Biting off more than you can chew

[PallasAthena]

This weekend I bit off way more than I could chew. I'm learning to surf, and I've been surfing all summer. We got the first of our winter swells here, and DH and I waited till it died down and then arranged for a Surf Date saturday morning.

Standing up above the beach, things were looking awesome! Exciting waves, not many surfers, pretty day, life is good! The tide was high, but that's not a big deal, right? Riiiiiight.

We climbed down onto the beach, which was really just a little patch of sand at the bottom of the steps at this point. On either side of that patch of sand, the waves were running right up onto the rocks. It was at this point that I noticed that the waves would bounce off the rocks and head back out to crash into the other waves coming in with a very disconcerting booming sound. This should have been a sign. But no. I hiked a little way down and got ready to paddle out.

I waited for a wave to break on the rocks, thinking I would ride it out as it bounced back out again, sp I hopped on my board and started paddling. This seemed like a good idea for about half a second. Then, the biggest wave I've ever seen in my life reared up (remember, it's high tide, so they're being sneaky and not rising until they're about to break), and suddenly I was looking into the face of a huge barrel. Sweet Jesus, I am going to die was all I had time to think before it hit me. No time to roll under it, no time for anything.

It actually lifted me up into the air. My 9 foot board was perpendicular to the wave and it flipped me backwards to give you an idea how big this wave was. I actually fell through the air (just enough time to take in a deep breath) before I was back in the water again and the edge of the barral slammed down on me. Then I lost the board and it was all thunder and white water and me with my hands over my head waiting to be thrown onto the rocks and sliced open by the fins on my board. The wave deposited my about a foot away from the rocks. I got really lucky. I managed to get on my feet and braced for the next wave, and then I was able to grab my board and head back toward the sandy part, shaking, crying, and trying not to hyperventillate.

DH came back calmed me down a little bit and we tried again from a place where it wasn't quite as rocky. Again, a huge wave came, but this time I managed a turtle roll. Didn't matter. The wave was so powerful that it still ripped the board out of my hands and I got drug backward by the leash. Sore ankle. I had time to stand up and take another breath before the next one hit me and I got rolled up completely and drug around by the leash again. At that point, I decided that it was just not my day to surf! If I couldn't paddle out, I had no business being out there. *sigh*

What am I left with? Sore ankle, bruises around my arms, sore neck, pain across my abdomen where the edge of the board slammed down into me after the fall, and an abraision and deep bruise on my shoulder. I've no idea how I got that through my wetsuit. I didn't think it could have pressed me into the sand hard enough to get a scrape like that from the bottom so I must've hit a rock at some point. Also, a bruised ego and a whole new kind of respect for the ocean. Ouch. And fear. My hands are still shaking. Now I just have to find a way to get back on the horse.

So help me out! Help me feel better about myself. Has anyone else here bitten off more than they could chew? Anyone else have their ego write a check that their butt can't cash?

[jw]

Does a badly torn calf muscle from not warming up properly before a soccer training session count? It was especially bad, as I was the coach.

[Arriah]

Couple of years ago I was in a bit of a hurry to get my degree finished so I talked a couple of advisors into giving me prereq waivers for a couple of classes. If I'd waited, I'd have had to wait 2 years for one of the classes to be offered again so I felt the risk was justified. I packed in 18 credits of math and physics classes, 2 of which I hadn't completed the prereq math or physics for. For my ambition, I ended up with 2 Ds, 2 Fs and a withdrawl plus severe depression that took me over a year to get a handle on. I learned a good lesson though-prereqs are usually there for a reason.

[PallasAthena]

Originally Posted by Arriah

Couple of years ago I was in a bit of a hurry to get my degree finished so I talked a couple of advisors into giving me prereq waivers for a couple of classes. If I'd waited, I'd have had to wait 2 years for one of the classes to be offered again so I felt the risk was justified. I packed in 18 credits of math and physics classes, 2 of which I hadn't completed the prereq math or physics for. For my ambition, I ended up with 2 Ds, 2 Fs and a withdrawl plus severe depression that took me over a year to get a handle on. I learned a good lesson though-prereqs are usually there for a reason.

Oh, no. Yeah, that's what they're there for. I tried something similar in college one time and got scolded for even asking. At the time, I was offended. In retrospect, they were right to deny my request.

And yeah, coach, you should've stretched. (I routinely forget to stretch)

[purpleiguana]

Do I ever feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew?

*look at my kids*

Uhhhh...

[katikate]

Um, 16 dogs?

Nuff said.