Both arms ached, and my right lat muscle was seizing with cramps. I had to raise my right arm above my head to get it to relax. I was sitting on a paddleboard in the center of Mobile Bay, working to keep my fear from taking control, breathing deeply, trying to remain calm.
When I paddled again, the seizing muscle returned. It took 10 minutes of rest to calm it, during which the north wind pushed me too far south. To make up for lost ground, I headed hard northeast. I was now alternating paddling seated for 20 minutes, kneeling for 20 minutes and standing for 20 minutes. Each different position offered different muscle usage, giving different muscles a small break. I was tired. And I was more than a little worried.
Was it time to call for help?
An Idea is Born
Last July, I determined that I’d paddleboard across Mobile Bay — or try to, at least. The challenge would test me, and I could use a test like this. I shared my intentions with lots of people. I reasoned that with so many people aware of my goal, it would hold me accountable to achieving it. I hadn’t been on a paddleboard in 10 years or more. My balance, critical to paddleboarding, is average at best, and I didn’t even own a paddleboard or paddle. I began laying out a plan…