Swimming In S.F. Bay, Running the Presidio, Beach Calesthenics, Marin Metric Century

[caption id=”attachment_1146″ align=”aligncenter” width=”300″ caption=”Ironteam at Aquatic Park - I'm in the middle/back, green cap”][/caption]

What a weekend. Seriously.

We had had guests on Friday for dinner and then a friend spend the night, but I was careful not to even suggest champagne, wine, cocktails, etc. because I knew that this would definitely not help with the long weekend ahead. I got up Saturday and prepared my stuff for the day, was able to have a little chat with Sallie (our houseguest), and then off to The Races.

I took the wagon instead of the van because we didn’t need the bikes on Saturday - backing it slowly down our wretchedly steep driveway. The windows were foggy, but I have to roll them down anyway to get a clear path. Once I hit the court, I turned on the windshield wipers to “clear the fog” - and SKRITCH SKRITCH - it was all ice! It wasn’t until then I looked at the temperature - 37 degrees! Yikes! I got out a credit card, hopped out and cleaned off the ice, then had to wait for the defroster to “catch up.” I texted Mel I would be a little late - little did I know she was facing the same un-planned-for windshield/ice dilemma, so we wound up arriving at our rendezvous right at the same time.

We got to Aquatic Park, and down to the beach. Aquatic Park is a bay between two cement “arms” that reach out into the S.F. Bay, so it’s not really that choppy in there. We were to do 4 times around the buoys side to side (1/3 of a mile each), getting out of the water between each “pass” to do whatever Head Coach Dave told us to do.

[caption id=”attachment_1148″ align=”alignright” width=”300″ caption=”starting swim - that's me swimming to the right/front of the kayak”][/caption]

As usual, folks hung back when it was time to get in. I waited for a bit, but then just headed off to the water. I think it’s the Marines thing - when someone says “Do It, Get In,” I….do it and get in! This has happened the other 2 times at the lake, too. I turn around and the group is still on the beach! I started stroking for the right-side buoy, and the water was DEFINITELY warmer than the last time in Lake Del Valle, by at least 5-6 degrees. Also, of course, very salty, so more buoyant.

The first time around I headed into the beach, and we had to do 20 pushups, then back into the

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