Living Radically Ambitious

(photo of New Smyrna Beach by taroman on Flickr)

One of my best college friends, Amy, found a way to escape the city and move out to the beach in pursuit of the life she envisioned for herself. As a pharmaceutical sales rep, she had control over her schedule and started taking afternoon meetings in favor of morning wave sessions. She has had the glowing tan and total body workout while having fun, meeting great people and enjoying her youth.

Two summers ago, one of my goals was to learn to surf. My wife and I enjoy time on the beach more than any bar or night hopping and the thought of learning to surf was both peaceful and adventurous. That summer I grabbed a friend’s board once and fell… a lot.

Last summer time was not on my side. Living only 45 min to an hour to a beach with decent waves, I had too much work on my plate to get out there as I wanted. This year my goals were the same. Get to the beach 1-2 times per week and stand up on a surf board. This time I am going in prepared, with a plan of attack and some knowledge to guide me along my way. I also have some good friends going along for the ride and some people that can help steer the learning curve.

Below is a list of my plan that can be used by any first time surfer to spend the summer on the water, living the Rock Star Life, thus my 2 Month Rock Star Surfing Plan.

The 2 goals of this plan:

1. Get in shape
2. Pop up and ride some waves

Getting In Shape

Part of living my own rock star life has to deal with getting back into shape. Not the High School Football and Baseball shape, but in a healthy and athletic kind of shape. Working in Internet Marketing tends to keep you inside, sometimes working up to 16 hours a day on the computer. Not exactly a healthy lifestyle, mixed in with energy drinks and eating crap.

Getting on the beach with people that look like they are in the gym 24/7 is somewhat intimidating, considering that I was once in their body frame. Now with some 6 packs (the Miller Brewing Company kind) in the mid section, and some unhealthy post college eating habits its time to shed that body fat and get back on track. Below in the plan I will go over a workout routine that will help shape your body and also focus on the core strengths for surfing.

The goal for the summer fitness plan is to shed close to 15 pounds and fit into some of my size large t-shirts.

Pop Up and Ride Some Waves

This should be an obvious goal for anyone looking to get on a board. I am looking to consistently ride sets and have control over the board by the end of the summer. This will be a tough task with plans to get over to New Smyrna and Ormond Beach only 1-2 times per week and the reality that Florida waves are not the greatest. Still, you need to set goals and get into the mindset to achieve these goals - then take the action required in order to achieve them and improve (you know that formula).

The Plan

1. Fitness

The fitness portion of the 2 month rock star surfing plan is to focus on strength, balance and endurance while shedding body weight through short - intense workouts and sets in the water. Scouring the web for some built for surfing workouts, I came across one from Everything Zing that I think can be tweaked for optimal performance in my routine. This routine focuses on these core components:

• Back and Shoulders
• Chest and Triceps
• Legs and Core
• Abs
• Endurance

The modified workout plan is as follows:

Monday - Wednesday - Friday

• Shoulder Press - 2 sets of 50
• Bent over Rows - 2 sets of 50
• Shoulder Rotations - 2 sets of 30 seconds forwards, 30 seconds backwards - Arm Circles
• Push Ups - 2 sets of 20 - increase or decrease based on strength - I am doing 2 sets of 10 to begin
• Bicep Curls - 2 sets of 15 - I am using dumbbells, fit to match your home gym materials
• Dips - 2 sets of as many as possible - start with 5, week 2 go to 10 and keep growing
• Lunges - 2 sets of 20 - each leg is 1 count
• Squat Thrusts - 2 sets of 10 - from pushup position thrust your knees and feet under your chest and jump back)
• Opposite Reach - 2 sets of 10 - On all fours reach out with your left hand and push your right leg back (simultaneously) - then switch. Each set is 1 rep.
• Pop Ups - 1-2 sets of 10 - Combo of a pushup, squat thrust and getting up to stand on the board
• Crunches - 2 sets of 40 or comparable number
• Leg Lifts - 2 sets of 25
• Additional Ab Exercise - I rotate ab exercises from cross crunches to riding the bike and medicine ball tosses.

I am able to complete this workout under high intensity (low rest) in about 30 minutes. I prefer to workout first thing in the morning to burn extra calories and start the day in a positive light. Seems to be working so far.

Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday/Sunday

2 mile run/jog. I enjoy going to a local park near the river to relax the mind while running. For convenience I will do the same laps around the neighborhood.

Running tip - Here is a free iPhone app that I am loving to keep track of times, distance, pace, speed and paths - RunKeeper Free by FitnessKeeper, Inc. It is important to continue to push yourself in all metrics in running to improve your health and ensure growth.

2. Education

I have lived in Florida my entire life, most of it was less than 30 minutes away from the beach. Two years were spent within walking distance of Ft. Lauderdale Beach. For all that time spent close to the beach I can openly admit that I did not have a hand on the high tide - low tide thing. Apparently this is something that is of utmost importance to surfers. So, I asked my wife and got a good deal of what they are. Then I dipped into the web and got some facts and what they mean to aspiring 20-something surfers.

It looks like Low Tide is the ideal time to surf if you know nothing else about the water. But of course there are exceptions to the rule. Here is some stuff I picked up while doing some research:

Looking at the “surfing” page on Wikipedia it breaks down the hydrodynamics of finding great waves and the waves in which are optimal to ride, going on to say:

Local wind conditions affect wave quality, since the ridable surface of a wave can become choppy in blustery conditions. Ideal surfing conditions include a light to moderate strength “offshore” wind, since this blows into the front of the wave making it barrel or tube…Each break is different, since the underwater topography of one place is unlike any other. At beach breaks, even the sandbanks change shape from week to week; therefore, it takes a commitment for surfers to find good waves (a skill dubbed “broceanography” by a few California surfers). That is why enthusiasts have traditionally regarded surfing as more of a lifestyle than merely a sport. Nowadays, however, surf forecasting is aided by advances in information technology, whereby mathematical modeling graphically depicts the size and direction of swells moving around the globe.

Additional info on tides: Surfline has a great article on the effects of tide on surf and SwellInfo responds to a thread on how vs. low tide.

Forget the Science, Here’s the Cliffnote Tip - Looks like a lot of science above but it boils down to another iPhone app that is going to tell me if its worth it to make the drive from Sanford over to New Smyrna. The app is again free and is sponsored by Oakley, called Surf Report. It is pretty amazing in that I have in less than 3 minutes, created favorites for Ormond Beach, New Smyrna, Cocoa and Daytona Beach. If I go on a surf trip I can find the info for areas across the world in seconds. Check out some screen shots:

3. Gear

Every surfer needs gear right? From a board to a wetsuit to wax and general beach stuff. My theory on this is 2-fold, you want the best stuff to maximize your results, but you also don’t want to have a few grand worth of gear, suck ass and sell it on Craigslist come October. For my initial run this summer I am relying on a combination of used gear and new stuff to have the balance of gear that will withhold the heat, pressure, constant bailing and tension that a new rider will be doing. Here is a list of gear:

Board - I ran into a used board that my wife’s parents had in their storage shack. It’s in good shape considering its probably 10 years old. The wear is mostly from Jen and her sister paddling out and using it as a flotation device. Here is a pic (notice how I don’t even know the brand or make - I do know that it only has one centered fin which a few friends said should be good for the tame Florida waves).

Wet Suit / Rash Guard - It is quite warm this summer (its 7:30pm and its reading 94 degrees) so a full suit is out of the question. I went for a short sleeve rash guard top to keep my stomach and chest safe from the board and also to minimize any sunburn on my back from paddling out. Many of these can be found at local surf shops, sports stores or online and run anywhere from $20 - $50. Here are one of the suits I ordered (approx $26).

Sun Screen - Everyone needs a little sun screen and I opted for some SPF 30 and also a reserve SPF 50, both from Sun Sport which allows for use in water. I find that the spray stuff gets you too oily for the board, but hey, if that’s your thing.

Cooler - What trip to the beach is complete without a cooler full of goodies. Stocked up on a combo of water and Miller Lite for refreshment, reward and sulking as well as some fruit for sugar and balance.

Other items suggested but not yet in the arsenal include:

• Back up board
• Ding Repair Kit - Inexpensive kit to help salvage a ding in your board and not ruin your entire day.
• Spare board leash - makes sense, prob should get one with all the expected crashing and flying around.
• Generic First Aid Kit - band aids and such is a good idea for a day trip to prevent any excess bleeding (don’t need to give the sharks any extra reason to bump you on the inlet).

4. Plan of Attack

In order to hack this surfing plan in the next 2 months I am going to need to be on point and get some luck in not only the weather, but in scheduling. Being on the go and traveling nearly every week puts me at a disadvantage. This will call for early morning surfs and some late afternoons in the office.

Plotting out days. I have mapped out days in my GCal where I anticipate going over to the beach. I have links in the calendar to an online surf report for New Smyrna Beach from Inlet Charley’s Surf Shop that takes a look at the surf a few days out. By my early estimates through July and August I will be looking at going out no more than 12 times. More realistically with conditions and travel it will be 6-7. That means I need to have quality days, with early starts and high endurance in order to meet my goals.

Lessons. While not formally taking lessons I will be going out with some local veterans and also a friend who is also learning for the first time this summer. This will provide motivation, teaching and someone to look up to and someone to chase/compare to. Having this is something you should strive for to indulge in mental toughness and focus. It also forces reevaluation and improvement, 2 factors in the Rock Star Formula.

Training, Eating and Social Life. Staying strict on the workout routines will be tough. It is something that mentally I will need to focus on and push limits. For those of you unaccustomed to working out daily, it is a fight, much like quitting an addiction, in this case my addiction is my mental wekness that would rather watch Sportcenter or hit snooze than perform push-ups at 6am.

Getting on a diet is something we all push back. Summer means fresh fruits and veggies and with the rise in local farmers markets there is a renewed sense of supporting locals and their businesses that will keep the will power strong. The nightlife will also be another tough hurdle as young 20-somethings we love to frequent bars and downtown scenes and with summer comes BBQ’s, boat parties and island adventures, not to mention weddings and happy hours. Getting through this and having the will power to make a morning workout or a weekend trip to the beach must be sacrified in order to reach the goal.

Tracking and Reporting. In an effort to maximize efforts I have created a chart for post surfing evaluations. It may seem  little crazy and unnatural for surfers, especially beginners to track their progress. However in order to complete the plan I feel it is necessary to go over each session, look at sets, waves, the good, the bad and the ugly. After analysis, I can refocus training to weaknesses and also boost the strengths by applying the 80/20 principle where possible. In some cases it may be lack of strength and endurance, in others it may be location, weather and plain old good luck.

Having Fun. The entire reason for this quest is not simply to become a machine and hack into the surf culture but rather to explore the freedom, relaxation and peacefulness that comes with respecting the ocean and the feeling of riding the waves. Lifestyle design is more about doing a better job and maximizing your time, so that you have more time to enjoy doing things you love. Being at the beach is something that I love and being able to expand my horizons and reach is something that I am excited to embark onto a journey with.

5. Future Plans

The fundamentals with many of my current lifestyle hacks are short term goals with a focus on long-term ideas, concepts and businesses. Everything from testing new web ideas, advertising, products, etc all have back-end long term plans with short term goals. This is no different and here are a few of future plans:

Kick Off Summer 2010 - If all goes well this year and into 2010 I plan on holding a small retreat for a mastermind group of 10-20 20-somethings that are doing remarkable things in their lives. This will be a kickoff party and learning opportunity to really bring together some great minds, ideas and joint ventures. I would love to be able to host this event on the West Coast of the US (aka Cali) or in Costa Rica, renting a house or 2, surfing, cooking, brainstorming and enjoying life. This would mean a lot to me and where my life is headed. Mark it on your calendars!

Mission Trips - Working with the less fortunate is one of the biggest rewards that I have in my life. I take great pride in the work we do here with the homeless and those in poverty situations and one of my dreams is to take the effort global with a core group of friends. I always envisioned a 2-3 week mission trip with a 5 day celebration on an exact beach in a 3rd world country. This would obviously include catching some waves, and by working hard this summer and continuing to educate myself on ways to impact the world, this could be a huge accomplishment not just for the 1st trip, but the 1st of many. If this sounds like something that interests you, please get in contact asap.

Family Vacations - My wife and I enjoy our share of great vacations and 99% of them occur near water. Being able to enjoy new locations that offer great adventures is something we look for in a vacation. Having the surf option opens up many doors and gives even more reasons to visit Hawaii, Costa Rica, South America, Tahati, Dubui and other countries around the globe.

Competition and New Clients - The competition stuff is a long shot, but some local Am’s are never out of the question if I get the hang of this stuff. Even if I don’t compete it sure opens the doors to work hand-in-hand with some cool companies on marketing initiatives being a first hand surfer instead of on onlooker.

I hope you enjoyed a look into this 2-month Rock Star Surfing Plan and also some of the tools and hacks that you can use this summer if you are looking for a new hobby, thrill or adventure. I am excited to be a week into the training and have sessions planned for Friday at 7am barring the weather gives us something to ride.

If you have any surfing hacks, tips, ideas, gear suggestions or anything else that our readers (and me) would find interesting, please leave it in the comments or feel free to shoot me an email at rollettmarketing@gmail.com.

Till next time Rock Stars

-Greg Rollett