37th Annual Catalina Classic, 2012
7:04

Put a little motivation in the cockpit of the board to keep me smiling.  Daniel’s picture has always gotten me through the tough ones before; I’m counting on his smiling face to do it again…

The funny thing is I have trouble eating before AND after events; however, we have to choke down something during longer races, which includes electrolyte and carbohydrate replacement drinks, energy gel “gu” (which tastes a lot like the Farmers glue that I used in 2nd grade — don’t ask me how I know that), and a PowerBar or two.

Hydration/Nutrition

Seriously, it couldn’t get any hotter outside.

Feeling like shaving my head…but the minute I do that it’ll snow.

Last ‘big’ paddle before the race was yesterday (Wednesday) — just under 15m.  I’d like to say that it just flew by and that I wasn’t alternately tired, bored, and anxious, but the truth was that I was all of those.  I guess one of the reason is the weird weather that we’ve been having over the last week.

Alternating between hot and still in the morning and temperamental winds out of the south and the west during the afternoons, nothing has been consistent for more than one or two days.  Mother Nature isn’t going to tip her hand on this one.  The funniest part of playing the ‘guess-the-weather’ game is talking to other paddlers.  “Oh, it’ll be perfect come race day…” they say with a wink and a smile.  But the truth is so much more simple.  It’s going to be cold, and hot, and still, and windy… all of it.  Guess away, little man.

Because we all need to remember that adventures are not tidy…those are called picnics.

We should all be reminded, occasionally, that even the most meticulously planned afternoon, at your favorite beach-side restaurant, might include a visit from a seagull that will steal your blueberry muffin and crap on your table.  It is at these times that you can choose to 1.) consider your day ruined and pack it in, 2.) accept that the rat-with-wings that just made off with your buttered muffin is pretty good at what he does (which may include pissing you off) or, 3.) laugh and consider the whole thing a numerous side-note to an otherwise great day.  (We can talk later about shooting the seagull out of the sky, which, in all fairness, is an occupational hazard of being a seagull.)

The point is that all plans are, or should be, fungible.  Wherefore this little insight?  Well, with less than 13 days remaining to the Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race, I find myself without a boat and without a crew.  I should be freaking out but, in this case, well…wait, no: I’M TOTALLY FREAKING OUT.  Rat-with-wings freaking out.

On second thought, however, I have a board and few hours in the water, and, as of this weekend, a skipper.  The latter is thanks to the help of one Steve Washburn, who has stepped in to guide me across the channel and keep me safe.  For this, I’m smiling…a lot.  The rest, as they say, will come.

“Wash” (not a seagull, for sure)