is just brilliant. It was during the conversation with John that I realized how tough it is to explain the exhilirating feeling of swimming in the Bay. Words betray you - there is fear (of the known and the unknown), apprehension, hypothermia, excitement, euphoria...as Philip Hoare writes in his book -  'RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR' - "Every swim is a little death. But it is also a reminder that you are alive." (Bit dramatic...but it does get the point across.)

I just re-read John's article after I got back from a 3 week trip to Bombay. With the temp hovering around 32C -33C (88F - 90F)  and 80% humidity - it felt like 102F! The pool swims were warm - warm water and warmer ambient air temps - ugh! Felt like swimming in a sauna! It was absolutely fantastic to be back in the water in Santa Cruz - cold and calm 52F - brilliant feeling.

As you enter the cold waters - there is a freeze burn, your face and other exposed areas (arms, fingers, toes) are screaming at you. Ah! That sweet, sweet pain! Your breathing is hurried and your heart races. About two minutes in it starts to feel comfortable - the breathing is calmer, the blood has receded from the surface of exposed skin and gone to the core. The freeze burn has dulled to a tingling numbness and the rhythmic strokes splash out a steady beat. You can see the sun rays dissapearing into the deep, there is a sense of calm. The feel of cold salty water - there is a freshness to it. You have managed to control that deep fear of the unknown and are comfortable enough to crack a smile through frozen lips. You are in a happy place....until you brush up against a clump of drifting seaweed! Whoa! Every sense is awake now. It takes a few seconds to relax and get back into the zone. There is wonder in that unpredictability and the ocean never lets you forget! 

A quote from John's article. 

"Environmental conditions can change in an instant. Rajeev Char, a Sunnyvale swimmer with the nonprofit Team Asha, had to abort a swim last year after getting fogged out. “I could see a mere glow of sunlight over my left shoulder. But out front of us, the city was completely blanketed out in fog and behind us, Alcatraz, too, was blanketed out.”

Every swim in open water is different. I swim around the Santa Cruz wharf almost every Sunday and I can tell you - it is never the same. The weather, water conditions, tides, wild life, the time of the year, water temp, the people you swim with, all play a part in your experience. Every swim is special and is savored. I always take time to stop and take in the sights - float on my back for a bit and just relax - just feel the movement of the water - those waves may have traveled a long distance, enjoy them for a bit.

Another quote from the article.

“I was halfway across and a shadow just zipped right underneath me, and that was terrifying. It zipped underneath me again and it was like, ‘I’m getting out of the water because I don’t want to be somebody’s buffet breakfast,'” says Gary Emich, a Pacifica retiree who’s swum from Alcatraz to San Francisco, Marin, Treasure Island and other landing points a staggering 1,065 times. “Right about then, a little sea-lion pup breached in front of me – it was just being playful and having a good time.”  

Indeed, like San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz is also known for its frolicking Sea Lions and Seals - like inquisitive Labradors, they sometimes buzz swimmers. They are wild creatures and we are just visiting their domain, it is best to steer clear and swim wide of their feeding zones. The thought that they (and sharks, Jelly-fish, etc., as well) are out there is never far from my mind when I swim. Probably what Hoare meant when he wrote, 'that little death that makes you feel alive'. 

Santa Cruz Wharf - swimming past the Sea Lions. (Photo Credit: Michael Peck)

I have always been passionate about open water swimming - and be it in the open seas, lakes, rivers, we at Team Asha hope to help others fall in love with this activity and pursue it with utmost safety and conditioning. 

As Philip Hoare writes in his above mentioned book:

"The ubiquity of the sea - from this grey estuary in which I swim, to the great open oceans - is itself interplanetary, connecting us to the stars, not really part of our world at all. It doesn't begin until it begins, and then it never seems to end. It writes itself in the clouds and the currents, a permanently changing script, inscribing and erasing its own history, held down by air and gravity in a tacit agreement between land and sky, filling the space inbetween. It's a nothingness full of life, home to ninety percent of the earth's biomass, providing sixty per cent of the oxygen we breathe. It is our life-support system, our greater womb. It is forever breaking its own boundaries, always giving and always taking. It is the embodiment of all our paradoxes. Without it we couldn't live, within it we would die. The sea doesn't care." 

The world is dark, beautiful, deadly, dazzling, and fragile.

Being able to swim in these waters is indeed a blessing. 

Happy & safe swimming!   

 A look back at 2021.

As the COVID tide ebbed and flowed - some events went back to normal (whatever 'normal' is!) - Team Asha continued to train and encourage athletes to embrace Open Water Swimming (OWS) & triathlons. Keeping safety in mind we kayaked and Stand Up Paddleboarded (SUP) with the swimmers at Gull Park and Santa Cruz. We had swimmers participate in Alcatraz crossing, Donner Lake, Lake Tahoe, Bridge to Bridge (Golden Gate to Bay Bridge) swims. Team Asha also had a few more first time Ironman 140.6 finishers and a bunch of 70.3 and Olympic triathlon finishers. Absolutely wonderful to see our athletes getting stronger on the bike, run and more comfortable in open water. 

I decided to stepped away from running Chicago Marathon in 2021 (it was cancelled in 2020) - a race I had run 15 years in row (2005 to 2019). Going forward, I'll look for local races to run. 

That said, I did enjoy my swims. Did 7 swims in the San Francisco Bay and swam the Santa Cruz Wharf on Sunday's whenever I could get there (28 times around the S.C. Wharf in 2021). I also did a 6 mile swim in San Diego (La Jolla Cove). Absolutely nothing better than swimming in the cold Pacific waters. 2021 was the first time I took my SUP to Santa Cruz. Felt great to paddleboard around the lumpy sea waters with the sea lions going 'wharf! wharf!' at us.

I continue the search for my biking muse...(I'll look harder for her in 2022), have kept my running at a maintenance mode. 2021 ended with: 

584 miles running (a heel injury kept me out for 3 months).

245 miles biking 

216 miles of swimming (~380,000 yards. That is more than the previous 3 years combined!)  

Here are some of the fun swims of 2021:   

3/17/21 - Alcatraz (With Pacific Swim Co.)

4/16/21 - Tiburon Coast (With Pacific Swim Co.)

5/01/21 - Alcatraz (With Odyssey Swim)

6/11/21 - Alcatraz #14 (With Pacific Swim Co.)

6/14/21 - Alcatraz (aborted about half way due to thick fog)

7/25/21 - Donner Lake 2.4 mile

9/08/21 - Swim around Angel Island 

9/26/21 - 6 mile swim at La Jolla Cove (San Diego)

Let's hope we all stay healthy and happy in 2022. 

Happy swimming everyone! I leave you with a poem by Amos Russel Wells.

The Cup of Ocean

by Amos Russel Wells

What does the cup of ocean hold?

Glory of purple and glint of gold;

Tenderest greens and heavenly blue,

Shot with the sunlight through and through;

Wayward ripples that idly roam.

Tumbling breakers with gallant foam;

Sands and pebbles that chase and slide;

Mystic currents that softly glide;

Mighty spell of the ages old,

This does the cup of ocean hold.

What does the cup of ocean hear

To the lips of land folk everywhere?

Danger's ominous, ghostly breath,

Battered forms of an awful death;

Howling tempests and bitter sleet,

Crash of the sea steeds' terrible feet;

Ships a-quiver with fearful shock,

Anguish heaped on a savage rock;

Loss and turmoil and fatal snare,

This does the cup of ocean bear.

Look ye well to the ocean's cup,

Ye who gladly on beauty sup.

Tarry long at the treacherous brink,

Gaze within e'er ye bend and drink.

La Jolla Cove 10 Mile Relay 

(My solo 6 mile swim)

While searching for some open water swims around the west coast (so we could just drive rather than fly) I came across the La Jolla Cove 10 mile relay in San Diego (SD). They had an option to swim 10 miles solo as well. So I emailed the organizers and asked them to let me know when the registration opens up. Given that I was already slated for a 5 mile swim around Angel Island - I figured I could swim about 6-7 miles and we could use the trip to SD to meet some friends who had moved there. Basically a fun swim in a new place.

The drive was an uneventful 8.5 hours! The Hybrid car meant we could drive straight through with no need for a gas stop! 468 miles on a tank of gas and still some left! After a wonderful couple of days with friends I was all set for a long swim on Sunday Sep 26th.

Event day: September 26th 

Where: La Jolla Shores Beach 

Weather: Sunday was an overcast but calm day. 

Water temp: 61F-63F

Fuel: Gu gel & Gatorade, about 150/180 calories/hr.

Gear: Sleeveless wetsuit.

It turned out to be a huge event - there were 133 relay teams (up to 5 swimmers per team) and 20 solo swimmers, a total of 652 swimmers! The event section of the beach was crowded with teams, supporters, and volunteers. The rest of the beach was also getting crowded with weekend beachgoers. At 6:30AM the parking lot was almost full! We managed to get one of the last few spots and I rushed to get into the bathroom line. All swimmers had to have a beach volunteer, so Renuka was to take care of my swim feeds and make sure all my loops were counted. We tried to get one of the many groups to let her share their picnic tent, but luckily since it was an overcast and cool day, she did not need the shade. We set up our chair and icebox and I started suiting up.

The teams set up.

The swim loops (Coros watch)

The swim was set up as one mile triangle loops with all swimmers having to exit the water and run up the beach through a timing chute and back in for the next loop. As this was primarily a relay event, it made sense to have everyone (including the solo swimmers) follow the same protocol. This was similar to the 10K swim I had done in LA almost a decade ago (OptimisSport - Distance Swim Challenge) - although that entailed swimming along the coast and exiting at different beaches. The good thing here was it was looping back to the same beach - logistically much easier for the support crew.

  

I did not hear the swim start - but apparently it started at 7:00AM sharp! I was a bit confused as one of the buoys was still being towed into place - one of the organizers said to me 'unless you swim faster than that water scooter towing the buoy, you should be good to start - the buoy will be in place before you get there - GO!' I chuckled and ran in. Tandy showed up to cheer me on and I was glad to see her - that also meant that Renuka would not be alone for the duration of the swim.

 

Wait! Did they start!?

For the first loop I was pretty much alone as I started about 3 mins after everyone. I felt pretty good, the water was a bit warmer than in Northern California and the ocean was calm. Loop 2 (mile 2) I took in  some Gatorade and proceeded to mile 3. For a brief moment the sun broke through and the clarity of the water was brilliant - I could see some big fish idling around and the water was still nice and calm. 

Other than a few upwellings of some really cold water, the water temp was good 62F-63F. By mile 5 my wetsuit started cutting into my back and that was a bit painful (once the skin splits, the wetsuit friction and salt water makes it a continuously irritating burn). After the first loop there were plenty of swimmers around. It was nice to see the different styles, stroke rates as they powered by. Since it is a fun  event, swimmers were allowed to wear flippers, snorkels, whatever one wanted. There were a bunch of SCUBA divers as well, we could see their bubbles rising up every now and then.  At one point there was this huge pod or murmuration of birds that came through - all in a line just a few feet about the water - quite a spectacular sight! 

Looping through the timing chute.

Unlike the swims in San Francisco Bay, there is no tide/current assist here. You actually swim the distance. Mile 6 was tough, I could feel my arms. Given that we were to drive back right after the swim I decided to stop at 6 and not go for the 7th mile. I let the organizers know and after a quick shower at the beach - we headed back home for another 8.5 hours in the car. All in all a wonderful trip and a great event, well organized and super friendly volunteers. I'll be back next year to do the full 10 miles :) maybe we will have a few relay teams in as well. 

I finished the 6 miles in 4:07:29 (the official time) - check out the last name on the list :)

The swim cap