Official Waterman Group A tribe for surfers,divers,kiteboarders,windsurfers,wakeboarders,& watersportsmen

Surf Training Post #1

The past four years of my life has been focused on my newest occupation, Mom. During this time, I have surfed maaaaaaybe 25 times? This is not how I expected my favorite past time to go down! Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mom and all the love and affection I receive on a daily basis, but there needs to be some “me” time thrown in there! After the first two years of  momhood, I thought I was going to start gettin somma that me time, but it didn’t quite work out that way. We decided to adopt a teenager. Yes, I said teenager. After another two years things are starting to really come together over here and I have decided to follow a new dream of mine….becoming a real surfer!

In my 20s, I moved to California for one thing…to learn how to surf. Since I can remember, I have wanted to live near the ocean.  Not just any ocean, it HAD to be the ocean on the West Coast. The big blue Pacific. Ahhh, it is such a calming force in my life. My newest resolution is to become a better surfer. I am tired of sucking at catching waves (see photo above).  It all started about a day before Christmas Eve while I was in Colorado for the holidays. I stood staring at four feet of snow and realized that I had not gone out in the ocean for almost three months. There is no excuse for not taking a dip- at least- into the energy recharging blue liquid that is only a 1/2 mile from my house and beach lab. No excuse!

I started my search for an organized, surf-specific workout on the Internet. I found a cool workout designed by a personal trainer in Australia who trains lots of surfers, professionals included. It is called “Total Surfing Fitness.” It has three levels of workouts to build muscle, flexibility and mobility….the secrets to catching good waves.

Today’s e-mail from my virtual trainer was to test my flexibility. I am supposed to be able to put one arm over my head and bend it back behind my head, then do the opposite with my other arm and touch them together in the middle of my back. Three weeks of lots of pop-ups and push ups had made me stiff… ooouuuuuch…Need to work on flexibility. It is a pretty organized workout; Do the surf specific workouts three times a week, alternating with days of surfing, paddling or some kind of cardio.

I am on my 3rd week of level one workouts. I am constantly hungry and my butt is sore. I have gone out surfing (not this week since it has been raining and flat) and I have noticed a difference in my ability to catch waves. This week is the third of four weeks on the level one and then I move to the next level. My virtual trainer sends me e-mails almost every day to keep me motivated and jazz up the workouts by adding a new balance or strength workout.

My end goal is to charge some giant waves by the end of the year. No fear. No drowning.