Weikiva River Longwood FL

Super Sunday led to a super amount of clients canceling on Monday. I was done with my day at noon! When does that ever happen? I planned on just going out on my home lake Lake Maitland. When ,boom!, a brilliant thought entered my dome. Why not drive up to longwood and go out on the beautiful Weikiva River. This place is awesome. You can access the river from Weikiva Springs state park off of Weikiva Springs road or you can go from one of my favorite spots Weikiva Island off of Weikiva Springs and Miami Springs road across from the Sweatwater shopping center.

Weikiva island is amazing on weekends. It is a full on party. There are river cabanas, a bar, live bands, corn-hole, beer pong, some of the best BBQ i have ever had, and kayak/canoe rentals. It is one of those unique places where red-necks, yuppies, families, nature lovers, and college kids all come together for a good time. I was very much pleased to see only about 5 cars in the parking lot.

Main launching spot. You are supposed to pay $6 to launch, but i couldn't find anybody out there so I just went for it.


The River is absolutely untouched beauty. I saw one fishing boat and 2 canoes in the first half mile, but those were the only people I saw. Other than that lots of water birds and turtles. Can you see the bird?


Yet to see a Gator out here in my 5 or so trips down the river. This just before the redbird gathering spot. Where the dock their boats , drink canned beer, smoke some funny smelling stuff, and jump off a rope swing. Sounds pretty fun.


Funky Palm. The river is pretty easy to navigate, but their are trees hanging over and in the water. I had to be mindful of a few limbs in the water.


Wildlife everywhere. I am sure you can see the white bird, but do you see the hawk? How about the turtle? The turtles are hilarious, they lay out on the logs on the banks and freak out and dive bomb every time you pass. I thought a gator was coming after me a few times, but it was just turtles diving 3 feet in.


Any water any where, but this is what touring is all about.


A few major trees in the river to get around, but there is almost always a tributary's to get you by. This was my stopping point 3.25 miles down river.


6.5 Miles in 1:40 minutes. A nice leisurely pace.


If you live in Florida you must paddle this river at some point. It's got something for everyone. If you want to party go out on a weekend and make a day out of it at the Weikiva Island. The BBQ is off the charts and I am very picky with my Texas upbringing. The spring in the park is also a great place to swim year round. Orlando is much more than Disney World People explore it and it's beauty!

Lake Virginia Sunday

It was increibly windy on Saturday so there wasn't a lot of Suping going on. On Super Sunday Erica and I went to the gym and did some light cardio and an awesome YOGA class. I hadn't had enough excercise and felt like exploring so I went out on Lake Virginia for the first time. Lake Virginia is located in the heart of posh Winter Park directly behind Rollins college. It is a small lake for Orlando standards. I paddled the perimeter and clocked not quite 3 miles. It was a nice day cmpared to the rest of the country, but pour by FL standards about 60 degrees and breezy.

Here is my launching spot. I went directly from Rollins parking lot, but apparently their is a boat/kayak launch around the corner.


Rollins College from the lake


Underwater life, getting used to my water proof camera


Another Rollins shot


Protected area on the East side of the lake


Ski jump. Would be fun, but i don't want to be on the lake when it's going on


Lake Virginia was the perfect lake for close exploration. However, with ski ramps and it's public launch I am sure it is a nightmare during warmer weather.

Sup-Athlon

The key to cardiovascular training is to progressivly keep your cardiovascular system guessing. The easiest ways to do this is by increasing time, distance, and speed. Done simply by going longer,farther, or faster. Another way to keep your sytem guessing is to mix different cardiovascular excercises. Done easily in the gym by switich between a treadmill, bike, stair stepper, or elliptical. Try 10 minutes each or pick 2 exercises and go back and forth in 10 minute intervals. Or you can have a lot more fun and do a SUP-biathlon like i did this Friday Afternoon.

Sup-Biathlon performed at Lake Sybelia
Mile 1 Run 8:34
Mile 2 SUP 15:46
Mile 3 Run 8:54
Mile 4 SUP 16:30
Mile 5-6.5 Run 14:47
Mile 6.5-7.5 SUP 17:13
= 7.5 Miles 1:20:44

Launching point on a rainy friday afternoon


.5 miles to the north side of the lake. Turaround on run 1.


.5 miles across the lake, my turnaround spot on the paddle legs.


.5 miles on the south side of the lake. Turnaround on run 3.


Cutting over to lake Catherine which is about .25 away from Lake Sybelia.


Lake Catherine looking back towards the road from the previous picture.


In conclusion the SUP-athlon was ana amazing cardio workout. I switched energy systems and muscles to give a challenging yet fun workout. Whether you are waterman or a gym rat try out these principles to give your cardio training a much needed boost.

Awesome Paddle Bad Experience?

Goal today.
Paddle 4-5 miles.
Go as long as possible without stopping.

The conditions weren't great. I didn't think I would achieve my goals, but I was motivated by the higher purpose of my happiness and my performance goals.

Awesome Paddle
I set a PR for time constantly paddling. 1:20 mins!
I went 4.65 miles without stopping, also a PR.
I paddled very well into the wind
A fisherman in mud lake said "What are you doing? You are quite ambitious" Got to love the weird looks you get while Suping
It felt amazing moving one step closer to my goals



Bad experience
15-20 mph into my face winds made for quite some chop
For some reason boaters decided to circle around me adding wake to arguably the worst chop I have paddled in
There were some college kids on Dog island that disturbed my tranquil water zone by constant horn honking, playing rap music, and of course going full speed about 50 feet for me.
When I got back to the dock in my paddle high, I realized someone stole my reefs!
Who steals sandals? I mean my smelly unsocked feet have been breaking those suckers for months. I am sure the size 13's really fit them.

Well I am still happy. Great time on the water. I wasn't fast, but I was consistent. For the kid who stole my reefs, I hope you needed them more than. Now he can know what it's like to walk in my shoes.


crazy lighting on Lake Minehana

Goals

Are your goals aligned with your values? Do you know what you want? How much time do you spend dreaming or planning? How can you maximize your days so that you can do what you want as much as possible? Do you ask yourself any of these questions at all?

"You will find that there are no limits to what you can achieve except the limits you place on your own imagination." Brian Tracy


The bottom line of success is that you have to dream up an idea, believe it's possible, believe in yourself, take responsibility for your actions, hold yourself accountable, and then achieve the goal step by step. We all get lost in the process somewhere along the line. I often spend too much time in the dreaming phase. But at least I'm thinking. At least I am trying to make my goals a reality. I often find with my clients, that people fail because one of the following reasons.





1 No time planning or thinking
2 They don't believe it is possible
3 It takes too much time
4 It's too hard
5 There goal isn't aligned with reality or their values
6 They fail to make adjustments to the plan
7 Fear of failure or rejection
8 commitment to what they say the want

A common theme comes out of all the above excuses. We are scared to put in the work to achieve what we really want. We are scared of failing. We are scared of what others will think if we commit ourselves to something new. This is our life to lead, our trail to blaze. We must lead our own lives not reacting to our circumstances. Isn't the idea to be happy? The Dali Lama said, "...it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves." I agree with the Dali Lama, (he's a big hitter the Lama, Huge! Sorry Caddyshack reference i couldn't help it) if you boiled down what your purpose in life is isn't it to be happy? The purpose can come in many forms, but isn't it our actions that lead us to this happiness. Another enlightened thinker, Aristotle, concluded that all human action is purposeful in someway, You are happy only when you are doing something that is moving you closer toward something that you want." The great question then becomes, what are your goals? What purposes are you aiming at? To be fulfilled we must strive for something that we want and be committed to the process.



The process comes from setting SMART goals. We have all heard of this, but often we leave out at least one of the measures.

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely

Specific To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:
*Who: Who is involved?
*What: What do I want to accomplish?
*Where: Identify a location.
*When: Establish a time frame.
*Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
*Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

Measurable Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.

Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

Realistic To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force.

Timely A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? "Someday" won't work. But if you anchor it within a time frame, "by May 1st", then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

Setting SMART goals eliminates all excuses listed above, except the management of your goals. Goals are designed to be big an audacious. We should all have a BHAG Big Hairy Audacious Goal. As Thoreau says, “Have you built your castles in the air? Good. That is where they should be built, go to work and build the foundations under them.” These foundations don't come easy, but must be built one day at a time and broken into sub goals and daily tasks like the pyramid on the right. Very quickly the labor of building the foundation becomes the path to happiness as each step brings excitement and fuels the motivational fire.

To Summarise our goals aren't a tedious process, they are simply the seeds to happiness and purpose. If these goals are aligned with your values and broken down into sub goals every moment spent leading towards your goal is a rush of excitement. “There is one quality which one must possess to win and that it’s definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and burning desire to possess it” Napoleon Hill

So to practice what I preach and hold myself accountable, I will share with you my performance goals
Loose 20 pounds by May 22nd (I am attempting to get as lean as possible for the Gulf Coast Championships I want to be 5-10 lbs lighten than my normal 210-215lb fighting weight)
Complete my race in an average of 15 min miles
Complete 1 12 minute mile

Steps to my goals
Paddle 4 days a week (1 progressive distance paddle, 1 all out mile followed by sprint intervals, 1 workout paddle mixing intervals with exercises, 1 exploration or relaxing paddle)
Weight goals- eating 6 small meals a day that average 300-400 calories
Limiting alcohol consumption- (I know my quantity, but I'm not telling)
Following a progressive and periodized exercise plan that consists of 2 days total body strength training, 1 distance run, 1 interval run, 2 days yoga or mobility work, and 1 light cardio session in addition to paddling.
All of these goals are tied to time, purpose, and are attainable. It's up to me manage them daily.

Here's to me finishing my 9 mile paddle in less than 2:15! And heres to your happiness through achieving your dreams!



Works Cited
http://www.topachievement.com/smart.html
Goals! by Brian Tracy

It stopped Raining! Time for training.

Weak! the weather has been depressing since Saturday afternoon. I didn't know when I was going to be able to to get out on the water. The cold weather and wind from Saturday and Sunday turned into rain and more rain Monday and Tuesday. I had started another article about goals for your reading eyes, when on my way home the clouds broke and it was time to Paddle. Due to the rain I didn't think I was going to SUP it up today so I already did Group Centergy and Ran 30 mins worth of intervals.

I wanted a little different view and challenge today so I launched from a new spot. I launched from a canal that connects Mud Lake to Lake Minehana(another small lake that connects all the way back to lake maitland, my home lake) I don't know if I am supposed to launch from here, but as my friends from YOLO say "any water any where"



This canal is a little gross. The water is a little still and it crosses under ,Horatio, a busy road in Maitland. It looks like a monster alligator or even ninja turtle would live in there. No I haven't seen one yet mom. Here is the crossing under Horatio.



Since I already trained today and was in recovery after another tough Kettle Bell workout with Jake, I wanted to paddle hard for about 30 mins and just enjoy the water for another 20 minutes are so. The plan is to do 1 mile fast and then do sprint intervals. After all if you want to be fast you have to train fast.
View of Minnehana



I paddled across the lake and back and established a new PR for a mile. 14:03! I have knocked of a full minute in a week. During my mile I eyed what appears to be lanes for crew racing. I completed 6 links of the .17 mile course each in about 2:30 depending on my direction. The course was directly with or against the wind. I think that is even some blue sky! It never ceases to amaze me how everything gets better as soon as I get out onto the water.



Awesome training session. I covered 2 miles in just over 28 miles. Getting faster all the time. Hopefully I can get onto one of those new YOlO race boards before too long and see how I compare to the big boys.

Sea Critters/ Khuna Kai/ Stand Up Fitness

What a way to wrap up a lovely weekend of family, friends, and of course paddling than exploring the Tampa Bay area on a chilly Sunday? We started the day by stopping by my good friend Brody's store in Maidera Beach. Brody is owner of Kahuna Kai SUP shop and Stand Up Fitness check it out at standupfitnessinc.com. He is getting ready for an order of the brand new 2010 YOLO line. We caught up with Brody for about an hour and headed south to St. Pete Beach. There we had lunch at one of my favorite places Sea Critters. (http://seacritterscafe.com/) The heat lamp kept us from freezing, but it was the tomato bisque with crab that really did the trick. After wolfing down my Blackened Amber Jack sandwich we headed to Apollo Beach on the east side of the Bay. In Apollo TECO has an electric plant. The plant gives of excess heat and warms the bay waters from 67 to 85 degrees. Because of this the Manatees make this there winter home. Who would of thought a hideous power plant that burns fossil fuels would make a home for an endangered species.

(Sea Cows and flying rays everywhere in the water below)


We met the other participants of Stand Up Fitness's monthly paddle at the manatee observation deck ,where there were about 100 sea cows in the water, and then headed about 5 minutes away to our beach launch location. Only problem was the 15-20 mph winds and 50 degree temperatures didn't make for a pleasant paddle. Erica took out a YOLO Yak for stability, but it proved to be too much to paddle. We stayed out for about a half an hour and saw a handful of manatees making there way towards the power plant. It was surreal shivering from the cold and wind and my feet were nice and warm. The coolest thing besides meeting other Supers was there were spotted Sting Rays that jumped out of the water every few minutes. Amazing! The conditions weren't great, but a good time was had by all. Thanks Brody for getting us together and what you are doing for SUP!