recovery n such

Ice baths are pretty hardcore but great if you can do it. After long sessions (or any sessions lately) I always ice my right knee down and sometimes my shoulders too. I've been dealing with a bone bruise in my knee for a couple years now and it helps a lot. I also take daily vitamins, glucosamine chondroitin for my joints and a calcium supplement. Aleve is a life saver too. I'm in very good shape for my age 42 but anything I can do to help my surfing or keep me in the water I'll try. Defintiely try to eat healthy, I do but of course I still drink way too much. Getting older sucks!!

 

I really like a few of the responses in here.

Your pier.

I think you are taking this too seriously mate. Between your training regime, ice baths, and everything else. You just gotta do what feels natural. Sometimes that is not the most glamorous action.

Live and love. I have never met a great surfer who takes ice baths.

All things in moderation buddy and I hope you get some good rides.

With all your training and such I think you should be on a little hockey puck board throwing spray!

 

Real talk braddahs: speaking of recovery, how do we possibly recover from this weekend? It got out of hand about 96 hours ago.

 

IMO and from my experience, an important point was made here. The ocean doesn't take time out to let you rest and catch your breath. It's certainly not like working out in a gym, jogging, or swimming laps in the pool where you control things.

There's also a big difference, both physically and psychologically, between swimming laps in a pool and open water swimming - even if it's in a lake. There are no lane markers/ropes or sides of the pool (or pool bottom in the shallow end) to reach for if something goes wrong. When all is said an done, you have to get out there in the actual environment where forces are at play that can't be fully simulated under controlled conditions.

I'm realizing that my workouts over the years, especially more recently, have tended to be more at a steady pace - whether it's been running or swimming laps. I normally did not push it to the extent that I was out of breath and my heart rate really up there. In surfing one does things in spurts and surges depending on what's happening: getting out of the impact zone, catching a wave, being tumbled and slammed about, etc. The environment is ever-changing. Often, you're like an ant in a toilet that's just been flushed.

I think any out of ocean training should at least simulate to some degree these type of sudden, energy-demanding conditions as much as possible: by doing wind sprints, Fartlek training on road runs, intervals training in pools, cardio stuff. The old "long slow distance" has its applications, but one cannot rely solely on that for effective conditioning. I know I'm preaching to the choir here.

I surf year round but tend to get out more during the summer. During the summer, surf conditions are pretty mild; so when a swell does come through like last week, one can really get a workout to the point of feeling out of shape afterwards. IMO, one reason why I've continued to be sore, despite all the working out and running I've done over the years, has been because I have not incorporated enough of this type of training into my routine. Today I added a Fartlek workout during my five mile run. First time in quite awhile. Be careful though if you're not used to it and it's hot out. Anyway, I'm feeling it now. I'm sure age is a factor. Am really sore. Took a nap early this evening and can't get back to sleep now. Perhaps time for an ice bath. Where's the Aleve...Epsom salts?...

 

if you really can repeat 1:10/100M swim then YOU ARE in shape and are running into one of the more
annoying aspects of our sport which is that surfing TEARS YOU DOWN. no matter how good condition you are in.

a year or two ago we had a flat spell of about 2 months and I NEVER FELT BETTER. fact is rest is the only
thing; conditioning is good but only increases your water time. physical recovery is just that. rest.....

 

you said earlier that foam rolling leaves a lot to be desired. what kind do you have? i got this a year ago and its the greatest thing ever for recovery. i mostly roll my back out. when i started i had to wear a sweatshirt cuz it hurt like hell. ive gotten used to it over time though and now just wear a tshirt. its expensive but one of the best purchases ive ever made.
http://www.****ssportinggoods.com/p...=12753620&cp=4406646.4413986.4417719.11580723

 

ok apparently you cant paste a website for d1cks sporting goods. just look up rumble roller. its the black one you want, 30" long. (now this post is starting to sound weird)

 

Buahahaha!!!

 

Great grandma's recipe for inflammation is 9 gin soaked raisins. The gin must be infused with juniper berries and the raisins golden. Soak for a week and enjoy.

 

Man, Go to the gym.

 

tommiecopper.com

Probably completely bogus, but I saw a long info-mercial on this the other night on ESPN. It was a US track star that just smoked Bolt in a 100m competition. It was about 10 minutes long and the guy was saying that he wears the stuff 24/7 and before he runs and afterwards, it has these healing properties to aid in muscle recovery. Sounds bogus, and also expensive.

Anybody ever used this crap?

 

And Kelly Slater used to say Quik wetsuits were the best. JJf used to say Oneil was the best, but now it's Hurley.

 

Don't believe the tommie copper hype. If it works for you so would an ace bandage or a tight rash guard. Placebo effect at best. Yes, I bought tommiecopper knee brace. The eight months of alternate exercise and stretching worked. Maybe having the brace in my sock drawer released its magical powers...