One last salty dunk this am before I leave for MO for three days to see Tyler’s World Premier of his film at the True/False Film Festival! Woohoo!
Caught a couple fun ones at Tippers… tried really hard not to go under in the still nasty run off water, ran a million errands, packed and made it to the airport just in time!
Stay tuned for Days 305 and 306 – SUP in the lakes of Colombia, Missouri! (supposed to be 50/raining and blowing a nasty gale. Not much change from SD!)
I have to admit – I get in food ruts all the time. I end up rushing at the store and buy the same stuff week after week… keeping it simple and healthy – but the ‘same.’
I have always had a little goal in the back of my head to try a new recipe every week. Sometimes it happens, other times, not. But when I do try something new, I always love it!
Variety is key!
There is only so much we can have control over, and one of the most important is what we put in our bodies.
Here is my latest dehydrator recipe that is LOADED with cancer preventative foods. Not to mention amazing immune boosting properties during this nasty “cold” season. (both the kids have croup!)
8 cups of washed and cut organic kale
1 cup raw and sprouted cashews
6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of sea salt
3 tbs of fresh lemon juice
Blend in a food processor all the ingredients except for the kale until you have a hummus-like texture. You may need to add a dash of water.
Place kale in a large bowl and add paste (with you hands!) until all the kale is covered and there are no clumps.
Place in dehydrator overnight on LOW. (Or you can use your oven on the lowest temp but for only about 4-6 hours? – check for crispiness)
The garlic is a little overbearing if you are not used to raw garlic, but just eat it with intent! It is clinically proven to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and is recognized by the National Cancer Institute as a preventative against cancer.
The thing I love most about stepping foot in the door at the Greenasium is that I never know what we are going to do that day. Alex keeps my workouts fresh and new and constantly surprising my body so it doesn’t know what to expect.
Here is a video from today, an exercise called the Ball Slam – something I would have never been able to do 5 months ago with my compromised back.
Turns out I have ‘surfers ear.’ Lovely.
It’s really not that big of deal – except that it hurts like hell. And when I go under, I get a horrible pain in my ear/head, my eyes feel like they are going to bust off my face, the world goes blurry for a bit, and I generally feel like I’m gonna barf.
After a while – the feeling goes away, but for the rest of the day I feel cloudy, like I am living in a goldfish tank.
I’ve had pain for years, but it was random and manageable. However, the last few weeks now – it has been every day.
Wearing my ear plugs help – and double up with my hood helps even more.
Guess I will be a squid lidder from now on.
So long blonde highlights from the sea…
Let the countdown begin – Next Saturday marks Day 300!!! Party Paddle Out anyone???
Today, I realized that the there have been no two days alike since last May when this project began.
Each day, I approach the idea of getting back in the water with a new perspective.
There are so many variables…
weather
wind
tide
swell size
swell direction
health
mood
energy level
crowds
motivation
gumption
schedule
current state of wetsuit – dry?
and so many more.
The only consistent thing that stands true from day to day – I enter the water and take a little sip so that part of it enters me.
There was a time when I didn’t paddle out in surf that I couldn’t either duck dive or turtle roll my board to get under the waves. Now, things apparently have changed a little. I still should not paddle out in waves that I have no business being in… but I am so comfortable out there now. Overhead seems manageable… somehow!?
The waves were macking today. Clean, peaky, barreling, no wind… really doesn’t get much better ’round here. And I was lucky enough to paddle out with Tyler today.
Game plan: to paddle out – feel it out and hope for a tiny non set wave to swing just my way, which was going to be way on the shoulder. The ‘game plan’ however ended after about 10 min.
I yelled to Tyler, “If I don’t make it out – see you at 1:30 on the beach!”
He disappeared outside after duck diving with ease through the first set of waves.
Myself, on the other hand was scrapping my way through the whitewash, trying to not burn out too fast, steady and slow. Soon – I was about 3/4 of the way outside when I saw the kelp rise up with sight of a new set.
Choice at this point – paddle outside to avoid taking one/many on the head? Or paddle in a bit to take it on the head once it has broken a little.
Since I saw the actual size of the wave up close an personal – I opted to turn around and paddle in a bit.
Apparently – not wise.
The first wave came. I attempted to turtle roll… yeah right. like that was going to work.
Grabbed my board from the frothing ocean and barely had enough time to grab another breath and try to get under the next wave.
Now, completely out of breath already – I look up and steamrolling right for me is the biggest wave of the set.
I bail my board and dive deep.
There is peace down there under the turbulent surface.
I turn around under the water and open my eyes and watch the wave roll over me.
Just as I reached down to grab my leash as I was heading back for the surface… my leg goes weightless.
My leash broke free.
A gasping feeling of NOOOO!!! No board in sight. I look back at the beach – and calmly try to accept the VERY long swim I was about to endure.
Just then, another wave.
I started to swim and I could see my board! I began moving through the water like there was a shark after me towards my board. Just as I was close enough to reach out – my hand on the rail! – a wave came and swept it away.
I had wasted all my energy flailing for my board and was feeling spent already.
I still had a LONG way to go to get to the beach.
A few more waves came, I let them toss me in a bit.. and I eventually I was standing on solid ground.
Surprised at my “when in need” swimming ability – but completely exhausted at the same time.
Thank you ocean for picking me up and shaking me around in your turbo spin today.
Humbled.
I made it in to the water tonight just as the sun was going down behind the clouds.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle and the wind had decided to lie low for the night. For now at least.
I read the surf forecast for the week this am… WOW – these poor sore arms are heading dead on in to a massive swell! Overhead every day till Saturday and beyond! Exciting and scary at the same time.
Front row parking
I had put my wetsuit on at the house to avoid changing in the rain… my Patagonia R4 had me feeling toasty and ready for anything.
There is something about a storm… my instincts shift and my senses become ultra sensitive.
I felt like I was in slow motion moving through a fast paced scene. I could hear the water trace across the sand as if I was listening to the individual particles crash against each other. And as I looked down, I could see the water float across my board in a swirl while I paddled out.
The ocean was sick from a day of wind and rain, and yet, in my bubble tonight, it was slow and peaceful, even though the waves were crashing around me and dumping their built up energy.
I wonder if the instincts come from spending so much time in the wilderness… when a storm comes, you have to be ready for anything at a moments notice. I love human nature… we are really incredible beings when you break it down.
I sat out there for a while, taking it all in…
Punched through a few building sets and then right when I felt a little ‘shark baity’ – a wave swung to me and I caught it in. When I had checked it earlier – I didn’t even see a ridable wave… so I was pleasantly surprised to have gotten the chance to ride a little shoulder on a clean wave after a storm.
It is just the way my schedule has been lately that my window to surf has been right before sundown.
I race down to the water and get it while most people are getting out.
Previously – for me… that equals – shark bait!
But now, even though I have surfed alone in the last few week more than all year, I am happy to be in the water at this time of day.
I was feeling a bit better today – ready to catch some real waves…
Swell looked clean from the bluff, solid sets and glassy conditions. I ran down, paddled out with out even having to duck under one wave and sat outside on the shoulder assessing the line up.
Tight little pack out there.
Not much of a chance I was going to get any real waves, so after a while I paddled in to catch some of the fun ones on the inside.
Before I knew it… a set came in. I call it a sweeper set – most people call it BOMBS! Either way it cleaned up everyone sitting on the peak and came rolling at me on the inside like an avalanche. It was even LOUD like a mountain crumbling in front of me.
Embracing a good swarshing… I called it a day.
