You Are What You Eat

An important part of any physical training regimen includes what you put into your body.  In the past few months I have changed my diet to eating mostly home-cooked meals.  And if you knew me personally, you'd know this was a huge step.  I was always self-conscious about what types of food I ate, even when we ate out so I always considered myself a healthy person.  Little did I know about the big gains I would receive by learning how to cook a few simple meals at home.  Along with my SUP workouts, I've shed some pounds, mainly body fat, and earned some muscles.  I feel stronger and my endurance is improving.  On my quest to continually improve, I visited an organic farm called Suzie's Farm in Imperial Beach.

Suzie's Farm provides local vendors and community members with fresh produce.  They provide your typical breeds of tomatoes, beets, broccoli, lettuce, etc.  But they also harvest unique varieties such as the spotted cabbage I have pictured below:

It only cost $10 to take a tour and you get to harvest a bag full of vegetables to take home.  Farmer Ellie's presentation demonstrated her passion for food and farming.  She broke down the process from tilling to planting the seeds to harvesting.  I learned so much on this tour and suggest you stop by when you're in town.

If you've never harvest carrots (like me), you'll have a blast.
It was like finding an easter egg every time and trying to find the biggest one!

Okay, that IS a carrot in my hand.  It's a red carrot.

I guarantee that if you started eating mainly things that are grown, such as the vegetables found on this farm, you'll improve your health big time!

Looking at the Sunny Side of a Rainy Day

A few more photos from the Adler Paddler:

Here I am sitting in the truck before the Adler Paddler trying to keep warm AND
debating "Do I want to do this?"  Thank goodness there isn't a chance of rain
for this weekend's Seaside Slide.

It's always a good time hanging out with these crazy guys!

I was impressed with the amount of people who attended
even with the cold and rain... that's dedication!

What's a BOGA?

"Based in Northern California, BOGA Paddleboards was founded by a group of industry professionals with the goal of bringing to market a lighter, stronger more high-performance Stand Up Paddle Board at a cost approachable for the average consumer.  David Meyler, founder and president of BOGA Paddleboards came up with the name.  In Spanish the verb bogar is to paddle.  BOGA is also slang for hip and stylish in South America."

Check out my fast and fine-looking BOGA race board:

The raceboard is all carbon-fiber so it's very light.  I tested its stability at the Adler Paddler last week.  It was very stable, even with the chop, strong winds and rain.  I also enjoy surfing the BOGA 9'2" Bullet.  It's a super wide board so it makes for a fun little board to ride, especially for someone like me transitioning from my long 11' to shorter boards.  Make sure you check out the old school retro looks of their longboards at www.bogaboards.com

Watch out! The BOGA Team is already making its mark with Ben Sarazin placing second in the Men's Stock SUP Division at the Dana Ocean Challenge.  

A Feast Fit for a King... I Mean Queen

Since I started training, I eat practically all the time!  I've always loved to eat (who doesn't) but the difference is the type of food I put in my body... not much junk (sugar and fat) anymore.  This photo is my dinner the other night.  I had delicious grilled veggies to make a healthy burrito.  I skipped the beans, rice and chips to stay on track and it was still "muy delicioso"!  Compare it to my friend's meal showing on the top right.  And yeah, you better believe I ate most of it!!  Yummy!

Fashion Forward and Beach Ready

Fashion is always on the forefront of my mind, even when it comes to SUPing. So I was thrilled to find these fashionable, beach appropriate shoes while shopping for Doc Martens for my kiddo's birthday gift.  (Yes, Docs never go out of style.)  These are the first time I've seen these and I'm usually on top of all the fashion trends.  The brand name is Native.  They are waterproof, washable, anti-microbial, shock absorbent and odor resistant.

These are black, but I'll be back for the bright orange ones!
Other colors include white, blue, grey and purple.

I'm actually going to try using them while SUPing.  I probably wouldn't use it for a long distance paddle session but might be cool when I'm just cruising around the bay on an easy day.

All For a Good Cause

All the dedicated, hardcore SUPers braved the stormy weather to race in today's first Annual Adler Paddler Fundraiser in Long Beach.  I'm proud to say that I was one of the SUPers that supported the cause.  It was one thing to show up at the event in the cold and rain and another to actual brave the challenging conditions to do the race.

Here's everyone after the race, squeezing in under the canopies like sardines
as we listen for the winning ticket numbers for the many raffle prizes.
Billy Kho was lucky to snag the Ron House board and quicksilver wetsuit!
Go buy a lottery ticket Billy!

It was a beach start.  I have to say that during the line-up while I was having difficulties holding my board still because of the wind, I thought to myself, "What the f*@k am I thinking?"  Good thing I didn't have too much time to contemplate that question because the starting horn blew and before I knew it I was in the water.  The start wasn't too bad with the winds blowing from behind us but it did start to rain.  The rain was the least of my worries.  The water was so choppy, I just didn't want to fall into the cold water especially because I wore my usual attire- bikini, shirt and light jacket (I was freezing!)  After a few minutes, I got into the groove with my new Boga raceboard.  I was feeling confident and passing people one by one.  We hit the first bridge, which by the way, you needed to duck under because it was a low bridge, and I was feeling good.  We hit the second low bridge and I still had my target female elite racer in sight so I knew I was doing okay.  But as soon as we made the first turn the wind hit you smack dab on the face and it was like you hit a wall.  The winds were howling at 25-30mph!  I couldn't allow my board to yaw too much, otherwise, I ended up working harder and slower to get back on line.  I originally was happy to see that the last bridge was tall enough for me to remain standing.  Here's the trick though---  it was like a wind tunnel that held me back enough that it felt like I wasn't moving at all, even when I was paddling with all my strength.  (What an easy way to bring someone's confidence down.) So, it was about a mile upwind which I thought would be the toughest part.  I was wrong.  I made the next turn and had to paddle entirely on the right side because now we were getting a left swell.  I was okay with that until my raceboard starting cruising toward the docked boats, no matter how hard I was pushing on the right side! (Ugh, perhaps a longer fin will do me good next time.)  I lost a lot of time here trying to get back on track, with about four racers that cruised by as I took the long route.

All-in-all, it was a good race.  After all has been said and done, it was a challenging yet fun race and I look forward to supporting the cause again next year.

Stand-Up Paddling on Tap

I'm really not a beer drinker but it's always refreshing to throw a couple down after a race hanging out with the boys.  A couple of months ago I was fortunate to be invited to an exclusive event promoting Kona Brewing Company's newest beer, Koko Brown.  There was an interesting mix of people at the event, from beer connoisseurs to SUPers.  You're probably wondering why SUPers were invited to this tasting event.  Well, check out the label.  The label features a stand-up paddler in Maunalua Bay in Oahu, a popular SUP spot in the shadows of Koko Head and Koko Crater.

Koko Brown Ale is a rich mahogany ale brewed with toasted coconut for a nutty aroma and flavor.  It is available in limited release at restaurants and retail establishments in Hawaii and the West Coast, now through May 1 before being re-launched with wider distribution in January 2012.  Make sure you try it because not only does it taste good but the Kona Brewing Company sponsors a number of SUP competitions including the Molokai 2 Oahu, Battle of the Paddle and Maui Jim Surf Monkey.

Feast at the Firehouse

This has nothing to do with SUP what-so-ever but I just had to send a BIG shout out to Captain Mike and his crew at Chula Vista Station #6 for a fabulous dinner!  I was fortunate to be invited to attend a dinner and tour of the firehouse.  We were able to put on the fireman's gear, ride the fire truck and eat an awesome dinner cooked by the Captain himself.

Captain Mike started our meal with bruchetta appetizers and garlic peppered shrimp.  The meal consisted of a tasty chorizo meatloaf, lightly toasted vegetables and delicious seafood soup.  To finish off the meal, dessert consisted of a yummy creme brulee, topped with blueberries and strawberries with a side of chocolate, peanut butter cookie.  I definitely was not expecting an extraordinary meal like his one!

Captain Mike warming up the brown sugar atop the cream brulee.

A Delicious Dessert... a way to a woman's heart!

Thanks Captain Mike for a fabulous night!

DeJa Vu Wipeout- Take 2

The surf was pretty "fugly" today but stubborn me still paddled out because I was just in the mood to surf.  The thing of it is that I should have learned my lesson this winter when I was pitched over and over again in the infamous Coronado closeouts.  I have a tough time surfing this shorebreak, especially when it's low tide like it was today.  It's takes the experience of reading these waves and getting on the shoulder so that you don't get thrown over the peak of these closeouts.

So here's a play by play on what I thought would be a primo ride today.  These were my thoughts to myselft:

"Yeah, check out that set."
"Looks like a good one."
"Start paddling."
"Okay, looks like my timing is okay.  Keep paddling."
As the wave begins to form, "Paddle hard."
I'm looking at the wall of the wave and literally say, "Yeah!" aloud in my excitement.
I was feeling confident, "This ride is going to be sweet!"
My nose started diving, "No, no, don't dive.  Step back."
I stepped way back on the board.  The nose wasn't budging.
Then it feels like something in the wave has a hold of your fin, the wave pitches to a point and...
There I go, head over heels into the water, board follows suit.  
"Damn, that sucked."
As I turn to go back, another wave is about to land on my head.
I go under but not deep enough so I get pulled with the current.
"Damn, that really sucked!"
Take 3.

The positive outcome from this was I jumped back on my board and paddled back to try to catch more waves.  I didn't realize until afterwards that I didn't let it phase me like it would have in the past.  Also, I'm learning that sometimes the day just isn't right for surfing and you can't force trying to catch waves.  I should have figured that out before I jumped in the water and saw that there was only one surfer out there.

Oh well, you LIVE and LEARN.  That's what I'm all about.

Meet My Piglet... the Boga Bullet

Just kickin' it with my buddy...

Hope To See You This Saturday!

Don't miss the Mickey Munoz Mongoose Cup this Saturday, March 12 at Baby Beach in Dana Point.  There will be a fun paddle open to everyone and a "luck of the draw" relay race for those wanting to team up with one of the top racers.  There will also be some SUP clinics to help you improve your skills.  

Most importantly, my racing sponsors, BOGA Boards, will be in attendance.  Make sure you stop by the booth to check out the boards and say "hello".  

Reason for My Week-Long Hiatus

When I found out that I had to attend a work conference in Monterey I saw it as an opportunity to check out the Central California coastal areas.  Of course, I had to take a few extra days off in order to really survey the sites.  I'm fairly new at blogging so I didn't even think about taking my computer.  Otherwise, you would have had a day-by-day recall of all the sweet places we saw on our way up from Ventura, to Santa Barbara, to Monterey and on to Santa Cruz, and everywhere in between.   

This break is called The Hook.
Check out the fun little waves just perfect for me!

The surf was pretty flat from Ventura to Santa Cruz.  We still were able to get a couple of small surf days, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The big surprise for me was Santa Barbara as a whole.  There is so much to see and do!  I especially loved riding my bike up and down the coast and through the town.  Bike lanes are accessible almost everywhere through SB.  I'm looking forward to taking my daughter to Santa Barbara.  I think it's the perfect spot for beginning SUPers.  There are a ton of protected ocean water paddling so it doesn't get real choppy and the surf is small and mushy (or at least it was while we were there).

This was taken on the beach at Carmel, which is a ritzy little community
not far from Monterey.