Day 9: more bowl before work. FINALLY got back to getting my cutback turns in. Can't believe it took me this many days to do them again after not really skating most of summer because of the heat and crowds. It's coming back to me now though.

Did have a minor issue in that the kingpin nut on my front C5 truck comes loose after every session. Even with having it cranked down to the locker thread. Gonna call carver today and see if I can order new kingpin and nut to prevent that from happening.

Bringing my softtop to work tomorrow to get some in before and after work.

Yeeewwww

Me posting/ commenting on my own post is really more for me than you guys/gals to be honest. I said I was gonna do something and coming here to post keeps me honest.

Another day another update.

7 days in a row so far...

Went to the bowl this morning before work to get my leg burn in.

Also talked to a local sponsored surfer that will be giving me in person lessons with the 1st one being 9/13. Decided to go this route for a few reasons: 1. I had credit for lessons my girls didn't use or want to use so I decided I'd use it. 2. The main reason is simply because I can't video myself to tell what I'm doing wrong. The surfline cams at my local spot are too far away to show me as anything but a spec in the ocean, I can't take a camera or tripod cause I'd would be stolen before my feet even got wet. So I'll have this Duder out there with me to give me some ideas of what I'm doing wrong and how to go about fixing it.

I'm going to get good at this if it is the last thing I do.

Maximum effort!

Officially September 1st and currently on day 6 of my month of surf training.

Day 1-3: Bowl skating

Day 4-6: Surfed at least an hour each day. Know it doesn't sound like a lot but I am out there alone so no one to compete for waves with. Not many actually rideable waves to speak of to be completely honest. But any time in the water is only going to led to improving. Typically only surf 1 or 2 days aMonty, so 3 days in a row and my 46 year old body is feeling it. Made sure to paddle a lot even on days I didn't need to just to get the muscles working. Rode the foam 7' sugar glider days 1 and 2, just working on pop ups and paying attention to my weight and how it moves over the board.

Today was dumping beach break, all close outs very drifty. Got a few though.

Ordered some new home gym equipment that the wife wanted so be adding in more weight training once it's delivery.

Good start to the month.. hoping to see some improvements.

Bro that looks good, all you need to do is open up a little more and pass that coffee cup up towards the lip. You do good almost passing it but you never actually get it around more to hand it off to the lip.

Another day another session. Little wild and drift out there this am. Normally would not have gone in, but I did today.

Definitely got my paddling workout part in. Few times I didn't even have the strength to pop up my shoulders were burning trying to not drift down 2 miles.

Got a few though... any day surfing is better than a day without.

So September hasn't officially started but in the run up to September I am on day 4.

First 3 days were all surfskate in the bowl 30 min season before work. Mostly just pumping around working on body and hand position and really focusing on the ease of the pump hoping to carry it over into surfing.

Today I spent an hour "surfing" some super small waves on a softtop 7'0" sugar glider from mick fannings line. I honestly loved it. I originally bought it for my daughter's to learn on, after their surf camp experience, hence the pink. But spend an hour catching waves, paddling a lot for exercise between waves up and down the beach.

Then my girls wanted a try so we spent another 2 hours pushing then into some and grabbing a few myself in between.

Plan on going out next 2 mornings as well, with the holiday weekend and the extra day off work on Monday.

Yeeeewwww

I use an app called stronglifts.

It is 5 exercises that are considered compound lifts.

Squats

Military press

Bench

Barbell row

Deadlift

It's 5 sets of 5 reps. You do 3 days a week.

Squat every day, the other 4 get switched each time.

Ie day 1: squat, bench, row

Day 2: squat, military press, deadlift

Day 3: squat, bench, row

Etc

Each day you do an exercise I increase the weight by 5 lbs until failure. If you fail Deload 20% and build again till you break your plateau.

Then I do a few other exercises on top to help more surf specific stuff.

Lat pull down for rowing power

Shoulder front raises for rowing endurance

Lunges with my front foot on a bosu.

Leg raises or planks for core.

I do these cause it's simple to keep track of. They are compound exercises so I'm using multiple muscle groups for everything. And the entire workout can be done in 30 to 40 mins tops.

When I was consistent with it, I could truly see and feel the difference, but the gym got super crowded in summer so now I'm doing them in my garage gym.

My ocean comfort is from 40 years of bodyboarding, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling and anything else I could do to get wet in all my years of life. I LOVE THE WATER especially the ocean. I've ridden some huge, double to triple overhead waves while body boarding, that doesn't mean I'd be good at surfing it at this point though. I am just generally not afraid of the ocean or big waves, doesn't mean I have the skills to surf them yet.

Starting a few days early cause I know I'll get rained out at least a few days of training in September.

Day 1: Back in the bowl, just trying to remember how to do this. 30 mins cruising around the bowl, back to working on figure 8s since that's where I left off.

After talking to Graham yesterday about how the extension up the transition is just in the toes of the back foot I wanted to double check myself and to me thats what it feels like. Just jumping off my back big toe up the transition.

Have not skated almost all summer cause it's just too hot in the South and too many scooter kids when they don't have school, since this skate park is literally in the parking lot between 2 grade schools and a community center.

Feels good to have goals and be working towards them again.