Surfing

Growing up in Southern California with a Dad who surfed and an awesome big brother who surfed means I wanted to surf too. I remember begging them to teach me one day when we were at the beach with a group from church. All the men were surfing and finally after what seemed like forever my brother gave in and talked my Dad into letting him show me how to surf. I will never forget the absolute elation I had when I caught my first solo wave. I fell off the board cause I jumped and my Dad and brother bent in half laughing and my Bro said "Kris! Yeah don't do that." LOL

I got sunburned and my eyes were red from the salt water but, I just kept going out as much as they would let me. I was in love. I mean sure I had always been in love with water and the ocean but, surfing made that love jump from a hundred to a million in about a millisecond. Which meant trouble for my big bro cause whenever we went to the beach as a family if he was surfing he had to share his board with me of course I was an awesome little sister and I would only surf as much as he would let me which was never enough for me and thank God I have always been small in stature because I was able to sort of surf on a boogie board.

Not a day goes by that I don't miss those summer and sometimes winter days of me and my brother surfing together. I haven't surfed in years and years but, I am still in-love with it and the ocean. I am always at my happiest when I am at the beach and you will always hear me say "You have to get your feet into the water or the trip doesn't count." The smell of the ocean puts my soul at peace. The ocean is my one true love and will always be the place that I go to center myself.

I am sure you are all wondering what this entry has to do with fitness? I am getting to that just sit back and enjoy the ride today =).

When I surfed I had awesome tight curves to my body I was fit and fabulous; I just didn't know it. The movements that you have to do strengthen your core. Doing duck dives* strengthens your arms. Maneuvering the board strengthens your legs. Put all of that together and you are going to be one toned person. I mean it takes your whole body to surf like ya mean it and if you are out of shape it will wear you out in no time.


I personally haven't tried to surf in forever and as I say all the time motivation is what keeps me moving forward. Well my newest motivation clothing piece is a bikini. However, my big picture motivation is to surf again. I watched Step Into Liquid tonight and it reminded me of how much I loved surfing. Not that I really needed a reminder since my whole life revolved around when can we get to the beach and surf for a long time. The only reason I stopped really was because my knee had gotten really bad and my Bro bailed for his own reasons.

Wait what about your knee? Yeah, I have a knee that is so tore up I have had doctors wonder how I am able to walk without being doped up on pain meds at all times. Well I have no answer for them except to say I push through the pain and when it gets to be too much I heat and ice it plus rest. I don't like to put chemicals in my body if I can help it because I have so many chemical allergies 2 of which are to common pain medications.

Also yes on my wretched knee I work out like a mad woman. At least 30 minutes on the elliptical or my bicycle then I do toning exercises including but, not limited to squats. Yes, I put my body through the wringer some days causing my knee to hate me but, I let it heal and we go again. I am no quitter =)

If you are wondering why I posted pictures of The Endless Summer I & II it is because they are two of my all time favorite movies. My Bro and I would watch them during the winter when it got too cold to surf and he would always tell me he was going to do their trips. That was his dream. One of my many dreams is to touch my toes into the ocean from as many beaches and countries as possible before my death. However, that is not the only reason I posted them along with Step Into Liquid I posted them because they also remind me of the rush that only surfing can bring me. These are the movies that motivate me to want to get into the shape where I can actually surf again. That is my biggest goal and biggest challenge yet. I want to be the best me ever and that means I need to make sure and bring back the things I love the most.

Surfing is my motivation. Surfing is my Bliss. Surfing is why I will reach my goal.

*Duck Dive holding onto your board and diving under a wave like a duck.