Cool under fire.
Yesterday, the three-time surf champion, jiujitsu master Joel Tudor issued a dire warning for those who might be thinking about surfing, or swimming, southern California’s bucolic Cardiff-by-the-Sea.
“Don’t surf Cardiff,” he began the shock Instagram directive. “It’s infested with ten-foot White sharks that are attracted to soft tops, stand-up paddlers and tourist swimmers. Stay safe and find a lake or go take a hike. This was today at 8:12 am.”
The accompanying photograph featured a chunky Great White jumping skyward.
Hungry.
Scary.
I just so happen to live in the aforementioned Cardiff-by-the-Sea and Tudor’s cautioning should have alarmed me greatly but I also just so happened to wake up nearly 72% recovered.
For those who don’t know, the greatest personalized digital fitness and health coach, WHOOP, not only measures strain and sleep but also recovery.
But what is recovery?
Well…
Recovery reflects how well prepared your body is to take on strain, and is a measure of your body’s ‘return to baseline’ after a stressor. The size of these stressors – which can range from illness, exercise, psychological stress or sleep deprivation – determines how much your body needs to recover.
When your recovery is high, your body is primed to take on strain.
When your recovery is low, you may be at greater risk for injury, or overtraining (during intense workouts).
Recovery is highly personalized to each individual member; this means that two people with the same combination of resting heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and sleep performance on a given day could get very different recoveries.
72% is a fine number and my body felt primed to take on the strain of ignoring Joel Tudor.
First, I went on a 2 mile Chariots of Fire beach run, lowering my time significantly.
Next, I jumped in the water to cool off, just where that Great White had breached, tourist swimming.
Last, I paddled out for a small wave surf on a 4’10 Album Seaskate soft top.
The surfing, itself, still didn’t register as an “activity” but my heart rate, equally, did not bump up even one click above average.
Ice-water in my veins due growing up surfing properly Great White infested Oregon?
Years spent cavorting around the al-Qaeda infested Middle East, copping a Hezbollah kidnapping etc. (buy here)?
Or a recovery so fine, and knowable, that I was ready to take on any strain?
Testing fate?
No.
Trusting recovery.
WHOOP, there it is.
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Yeah, ten foot great whites are surely often there. Just put a drone up in the air on any given day. They rarely attack. We are poor at spotting them from the water, but drones see clearly just how often they are right near surfers and swimmers, without incident. Attacks happen, but it’s not like shark is present = bite.
Sharks are sharks. How well or poorly you surf has no more significance to their sightings. If I worried about Great Whites I wouldn’t have surfed the Triangle but a bit of caution is worth noting after a sighting or attack. If it’s good surf, most will ignore the warnings.
That’s not a huge shark.
Look at it. Its TINY. I can cover it over with my finger.
Fucking drama queens you Cali Bros.
“Properly Great White infested”. Zing!!
I do–and I’m hoping to go home soon to get some warm water waves and be back with my wonderful family for the holidays–but got to take care of some business first. Got to pay bills, even on an island.
How’s that 6min mile going?
I’m working it daily, you in mind. I’ve got it but wow is that a pace!
Here’s some inspiration – https://jamiecurrie.substac…
Why can’t people age gracefully.
Rage, rage…
All that Jiu Jitsu has fucked with Joel’s face. Or maybe he smokes 3 packs a day. Guy looks like a hobo.
How many liters is that 4’11 brah?
Cardiff Crack Shark Attack
Don’t wear it out at Pt Impossible Chas, it may explode and take an eye out.
Or Samurai.
You just watched the new Bond movie, right? “It blew his mind!”
Nah, haven’t.
Blows up a guy’s cybernetic eye with his watch.
Beach Grit claims aren’t just easy, it’s putting your Whoop fitness tracker on your dog easy.
https://youtu.be/p8xZMAV1OYg
I’m pushing 70% strain reading another Whoop article … but I’m probably not getting enough of Laird’s creamer in my diet
75% goal for tomorrow?
Quad espresso and a cigarette used to do the trick for me. No strain at all. Now I’m just down to the quad espresso so maybe 25% strain? I have to read the manual first to see where I place to whoop to measure bowel movements.
Drek can prob help with that … voice of experience and all
Did Joel forget to mention “mid lengthers”
The problem is I don’t know if you are constantly promoting Whoop because you are getting paid well or doing it just to shit us
The glory of BeachGrit.
If I advertise my accounting practice with you, will that put an end to it
Probably not because I’m actually having fun.
To your accounting practice? Probably.
Drove by Cardiff Reef this morning, a few people out.
Pretty pricey real estate for a surf journalist.
“Years spent cavorting around the al-Qaeda infested Middle East, copping a Hezbollah kidnapping etc.”
That’s what got me here to BG.
And that’s why I forever love you.
Chas you cannot measure fucking recovery on your watch!!!
It’s a WHOOP strap, dang it. Have you read nothing I’ve written?
What sort of whatch is it?
I’m thinking of getting my father a father’s day present for Christmas as i missed it.
Do you think he would like this whatch?
Does it have a fashionable leather strap?
Does it tell you what the tide is?
Tannerite in any form is a great stocking stuffer.
Yes
Just get a Garmin. These Whoop kooks got in too late and have no market share.
Bullshit. They have Beachgrit as their key audience.
quick case in point – do your prison workout twice a day morn and night – your shoulders upper back and triceps will be fucked – if you get ok sleep according to your WHOOP – it will tell you you are recovered – go surf the next day – guarantee you will not be recovered.
its all specific activity – your strap will not tell you or give you that data
No. No he hasn’t.
If ya surf sessions are registering fuck-all on ya rubber strap, ya obviously doing it wrong.
Try paddling faster and harder, or making the effort to travel further and go out somewhere there might actually be waves, not this tiny dribble you float around in on a midgets toy.
P.S.
And you’ll probably get a higher rating on ya rubber strap while sitting in the traffic too…
It’s actually a very fashionable nylon strap.
Nylon is practical, not fashionable
We live in the future.
This is a great all-purpose retort
Like being a darts or pool champion. Zero to be proud of.
Fuck Longboard Bonglord!