Someone once told me that ”You’re in It until you’re not; but, you stay in It right up until that very day.”  Well, this is that day.

I officially pulled out of the 2014 Catalina Classic Paddleboard Marathon.  *sigh*

Honestly, it had to be done.  After a few back-to-back 18-20 mile paddles, a large south swell that had me bodysurfing for 6+ hours, and the Newport Beach 2-mile Pier-2-Pier Ocean Swim, the stabbing pain in my shoulder had me wishing surgery was scheduled for later in the month.  Am I bummed?  Well, it’s a hard question to answer.

A fellow paddler who had to pull out of last year’s Classic due to back injury put it this way: the decision takes weeks, but the pressure and stress melt away quickly once the ‘announcement’ is made.  Then, over the next week, paddling becomes fun again.  He also said that watching the start (most of the paddling community helps out with the race regardless of whether or not they are doing it) was/is p-a-i-n-f-u-l.  I can say this much for sure, I will be nowhere near the finish, though my respect and support go out to all the racers.  So, there it is.

What next?  Beer, couches and naps, kick the dog around the yard?  Nah.  It’s time to focus on some shorter races (Two Harbors, Island-2-Island), a bit of running, and a lot more writing featuring the amazing people who make up the paddling community.  Surgery looms large in October, but that, as they say is a whole nother story.  Cue the blues…