"Re-Build"



22 Mile - 2010 C2C Challenge



Where have I been...

Its been month's since my last Blog post and many people have been asking; "What happened?"

Many of us have been competing in different sports for most of our lives. For most it is in our DNA. We turn just about ANYTHING into a competition. It's one of the things I truly enjoy about the SUP community. At every event, at home or while traveling, on or off the water, we make the simplest thing a contest. Even when my wife, daughter and I go shopping in the grocery store; my 6 year old daughter Gaya and I will at some point in the first 5 minutes begin the chant "I'll race you to (insert target)...Ready Set Go!". My wife Nancy realizes the start of this activity when one of us slams our hand in to her backside with a resounding "Beat you!" (Mommy's rear end is a regular finish line for many of our shopping race comps).

However in 2010 I started to lose my "Race Mojo". With advancing SUP race technology this past year and the rise of incredible new comers of all ages taking down wins at events, it became hard to keep up.

Chuck Patterson and I have talked by email and at events about this and it is frustrating for seasoned full time Pro's like Chuck; but even more debilitating for "Jugglers" like myself (see my early post for a definition of "The Juggle").

Standing by my Winston Churchill mantra of "Never, Never, Never, Quit", shortly in to the 2010 season, I set out to look at what I had been doing in '07, 08', and '09 and see where changes could be made.

The 2010 Key West Classic race I switched to a completely different race board design that proved terrible results. In the 2010 Gulf Coast Championships, I returned to my BARK 18 board and switched paddles...more terrible results.

I messed with my nutrition and hydration management; some success and some failures.

I decided towards the end of the season to completely change my "land training" which resulted in a drop of over 15 lbs in body weight and an increase in strength and endurance (Ala; Connected Fitness Sports Performance Training).

Just prior to the 2010 Battle of the Paddle - CA, I sold my 2nd 18ft Unlimited BARK and had Joe Bark shape me a new custom 14' race board that I used for the very first time the morning of the 10 mile distance race. I had trouble finding the "sweet spot" , but what I felt as I approached the second 5 mile leg, began a low flicker of excitement. Returning to the Right Coast after the BOP, the performance of the new BARK board in the 22 - Mile Flat Water 2010 C2C Challenge in Cocoa, FL made the flicker grow to a slow burn.

Further nutrition changes in October and November along with a change in race paddles has turned the slow burn back in to a FIRE.

So what does this all mean??

SUP surfing and racing gave so much to personal life when I first struggled to stay standing in the surf for more than 15 minutes back in late 2006 on a 12ft Surf Tech Laird. The grom like stoke and fun along with a host of incredible people in the SUP community began a whole new chapter in my competitive personal life and helped to further expand my waterman lifestyle.

I hope that most of you continue to grow and push yourselves in this incredible life we lead. Whether you just want to be able to cruise and explore further distances on your local waterways or travel to new spots around the globe to SUP explore. If you would like to push yourself in to entering competitions or even if you just want to see if you can move to a smaller SUP...whatever your challenge; Never, Never, Never Quit.

We (the surfing community) are a family, a tribe. Our love and enjoyment of the water bind us in ways that span continents. Try new things, go new places, reach out to schedule paddles with new paddlers in your area, borrow each others equipment. This is what SUP is all about. Spread the Aloha...let a child at your local beach hop on for a ride or offer that grumpy local short boarder to try out your rig...

Most of all, if you ever feel like I did in 2010; take a step back and "sharpen the sword" as it will...



Better yet, reach out to one of the tribe..remember we are a family and the stoke we share can never be extinguished. Just let someone pass their "stoke torch" to you and re-light.

So....

Tomorrow (Sat 11/27/10) is my first race since this first "re-build". I don't know what the result will be, but it really doesn't matter.

I am proud to be part of this global SUP family...so as we approach 2011...READY, SET....GO!

(Beat you!)

-See You in the Water