Treadmill Lake

I was determined to get out on my paddleboard yesterday.  Weatherman said there is rain coming, but not until later that day.  He also said that there was some wind, but not too bad. That is what I heard anyway.  Thus began…

The Fear Factor Workout

Lil’ Red and I started our way out of the protected launch area.

As we made our way across the lake the wind was blowing left to right.  I can handle this.  It was blowing me towards the bank so I could not rest without risking being driven into grassy shores.  I can handle this.

My SUP down the Venetian Canal

Up the Lake Without a Paddle:

As the fog began to rise over the trees, I headed out, eager to embark on my next SUP (stand up paddleboard) adventure.

~ wait ~ I forgot my paddle…turn my steed around and head back to the homestead.  Paddle now on board, off to the refreshing ambiance of the lake.

Traveling to the Canal:

When I pushed off from shore the wind was fairly calm.  I decided to go for my longest paddle thus far, 3 miles round trip.  I passed a few paddlers and a fisherman along the way.  A beautiful morning, a fabulous workout.  There were a couple of homes for sale along the way so I stopped and put in bids.

Florida’s Venetian Canal:

The canal is a beautiful, long and narrow passageway between lakes.  It was used by loggers a looong time ago.  The canal insists that you are in the moment.  It has twists and turns that you you hope to not find a boat behind.  I only had to pass one boat and, luckily, we met in an area that only required him to back up a few feet into a a small recess.  It was a boat that gives tours of the lakes and canals in the area.  Hopefully, the clients did not hear my colorful declaration when I realized we were headed for each other.

The Long Journey Home:

I had decided to see how fast I could make it back to the launch site.  It took me about 40 minutes to get out there at a leisurely, take pictures, figure out where I am going, kind of pace.  When I came out of the canal, I was blown back by the wind.  I discovered that I make a pretty good sail.  This prompted a decision to sit and paddle kayak style.  That lasted about 15 minutes.  By then my arms were crying and I had made it to the other side of that lake.  There, the houses and trees provided a bit of a wind break.  Two ladies were emerging from the short canal leading home and asked where something was.  I did not know but told them where the Venetian canal could be found.  I was thinking, “good luck with that in this wind.”  As I made my way through the mini-canal, I heard them coming up behind me.  They turned around fast…Am I going that slow?  Ugh…I paddled and paddled but they still passed me with ease after we exited the canal.  I blamed it on being tired at the end of a long paddle.  Once we made it to shore (with a 30 minute time) I discovered that they run a SUP tour business in another town.  I suppose it is okay for professionals to pass me with faster boards. 8)

How many dogs can you find? (Click photo for a slide show)

Lunch?

Fisherdog

Canal Entrance

Shoot the canal

Can trees swim?

Fetch!

Tire Swing

as the paddle turns

Journeyed out to a lake this weekend.  The water was like glass.  A few birds and fisherman kept it from being lonely but it had a nice feeling of solitude.  There were some fish around but they refused to pose for a picture.  The water was much more clear than I had expected.  The swimming area had been closed due to bacteria levels two weeks ago.

The more time I spend on the water, the more often I want to go.  A meditative and relaxing time that I now crave.  With the cold weather starting to move in, I may have to start hiking.

(the cartoon looking bird was not photo-shopped)

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Remembering the Weekend

This weekend Lil’ Red and I went out on the river.  I renamed him to Lil’ Red because the board is so maneuverable and fun.  Compared to the longer boards that I had been renting, he is just little.

It is a good thing that he is so responsive and easy to handle.  We had to maneuver around a very enthusiastic Boy Scout troop, a kayak group, a volunteer cleanup group, and many more.  Random fact of the trip:  the cleanup group found a beer can from 1988.  The water was the clearest I have seen there.  A fabulous day that I hope will carry me past any stress of the week.

While I did see some turtles and fish in the water, I was not fast enough to capture them in good light.  Here is what my magic Nikon was able to capture:

Exercise Highlights

This week I am highlighting some of my favorite and most popular posts from the last 6 months.  Today’s focus will be on the exercise posts.

1. Exercise Variety
2. Working Out in My Mom’s Garden
3. How to Pick the Right Shoes
4. Pelvic Floor Exercises
5. Finding Adventure in Workouts
6. Balance Exercises

New Work Out Video

Are you tired of fighting of fighting for machines at the gym?

Is it too hot to go outside?

Do you think a hurricane is an excuse to not workout?

Well think again!

This amazing new workout will keep you groov’n and move’n. For a limited time we are offering this workout for free. That’s right, free to to the first round of motivated clients that are ready to change their lives forever.

Keep Your Balance

From the CDC:  Falling is the leading cause of injury death for those 65 and older.  One out of three adults over 65 fall every year.  Less than half talk to their doctor about it.  (Some studies use 45 and older)

Head injuries, fractures, lacerations and fear, all resulting from falls, can lead to a loss of independence and mobility restriction.  Some people become so afraid about falling that they severely restrict their activities.  They become more dependent on others and lose some quality of life.

What keeps us vertical?

There are three systems that provide the input that keeps us balanced.  Vision is more than being able to read a chart in your doctor’s office.  Depth perception and tracking objects are also important skills.  It is important to have vision tested for all of these, especially if there have been balance changes.  Vestibular (inner ear) problems can become more frequent as we age.  There are tests and treatments for inner ear issues.  Proprioception involves the information your brain gets from the muscles and joints about what position they are in.  This area is the easiest to work on independently before and after seeking advice from your primary care doctor, ENT and/or physical therapist.  Processing the information in the brain and sending signals back out to the body is the last step.

So what can we do?

Adventurous Workouts

Two days, two sore calves, and two great, new workouts…

1)  Yesterday I had two firsts: using Groupon and paddleboarding.  Both went really well.  I never even fell in the water! We pushed off from shore in the swollen river.  It had rained so much that the normally clear water was murky and over its banks.  With the calm of the morning, it had turned to a black mirror.  Our paddles broke ripples to shore and my instructor pondered aloud, “The alligators usually sit on the banks that the water has risen over.  I wonder where they are now?”  Um, okay, let’s hope not swimming.  We paddled on with new motivation not to fall in.  Another thought that came out, “Because the water is so murky, it is hard to see where the fallen trees are, so if you feel something under your board, that is probably it.” Better to be overturned by a tree than a gator.  I followed his path.  We make it to the turnaround point.  Here is where a natural spring merges with the river.  There is an area where we can see to the bottom.  I kneel down to take a break and to dip my toes in the cool water.  Most newbies, and I am no exception, tend to have foot and toe pain from awkward balancing technique.  Mine had gone numb by this point so the rest and cool water was very soothing and relaxing.  In one swift motion, my fearless instructor moves from sitting to kneeling and starts towards me.  “Is that a snake or a turtle?”, he asks.

140+ Squat Workout

Part of my Mothers’ Day present was moving some landscaping stones.  Each one had to be placed in the wheelbarrel and then back down in another area.  I was concerned that I may strain my back, so I took special care to bend my knees, keep my back in neutral and use my glut and leg muscles to power up.  It was a fabulous workout.  Sure my legs and lower back muscles felt like they had been asked to do more than they were accustomed to, but what I had failed to consider was the 140+ bicep curls that I also did.  Those babies cried for 3 days.  I credit Zumba for the lack of soreness in my legs that I had expected.  I am now motivated to work more on my upper body!

 

I Like to Move it, Move it

To be healthy and  feel strong you’ve got to move it…at least a little.

I love to exercise.  That is, when I have a lot of time and energy.  So, not very often.  I almost always like it, even on the bad days.  One thing I must have is variety.  I get way to bored doing the same thing everyday.  Here is a countdown of some exercises on my radar.  I am always looking for new ideas.

What do you do to move it?

10.  Run:  I may run to the car in the rain, but nope, not even a little for workouts.  (knee & hip pain)

9.  Swim:  Would love to, however, it is way too inconvenient right now so my laziness will never make it to a pool.

8.  Bike:  Used to love it.  After a hip injury, it hurt too much.  There may be hope for this one in the future.

7. Pilates dvd:  Liked it for about a month.  I ended up adapting almost every exercise on it to avoid pain.

6. Parkour:  I used to free run all the time…..Ya right.