Maliko Musings: Olukai Ho’olaule’a

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Water Words

When experienced standup paddlers describe the downwind run you are about to do the very next day and they say, “It’s going to be harrowing, huge swells and very little wind,” that does not build confidence!

The start of the 2013 Olukai Ho’olaule’a at Maliko Gulch

Those very conditions greeted 336 SUP downwind racers at the 5th Olukai Ho’olaule’a on May 11. Little did I know as I paddled out of the Maliko Gulch what was in store. The tide was flowing in, the swells delivered confused chop and the wind clocked toward our faces as we paddled past the reefs and cliffs about a mile and a quarter straight out to sea and the starting line. I believed the waves would be my nemesis, but one wave in particular delivered the defining moment of that all-round incredible event! Here’s the story:

Like most of the participants, I spent a great deal of time paddling on my knees, really getting a challenging balance workout while going for the glides or taking some head-first dunks into the confused sea. When I had feet under me, eyes on the horizon and my paddle technique cranking out smoothly, holy cow, the Naish 14′ Glide I was riding accelerated with glee and practically begged to connect those glides. Exhilarating stuff for sure. Light as a feather, my KIALOA Hulu paddle powered me through chop and (YAY!) let me brace, balance and avoid plenty of wipeouts.

From the very first paddle stroke, as fellow participants were lifted – then disappeared – behind the swells, my fear was that I’d not be able to negotiate the beach landing. All along the shoreline from Hookipa to Kanaha and points in between the swells met reefs and created a wall of crushing white-water challenge. About 75 minutes into the race Kanaha and the life guard stand was in view. I was paddling near Sean Sweet of Sweet Waterwear when I heard him say, “Judy, look right!”

Defining moment, uncaught wave of the day. And that was a good thing!

I braced my paddle in the water to my right, swung my eyes over and looked straight up into a building and breaking wall of gray-green and foaming wave. There was just one reaction, and it surprised the living daylight out of me – I was like, “Yeah!” and went for it. Went for it as in, “I want to catch this thing.” Lucky for me, very lucky, the water was deep enough that instead of crushing right onto me, it re-built as a pillowing swell and swept neatly under my Glide. Also lucky for me, I realized how much I love being in the ocean, riding waves, being part of a huge community of like-spirited paddlers and enjoying the fruits of much practice and training. It’s all a very cool journey.

It’s tough to put into words the impact an event like one’s first Maliko Gulch downwind run delivers. Instread, here’s a 4 minute video that tells the tale. Much appreciation (listed in the credits at the end) go to Naish International (Haiku), KIALOA Paddles, GoPro, and Suzie Cooney, CPT.

SUP Senses: Listening

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Water Words

Taking a spin around the perimeter of a glassy lake at sunset, traveling upstream in a class I whitewater stretch or gliding shore-ward on a gently breaking wave or sense are alive. We experience sights, smells, the feel of water on our bare feet and the sound of water. We hear the swoosh of a glassy glide and the slap slap slap of small ripples playing off the hull.

Sometimes when I am training for a steady pace over a longer time or distance, I set the “metronome” to the sound of the slap-slap-slap of water on the board. 1-2-3 and then 1-2-3, switch sides and, 1-2-3 then 1-2-3 in a steady pace. It gets easier to maintain a pace with a steady beat going in my head.

Then comes a real eye-opener. I had a GoPro facing forward on the bow and then facing back at me during a recent glassy paddle as dusk approached last week. (video here) My 1-2-3 was way more slow in pace than I had felt while actually executing the pace. I needed to add some intervals – and soon! With just 51 days until the first downwind event of the season I want to be totally confident and ready to go my race and my skill level- but do it well.

Last Sunday I had the chance to paddle a sweet, but frosty 42 degree, 6-miler through two loops in the Deschutes River as it winds through Bend, OR. I went with a local SUP surfer and racer, Randall Barna. Randall watched my paddle stroke and tweaked my reach and return a bit. We discussed how much Karen Wrenn’s suggestion to keep my knees and hips facing forward even as the upper torso/ribs twist. Randall had a cool way of creating the image I needed to drive forward and be more efficient with my technique.

I tend to fall backward when tossed off balance, so Randall explained the reasons to stay fully balanced on all 4 corners of both feet. Rather than driving the board hard and down – then forward, the better image is “create a buoyant feel as you press the board forward with the sense of floating it lightly but firmly.” Thinking about these tweaks allowed miles to float by easily.

I still need to build a better fitness base for the upcoming paddle season. According to Suzie Cooney, CPT (of Suzie Trains Maui, a Naish team rider), “Music added to your own SUP training session can make a huge difference in you enjoying your training session and can actually help you increase your mileage and decrease your time. Get to know your heart and lung capacity and stress yourself accordingly. Make sure you are in good physical health and have proper clearance from your physician.” Great advice. I read her excellent article on training with a balanced tempo playlist, donned my heart rate monitor and had some great paddles so far this week. You can do the same. Take the few short minutes needed to explore Suzie’s online training article – then go enjoy standup paddling with all your senses!

SUP Muse: Suzie Cooney

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Water Words

The grin and enthusiasm are a constant! Suzie Cooney, CPT, lives her expertise!

It was almost a year ago that Ed and I had the chance to meet a virtual whirlwind of expertise and energy, Suzie Cooney (CPT) of Suzie Trains Maui. We tentatively tested the waters of the Olukai Ho’olaule’a by doing the “fun race” of three short miles and emerged from the water wanting only MORE! We knew that there was no way our “almost-ready-for-Medicare” bodies were trained for the wind and waves of the full run from Maliko Gulch, so we stayed in touch with Suzie.

Great plan! You too can enjoy her training no matter where you live via a SKYPE session or you can enhance your Maui vacation paddling by booking a local session. Be sure to plan well in advance. Suzie works hard sharing her training and expertise from large group workshops, articles and private sessions.

Being among the tribe of “Wounded Warriors” now and then, we were delighted to discover solid advice on the Suzie Trains Maui website and on the Naish surfing website. We are most recently doing some interesting core work that’s fun and challenging. We want to be ready when we grab our Naish Glides and Mana series surfboards in 63 short days. Yes, drooling can commence when you see the image (below).

The Glide and Mana series are calling my name!

Over the winter months we have been training with TRX and the Indo Board. Guided by Suzie’s video and e-mail support we make progress. Since we’re rarely actually out having great fun standup paddling these last months (but the skiing has been great) the most important part of Suzie’s connection with us is an unabashed love of the ocean, the wind, the waves and the glides! We can easily use the GoPro HERO to film segments of our technique, then have a variety of people give us input. Editing clips of GoPro footage is easy – easy to edit and easy to share.

Suzie’s regular e-mail updates and blog articles are almost as good as being there. Yes, we wanted to be there when she paddled with whales. No, we didn’t want to be there when a large north shore winter wave smacked her onto a reef (yes, there was some blood). Through it all, enthusiasm reigns!

Recently we exchanged an e-mail, I had some concern about my technique and an old series of knee injuries. Suzie replied, “I bet you’re getting excited! Train, train and train! The ol’ knees will be warmer here, so don’t worry.” That connected to our balance, strength, agility and power routines will get us there (did I say 56 days?)

I can see Suzie on the Glide now. She described a recent workout, “Surf is huge still and I caught a long wave on the Glide yesterday. I was coming into the harbor after my laps. It was waist high. Too fun!”

Right Name – Excellent Initials

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Water Words

Sometimes fate seems to send a subtle message in ordinary observations. This time it came from a name and the resulting initials – Suzie Cooney, SC.

Ed and I are in week 8 of our “Eddie Will Go on the Olukai Ho’olaule’a” race – comeback from extensive shoulder surgery. Week 8 is the best one yet. We are actually in Maui and are SUP surfing and doing sweet down-winders every day on our Naish 14′ Glide GX. Last night we had dinner with our trainer-from-a-distance, Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui.

There’s nothing like a face-to-face conversation over ono burgers at the Fish Market Restaurant in Paia, especially after all the support we’ve gained from Suzie over the past months. How did two 63 year olds from Oregon come to be trained by Suzie Cooney on Maui? That’s quite a story.

We were casually playing at down-wind riding while on vacation in Maui in May 2011. Hearing that the Olukai Ho’olaule’a offered a “fun race” of just 4 miles we grabbed our rental surfboards and registered. The day of the race we were all butterflies and doubt. Ed was having shoulder surgery 4 days later and we were second-guessing everything. Then the announcer gathered us all for a pre-race warm-up, and we met Suzie.

With a warm smile and ultimate encouragement she talked and moved the nervous group through breathing, stretching and a warm-up. Surprisingly, by the time we were done the group had a relaxed and solidified feel. Then we were off for one of the most exhilarating fun-runs ever. We decided that when Ed was able to train after his surgery, just seven weeks ago, we would start training with Suzie. We set a goal to do the 8-mile run from Maliko Gulch to Kanaha. Suzie’s regimine has been just what Ed needed.

Meeting up with Suzie last night confirmed it, she has the absolute best initials for her spirit and talent:

SC – Sincere compassion: Ed is coming back from an injury and Suzie’s compassion for the struggle is obvious. It takes quite a bit of digging to gain the information that might attribute to that. Suzie is no stranger to injury, rehab, set-backs and the value of dedication and solid training. She has walked the talk, and then some.
SC – Social commitment: Much like Olukai, the sponsor of the Ho’olaule’a, Suzie has always had a strong commitment to her community and sharing her expertise and talent. We love that and it sets the same tone that we go for at Elder SUP
SC – Strategic communication: Suzie is about the busiest person I know. There is no place for the luxury of time wasted. When we use SKYPE or e-mail to gain insights and training strategies Suzie is always ready to communicate, but to the point and with disciplined replies. It is a great way to allow her expertise from Paia, Maui to reach out to wherever clients are.
SC – Solid collaboration: Suzie spends time with a diverse group of peers from both the fitness and surf/SUP/paddling disciplines. She’s an avid listener and seems to have an uncanny ability to tweak out information and then share-collaborate easily. These skills are obvious if you cruise her website, see the photos, read the articles, and watch the well-edited videos.
SC – Sea Connection: Suzie is a waterwoman and is undeniably connected to the sea. Her stories, grins, and passionate dedication to sharing this connection is a gift. We are better at our SUP dreams because of her inspiration. Better yet, we are determined to return home and make the most of the next 5 months before we launch into the sea from Maliko Gulch.

Please share your training, come back and dream-event stories with us.

Core Summer SUP Fitness

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Water Words

Staying in top form and being prepared to ride big waves and glide big down wind runs is a full time job for elite athletes in our sport of SUP. For Suzie Cooney, there is another aspect to her professional role as a leader in standup paddling. She’s taken her solid background in fitness training and has translated it to an online resource for thousands. Of course, for those fortunate enough to book training time with her on Maui, that’s the best option. For those of us an ocean away, we’re glad she takes the time to keep her blogs and websites rich with resources and information.

For anyone who has taken a video that’s meant to tell a story or to teach a skill, you know how tough it is to get the right shots, the right editing and best end product. It takes skill – and TIME. In a busy world, doesn’t it always seem like the busiest people take the time to pursue their passion and share their expertise. Without benefit of Suzie‘s blog and videos bolstered by some SKYPE “distance training sessions” I know that the expectation of being fit and ready for our down wind adventures in Maui next May wouldn’t be what we’re dreaming of.

Ed and I are in week 2 of our 36 week “Journey to Maliko and the Ho’olaule’a.” (You can arrange for your own distance learning session with Suzie by scheduling a SKYPE session.) Here’s our plan for this week:

We are stocking our “home gym” in the garage with a balance ball and have arranged a wide variety of weights, a spin bike and some balance equipment. Since Ed is still not released for “real life” training, he will continue with his shoulder PT exercises. I am joining in on that series. My thought process is that I may as well keep my shoulders as strong and flexible as possible. I

It’s still great paddling weather here in Central Oregon, so water time will complement “gym” time for now.

Ed and I both watched Suzie’s session planned for one of her clients. You can watch how Suzie integrates both TRX and INDO board into the workout. We’ve got both of those items on the “wish list,” and hope to have them ready to use by mid-October when Ed should be good to go shoulder-wise. Take a few minutes to watch this video. If you don’t have some of the equipment, like the INDO board, it’s easy to click from Suzie’s site and get first class customer service for your purchase from INDO Board.

If you haven’t tried TRX training you may want to locate a class in your town. While the average gym class doesn’t focus on standup paddling needs specifically, you can get a good idea of the training philosophy behind that equipment. We are looking forward to moving in that direction. According to Suzie, Naish team rider, “You’re really going to feel the power in your stroke from the deep obliques!”

YES! That’s what we want. We can’t do everything from week 1 or 2 but we will start where we are right now. Beginning today, we’ll be using our balance ball with focus on balance and core.

Elder SUP

Connecting Across Generations and Oceans

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