Sunday, December 18, 2016

We had a beautiful winter day at Avila Beach today. The air temperature was about 55 and the water about 52 - 53. The water was clean and the waves small. There was a mild offshore wind and a small chop moving away from the beach. Swimming today were Niel, John Hampsey, Amy and Johnny. Before we got in we watched Jon Harmse run the CalPoly tri team through a swim/run/swim workout that looked like something that he picked up from the lifeguards.

The numbers from the creek on Thursday were around the limit and were followed by a major rain, so I guessed that the west side of the pier near the creek was probably dirty os we stayed on the east side. We swam out to the end of the pier, down to near the end of the beach and back along the beach to the pier. I'd forgotten my Garmin so without a plot I'd guess we covered 1/2 to 2/3 of a mile in 38 minutes. The water temperature estimate was a group agreement based on intensity of the brain freeze, the numbness of feet and hands throughout the swim and that John's hands were cold enough that he could not keep his fingers together. The swimming conditions were very nice except for feeling the cold working in.