Ari's UCSC Home Swim Meet

Got to spend some time today with Ariel and George at the UCSC Aquatics Center where Ari had her final home meet of her first year at Santa Cruz. She is a long distance swimmer and I got to see her in the 1000 and 500 yard freestyle. She broke her own personal records. I enjoyed an evening and morning surf at 26th avenue (big and fun) with the Gerlachs and then a freezing cold surf with Elijah, Joel, and Jasper in Pacifica. Tonight I get to see the Foo Fighters at the Oakland Coliseum. Another action packed weekend, and it is not even half over.

Ten years gone and still in our hearts

Tom Crocker 12/7/42 - 6/16/1997


Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of my fathers death. After his cremation Janice and the Del Mar kids swam out at 17th Street in Del Mar and released his ashes just beyond the waves. To remember Tom and celebrate some of what he loved in life and instilled in us, his 5 children (Charlie, Andy, George, Amy, and Ariel) and his widow Janice along with cousin Ben Weston swam out together at 17th Street to the quarter mile buoy. We formed a circle around the buoy holding hands and talked about our father/husband. On the swim back in the swell picked up and we all frolicked bodysurfing in the shore break as he had done with us before so many times at the same spot. I was sure he was there with us in the waves.

Prison Break for Daddy

I had the awesome chance to participate in the Escape from Alcatraz corporate relay doing the daunting 1.5 mile swim leg. I was definitely nervous, because I could not sleep last night, maybe 3 hours. I was up at 4am on the bus at 4:45, on the boat, at 5:30 and jumping in the water at 7:02 am. I just put my head down and swam as hard as I could sighting on land marks and keeping with a pack. I finished in 32:50 which gave me an overall rank of 208 out of 2000 people, albeit I only did one leg out of three and could go all out. This has got me inspired and I hope to do additional open oceans swims this year. Special thanks to Annette at work who got me involved, to Janice and Bob for training with me at the Cove, and for our family uber triathlete George for spending the night with the boys and bringing them down to see my water exit. It was great to give them high fives as I came out of the water into the half mile transition run.


Night before getting gear ready. Thanks for lending me the wetsuit George


The race course and the swim exit


Always great to have uncle George over