Day 47 – Objective accomplished

I’m worn out! Smack! Face first into the wall of exhaustion. Perfect. By the numbers so since last Tues (6 days): 6 workouts (3 legs/3 arms), 6 yoga sessions (3 Hot/3 normal), 6 Swims (12,000 yards), 6 core workouts (1/2 hour long each) and of course surfing every day. Basically, I’ve been working out in some shape or form (including surfing) for about 4 ½ to 5 hours a day and I’m not messing around, sweating a lot pushing as hard as I can. I’m pretty happy with my progress! Especially yoga, I’m actually feeling pretty good in class. 2 things to note here, I think it is clearly easier to get back to levels that you have already been achieved (last summer for me) and the second is that there are huge benefits to going to yoga for consecutive days. It just seems your body does not have a chance to tighten back up – they always say this, but I guess I’ve never really believed them. My arm and leg strength are about 80% and 90% respectively (as % of peak weight I have lifted in the past). I think I will be close to 100% after a few days of rest. What do I have left? My final 2k yards of swimming will be today and then I’ll begin to rest my arms. I have a 2 more leg workouts (tonight and Wednesday), One more arm workout (tomorrow), 5 more yoga sessions (3 normal/ 2 hot). Tomorrow I’ll swim as well, just breath training however (I’ll only do 1,000 with as much as possible underwater). I might add in a sand hill or two on Wed/Thurs. The point is that my legs don’t need rest, it is the arms that are always problematic because it is necessary to paddle so much when you are surfing everyday. Of course, core workouts every day until I go (even while I’m there). Well, it would have been better to spread these workouts over a few months, but I didn’t know that I would be going. Yeah, this has been hard work, but for the amount of benefit that I’m getting, it is nothing. My back is pain free! A little twinge here or there, but for the most part it is good. I’m exhausted, but my surfing feels reasonably sharp. I feel like I’m going to be ready. Bring it on, maybe well get a bombing swell that I can test my limits on. Maybe it will be just small the whole time and I’ll be able weave and turn. I don’t know but, I’m glad I’m here instead of that place of physical insecurity.

Today, the waves were solid, but I didn’t really get much. A solid cutback, a weave to the inside, a few beat downs from the lip. There were some pretty solid sets out there. Jay says it will pick up in to the close of the week. We’ll see, it could be good to test my thumb tail before I go. I think this will by my “go to” board – 6’3” rounded tail, but wide enough to keep things loose. It works well in waves where you need to turn and fit into barrels. Hopefully, it will get challenging here on Thursday or Friday. That would be a nice late season surprise!