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Surfing – Great for active recovery

In Training of TTC (October 17, 2008 4:10 pm)

After the full on activity of race week in Kona, I popped over to Oahu for a couple of days R&R with some friends. While there we decided to have a surf lesson. We booked in for 2 hours which cost $75. Now the waves were pretty small (2-3ft) in comparison to what you might get on the North Shore (world famous surf venue with regular 50ft waves in Nov. at venues such as Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline) but for someone who has never ever surfed before, believe me, it was big enough. Anyway after 5 minutes I managed to stand up and ride a wave. What a blast. We carried on catching waves and paddling back out for 2 hours and the 4 of us caught far more waves than the other members of the group.

The whole 2 hours highlighted a few things

1. Surfing is a fantastic workout

2. Our swimming fitness meant we could paddle the boards far more effectively than those who didnt swim regularly.

3. Our general fitness meant that we could recover from each paddle and have more fun than the other surfers

2 of the other guys who I surfed with had just completed the Ironman in Hawaii but hadnt yet resumed any training. In this instance the surfing provided a great workout without really stressing their legs which is ideal for active recovery. However you dont have to surf to stay active (especially not at this time of year in the UK!) In the past few weeks some of my other athletes have been playing hockey, rollerblading, rock climbing and hiking. The key is to find something you can enjoy but that provides a different stimulus and requires alternative motor skills to triathlon. After every big race or at the end of each season, try something new. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t very good. Its about having fun and staying active.

Oh and the surfing was the most fun I have had for $75 for a long time.

Try something different this weekend

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