Gearing up!

[Bakinblak]

Just went out on the motorcycle today and visited three ski shops. Got my new Eagle life jacket, new shorts in lime green and red/orange, and almost got another pair of Radar Vice grips -- do you think they intentionally branded their clinchers Vice like the ski while punning "vice grips"?

 

Also I've been in the gym the last week. Im 27 and though progress is as fast as ever, certain parts of my muscles that were used heavily last year like my back delts, forearm by my right elbow and hammies are saying "whoa dude, we did this before, hell no" Those parts of my body feel like the back half of 30, closer to 40. Not a good feeling. We'll see how it goes. Its improved a lot but the sensation was way different compared to previous years.

 

Im going to take it easier this year. Last year I was in every corner of the region hitting every club possible. Now I'm going to go out a portion less and use only inboard engines as they beat the heck out of outboards. Also, skiing less will offset the costs of skiing behind the inboards. Hopefully I'll break even.

 

As for you guys; for the love of God stay healthy. I'm phobic towards injury. I pulled a hamstring and my back in college and though both have "healed" there's still a twinge or light sensation of muscle imbalance... and you guys ge surgery. Stay healthy, seriously. OB and some of you other men have had surgery and you think its alright, but your body is never really the same. Let go of the rope. If you really gotta try that hard for the extra buoy its probably because you made mistake earlier, let it go and give it another crack in a minute. Do some hardcore stretching, lay off the coffee as it tightens you up, even when you're resting, and booze, and get some modest amount of weightroom work done since its saved me from countless injuries yet allowed me to push hard and long.

 

On the coffee note: When I drank coffee my muscles tightened up. I had a few days at work where my bicept was not loosing up and kept on spasming despite hours of continuous stretching. It was a warning sign of a pulled muscle. The fact I was riding behind an outboard most of the year and I was getting hammered by a lot of slack probably contributed to it and switching to inboard alleviated a lot of pain muscle problems.

[SkiJay]

Another Coffee Note: Caffine, in moderation, has been proven to be a performance enhancing drug.

[Bakinblak]

Yea. I know. It gives me a juice. Its Anaerobic. I think thats the right term. It helps you in bursts, but I find it increases lactaid acid production as well as slows its removal. Further I find it messing with my balance. I cant stand on one foot nearly as well in Yoga class if I had a cup of coffee earlier in the day. Strange I know, Im about 70% sure of the balance thing. 100% sure on the others.