Monday, May 16, 2005
Crispix
Crispix is also the name of my breakfast cereal, but here it describes my body after spending hours at the beach without sunscreen. Itai!
Today’s weather was perrrrfect! I went down to Takai Beach in Narao with the goal of training for the triathlon in the “real environment.” This is the beach where the triathlon will be held, and I’m only doing the swimming part as I haven’t trained enough to do the whole thing! So, after about 30 minutes of watching the ocean I got up the nerve get in the water, and went in about knee deep. Another 20 minutes just standing up to my knees in the water, doing anything BUT actually swimming—worrying about fish, shells, sharks, sharp stabby things to step on. I told myself if I came all the way down here and DIDN’T swim I would be so disappointed in myself.
I manage to go further in—I'm waist deep now and still procrastinating—fiddling with my goggles so they are just perfect, splashing the water on my arms to get them adjusted, but the water is already really warm. This is just an excuse! After about 20 minutes in this stage I decide to count backwards from three.
3… 2… 1…
Why is it so hard for me to swim in the ocean? I’m seaphobic. Or whatever the word for afraid of the ocean is… Oceanphobic? Marphobic? I think I can blame this one on my mom. I remember her telling me when I was really little the ocean has an undercurrent and it’ll drag you down and you can drown if you’re not careful. When this happens the key is to relax your body so that it’ll float to the top and you’ll survive.
So, of course, in the ocean I’m as relaxed as a wind-up doll and all I can think about is being dragged under in this god-awful undercurrent. There’s no way I’ll survive it. I must be prepared to die.
If I’m with other people, typically the ocean doesn’t scare me. I hope someone will save me when the undercurrent takes me down, but today I was completely alone on the beach. No one to save me when I started to go under. Counting down worked. I went all the way under, but it took my breath away. Remember this happened when I went scuba-diving? No. No one remembers that! But I do. I started to hyperventilate a little—until I realized I COULD breathe underwater—I had a mask and an oxygen tank.
Michelle just helped me find it online. It’s thalassophobia. Fear of the ocean.
I didn’t swim that much. Just enough to realize that 1.) yes, it’s salty and it tastes really bad, 2.) you float enough in salt water to make a difference and 3.) goggles are lifesavers.
And I suppose I should add 4.) I’m thalassphobic.
I can’t believe I’m afraid of the ocean. Not the open ocean. I like swimming in the open ocean. Not being able to see the bottom doesn’t scare me so long as I’m not anywhere near touching it. But those waves… they are terrifying! This probably is also from my near-death experience in the Atlantic Ocean—when I was in Brazil. Ocean in enclosed spaces, waves, undercurrents… It’s enough to make me go mad!
Why is it taking me so long to get these hitch-hiking pictures posted? I promise I WILL do it this week. I’ve just been busy doing other things—enjoying life! Today was a day off because I had to work on Sunday. There was a PTA meeting and partial school day on Sunday, so Monday became the substitution holiday. It was really nice to have my weekend “split up” so to speak. I was feeling pretty down on Saturday, so to go to work and take my mind off things the next day was helpful. Better than being in a funk for two days in a row!
Happy Birthday Catherine!
Love, Sierra
Today’s weather was perrrrfect! I went down to Takai Beach in Narao with the goal of training for the triathlon in the “real environment.” This is the beach where the triathlon will be held, and I’m only doing the swimming part as I haven’t trained enough to do the whole thing! So, after about 30 minutes of watching the ocean I got up the nerve get in the water, and went in about knee deep. Another 20 minutes just standing up to my knees in the water, doing anything BUT actually swimming—worrying about fish, shells, sharks, sharp stabby things to step on. I told myself if I came all the way down here and DIDN’T swim I would be so disappointed in myself.
I manage to go further in—I'm waist deep now and still procrastinating—fiddling with my goggles so they are just perfect, splashing the water on my arms to get them adjusted, but the water is already really warm. This is just an excuse! After about 20 minutes in this stage I decide to count backwards from three.
3… 2… 1…
Why is it so hard for me to swim in the ocean? I’m seaphobic. Or whatever the word for afraid of the ocean is… Oceanphobic? Marphobic? I think I can blame this one on my mom. I remember her telling me when I was really little the ocean has an undercurrent and it’ll drag you down and you can drown if you’re not careful. When this happens the key is to relax your body so that it’ll float to the top and you’ll survive.
So, of course, in the ocean I’m as relaxed as a wind-up doll and all I can think about is being dragged under in this god-awful undercurrent. There’s no way I’ll survive it. I must be prepared to die.
If I’m with other people, typically the ocean doesn’t scare me. I hope someone will save me when the undercurrent takes me down, but today I was completely alone on the beach. No one to save me when I started to go under. Counting down worked. I went all the way under, but it took my breath away. Remember this happened when I went scuba-diving? No. No one remembers that! But I do. I started to hyperventilate a little—until I realized I COULD breathe underwater—I had a mask and an oxygen tank.
Michelle just helped me find it online. It’s thalassophobia. Fear of the ocean.
I didn’t swim that much. Just enough to realize that 1.) yes, it’s salty and it tastes really bad, 2.) you float enough in salt water to make a difference and 3.) goggles are lifesavers.
And I suppose I should add 4.) I’m thalassphobic.
I can’t believe I’m afraid of the ocean. Not the open ocean. I like swimming in the open ocean. Not being able to see the bottom doesn’t scare me so long as I’m not anywhere near touching it. But those waves… they are terrifying! This probably is also from my near-death experience in the Atlantic Ocean—when I was in Brazil. Ocean in enclosed spaces, waves, undercurrents… It’s enough to make me go mad!
Why is it taking me so long to get these hitch-hiking pictures posted? I promise I WILL do it this week. I’ve just been busy doing other things—enjoying life! Today was a day off because I had to work on Sunday. There was a PTA meeting and partial school day on Sunday, so Monday became the substitution holiday. It was really nice to have my weekend “split up” so to speak. I was feeling pretty down on Saturday, so to go to work and take my mind off things the next day was helpful. Better than being in a funk for two days in a row!
Happy Birthday Catherine!
Love, Sierra
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Near death experience in Brazil?? When was that? But I do remember Mama's death talk about the undercurrent...Papa even warned us about it and I worry about them when I'm in the ocean too.
# posted by 
: 10:50 PM
: 10:50 PM
You don't remember when Jorge was jumping off that cliff in Brazil and it took him like 2 hours to get up the nerve so to kill the time I swam over to the rocks and I swam too close and some waves pushed me into the rocks and I lost my flipper and so I swam further in to get it and a big wave crashed me against the rocks and I scraped my legs on the barnacles AND I NEARLY DIED!!! You don't REMEMBER? How could you NOT remember!! Honestly, Joe... I thought you loved me!
Well, I dont' remember it very well, but that's to be expected, I don't remember much of anything anyway.
joe and I are having a good time here painting. Perhaps I should go into it. Professional painter, very good.
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joe and I are having a good time here painting. Perhaps I should go into it. Professional painter, very good.
# posted by : 11:20 PM
: 11:20 PM << Home
