3/27/11 SUP 8 mile training paddle + Yoga

Goal
8 miles AFAP (as fast as possible)
Yoga (fit TV class)

Board
YOLO eco trainer (shoud have my 14 ft YOLO prowler in the next 2 weeks)

Summary
I am tired of the home track. Although I love the convience of dropping the board off my dock in the back yard I needed a change of scenery. I loaded my board and headed for my secret parking spot at north beach. There are a few public beach access spots, but very few known parking spots in the gorgeous North Clearwater Beach neighborhoods.

The weather was perfect!  It was in the low 70's when i started and there was a building southern wind. The objective was to go downwind for 4 miles to the end of caladesi island and go through the pass and then head back fighting into the wind. I am getting better at reading down wind bumps, but still have much to learn. It didn't help that i had a backpack full of water and food in the bungee system of my board so every time i caught a bump and water rushed over the nose the backpack acted as a break stopping the water. This proved to be a great learning experience as I toyed with my foot positioning. This forced me to read bumps and get in to the right position. I felt like I was in my own private nature park. Dolphins, tarpon, rays, and I think I saw a turtle as i cruse along Caladesi State Park. There where only a handful of people on the pristine beach and made me wonder what the hell is wrong with all the people crammed into south beach. Don't they now paradise is only a couple miles away and it only takes a 2 mile walk or a ferry ride?
Anyway I could tell the wind was getting stronger and I caught a handful of waves just south of the pass between Caladesi and Honeymoon Islands. I went through the pass to a quiet spot where I was completely alone in paradise. I chugged a bottle of water, took down 3 shot blocks, and a banana to refuel. I was out of the water less than 5 minutes before I took on the "uphill climb" on the way home. It took only 49 minutes to go down wind and it took me 1:20 to fight the wind back. What a perfect training experience to get ready for Key West, there can't be that much more wind or current than I dealt with today. I am pretty sure my shoulders were as jacked as Dwight Howard's when I made it back. The couple days off payed dividends as I felt fantastic today. Can't wait to get my YOLO prowler. I want to go all the way around "Clearwater Beach/Caladesi Island" I'm guessing it's about 13 miles.

Other stuff
I bought some fresh grouper from Frechy's seafood market. Right off the boat! Going to go pan fry that sucker now to fuel up for another hard week of training.

Yoga tonight- I wrote it so now i have to do it.

YOLO!