07/03/2026
As a lot of you have seen, I’ve been back in the pool lately, getting in shape for Sharkfest—a 1.15-mile swim through the channel.
Swimming has been a part of my life since I was a kid, and I stayed in the water throughout my Navy career. I kept swimming fairly regularly while we lived in Louisiana, but after moving back to California, it slowly faded. Even though I had a lot of things in place, I just wasn’t in the right place mentally to really dig back into training. I’d swim once a month, think, “That was fun,” and then not get back in the water for another few weeks. That cycle went on for about two years.
Over the last several months, I’ve worked through some hurdles and finally got to a place where I felt ready to get after it again. So I did.
The pool has been going great, but I’ve really been itching to get back into open water. When a buddy asked if I wanted to swim La Jolla Cove, I realized something I’d never really felt before—I was a little nervous. What if I got too far out and exhausted myself? What if I couldn’t make it back? I have a habit of pushing harder than I’m ready for, and that’s gotten me into trouble before.
So we went.
Turns out, everything was fine. In fact, by the time we got back to shore, I wished we’d gone farther.
Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge to remind yourself you’re still capable.
Now that I’ve ripped that imaginary Band-Aid off, it’s time to get to work.
The valet parking across from the Cove is super convenient, the swim is absolutely beautiful, and the views of the kelp forests never get old. It felt great to be back.
Maybe we’ll get a few members of the DSCC out there for the next one.
