Whaaa'SUP

The cool people know that SUP stands for Stand-Up Paddleboarding.  And the extra cool people have either tried it or are going to try it… soon!

I have now tried SUP twice and consider myself hooked.  This is absolutely going to be an annual summer activity.

I, personally, love activities on the water that don’t involve actual swimming (Allison Schmitt I am not!).  For me, being near or on the water is both invigorating yet calming at the same time.  That’s exactly how I would describe the SUP experience:  stimulating yet soothing; energizing yet lullifying; exhilarating yet pacifying.

In a word (or four)… really, way COOL, dude.

K and I tried SUP for the first time back in May and it was nice that we were kid-less because it was new to us and we could set our own pace; do our own thang, y’know.  But, it is definitely a family-friendly activity.  We took the girls this second time and also saw several kids out on paddleboards with their parents.  The winner was the dad with 4 kids on one board!

I’m convinced my girls will love it, too, once they can get over the idea of swimming with the big carp in the lake.  R FREAKED out at the sight of them and that kinda put a damper on their SUP experience.  We forced them to paddle around for some pics but K had to appease them by renting a paddle boat, which they ended up totally loving.

I left K with the crybabies and caught up with a couple of my girlfriends that had zipped by us earlier and we spent the next hour just paddling and cruising and periodically jumping into the water to cool off.  It was just awesome. 

I found that I liked doing a combination of some standing and some kneeling and have a feeling that I’ll get a little more confident and adventurous each time I go.  I’m even planning on trying the yoga/Pilates-on-the-water class they have some day!  I didn’t have time to this outing. 

 I love how it is a sport that is accessible to pretty much everyone.  Old, young, fit, flabby.  You can dig in deep and get a great workout out of it or just piddle-paddle and cruise around.

Some suggestions I have from my perspective:  If you can avoid paying for a lesson, do so.  This was on a very calm lake and all they told us for the 30-second “lesson” is, basically, face your paddle this way, switch sides about every 3 strokes and keep your leash on at all times.  Hmmm.  All things I figured out on my own within minutes the first time we went out. 

Also, wear a hat, sunscreen and definitely take water with you.  And take a waterproof camera, too, because EVERYONE looks cool on a paddleboard!

Nobody should die without having first tried this!

 

Post-Workout Recovery Snack... Lazy Trainer Style!

What in the world is that?! you may ask.

That, my friends, is the Lazy Personal Trainer's version of some all-important post-workout recovery grub.  After finishing 30 minutes of an intense cardio circuit I made sure to nourish my body with some right proper nutrition. 

Unless you've been living under a rock, you should know that you're supposed to refuel within 15 to 45 minutes after you exercise in order for your body to lose more fat and build more muscle.

And you should further be aware that it's recommended that that post-recovery snack or meal should consist of a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein after a strength workout and a 4:1 ratio after endurance exercise.

So, do you think  a 1/2 cup of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream fits the bill? 

Well, check this out... I sprinkled a tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal to make it come a little closer!  Hmmm, curiously the fat component is not mentioned in the aforementioned nutrient ratio guidelines.

Hey, I'm trying to overcome Lazy, folks!  I have been known to polish off an entire pint of that stuff in order to refuel my exertion from clicking the remote with my thumb.  So this can be considered an improvement!

Next time.... TWO tablespoons of flaxseed!  I wonder if the peanut butter cup flavor has more protein in it....

I Am a Sponsored, Competitive Athlete!

I guess I should complete that thought.  I am a sponsored, competitive athlete… in my own little magical world.  And as crazy as it makes me sound, it also makes me overcome Lazy.

In fact, I had a biking competition on Saturday.  My first rival was easily passed as he was having trouble clipping in or something.  Yeah, having clips (I don’t) are supposed to help you bike better and faster, blah, blah, blah.  Well, they certainly weren’t helping him!  Hahahaha, sucka!

I didn’t encounter my second and more serious adversary until I’d turned around and was heading back.  She and I both had pulled out onto the main road from the same turn-out at almost the same time with her being about 25 meters ahead of me.  We were on a very slight decline before we were to hit the gradual incline which leads into a serious hill.  It was evident that I was taller and heavier than she was, so I knew I had to make the most of my momentum advantage while I could before the climb turned it into my disadvantage. 

I zipped by her and almost uttered, “see you on the hill,” but decided to save my energy.  It did me no good.  She smoothly passed me a few minutes later and this was before we’d even started the major hill ascent! 

Oh well, as I was bad-mouthing the basic laws of physics (curse you, second law of motion!) – not to mention her obvious superior physical fitness - I consoled myself by remembering that my abundant height does has its advantages in certain situations.  Like at the grocery store.  Sometimes people will ask for my help in reaching something on the top shelf.  I’m always happy to comply…. Although sometimes, I admit, I have a little fun with them when I innocently ask them over and over, “This one? Oh, this one?  So, this one, then?  No?”

In my competition today, my plan was to keep my new frenemy within my sights up the hill and then let my heavy duty frame (body and bike) overcome the petite waif as she ineffectively pedaled her skinny little tires. 

Well, it didn’t quite play out that way.  She kept her speedier pace consistent enough to stretch the distance between us to a good 150 meters or so.  Hmmph.

But I’ll tell you what, I worked notably harder because of this imaginary contest I had going on in my head.  So, I thank you, Anonymous Biker Chick.  You had no idea this major rivalry was happening on the road behind you, but I was waging a full-on war!  And, as a result, I got a killer workout because of it.

Anyway, I got the last laugh as we came back into town.  It didn’t take me long at all to finally catch up to her and pass her like she was standing still… because she was.  She’d stopped at a red light to go straight and I barely yielded as I cruised by her to turn right.

Yeah, baby.  How do you like them apples?!  Eat my dust!!!

That grand finale kept me smiling all the way home!

OVERCOME LAZY!

My New Fitness Crush: The Rope

With a little plyo action, this thing is
Kill.Ler.

Shhhh… Don’t tell the Bosu, but I’ve got a new fitness crush:  The rope. 

I’m not talking about the ubiquitous jump rope that we’ve all known since childhood, I’m talking about, The ROPE!

Fitness rope, undulation rope, heavy exercise rope, battling rope (my favorite – how tough does THAT sound!) ….  Known by various names, the rope is another ingeniously simple item that has emerged as a seriously effective and satisfying piece of workout equipment.

Serious core workout!

I caught wind of this serpentine sensation about a year or two ago and have been interested in trying one ever since.  I wanted to do a test drive to see if it would be a worthwhile purchase but never ran across any ropes to try.  My interest in them spiked when I started my park boot camp class but I still hesitated on committing to a buy until a recent incursion of lower-body injuries among my boot campers and friends – plus myself! – made it a necessity.

While my boot camp classes are a diverse mixture of activities, they almost always include some sort of running, hopping and/or burpeeing.  However, this suddenly was not a safe option for many of us, so I knew we needed another alternative. 

Hence my impulsive leap into rope training territory.  Actually it wasn’t that impulsive.  I’d seen a ton of videos and had been mulling it over for some time, so I just went for it!

And, WOWEEEE WOW WOW, am I glad I did!  This thing is awesome!  We played around with my new rope (it’s 50-feet, 1.5 inches) at boot camp and since then I’ve created some kick-ass (hey - ass is in the Bible) workouts at home and can’t wait to keep unfurling more of this slinky sweetie’s secrets.    I love how it’s about as uncomplicated as workout equipment gets, yet can effectively work the body out from head to toe.  It has a primitive, old-school-tough kind of feel to it, yet it’s refreshing, invigorating and accessible to most everyone – even those with lower-body ailments!

So I guess I suffer from gym equipment infidelity.  Just when I think I’ve got enough fitness goodies to keep me satisfied, something else comes along to entice me and test my loyalty. Trust me, I am picky.  I don’t just let any ol’ thigh master or ab roller-type seduce me… and I still love you, my dear Bosu.  You will always hold a prominent position in my workouts.…  It’s just that I think there’s plenty of room in our relationship for this new rope….  Ooooo, and maybe one of those land paddleboards (a.k.a. skupboards) I saw someone on the other day….

A Dozen Years of Bliss (Sorta)

… and the handsome stranger wooed the fair maiden with his wit, charm and bottomless bank account.  They married and rode off upon their ATVs into the sunset never to have a sour word pass between them nor have a moment’s stress longer than a nano-second ever cross their path… and they lived happily ever after.

If you believe that, I’ve got some oceanside property in Arizona to sell ya!

Really, I did marry my best friend.  My soul mate.  My other half.  Does that mean I’ve never wanted to bash my fist into my bestie’s face after an episode of pure, unadulterated aggravation?  Not even.  But, thankfully, I’ve more often found myself marveling at what an incredible blessing it’s been to have found a companion who has brought into my life such a dimension of enjoyment and inspiration that I don’t think I would have know otherwise.

We just celebrated our 12^th wedding anniversary.  Our gift to each other was a stand-up paddleboarding outing (I will report about that in a post very soon.  Awe.Some.)  followed by some serious chowing on some southern style BBQ which fueled us up for our midnight hike to see the Supermoon. 

THIS is how I want to be living life.  With an adventurous partner, raising adventure-loving kids, overcoming Lazy every chance we get.

Which brings me to my real-life fairy tale which goes more like this:

… and after the handsome (albeit short-ish) stranger narrowly avoided a fist fight on their first date, the fair maiden miraculously agreed to see him again, thus starting them down a bumpy path of deep love, massive annoyance, fun adventure, scary adventure, absolute joy and delight, definite frustration and anger… all while riding/cycling/jogging/paddling off into many sunsets and sunrises together which all culminates into them living pretty darn happily ever after.

Healthified Mac N Cheese

Mac N Cheese. My girls love it. It's easy to make. It's cheap. But I feel guilty every time I serve it to them because it's not a nutritional all-star.

But, I've found ways to adapt it so I don't feel nearly as guilty when I cave in and fix it for them.

First, while the noodles are cooking, I will throw in some frozen veggies. Usually peas because it's always fun to say to them (EVERY SINGLE TIME), "eat your mac n cheese n peas.... please." Then, when I make the sauce, instead of butter or margarine, I use Brummel and Brown spread. It has 50% less fat and calories than butter and tastes great! For the milk, I will often just use our skim milk but I will usually use Almond Breeze (or Silk) unsweetened almond milk when we have it on hand. It has way less calories and sugar than milk and, again, tastes great!

Well, we certainly know her version
ain't exactly healthy!

Lately, I've made another addition because it always bothers me that the pasta is not whole grain. So I tried sprinkling in some ground flaxseed into the sauce. This boosts the fiber and protein plus gives you the bonus of those healthy Omega-3s. I started off with just a tablespoon to make sure the girls would be OK with it and they didn't say a word! Gobbled it up like usual, so I've bumped up the amount to about 2 tablespoons.

With these changes, I'm convinced that this is a pretty well-balanced, decently healthy meal. And the modifications are so simple, it's still super quick and easy!

Healthy convenience. Love it!

Fitness is FREEDOM... and POWER!

Trying to keep up with the kiddo!
Not so easy when I'm on foot
and she's off training wheels now!

As I launched out on a spontaneous run with R the other day, I realized what an incredible, amazing blessing it is to be able to be fit and healthy enough to just jump into the moment - specifically, an ACTIVE moment.

A few days ago, it was spectacularly gorgeous outside.  Suddenly, R wanted to ride her bike, and I wanted to go on a run and next thing you know, we're out doing just that!

Last week, the girls begged me to join them jumping on the trampoline.  I thought, why not?!  I can, I should, it feels great and it was FUN!

Lately, I could give you a ton more examples of instances along these same lines.  But you get the idea.

Not much thinking or convincing myself wen into doing these workouts/activities.  I WANTED to do them, so I did.  That's FREEDOM!  That's POWER!  That's how I want it to be for the rest of my days on this earth...

Fitness gives us the freedom and power to...

Reach new heights!
(That's R, waaaaay up there!)

Weather the seasons.

Navigate some pretty tough terrain...

Keep the simple things of life just that:  simple.
(Like a back yard game of hopscotch)


Get Fit.  Overcome Lazy.  Empower yourself.