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Waves are a force of nature like no other. Susan does a superb job to illustrate this and more. A great read!
My Cause: Mental Illness Awareness
SUP With Me and Experience Lumeria Maui
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Check out the latest in April 2013 ThePaddler Ezine Magazine – This issue Suzie Cooney is featured to inspire you and encourage those new to the sport of stand up paddling, to hop aboard and get started now.
Enjoy the feature and other amazing photography and articles here: http://issuu.com/thepaddler/docs/thepaddler_7_med-res
Suzie Trains Maui Team Correspondent
Music makes the world go round and it makes me paddle faster! Let’s face it, training at high speed anything takes a little motivating and maybe some groovy tunes will help you paddle faster too and keep your stand up paddle training sessions more focused and gratifying. Gear review below.
photo credit Darrell Wong All Rights Reserved
Whether you’re training for long distance courses, or adding time or additional miles to your current training regime and you’re a recreational paddler, those long hard miles with some tunes to make you smile through the pain and increase your pace could be just the trick for you. I want to share with you here how to enhance your SUP training so it’s more structured and enjoyable with music.
Like any kind of training I do, I treat my stand up paddle training sessions like a session in my studio or on the beach. I have a plan usually with a goal in mind; I’m well hydrated and fueled ( solid breakfast ) and have my rock’n play list that puts a smile on my face. I have a variety of artists that I’ve selected that actually help me control my interval spreads.
Tip: Don’t play the music too loud for you’ll want to make sure barges or cruise ships or other paddlers have you in sight and you know they are there.
For example, plan: 5 miles flat water intervals Kahului Harbor. There may be side chop or head winds. First, I warm up to (2) two mellow grooves, then I know after my 6-7 minute paddle which is about how long these two songs will be in total; the next song is going to have a faster tempo so I’ll increase my paddling tempo a one notch up.
In this warm up mode to medium tempo paddling speed, my stroke distance is of average length with a decent reach and my breath is steady as I begin to prepare my mental state for the next song.
Then full on heavy guitar, full throttle song like Renegades of Funk by Rage Against the Machine, reaching and digging with everything I’ve got! Yeah! Now here my stroke distance changes, my brain state shifts and I’m finding my deepest power in my obliques to share the load and power.
I’ll break it down. So that full throttle song is 4:34 minutes, too long to maintain a true state of and normal anaerobic threshold, so I give it 1 minute, then don’t cool down fully but bring down my pace, lengthen my stroke for the rest of the song. I’m still focused, head down and keeping my form in hopefully consistent from left and right side of board. I know this is temporary. I drink a sip of water from my hydration pack and get ready.
Continue reading Stand Up Paddle Interval Training to the Beat
These exercises will help you increase your overall SUP performance. They are presented with a clear progression from easier to advanced. All levels of paddlers can take away a few new training tips and techniques here.
As a trainer and paddler, I want to introduce a new concept that will help keep your brain and stand up paddling skills extra sharp in all dimensions.
What I mean by this is that we live and paddle in one dimension. We walk forward, we swim forward, we surf forward and we all can say we paddle forward. Sure we turn, we cut back and I have seen some paddle backwards to goof off, but we usually train and paddle in one dimension.
Now I have experienced, not on purpose; the act of sliding sideways on a big downwind glide. It’s almost like drifting in a racecar or doing what we call in the rally world, a 4-point drift! (Best freak’n, exciting rush ever!) Have you ever felt your board skid sideways? What did you? How did you react? Did you fight it or did you think it was way cool and go with it?
Have you practiced time and time again to step up; hop up over that small or medium sized wave or beach break attempting to get out, only to find yourself quickly stepping off the nose or back of board? These exercises will help you get up and over that small or medium side chop or wave.
Do you know how to brace yourself with your paddle before you fall? Can you instinctively plant your paddle without looking and confidently know it will be exactly where you need it, without falling off your board? Are you having trouble with quick turns into a wave or around a buoy? If so, these exercises will help you improve those skills too.
I want to tune you in to something that I do here in the studio or at the beach with some of my SUP folks and they don’t even know it. I’m training their brain to paddle and be in all dimensions at every moment. It’s not voodoo or island magic, it’s called training in different “dimensions or planes” of motion. I do this with force, no force, with weights or without weights.
For example we paddle forward on the right or left side of board in the sagittal plane, then we look and twist with our lower body to catch a wave or turn around a buoy in the transverse plane or lower superior of body. Sometimes when you’re doing a cut back, you’re paddling in all planes at once. As your board is sliding or floating across the lip of the wave you are now in the coronal or frontal plane.
This is trainer speak for and illustrated like this:
![STMplanesofmotion_final[1]](http://www.standuppaddlingfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/STMplanesofmotion_final1.jpg)
3 primary planes – transverse plane, frontal plane, and the sagittal plane.
Sagittal plane: divides body into right and left sides – We paddle left or right of board. Bracing with paddle lands us here.
Frontal plane: divides body into front/back – We respond, react and shift our weight as needed to recover, catch a bump or catch a wave here.
Continue reading SUP Training Video Adding New Dimensions to Your Stand Up Paddle Performance
Aloha friends who love all there is to love about stand up paddling on Maui, here’s a short little video for you.
This time of year not only is it peak whale watching season but once in awhile a few special friends join us as we paddle. I’m talking about playful spinner dolphins. While I was out for a long distance training session with my good friend Barb Utech, we were approaching mile 11 in the calm waters near Makena Landing, just south of the Four Seasons Maui Resort.
Another fellow paddler was heading towards us and to our delight, we saw a flurry of activity around him and then fins. We knew they were the friendly ones so we slowed our pace to take advantage of their presence. Barb was overwhelmed as we were so focused on our training it was a more than welcome rest!
Enjoy!
Suzie Cooney
Suzie Trains Maui, LLC
I feel so lucky to be a part of the Naish Team and get the opportunity to explore and ride such a huge selection of top quality boards. People often ask, “Suzie what size board do you ride most?” I’m always stumped because living on Maui one needs at least 4 different sizes and types for all the amazing conditions we have.
I know you’re thinking, brag brag brag. Well yes, I will because I have made my passion my career! And if you haven’t had the chance to hop on any of the Naish boards, like there are almost 39 different styles, then you haven’t lived.
The board I’m featuring here is one of the funnest wave boards I’ve ridden in a while. I also ride the Naish Hokua 9’0 but this Naish Mana 8’10″ GT is a whole other feel. I was very stoked to paddle out to one of Naish’s favorite spots on the N shore and step into that wall of liquid and have the board do what it’s supposed to do…Deliver!
Not only was it stable and able to handle steep, quick take offs but with the rail design as smooth and well proportioned as all the boards are, I was able to maintain my speed and maneuverability.
I’ve got a video coming out soon with this baby, so stay tuned but I felt compelled to share with you now!
I also have in my personal Naish quiver:
9’0″ Houka
14″ Carbon Glide
10/6 Mana Nalu Wood
11/4 Mana Nalu Wood
10/10 Alana Touring
9/5 Alana Wood
Check out http://www.naishsurfing.com/boards/
Share and care out there, and the one with the biggest smile always wins!
Aloha,
Suzie Cooney, Team Naish Rider
Owner of Suzie Trains Maui, LLC
Learn Advanced First Aid for SUP Surfing – Prepare Yourself For Open Ocean Endurance / Safety – Learn Wave Etiquette & Board Handling – Gear Review -Downwind Paddling Tips – SUP Fitness Training Tips
Watch on all mobile devices: iPad, Smart Phones, LapTops Desk Tops
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Maui, HI
November 27, 2012
Stand up paddlers of all skill levels gathered on the serene grounds of Lumeria Maui on November 3rd for the SUP Pro Talk Workshop with Suzie Cooney. The educational (and fun!) land-based event touched on many important topics for paddlers, including the health benefits of SUP, water safety and ocean preparedness, SUP fitness techniques and training demos, and equipment reviews.
Clay Everline, M.D., co-author of the Surf Survival Health Hand Book, was on hand with a valuable lecture on First Aid, and pro paddler, Jeremy Riggs, heated the afternoon up with his tips on downwind paddling. Suzie Cooney, as charming as ever, kept the crowd entertained and engaged with her informative and “hands on” teaching style.
The big winner of the day was the organization Bring Change 2 Mind, as 90% of the event’s proceeds went to supporting the group’s fight to erase the stigma and discrimination of mental illness. The organization, founded by actress Glenn Close, provides educational material and a meeting place for a broad coalition of organizations that provide service, screening, information, support and treatment of mental illness.
Suzie shares:
“We were thrilled to sell out three months in advance. That really confirmed to me that people are eager to learn and support the sport. I’m a big advocate of those dealing with mental illness, so I wanted to spread the word about the organization I support, Bring Change 2 Mind.org.
Clay Everline, M.D. was very informative and entertaining, as was Jeremy Riggs, our local downwind pro who shared some of his helpful tips. The participants had great questions, which was helpful for the entire audience!
The event supporters and sponsors including, Naish, Kaenon Polarized Eyewear, Indo Board Balance Trainer, Pocket Fuel Naturals, Scosche Health & Fitness and CamelBak Hydration Packs, were all very generous in providing some great raffle prizes. People were stoked to win products that compliment their SUP lifestyle.” -Suzie Cooney, CPT, owner of Suzie Trains Maui, LLC
 For more information about Bring Change 2 Mind, visit: bringchange2mind.org
For more Stand Up Paddling Fitness Techniques, Success Stories, Workouts and Upcoming Events, visit: standuppaddlingfitness.com
Stay tuned for the soon to be released educational video of this SUP Pro Talk Workshop. This will be available to download on all platforms in December 2012.
Aloha everyone! This is a special introduction post and one that I hope you’ll follow, comment on and support. I’d like you to welcome Brian Coppedge of Haiku, Maui to the wonderful stand up paddle community and encourage him to follow his adventure and goal into the year of 2013 and beyond. I hope that from this entry forward you will be inspired and help him realize his life and fitness goals. I thank you all in advance, Suzie Cooney
Welcome Brian Coppedge
Brian’s first day and already flexing the heck out of that paddle! Look out!
The concept seems simple enough – move to an Island you’ve got to get yourself a water sport. After a bit of research and tons of conversation, or should I say “talking story,” I decided that I wanted to take up Stand Up Paddle boarding. I of course have never been on any type of a board, not a skate board, not a surf board, not a paddle board, and I was assured serving on the “board” of a non-profit organizations would not translate to the water.
It was this point that a bit of serendipity entered my life, and I was introduced to Suzie Cooney. Suzie is always upbeat and optimistic, so when I approached her about training to do a downwind paddleboard event she was onboard. When I told her I wanted to do the Olukai’s Ho’olaule’a Maliko down wind event – she wisely suggested, “ why don’t you start with the 3 mile fun paddle”. Cooler heads prevailed, leaving me to wait until our first training session to tell her, “no way I want to do the full 8 mile race”. Without missing a beat she backed my decision and started putting together a training plan, both on land and in the water that would set me on my way to meet my goal.
If you will let me I would love to bring you all along with me on my journey of getting in shape, and learning the necessary board skills to pull off my goal of completing in the Maliko down winder in early May. My idea would be to post training updates at least twice a month, here on Suzie’s site, to be brutally honest about the process and hopefully have lots of new friends to share the in process with me online and in person.
I promise pictures, maybe even some videos and my best running commentary through the whole build up to the event. Now in the spirit of transparency, I must confess that only recently have I been able to get serious about the training component and I have only been in the water on a SUP twice- much more time was spent in the water than on the board!
 Here are some basic stats so we can all judge my progress over the next several months. I am 49 years old, 5 foot 10 inches tall and current weight about 210 pounds. My goal is to get that down to around 180 by the time of the race. I am currently working out with Suzie on land once a week and then on my own for the rest of the week. I have been out on the board for some great basic SUP tips with Suzie once and out on my own only one more time. This week will be the first week that I start to record how much time I am on the water, and I promise to share all that data with you as I go forward.
Thanks for reading and I hope you will all check back in and follow me as I blog my experience under the careful tutelage of the wonderful Suzie Cooney.
Brian is an inspiration to me and to others. Brian is one of those guys where I need to look him in the eye and monitor the real athlete in there, because there is no off switch! His workout will consist of timed interval paddling sprints, loaded balance training, upper body endurance strength training, serious core work, and self myofascial rolling. Nutrition will be key as will rest and recovery.
So now he’s shared here with you and the world so drop a line, give him a cyber high five and be sure you’re looking over your shoulder at the next downwind race here on Maui. He’s going to do great and I can’t wait!
Mahalo, Suzie Cooney.
November 20, 2012
Maui, HI.
Stand up paddling is sure way to fire up the metabolism and shed some holiday poundage and still enjoy a fabulous meal. You can “shred to shed”. Get your core and body revving high to stoke the fire on the inside before your big meal. Do some interval sprints, go for distance or just get out there. You’ll be glad you did.
Also in this post, you can listen to my radio show ( below ) to help you keep your SUP waistline svelte so you can paddle this holiday and fit into your bikini, board shorts or wetsuit, depending on where you live. My tips will also help you steer clear of the usual weight gain that could slow you down on your next downwinder.
Suzie is riding the Naish 14′ Glide Carbon Board
This year I’m adding the Scosche Rhythm Monitor to my SUP interval training and distance training. I can listen to my music list while I track my progress. It’s so cool. This Thursday you can be sure I”ll be either going down Maliko for a downwinder or be out in the surf.
We’re expecting a decent swell here on Maui this Thanksgiving so as tradition, I’ll be getting out there so I can charge my calorie burning engine. Just approaching a big set, the adrenaline and fear along must burn at least a few hundred calories! I’ll be catching a few on my Naish Hokua or the new 8’10″ Mana.
These are my quick tips I’ve shared today on my weekly health and fitness and all about SUP radio show, on how to enjoy this holiday’s feast and not have a guilty conscious. I was thinking of something different to offer the public, and maybe create a pre-Thanksgiving help line, but not for how to cook a turkey but to help counsel those who are already stressing about gaining weight. I think I could be on to something!
According to online surveys the average person will eat over 4,000 and 229 grams of fat, the Thanksgiving Day Holiday. Yikes. Not to mention the additional increase in sodium intake that may leave you feeling bloated and miserable. Do you know how hard you’ll have to work to burn that off? Very.
So instead maybe this segment will see you through. I know many of you who I counsel and train are getting a bit worried about how many calories they will be consuming. I try and give them all the knowledge and power so they don’t come back to me the Monday after with their tail between their legs, and crumbs on their face from pumpkin pie crust.
For example if you eat 6 ounces of white turkey at about 180 calories, it will take you approximately 30 minutes to run that off.
Click Here to Hear Suzie Live
Listen here now to my snippet from the Maui Breakfast Club, relax and please whatever you do, leave the elastic pants or skirt in the drawer at home. ( Air date November 19, 2012 )
Go for run on the beach and charge your pre meal metabolic booster!
Tip One: Slow Down – Eat more slowly and taste each bite. Sip water before and after and each bite. PORTION control matters as well. Smaller portions, no seconds.
Tip Two: Sit down while you eat, no mindless grazing. Standing may cause you to eat more.
Tip Three: Go easy on the booze. These are sneaky calories! Fill a wine glass with sparkling water. Avoid alcohol as it slows down your metabolism.
Tip Four: Shift mind set to losing weight, and focus on maintenance. Don’t lose weight to eat more.
Tip Five: Don’t worry about insulting friends and family who push food on you. Politely say, “thank you but I’m so full, or I”ll have some later.”
Tip Six: Celebrate yourself, your friends and family. Hugs are free, they make us feel good and they don’t have any calories!
Tip Seven: Get outside and surf, SUP, windsurf, kite or walk or run on the beach. This is my tradition. Depending on conditions which are usually amazing in November; I’ll grab a board and hit the water for an hour or two.
Tip Eight: Don’t skip meals so you can indulge and binge. You’ll regret it.
Tip Nine: Eat fiber and whole grain breakfast. Fiber is filling.
Last Tip: Don’t stress, there are plenty of personal trainers that can help you get back on track. The trick is, not to go off track in first place.
Holidays are for enjoying yourself, the ocean and being thankful, but also for giving something such as a service or gift of your talent or time. I”m thankful for so much, but most of all thankful for my health, family and friends and you. So grab your paddle and some friends and catch some glides and waves. Then listen to my radio show to make sure you keep that body lean and strong.
Thanks for tuning in and check back here for more holiday tips to help you hold your course and not order that second one.
Mahalo and Happy Thanksgiving!
Aloha & Happy Thanksgiving
Suzie Cooney, CPT owner of Suzie Trains Maui, LLC
Tune in every Monday @ 7:20 AM to the Maui Breakfast Club 900 AM KNUI Listen live also at KNUI.com
Suzie rides the Naish Hokua 9’0″, Mana 8’10″ 14ft Glide, 9’5″ Alana, 11’4″ Nalu and the 10’6″Nalu and many more.
 Go to http://www.naishsurfing.com
Please share with your friends and family.
Maui, Hawaii: Suzie Trains Maui Studio
November 8, 2012 ( photos below of Kody & Casper training )
Kody Kerbox
You think you can keep up with these two on and off the water?! Good luck! Kody is wearing out the podium and Casper too. From big wave charging to long distance to sprint racing, the training today was TABATA! I chose these exercises to help express big, explosive power at the start, core and legs for waves and high speed upper body stuff. We had two Go Pros going!
I get totally fired up training my two Naish SUP team mates , Kody Kerbox and Casper Steinfath. After seeing them both perform at this year’s Battle of the Paddle with my own eyes and following their impressive stats, as a trainer and SUP paddler myself, I’m more impressed. Get used to seeing their names worldwide.
I had a couple of days on a photo shoot this past weekend with them as we chased a winter swell here on Maui and besides putting up with their usual ( Kody mostly ), comedic antics and talk of zombies and eating chili and rice at the Hana Store, I’m stoked to have had the chance to test them side by side and see what they had off the water with me! I’ve been training Kody a bit and we’ve had some other big wave guests, but I knew this would be extra fun.
I’ve seen Kody over the years develop and push himself and he’s got the Kerbox gene for sure, but observing Casper’s quick and sharp eye and
Casper Steinfath Photo Ian Borland
movements on the water are calculated and quite intense. They are both a perfect, competitive match.
My plan was to structure a workout they’d like as competitors, friends and teammates. Pairing them up for the next hour of intensity and keeping their stats side by side was interesting. TABATA training was my choice in the studio for I had a controlled environment and they were all mine! The exercise selection was purposeful and designed with stand up paddling’s demands in mind. They had never heard of it nor tried and they were game.
After a brief core warmup, my computer was ready feeding the program through the sound system, clipboard, circuit set up and the best part, two Go Pro Cameras mounted and ready. Kody and Casper are for sure competitive.
Tabata training; see my article on shocking your body with interval training here is an extreme challenge of high endurance, high heart rate circuit style training completed in a very short time with long lasting lingering effects. Kody and Casper’s sprint racing, big wave charging and long distance races can benefit from this type of training.
Always starting with an active warm up, advanced core training, balance training on dual IndoBoards on top of the Gigante Flo Cushion coupled with reaction force training and then on to the two Tabata circuit sessions. I kept their score and they were neck and neck in each circuit. Wow. Here are the results if you can read notes.
Stay tuned for the video follow up, but for now enjoy these photos. You can see that when I was busy taking notes, Kody is busy taking jabs at Casper! And Casper had a few moments of comedic performances “ON” camera, thanks to two mounted GoPro cameras here in the studio. Got ya!
Casper
Kody Kerbox
Give a shout out to Kody and Casper next time you see them at an event or race or even here. Please leave a comment and wish them well. You can be sure you’ll be seeing them often, everywhere!
Check out the Naish Gear at http://www.naishsurfing.com. The selection is endless and will suit all levels of paddlers!
Also if you want to train like a SUP star, you can order your IndoBoard Balance Gear through my websites, or click here. My favorites are the IndoBoard Gigante Flo Cushion, used for SUP training in combination with the Kicktail Board or Rocker Board. Keep in mind, if you take out your fins on your board, you can put your SUP board directly on top of Gigante Cushion.
I hope this inspired you to get out there and shred. You too can be paddlers like Casper and Kody if you plan your training and that includes rest and recovery. Don’t forget to add balance and reaction force training; one component that is an absolute must if you’re going to stick big waves or go for distance.
Thanks guys! See you back in the studio soon and on the next swell.
Aloha, Suzie Cooney, CPT Owner of Suzie Trains Maui, LLC and Naish SUP Team Rider Share and care out there!
Casper his beach back home!
Kody Kerbox
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