Thank you for visiting my world of paddling!

And how weather affects paddling habits.

Of course this first winter back on the East Coast was going to affect my desire to get on the water, but I naively thought I had that aspect of winter blues dominated and solved. Wrong!

Back in Sausalito, CA I trained 3+ times a week on the water, plus land workouts, fun paddles, bike rides, hikes, climbs, surf and gym sessions. The cliche Californian active lifestyle. But having moved to the west coast from New York City, I believed I had a renewed intention for staying active in the outdoors coming back East and that the weather, but mostly the lack of water friends, would not deter my enthusiasm for getting out there and continue my training.

Instead, I have sporadically paddled. Having gone more than a week sometimes, without getting on the water. Gym workouts haven’t been consistent, either. Granted, moving to a new city where I know nobody and starting life from scratch does not happen without hurdles and challenging days. But that mission aside, I think the reason I haven’t been regularly on the water is because I don’t have anyone to paddle with.

For the last two years, I had been training regularly with a friend and last year, we added a third to the morning workouts and we were in such a beautiful flow of muscle aches, sunrises whines and a display of most non paddling outfits that made get up, dress up and show up

e v e r y t i m e.

Adherence is key. Suffering with others is the glue. Sharing the feeling of wrapping up a good workout is the why.

So how do I motivate myself to get up before the sun, put on a dress and go hammer it down on the water as hard and fast as I can? I’m still trying to crack that nut.

For now, I paddle when the weather is borderline ‘fair’, cause let’s face it, it probably won’t be good weather to paddle for another 6 weeks or so. Sunny-ish, winds under 12knts and temps above 40 are my parameters right now. On weeks I can paddle everyday, I do. Some weeks, I’m at the gym so much that I end up going for a run around the park. I hadn’t ran in forever, years. So as my training dynamic shifts, I see the benefits of group training and identify with that style of staying active. A more social style. Could I change that aspect of myself and adapt to more solo training? I think I’ve been trying and not finding my bearings in that version.

Hopefully, the season will bring paddlers out on the water more and we’ll be able to train together and kick some ass at the local races! That’s the hope that gets me through the off season. So here we go!