Balancing SUP boards

With a name like Spring and naming my daughter Lucille Rain you are probably thinking, "Oh, great! Another granola cruncher. I sure hope she can teach me some new yoga moves and secrets for cooking vegan so it tastes like real food." WRONG! I am no hippie, yuppy, tree hugging, pilates crane. To me, organic means oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen. If it is found on this planet it contains one or more of these elements, so that means you have the same chemical make-up as petroleum and Round-up. I like to grow and make most of my food, but cost is always more practical than purchasing "GMO-free" because it is a relative term and PR is always looking to sell. If I were not married I would probably survive off edamame, humus, cottage cheese, and blueberries, but I can always enjoy a good steak. I do not use weird substitutes like black beans, maple syrup, molecule altered sugar, or apple cider vinegar. Baking has calories no matter what the ingredients are so might as well indulge. I love having fresh farm eggs each morning for breakfast, but brown shell eggs does not mean organic. I have one chicken who stays in the barn all day eating feed laying a pale yoke like a store bought egg, where as the other chickens who actually scratch and graze have the deeper high-protein yoke.

All that to say, I am now going to enter into a stereotype. I enjoy whitewater paddling but since getting married and having a kid my paddling days have taken a sharp decline. Until my daughter is a little older I have been struggling to have activities that can involve her. I am able to trail run with the jogging stroller and hiking is endless. However, I grew up as a fish spending my summers at my grandfather's pool and I love the water. My daughter loves the water too, but at eight inches deep.

It has been recommended to try the new trend Stand-Up Paddle boards, SUP if you are knowledgeable of the sport, and it is catching like wildfire. Every major city has SUP rental at the nearest lake or river. Even when my family visited Alaska at the Turnagain Arm of the Kenai Peninsula SUP boarders could be seen all across the waters. So it should not be a surprise that the Cincinnati City Parks offer SUP board rental. This is where I took the opportunity to introduce myself to the sport while visiting my husband's family.

In case you are wondering, yes, I do yoga, stretches to counteract the pain in my hip/lower back, most likely due to toting a toddler. I have my own routine focusing on core strength and knees (an inherited genetic weakness). I do not know the official names of the poses. I aim at staying aligned and breathing. There are the warrior's and tree poses that help greatly with the my knees. The Triangle, Supported Bridge, and Pyramid poses help with my hip pain. While my husband and daughter are with his family at the park playground I have the opportunity to rent a board and have a full hour to myself paddling, stretching, and resting.

It is glorious. The water is completely flat without current. There are other people in canoes and pontoon boats, but I am the only one on a SUP. I use my paddling skills from rafting and kayaking and it feels effortless. I go in search of a remote area to practice my yoga balance. I am fairly successful though I did not want to rock the boat because I forgot to leave my glasses with my husband and I am not willing to risk flipping only to loose the set. A girl has got to see. I pass a father and daughter fishing and the daughter remarks how I look like a flamingo. I am flattered but find myself judging her exposure to flamingos. It is nice to feel every body part working as I plant my paddle into the water, turn the blade to a "J" and stroke again. In spite of the exercise I enjoy my favorite part is laying completely horizontal looking up at the sky feeling the breeze brush across my waist. My mind goes blank and I am weightless. I do not worry about what to cook for dinner or my barking dog or laundry. I am there and it is good.

Later when I return to the family feeling renewed I tell my husband having a SUP board would be a great asset to our pond. I hope I am convincing.

Most recently for the holiday weekend the family three went to the state's favorite lake for camping. On our way home an adjoining lake had SUP rental and my husband willingly agreed to spend more time on the lake, even if it was not jet skis. This time our daughter got to join the adventure. I am sure I will be perceived as wildly irresponsible taking a 17 month on a open lake surrounded by high speed boats and jet skis, but sometimes its worth the risk. The hull on these SUPs rocked more for easier turning, but far less stable which meant stand up paddling became sit down paddling to enclose my daughter with my legs. Once we started moving and I got the hang of paddling without hitting her on the head my daughter would hold out her hand into the water as waves washed over her legs. The one time I attempted to stand up she cried in panic so sit down boarding may be a new thing for us or reconsider a canoe. My husband did allow for a trade off of our daughter while I tested my skills standing up. Standing on one leg was less likely on a busy rocking lake, but it was fun to roll on waves and study how tipsy my knees would allow for me to be. Better yet, if we can find an activity for the whole family to enjoy I would be completely elated.

I highly recommend this sport and I hope to have more updates on my progress, even though I am not a granola mom. I am me.