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Surfing Fitness"Flopping around like Jerry Lewis, I threw out my back and collapsed in the water in agony." Here's a typical example of my not maintaining surfing fitness. On my way to surf one day, I felt some tightness in my back. I thought I just needed some exercise, so I suited up and paddled out under gray skies. A wave rolled in, I popped up . . . and immediately felt my legs buckle. Flopping around like Jerry Lewis, I threw out my back and collapsed in the water in agony. That injury kept me flat on my back for days and out of the water for a week. I never got a straight answer on what it was but I think it was just muscle spasms that pinched a nerve. The injury recurred a couple more times until I made a few basic changes to my routine. I bought lumbar cushions for my uncomfortable Jeep. I also knew that more action was needed to help my surfing fitness. I joined a gym and started to exercise and stretch. Considering my total lack of a surfing fitness plan, I’m surprised it took as long as it did or me to get a real injury. Since a lot of my time in the water is spent paddling around and waiting for waves, my shoulders were conditioned but my legs lacked power. I’d done exercise routines in the past, starting with Army training when I was 17. I even tried bodybuilding to bulk up. But I was a hard weight gainer, feeling stiff, achy, and bored with a diet of skinless chicken breasts and unlimited eggs. After getting my back injury, I settled on a form of cycle training. Cycle training leaves me feeling more pumped and less stiff later in the day. Sometimes I get to squeeze in surprise surf sessions between family, work, and sleep, and the last thing I want is to feel burnt out because I worked too hard at the gym. I want my exercise to improve my surfing fitness, not hinder it. Every body is different, but what works best for me is a mix of cycle training, cardio, and stretching. Then there’s nutrition. I start with the obvious, like not waking up with a hangover. Having kids pretty much took care of that. I also try to eat a balanced diet – I certainly feel the difference if I eat too much fast food. For breakfast and sometimes before surfing, I drink a fruit and nut smoothie. It’s such an easy meal that I can down even if I’m not hungry and that always energizes me for my surf session. Most of this is pretty straightforward. It’s just a matter of staying on top it. Like choosing to go to the gym instead of listening to the same damn music on my computer. Or stretching instead of watching LOST on Tivo. Or ordering a veggie burrito instead of the maximum burger meal. When I start to slack, my body gently (or not so gently) reminds me. Two more health-related items are sunscreen and ear plugs. I put on sunscreen most of the time I paddle out, including in overcast weather. I should do it ALL the time. I like Bullfrog because I don't have to wait thirty minutes for it to "dry." It dries instantly so I can slather it on seconds before I paddle out. I also have a Headhunter sunstick I use on top of that if it's really sunny out. As far as ear plugs go, I bought a set of Doc Pro plugs after I partially ruptured my ear drum at Ocean Beach. That kept me out of the water for a month. I USUALLY wear the plugs if I don't wear a hood.
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