Week Three - 01/13, 01/15 & 01/17
Week Three - 01/13, 01/15 & 01/17
01/13 - Monday
Training: Weights
The wind is high again—29 mph gusts—all day. This winter wind, however, throws daggers with each gust—cold wind coming from the deserts, over the mountains, and into our little county. I have to make sure to keep the mindset to go out on my scheduled training days or excuses will become a habit again and that is not something I want at all.
To make sure I kept moving though and not let the day become a complete waste, I did a weighted workout with the FitBod app. A nice little 7 exercise work out felt great.
Here’s the workout breakdown.
SUPERSET - 3 ROUNDS
Barbell Curl - 12 reps x 35lbs
Bent Over Barbell Row - 15 reps x 35lbs
SUPERSET - 4 ROUNDS
Dumbell Lunge - 12 reps x 5lbs
Waiter Curls - 12 reps x 25 lbs
SUPERSET - 3 ROUNDS
Dumbell Bent Over Row - 15 reps x 5lbs
Air Squats - 15 reps
Reverse Crunch - 17 reps
01/14 - Tuesday: BJJ & Weights
I’ve been training in Brazillian Jiujitsu for… Man, like 3 years now. I’ve got the sweetheart deal of training for school care. I’ll clean the school three days a week so when the professors open up for the Little Champs training; everything is just ready to rock and roll. I was feeling pumped after training and wanted to get my weight workout done and out of the way. Here’s what I got in on Tuesday.
SUPERSET - 3 ROUNDS
Dumbell Shoulder Press - 12 reps x 15lbs
Dumbell Squeeze Press - 16 reps x 15lbs
Single Arm Kettlebell Deadlift - 9 reps x 10lbs
Dumbell Front Raise - 12 reps 10lbs
Dumbell Stiff Legged Deadlift - 12 reps x 25lbs
Dumbell Fly - 15 reps x 10lbs
Russian Twist - 18reps x 10lbs
01/15 - Wednesday “2 Bee 🐝 🐝 or not 2 Bee 🐝 🐝 “
Location: Huntington Harbor. Launching from Davenport Beach
Board Used: 12’ Vesl Prone Paddle Board
Distance Paddled: 5.29 miles
Time: 1h 41m 09s
Weather Conditions: There is some wind coming from the north, but for the most part, the harbor is sunny and clean.
Training Goals:
• Paddle at a consistent speed for 5+ miles
Paddle Party: Solo
We have had a recent bout of cold weather, and I say this as a woosy OC native who has never really known cold weather. When the thermometer hits 65 degrees here, we freak out. Outside of true watermen and women, ocean attendance drops during our “winter” months.
The sun sets around 5 pm this time of year, so I want to ensure I’m back from my paddle by 4:30 pm. I’d hate to be lost in the harbor at night. I don’t want to make excuses so I pack up my car and get going—Wetsuit in the back with my favorite hat and board on top. 1:30 pm I’m on the road.
The beach I launch from most often is quiet. No other cars on the street. Are there ever cars on the street here? Does anyone even live in these homes?
Off and into the water I go. The water is so crisp and cold it hurts when I put my hands in to paddle. That’ll go away soon when they either go numb or get moving. Stroke, stroke, stroke. I am alone with my thoughts as I paddle out on my route. I want to go for consistent but fast speed. Go a bit of a distance but do not wear myself out. This Saturday I have my first race in San Diego. I have no idea how I’ll do and just plan to pace along with people. I don’t want to make a move until near the end. Today I wanted to do the same.
I turn into a culdesac-type area of the harbor, following along the condos and townhomes that make up this area. Reaching the end I turn right. The tide is nice and low, allowing me to pass under the bridges without any problem. Paddling toward the bridge I see a little body floating by. A Bee 🐝. Sailing by in the fridged water. I turn and go back for it. Gotcha. It must have just fallen in because it still had the strength to move and get up. On the chin pad, it goes. Humboldt Beach is the closest little strip of land I can take the little thing to. Up on shore, I leave it on a lifeguard seat. The only place dry enough for the bee to warm up and get dry. I however have to go on.
Ever since getting lost in the fog on December 29th, I haven’t been out on a paddle on my own, and taking off down this waterway I haven’t been to many starts giving me anxiety. What if I get lost again? I think the lack of human interaction in this harbor also gives me anxiety. I have no map and a horrible sense of direction I must admit. I calm my mind and not allow myself to come up with an excuse. It’s clear out and I am more familiar with the harbor than I let myself believe in this moment.
I had thought about making this a short quick trip. Come out to Humboldt Beach, go along the back part that’d gone before with my brother. The day the Search and Rescue was out. Then straight down that straight away and back to Davenport Beach and back. However, it was as I approached the main channel that I decided No I needed to go further. So I hung a right and headed out to the marsh. Bouy number 5 is what I wanted to hit.
It was clear open water before me. Stroke. Stroke. Stroke. Out we go. Paddle. Paddle. Let your mind wander. Thinking about anything and everything. A state of meditation.
An older couple cruising along in their Duffy boat watches me as I take the turn. We do a big loop around the 5 bouy, and back we go. Head down, lost in thought, my body can go on autopilot, finding my way home.
As I entered back into the main channel way I saw another little body float by. Doing my thing I snatched it up. This time though it wasn’t moving like the other one. I blew some warm air onto it to see if it would stir. Nothing happened. I put it on the chin pad and made my way home. It lay there damp and cold for almost 2 miles. I’d slow down my paddling and breath on it to try and warm it up.
Once back at the far I took the little bee to my car and put it on a towel. Hoping it would dry off and on the warm car ride home might get some life back in it, but unfortunately, this little guy didn’t make it. I’d rather try than just float on by and leave it to death.
Today’s paddle was pretty good. I’m stoked about my time and feel like I’m doing pretty well. I have no training experience and haven’t trained for anything since high school and even that was very half-assed, like kids at that age are. Never really tried. Which has led to crap.
01/16 - Thursday
I’ve been making it a point to also throw in a weight training routine into my training days. Along with my regular jiujitsu commitment. I think I’ll talk about how awesome jiujitsu is for surfing, but that’s another post altogether. So back on track.
SUPERSET - 3 ROUNDS
Hip Thrust - 20 reps
Dumbell Row - 20 reps x 15lbs
Dumbell Kickbacks - 20 reps x 10lbs (3 sets)
Seated Tricep Press - 15 reps x 15lbs (3 sets)
Dumbell Hip Thrust - 20 reps x 25lbs (3 sets)
Dumbell Bent Over Reverse Fly - 15 reps x 10lbs (4 sets)
Superman Hold - 4 sets in the following times, 0:44, 0:54, 1:03 (2x)
01/17 - Friday
Schedule confusion.
When I’m not playing in water I run my own surfboard company, Soto Surfcraft. I’ve been building surfboards and other surfcraft, start to finish, for about 5 years now. In the last year, I’ve had a few apprentices that I helped learn the craft. They’ll learn ding repair and how to build a board through to sanding.
Well, my fool ass got my schedule confused on when Olivia was coming over. She’d messaged, and I just thought she was coming over on Saturday. I also slept in, not giving me time to pack the board in the morning so I could go right after jiujitsu training and cleaning the jiujitsu academy. I’d also thought a friend from BJJ would want to go belly boarding, but with the high morning tide and his son still being in school it didn’t work out.
So laziness and improper planning were the folly of today’s training. Ugh. I’ve got to do better Gilbert.
I did get a workout in, though, since the paddle didn’t happen. Here’s the workout FitBod hooked me up with.
SUPERSET - 4 ROUNDS
Dumbell Bench Press - 10 reps x 25lbs
Dumbell Bicep Curl - 15 reps x 15lbs
SUPERSET - 4 ROUNDS
Dumbell Squat - 10 reps x 10lbs
Lunge - 10 reps (no weight)
SUPERSET - 3 ROUNDS
Dumbell Bent Over Row - 15 reps x 5lbs
Air Squats - 15 reps
Reverse Crunch - 17 reps
This coming Saturday, the 25th of January, I have my first race. I have no idea what to expect or anything. I plan to stay about mid-pack and slowly ramp up the speed. I’ve got 4.5 miles on this course. I don’t feel too nervous. It’s my first race so I’ve got no idea, and I’m not sponsored or relying on this for money. I don’t want to go in half-assed though, but I don’t want to be cocky.
Being a Gemini is fun. Back and forth through life. I need to knock this shit off to get out.
