2018 Goal Setting: Sharing Mine With You

I’ve always been one to make goals but for the most part, I don’t share them with anyone or even write them down.

I like to keep them to myself, so who’s to say that I’m actually achieving those goals I set my mind out to do?

So just like a lot of you, I’m making 2018 a year of change and I want to share my journey with you!

PERSONAL Goals:

1. Call my family members more often: I want to put more time into nurturing the relationships with people I have that I love. I have three sisters and call one pretty frequently but I should be calling the other two just as much. I call my mom a lot but not my dad. I will call all of them at least once a week. Or a text if they are busy, since that happens but I just want to be consistent with my communication. 
2. Call my friends more: I have friends that live all over and we spent years together but as we grow up we are separating. We are becoming too busy, and I hate this. It takes 5 minutes, every two months to keep a relationship going. I will try and call my close friends, they are worth more than a phone call but for now, that will do the trick.
3. Be in the moment more: I tend to always be letting my mind think about what’s happening later instead of living in the now. Society makes it tough for us just live and not be go-go-go all the time. It’s a very unhappy way to live. I will choose to always be in the present and enjoy what I have right then. 
4. Learn to play the ukulele: My boyfriend got me one for Christmas and I LOVE IT! But I’m not musically inclined. This will take a lot of hours of dedication but I can do it!
5. Crochet a blanket for my sister’s baby: I love crafts and learning new things. I just started crochet at the end of last year and love it. But it too, also will take a lot of time. But I have a goal to make a baby blanket this year, so I will make it happen.

PADDLEBOARDING Goals:

1. Go explore new paddle spots: Now this doesn’t sound too difficult but it is. Every weekend we become too tired from the work week and don’t feel like driving to a new spot. But I would like to dedicate one weekend a month to seeing more of Florida. So I’m not talking driving hundreds of miles, just going somewhere new.
2. Compete in 10 events this year: I don’t care about how I do but I’m with a new sponsor and I just want to paddle. Events have become semi-stressful but they shouldn’t be. I just want to go out and have fun while doing what I love. I will get back to you on the list of events. I have 4 already in mind. 
3. Post more videos and photos: This is for me and my sponsors! I love making videos but I do that at work so I never want to do that for me. It’s become more of a chore than an enjoyment.

JOB Goals:

1. Don’t give up so easily: Working isn’t easy. I just changed fields completely and it’s not an easy transition. I feel so lost and old. Younger people know more than me, which is fine but I just feel behind. I am doing extra but it’s still taking time. I often cry because I just feel lost as a person. I want to have a career that will support a family one day and I just feel so far away from that. I will continue to push hard and not let failures put me down.
2. Be more positive: I want to just look at all things postively. If I have to stay after work, it’s ok, it’s not everyday. If I get put to work on something that I don’t want to do, I need to spin it around and just have fun. 
3. Stress less: I’m young. There’s no reason I should be as stressed as I have been the past year. I changed jobs twice in 2017 and just was so confused on where I wanted to be. I still feel that way but I need to learn to trust the journey and just enjoy the ride. I overthink wayyyy to much. It’s not good.

Thank you for staying long enough on my page to get to here… I’m happy I got these down on paper and can now work at them. If you have time take this poll and tell me more about you!

Happy New Year!!

 

The 8-5 life… and that’s about it

There’s so much more to life than working 8-5 so they say… but when you work 8-5, how do you get to experience it?

CHATTAJACK: 31 Miles Down the Tennessee River

One of the most exhausting, incredible, painful, exciting, adrenaline-filled events that I have been a part of. Chattajack 31 is a race that will make you feel so many emotions and make you feel like you can do anything! It …

Battle on the Blueway SUP Race Recap: 06/11/2016

Race Day: June 11, 2016 – 8:30 AM start time, 7 miles

Conditions:

• Flat
• No wind
• Partly cloudy
• 90 degrees Fahrenheit
• 90 percent humidity

5:15 am wake-up, I’m on the road by 5:25 am and start my trek to Ft. Myers Beach, FL. Arrived at the beach around 7:10. The weather was perfect, this week we had so much rain (a tropical storm even!) so it was so nice to not have a thunderstorm.

Check-in was easy, the shirts they give you at this race are my favorite of any race. A nice long sleeve and since I paid $85.00 to enter and $15.00 to park this shirt better be made of silk. Very expensive race. But that’s probably because there is $10,000 given out to top finishers.

Major prize money races include Ron Jon Pro 7 Mile Men’s 14 & 12’6” and Women’s 12”6”. Please see break down of prize money below.

1st – $1400
2nd – $850
3rd – $500
4th – $250
5th – $100

I placed 7th and was really happy with it. I had a great start and a great finish, but just have to work on the endurance in the middle. There were three laps of about 2.5 miles each. The first lap I felt great, then hit a wall on the 2nd lap and then the 3rd lap, I felt good again… Figures.

Anyways, they had Jason’s Deli for lunch, which if you know me, then you know its my ultimate favorite place to eat! So that was awesome. And we got to try out the new Hobie Eclipse. It’s like an elliptical on water!

It was great to see everyone. These SUP races make me feel so less isolated. During the week, I’m so tired and busy with work that I never see anyone. These races remind me that I have friends and cool people do exist!

Can’t wait for the next one! But that’s probably not until August. I’ll be training in the meantime 🙂

Race websites:

Facebook              Results

 

5K SUP & RUN: Race Recap May 21, 2016

Everything about this race was awesome! Finally, after my last two races were a waste of money, I was so excited to have a race be everything that I have hoped for. I don’t know whats been going on with races lately but they have been going downhill and up in price…

This race was just a 30 dollar entry fee and it went to a good cause: Operation Second Chance. It is so inspirational to be racing alongside veterans who were wounded, injured or ill fighting for our country. It was incredible!

The race did start at 8 a.m. SHARP! which was actually a good thing. It was already 85 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 percent humidity. Gotta love Florida. And the race did start on time, how awesome is that!

So right away we started with the 5K RUN. This was tricky, wasn’t sure how hard to push it. Let me tell you though, it’s much easier to catch people during the run. It’s so much more difficult on a paddleboard. I had one woman in front of me going into the 5K SUP.

So right after the run, you go to your board, rip you shoes and socks off and put on your pfd then you jump on your board. It is so weird to go from running to stopping your legs to paddle. Your arms also feel really awkward moving in a different motion.

In about 2 hours, all the racers were done and awards were right away! RIGHT AWAY! Everything was done by 10:15. It was so nice to not have to wait around for hours and hours like most races. Also, the food spread that they had was so good: bagels, cookies, brownies, bananas, fruit snacks, pulled pork and FREE BEER for EVERYONE!! Spectators included.

SO MUCH FOOD AND AWESOME AWARDS FOR EVERYONE!

I really enjoyed everything about this race, everyone received a medal and an Operation Second Chance coin. If you were a top finisher you got a trophy, 200 dollars cash, and three months free to YouFit gyms. Not just a cupcake like another race did yesterday.

Here I am with my friend Brad at the end of the race. He won the 5K RUN & SUP for the Men and I won for the Women! Always fun sharing the stage with your friends.

I worked so hard to catch the woman that was in front of me. I caught her around mile two in the SUP Race and then just kept a steady pace to keep the lead. It was so difficult making up for lost time in the run. Next year, I will definitely push myself more in the run to get a good start in the paddle.

More info on the race:

Facebook                          Results                      Operation Second Chance

More info on me:

Facebook                Instagram                 LinkedIn                   Paddleboarding Team

 

Gasparilla SUP Invasion 2016: Race Recap

This was my first race since November last year, well actually I did sign up for a race a few weeks back but that one was cancelled due to race conditions being too dangerous. Anyways, I was so excited for this race because it was in TAMPA, FL… All my family lives there so it was going to be a fun weekend with everyone!

I had my aunts and uncles come to the race to cheer me on, which was awesome but the event quickly turned for the worse…

Here’s what happened:

1. First of all, parking was 15 dollars!
2. You had to walk your board about a half mile to the dock
3. The race was supposed to start at 10:20 am, we didn’t get started until 11 am.. Oh and it was 90 degrees outside!
4. The dock was a single file line that took forever because it was super small with a long path to the actual dock
5. There was no picture of the course for racers to look at, which made it difficult to picture in your head where to go exactly
6. No one knew the buoys were little white crab trap buoys! Who does that??!!
7. We all missed the first buoy! Going a half mile further, until the police came from behind us telling everyone to turn around. They should have told my friend, Brad, who was in the lead to turn around first so the order of the Elite class would not be messed up
8. About 3-5 people turned around (those people ended up beating us all) and they were also in the back of the group to begin with…
9. The rest of us, about 12 people sat in the water discussing what to do next since the race was now messed up
10. We decided to start from there and create the race again, so we did
11. Times were really messed up because we stopped for about 15 minutes and then stopped after the first lap because the race director didn’t know what was happening
12. Then half the group went in due to frustration and the rest of us did the second half of the course to finish the race
13. A 6 mile race turned into over 7 miles of confusion
14. Plus, boat traffic was insane, so many boats!
15. Also, the race finished around 1 pm but awards weren’t until 4!! Who wants to wait around for a piece of paper, I heard that’s what the trophies were because I left before the awards since times were so screwed up
16. Overall, it was a mess

The good thing was I got a great workout in and meet some really cool paddlers out on the water!

Here are some pictures from the race:

Paddling in Tampa, FL

Going under the bridge

Trying to finish

The start

When we were discussing what we all were going to do

If you want to add me on other networks here are some links:

INSTAGRAM                      FACEBOOK                    LINKEDIN

 

Reading and Running: SPARTAN FIT!

Hello all runners and anyone who loves a good challenge! There is a new book coming out that will: Transform your Mind. Transform Your Body.

SPARTAN FIT! by Joe De Sena

JOE DE SENA is the founder and owner of the Spartan Race, as well as a living legend in endurance and adventure racing circles — he completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon, raced the 140.6 miles of Lake Placid Ironman, and finished a 100-mile trail run in Vermont, all within one week.

You must be able to Commit to Grit.

And don’t worry, No Gym Required.

All you need is 31 Days. 31 days to get you ready for the change you’ve always wanted or to just give you that little push you need. DAY 1 starts NOW!

• A 31-day workout and diet plan to prepare for the Spartan Sprint — or to just get you in ultimate shape
• Full-body workouts requiring no gym and no weights
• How to build fitness levels from one race to the next
• Inspiring, motivating stories of Spartans

A complete Spartan training guide, Spartan Fit! arms readers with the strength, knowledge, and grit to never question their potential again, both on and off the race course.

From Ultra marathoners to beginner runners, this book is meant to help you be the best you!

“Joe DeSena is the real deal. His stories are believable, because his achievements and accomplishments are genuine. In Spartan Up! Joe delivers his message with the insight and candor that only an individual who has lived through such experiences can. A must read for anyone looking to take his performance to the next level, be it in athletics or in life.” – Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathoner and New York Times bestselling author of Ultra Marathon Man

PRE-ORDER NOW!

Also use code: SPARTANBLOGGER and it will give 10% off ANY race!

If you want a free race code, you must comment below telling me why you want to race. One lucky racer will get a FREE race!

7 Things Serious Standup Paddleboarder’s Never Want to Hear

While taking my board off my car or putting it in the water, these are just some of the many phrases I hear over and over again… I would be a millionaire if I got a dollar every time someone …

SKORA Running: Spring has Sprung, Time to Run

Hey everyone! Long time since I last wrote a post but when a sale is going on that grabs my attention, I must share the good news. SKORA is my favorite running shoe company. I truly believe they know what they are doing. They are bringing runners back to how we were meant to run: naturally.

Less is more.

Since running in my SKORA’s, I’ve never had an injury (knock on wood) and enjoy my run. There’s no pain, my shoes do well in sand, on pavement, in grass, on sidewalks, in trails and if you treat them well, they are good for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles. And for me right now, I run about 25-30 miles per week in my SKORA Phase’s

but…

Now with 40% OFF CLEARANCE, I am going to buy myself a pair of SKORA Tempo’s!

Click the banner on the side ——–>>>>>>>>

OR

Click here ————>>>>>>>>       40% OFF!

I want to be able to change shoes out, run in one pair one day and another the next. I am so excited for them to arrive. The sale goes on for three weeks!! So get a pair and run with me! The good sizes and colors go quick! Buy NOW!

If you have any questions, ask me or you can chat with someone on their website.

Happy Running!

SKORA is a family affair.. My sister and I both wear them 🙂

Paddlefest: Sup Race Recap Nov. 14, 2015

I signed up just hours before this race, so happy I didn’t have to work that Saturday and got to compete instead. My last race didn’t go too well, which makes me super eager to get out there again. The race was about an hour from my house at Manasota Key, a place I’ve never paddled before.

First thoughts: it was cold (first cold front in Florida), windy, and an unfamiliar place so I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. The race director changed the course due to conditions, which actually shortened the course by over 1 mile. That’s okay with me!

We did not go out into the Gulf of Mexico

For breakfast I had a lot of water and a Quest bar 2 hours before race time. I also tried OX Endurance formula for the first time before the race. And I really liked it! I think it gave me an extra boost! It did hydrate me as well! I felt good throughout the length of the course, which is awesome.

The start of the race was not too good. No one knew when to go, there was a warning horn that some thought was the starting horn and then with the confusion, the race started. It was a mess in the beginning but thankfully, I started in a good place. But others weren’t as lucky.

This race had some different rules then most. You could not draft any watercraft until after the first buoy turn, which was over 1 mile away. This rule definitely helped me, I’m not a huge fan of pulling people, so I tried to snag a lead early. And then, the race director said you could draft anyone of any board size or class. I ended up getting right behind a guy on a 14′ and then had a guy on a prone board behind me.

Overall, the race was well done. There was a decent BBQ afterwards and vendors. It was a lot of fun. The location was great and it was easy to unload your boards. The race had awards for Top Finishers and a raffle afterwards. Not too shabby.

I ended up placing 1st in the Women’s Elite 12’6″! Woohooo

My HovieSUP team did really well! Having multiple riders place in several divisions.

Congrats to:

• Brad Ward: 1st place in Men’s Elite 14′ and Overall
• Kieran Grant: 2nd place in Men’s Elite 14′
• Brian Hovianian: 1st in Men’s Open 3 Mile on a 14′ and Overall
• Francesca Morrow: 1st in Women’s Open 3 Mile on a 12’6″
• Will Marston: 1st in U17 Elite on a 12’6″

Here are some links with more information Paddlefest:

Website                 Facebook                 Results

More info on me

Facebook              Team Page               Instagram                  LinkedIn                Hookit