October Surfing sessions

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/video/2013/oct/27/surfers-haunted-heats-halloween-video

It's been an interesting month for me. Besides the above, Haunted Heats Surf Competition, I've been surfing regularly- going to Malibu, County Line, and Venice mostly. The surf has been smaller and smaller- but supposedly it gets bigger in the winter. I've also been traveling a lot which presents challenges to anyone looking to stay in shape. The traveling was predominantly wedding related too- and there's been a week-long celebration of Halloween in LA. All of this adds up to major derailing from any conditioning program.

About a month ago, I set out to shed weight and tone up with Rachel Cosgrove's Spartacus circuit. That is a great program for boosting your metabolism. It consists of three circuits of ten exercises done in 1min intervals. There's two minutes rest between circuits. Very difficult. I watched 300 once while doing it- which I'm pretty sure fueled my Poseidon character for the Haunted Heats competition. But I digress....The Spartacus workout or any Fat-Loss circuit done without rest is tough, but tougher without a partner or a coach, or an external motivating source, like a role to get in shape for. The actors from the Starz series did the workout together three days a week. So- definitely very different from doing it solo in the cardio room at 24 Hr Fitness. I probably completed it 5-6 times, and also Spartacus 2 which is a circuit of 9 exercises broken up into supersets of two. It's also very difficult- and reminds me of the workouts I've read Statham does- timed and circuit based. Occasionally, I interspersed these with A Men's Health poster workout with 4 exercises- more standard, though still focused on leg work to strengthen core. When I couldn't get to the beach, I swam at 24 Hr Fitness Altadena and used the jacuzzi, steam room, sauna as a circuit to loosen muscles. I started making a Laird Hamilton inspired shake using Catie's Greens in the morning with fish oil, Muscle Milk, and egg. It's actually good.



Also- read Shaun Tomson's Surfer's Code yesterday...Very cool book by a South African legend. The book itself (at lest the 2006 version) is not super-preachy but a very authentic voice talking about his experience in and out of the water. I'm so new to surfing I'd never even heard of him. But the book was cool for me as he describes very vividly places like Pipeline, Waimea Bay, and Sunset Beach in Hawaii. I also found his experience interesting as he's a Jewish dude from South Africa.



He details his 12 point code as:

I will never turn my back on the ocean: Passion
I will paddle around the impact zone: No short cuts
I will take the drop with commitment: Courage, focus and determination
I will never fight a rip tide: The danger of pride and egotism
I will always paddle back out: Perseverance in the face of challenges
I will watch out for other surfers after a big set: Responsibility
I will know that there will always be another wave: Optimism
I will ride and not paddle into shore: Self-esteem
I will pass on my stoke to a non-surfer: Sharing knowledge and giving back
I will catch a wave every day, even in my mind: Imagination
I will realize that all surfers are joined by one ocean: Empathy
I will honor the sport of kings: Honor and integrity

Surfing continues to expand my horizons, both athletically and in offering life lessons. I really dig it and am stoked that it can be a lifelong pursuit.

"The natural world establishes a physical bond between all surfers through the bands of energy we ride. I try to strengthen this bond by focusing on common experiences and the things all surfers share." - Shaun Thomson
http://shauntomson.com