Command C
By Brad Yates

The competitive season is here and the time is now. If you want to move up in the ratings, win big or simply dominate your division Hit-command C. Command C stands for COMPETE.

Imagine that you are paddling out for your heat and you are stoked! The heat begins and you are surfing at your very best, surfing with intensity, surfing with energy that stands out… you are surfing with fire. You win your heat. You paddle in to rest and refuel. The next heat starts and the results are the same. For each heat and for each contest you are surfing with fire.

The reality To surf with fire, to be competitive you must work hard and train smart and work hard some more. To train smart you need to create the energy you need to fuel your fire. The universal formula that determines the amount of energy you can produce and for how long is your diet + oxygen (aerobic conditioning) + strength = energy. To establish and maintain this formula is one of the major keys to your success in competition.

The good news is that fitness is huge business and this translates to money for research. The latest research is available to you in the form of good books and articles on how to create the energy you need.

The reality is that you are in charge of creating the energy you need by finding the right diet, the right amount of aerobic conditioning and the right balance of strength work. Diet Sorry, I thought I knew… Apologies to all of you I offended. Especially, Clark and Brock Little, our neighbors in Pupukea on the North Shore of Oahu in the 70's.

At the time my son was around 6 or 7 years old. I was paranoid that he would grow up eating the American diet and suffer a series of diet-related maladies. This was the period in my diet search when I " knew" what you were supposed to eat. I guess it would be safe to say I was righteous.

Even the language that goes with this level of knowing is righteous. "You shouldn't eat that!" "No thank you, I don't eat that!" And the worst…the sarcastic question, "you're going to eat that?" Clark and Brock were a few years older than my son and loving the American diet. Breakfast was the source of my main conflict with them and their diet. "Chocolate covered fruit loops," was my way of describing their choice for breakfast food. I consider food in this category to be worthless, high in calories, and low in nutrition.

Anyway, in retrospect, I was wrong and "Clark and Brock, I'm sorry I gave you attitude about your favorite meals." The same goes to my former students and the parents of these students, "please forgive me, I thought I knew."

In terms of diet, what I now know is that there is no one way. As Clark and Brock proved, and probably continue to prove, it is possible to eat the American diet and have an abundance of energy and be healthy. The big picture regarding the subject of diet is that there are options, lots of different ways to choose the right diet.

The right diet is the one that will provide you with the energy you need, the long-term effects you want, and the enjoyment you want from your meals. The following information is presented to give you a frame of reference. Consider eating 4 or 5 small meals each day rich in lean protein, combined with green vegetables, local fruits (papaya is a must) and drinking plenty of water.

Here is a sample day that works for me.
6:00AM Breakfast smoothie made with fresh fruit and protein powder. 9:00AM Oatmeal (real oats cooked in a rice cooker with raisins) plus skim milk or lowfat yogurt for protein. Some days I substitute an egg-white omelet.
12:00 AM One can of tuna fish packed in water, combined with sprouts, lowfat cottage cheese, avocado and sunflower seeds. Sometimes I substitute chicken or lean meat for the tuna fish.
3:00 PM A protein smoothie made with skim milk, banana, peanut butter and protein powder or a Balance Bar or both.
6:00 PM Diner, Family Style. A large salad, a green vegatable and a source of lean protein. For desert I eat fruit.
Cardinal Rule: If you live at home your mom is always right. Ask for her support and eat what she prepares. What you can always do, at home or on the road, is focus on the portions of what you eat.
Fluids With all of your meals and throughout the day, drink large amounts of water. I prefer lemon water, cold water with a slice of lemon.
Before, during and after workouts experiment with drinking a rehydrate.
In the near future, I will devote a column to the importance of fluids.
Coaching Point: The answer of what and how much to eat is best answered by you, based on your metabolism and how you want to feel.
Remember there is no one way to eat, only the way that works for you.

Oxygen (aerobic conditioning) Think in terms of 2 or 3 sessions per week of non-stop (30 minutes or more aerobic exercise). Swimming and mountain biking seem to translate best for surfing. Swimming increases your pull muscles similar to the action of paddling. You might want to experiment with hand paddles for an increased workout. Mountain biking offers two advantages, the final portion of the push works the explosive power of the quads and the "technical" downhill portion increase the ability to focus, while improving balance, coordination and over-all body awareness.

Strength Think in terms of 2 sessions per week of high reps for building strength and endurance. Free exercises like push-ups, dips, chin-ups and lunges and free weights offer the best solution for building the strength and endurance that you will need. Experiment with doing your strength work immediately after you surf. Combine the exercises you choose with plenty of stretching to maintain flexibility and full range of motion. Judge how much you do and when by the effect that it has on your surfing.

Summary To become the best you can be work hard, train smart and have fun. Learn to create the energy you need by eating right and building and maintaining your aerobic conditioning, strength and endurance. The end result of your efforts will be the energy you need to express your fire in competition and a new sense of PRIDE in your ability to take care of yourself. What could be better and what could be more fun? .