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!!

 

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

 

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

Paddle at the Point: Race Recap 9/19/2015

It was a beautiful day after a week of rain and clouds. The sun was shining and it was bringing intense heat, especially since there was no wind. With temperatures around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, I knew it was going to be a brutal race.

This race beat me up bad. Never felt so unprepared for a race but learning to lose and figuring out what you need to work on is actually something I need. I need to play around with my diet and training. It’s tough training alone because I never push myself but I’m going to have to figure out a way to do that.

This week at work and moving into a new house has been so stressful. I knew I’ve been tired, I think it’s time for a mini vacation or even just a simple massage.

However, to talk about the race, I have a lot of suggestions for the race coordinator. It all started when I showed up. Registering online was easy.

Things the race did well:

1. They had a lot of safety boats and police along the course.
2. Gave out t-shirts
3. Money prizes for some elite divisions
4. Informative racers meeting
5. Good live music afterwards

Things the race did poorly:

1. The venue and place to put your boards in was not easy.
2. The elite race had to wait 15/20 minutes in the sun before the start
3. No photos were taken in the water, the Men’s 14 Elite had a photo finish so there was no proof as to who actually deserved first place
4. No trophies were given, unless you count a bead necklace as a trophy
5. Money is mailed to you (We will see if it comes)
6. The race was expensive
7. The food wasn’t great and water to drink was tough to find after the race
8. Only three bathrooms
9. No raffles
10. Not a good race to watch if you are a spectator

Overall, I’m not too happy about the race itself. Most races are so fun after all the races are done but this one didn’t really have many vendors or places to socialize. Hopefully, the race director fixes some things up for the next one. We will see.

Congrats to all the racers that competed this weekend! And to my HovieSUP teammate, Kieran Grant, for winning the Men’s 14 Elite and $2,000.

Race links:

Results                     Facebook                  Website

My Info:

Facebook                      Instagram                   LinkedIn                  Team Page

Paddle At The Porch: SUP Race Recap

After one of my longest weeks at work, I decided to travel 7 hours to Destin, FL. So right after I got off on Friday, I hit the road. I have never traveled that far to a paddle board race before but I thought why not! My uncle lives 20 minutes from the race venue so no hotel and my mom was willing to make the trip with me so I had company and good bonding time with her!

The race took place at a restaurant called “The Back Porch.” The race had plenty of parking and an easy drop off area for your boards. The beach had nice white sand and the water was so clean and clear. The weather was overcast so the temperature was not nearly as hot as usual, which was awesome! However, there was a lot of wind, waves and a very strong current. Oh, and jellyfish with super long tentacles everywhere!!!!

The race began at 9 am and consisted of 4 laps with a beach start and a running finish for a total of 6 miles. The start was pretty crazy with people falling left and right, I even fell at the beginning after getting hit by a wave. I ended up falling three more times due to exhaustion and my legs getting fatigued. You lose focus for a second and the next one, you are in the water.

This race had the roughest conditions I have ever dealt with. I even wore my leash, just incase! The most exhilarating part of the race for me, was riding a wave into the beach on the last lap. I do not surf, like at all… so to catch a wave and not fall was the greatest feeling! I didn’t even care if I placed or not, after that just happened.

I ended up getting 2nd, I had no idea! So that was great to hear! I never really knew how many women were in front of me the whole race. The great thing about making it to the podium was receiving a $1,000 check! CHA-CHINGGG! That’s the most money I’ve ever won in an event.

Overall, the race was organized very well! The one thing I didn’t really like was how the food was setup and what it was but other than that, I had no complaints!

CONGRATS to my HovieSUP teammate, Kieran Grant for getting first in the Men’s 14′ Elite and taking home $1500 and to my buddy, Connor Bonham for taking 2nd for the Mens 14′ Elite.

Race Links:

Website               Results                   Photos                    Video                 Facebook

My Info:

Facebook            Instagram               LinkedIn                 My Team

Cocoplum 10K SUP Race: Recap 7/11/15

Today I did a race that not only included SUP’s but mostly canoes and kayaks. I wasn’t expecting that! The race was in North Port, FL in a little canal. It was flat and hot with no current. The race started at 9:30 in the morning and ended up being just over 5 miles, which made me pretty happy because the heat was brutal.

I was also super dumb this morning and put my board in a bad spot on top of my car and it got damaged by the part of the car that holds the antenna for the radio. So now I have a hole in my board… ughhh gotta get that fixed.

It was a nice event that was super cheap! Only 15 dollars and the proceeds went to the North Port Youth Summer Camp. The people in charge of the event were super nice and everything was easy. Sign-up was easy and the course was easy. Just a simple down and back. The only thing is the waterway was kinda boring with not much to look at and my mom came with me and it wasn’t a race that could be watched. Also, not a great race to go to if you aren’t racing, no shade!!!

However, overall it was fun. I liked how awards were right after. I was home by noon and the race was an hour away. Most races drag out all day and it was nice that it only took up my morning! I got first and a cool little trophy. Everyone that participated got a medal, which was awesome!

One strange thing though was the start, I had a kayaker hit me at the start. Everyone started together! Some people weren’t too good at controlling their watercraft.

Races are so much fun and the people are great! If you don’t SUP, I think you definitely should start!