Live and Learn

Recall my last post... "Ready to Rock and Roll".  Well, yesterday at the Moonlight Beach Paddle Race the swells were rockin' and they sent me rollin'.  I went into the race fairly confident because it was a short race and I figured it would be a quick and easy race.  First off, many of us were happy that they moved from a beach start to a water start.  (Although I'm proud of how I handled getting out and coming in through the surf on my raceboard this day.)  And second, the conditions didn't look too bad while we all eagerly waited for the start, but surfers you know how quickly that can change.

Checking out the conditions pre-race.  Notice the dark, gloomy sky.

I swear... as soon as we get out there it seemed that the wind and swells picked up.  Of course, the Gods wanted to make it a little more challenging for me (is what I thought to myself).  Anyway, I wasn't going to let that get me down.  A little wind.. bring it!  Oh, and don't forget the kelp beds.  Remember those suckers from my last race, the 7-mile Seaside Slide?  Uh, when I fell in and got entangled in them?!  No big.  I wasn't gonna let that get in my head.  I was still confident coming around the first buoy.  Then, we had two choices: cut straight through the kelp beds to the next buoy or make a wide half-moon to avoid most of them.  I thought follow the big boys "straight through" and pull through hard over the kelp beds so you don't get stuck.  That technique worked for some distance until... yup, fell in.  No big deal.  All I had to do was jump back on my board and if I did that right away then not a whole loss in time.  But see.. that happens in the ideal world.  In the "Liza World" it has to be a bit more challenging.  So add that my surfboard flew around 4-5 feet away from me (no leash) and was still moving away with the tide, a right leg cramp and get this.. not one but both feet had cramped toes (the paralyzing kind).  Gosh, I'm sounding so overly dramatic.  Unfortunately, that's what happened.  So, I swam after my board, jumped on and had to knee-paddle until the cramping went away.  After a while, still cramped I thought, "F@#! this", stood up, took a couple strokes and then.. yup, fell in.  Ugh, knee-paddled to the second buoy when I was finally able to stand up and go.  At this point, I hate to say it but it got in my head.  I GOT IN MY HEAD.

I had to re-evaluate myself and my INTENT for racing.  REFLECTION is important.  Tune in to the next post when I tell you what I've learned from this.