Naish 2012 Alana 9.5 and matching carbon paddle

I have the pleasure to add to my quiver of Naish boards the two new 2012, gorgeous,  high performance boards designed to grab the attention of those who appreciate fine quality, great lines and wow, shaka throwing graphics. This one featured here (left) is called the Alana. It’s designed for women as it’s easy to carry too. Dimensions: 9’5″ x 31″ x 4″ 3/4   The construction is a sandwich wood composite.

This three fin or tri fin board compliments the already extensive line of 36 boards manufactured by Naish International, based here on Maui. If you want stability, effortless wave riding this board rocks it.  The pad is very comfortable and the kick-tail pad is handy when you’re carving deep on larger waves.

Second in the line up of the Alana series is the way cool, single fin, 10’10″ by 32″ wide super stable great all around board for strapping on snorkel gear, dry bag and can also impressively handle the waves. I couldn’t believe how well this board tracked and allowed me to paddle 13 times or more on each side. This board is perfect for first timers, those seeking a smooth elegant ride. Check out Robby Naish in the video below as he explains all the features!

I think Naish has done a fine job bringing these boards to the forefront of the stand up paddling world that gives women what they want. Ease of use, fun wave riding or cruising and exploring with friends and family. The Alana Series is beauty and versatility.

If visiting Maui, you can rent these and try them out from the Naish Maui Pro Center located in central Maui on Hana Highway. Call them at 808-871-1500. Or go to their website here:

 Thanks for stopping by and if you’d like to post your comments, questions, please feel free! We’d love to hear from you.

Suzie Cooney, CPT owner of Suzie Trains Maui
Naish Team SUP Rider  I also ride the 14′ Glide, 9’0 Hokua & 9’0 Mana.

Also, check out my SUP Fitness Articles written for Naish. Keep in tip top SUP paddling shape: http://www.naishsurfing.com/2012/lifestyle/sup-fitness.html

Follow @SuzieTrainsMaui     For more info on SUP training, events, clinics, people, friends and of course more Naish stuff, go to my other website:

Stand Up Paddling Fitness

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As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the Naish/Cooney crew already in full swing setting up tents and flags, marking off big areas of Mai Poina Ole

La’u Beach with pylons for fitness stations labelled mysteriously “Zig Zag” and “Taco Roll” (huh?). At 7:00am, the paddlers began to roll in. Men and women of all ages and fitness levels showed up to participate. The Naish Maui Pro Center was on hand to demonstrate the latest SUP boards and paddles, and TRX and INDO Board had their own stations to showcase some SUP-related cross-training equipment.

After an intro speech from the ever-enthusiastic Suzie Cooney and a special guest appearance by 2x SUP Surf World Champion, Kai Lenny, we were off to the starting area. The airhorn sounded and 55 paddlers charged into the water with boards and paddles in hand. Although it was a non-competitive event, that didn’t stop everyone from trying their best and pushing themselves through the course. Around three buoys, back up to the beach, on your knees through the “Crawl” station (butt down!), up again, run side-to-side in the “Zig-Zag” station, down again, on your bellies for 10 “Pushups” (real ones!), up again, flop down to the “Taco Roll” station for a horizontal roll down a 10m stretch of flat beach (nope, it wasn’t a sushi-eating station, sigh) and then back up again to do the whole thing…all over again.

Suzie grins when she remembers the day: “I’ve never seen such a sight in my life. People covered in sand, almost puking and still smiling!”.

It was fantastic. Everyone had a blast of a time, made even more special by a raffle draw of some amazing prizes. This was my first “Beach Fitness and Paddle Challenge” and, I have to admit, I’m hooked. Can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you Suzie Cooney and Nitsan Solomonov & Dave Wissink from Naish for putting the day together. Thank you to all who participated, both paddlers and volunteers. You guys made it such a special event. Aloha!

- Christy Stesky, Naish International   See article on Naish here.

Check out more of Suzie’s SUP Fitness for Naish here: http://www.naishsurfing.com/2012/lifestyle/sup-fitness.html

See lots of photos and other write up: Naish & Suzie Trains Maui Delivers FREE Unique Stand Up Paddle Fitness Challenge as One to Remember.

Follow @SuzieTrainsMaui

Direct link to SUP Magazine

One of the beautiful aspects of standup is it’s appeal to women. In this fine game we “play,” ladies play a key role in the sport’s development. Now and into the future. This fall and winter, SUP magazine is catching up with the female faces of SUP to find out what they’ve been up to, and what’s in store for 2012.

As an avid waterwoman, fitness expert and sports model, Suzie Cooney of Suzie Trains Maui has helped hundreds of people get in shape, conquer their fears of the ocean and experience standup paddling. Featured in SUP mag’s 2011 Summer Fitness issue, here’s what’s on tap in the wonderful world of Cooney. –-Shari Coble

How did you get into SUP?

I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors and have worked in sports orthopedics and the physical therapy field. I moved to Maui, chasing the wind for windsurfing and in April 2009 I broke both my legs. I had tried SUP just prior to my injury and thought it was a great platform for reconditioning and rehabilitating. Now as an athlete for Naish, I have developed a niche for functional training for SUP and held one of the the largest free SUP clinics with about 430 participants.

Tell us about your 2011.

2011 has been really great. I only competed in a few downwind races, including the Naish race and OluKai’s Ho’olaule’a, where I won my age group. I went to Costa Rica on a media tour and have held 10 free SUP clinics for women as well as 4 full moon paddles, which have all been a lot of fun. I’ve also written a lot of SUP fitness articles for Naish, but my biggest accomplishment of 2011 would have to be winning my age group at Ho’olaule’a. That was really big for me because it was an important goal.

What’s your favorite experience been with SUP?
A major personal breakthrough for me is helping people conquer their fear of the waves for the first time. I ease them in – practically strapping them to me – and it changes their life…it’s pretty neat. My focus isn’t racing or personal, it’s being able to just help people get out on the water standup paddling. It’s important to me to help others aspire to set goals and fine-tune land-body skills that translate to the water.

What do you have planned for 2012?
I’ll do a couple downwind races next year and am very excited to be hosting Ho’olaule’a. There will be a few free SUP clinics and I’ll be writing a lot for Naish, but before the New Year starts, I will be helping Naish hold the free and non-competitive SUP Fun Beach Fitness and Paddle Challenge.

Suzie Cooney, of Suzie Trains Maui, in action on a Naish SUP from Naish International on Vimeo.

Suzie Cooney, of Suzie Trains Maui, in action on a Naish SUP from Naish International on Vimeo.

Top photo by Darrell Wong

( Article written by Suzie Cooney, CPT for Naish International ) Direct link, click here.

Stand up paddling is no doubt taking the world by storm, and while you don’t need to be in the greatest shape to paddle, you’ll soon discover the benefits. As you begin to improve your technique, experiment with new gear and maybe decide to enter a race or wave competition, it’s a good idea to learn how to train in a balanced way to prevent injury so that you can enjoy paddling even more and stay on the water.

As the sport continues to evolve, and as a trainer who specializes in educating people how to paddle stronger and better improve their performance, I’d like to share with you first an overview of some of the known complaints and injuries that I’m seeing and helping people manage. I’ll also share with you many training strategies designed to help you better approach your SUP training in a balanced manor as a way to avoid injuries.

This article is part one of a two-part series that will illustrate a more in-depth review of the anatomy and how your muscles function while you paddle and how injuries might occur. Part two will be the actual exercises and training approach I recommend to help recover from some of these injuries and/or avoid them.

I’ve also gathered some helpful insight from one of our Naish Team Riders, Karen Wrenn, on how she trains to help her better perform. In addition, I’ll be highlighting another paddler, Kevin Vangritis from North Carolina and new racing competitor and long distance paddler, with his personal story and struggle with a unique injury and how he’s managed to come back on the water.

Common SUP Injuries

Overuse injuries and strains from SUP are common and include mostly the muscles of the shoulder and/or rotator cuff muscles, the knee joint, foot and ankle and low back. It’s good to have a knowledge base of the anatomy and function of each group so you can better adapt your SUP training to avoid these injuries. There may be more to mention, but in my practice and I too have experienced things such as a nagging bicep tendonitis issue in my right arm and on occasion after long distances over 20 miles, my traps (trapezius) have cramped a bit and my feet have fallen asleep.

photos by Simone Reddingius

Injuries that are more common where there are waves are fin lacerations to the extremities and face, paddle handles giving bloody noses (mine), and leash wrap-arounds I call them, that can cause sprains to fingers and other body parts from wrapping around you after a heavy wave wipe out. Also, as these boards are much heavier than surfboards for example, if you get hit in the head you could suffer a good blow or even a concussion. In addition, some super heavy hold downs at some of the bigger breaks can wreck havoc on your back and lower extremities.

Shoulder and Rotator Cuff Injuries:

Stand up paddling works a lot of muscles and is well known for being a great core workout. It also requires a lot of work from the stabilizers of the shoulder girdle. The paddle stroke is a combination of medial rotation and abduction (of the top hand). The deeper rotator cuff muscles included are the supraspinatus, subscapularis, infraspinatus and the teres minor. This requires the work of the subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, pec. minor, pec. major, and teres major along with deltoid and supraspinatus to lift the arm up. The bottom hand is mostly stabilizing to transfer the rotation of the trunk to the paddle the muscles used to stabilize are mainly latissimus dorsi rhomboids, triceps, and middle fibers of the traps.

One client complaint was that of a burning sensation radiating from his elbow up to his shoulder and down to his hand, and another, with numbness radiating down from his shoulder through his pinky finger.  These can be common nerve entrapment injuries with chronic tension and overuse of certain muscle groups.

Rhomboid & Trapeziums Strains:

The rhomboid muscles interact with and help support the shoulder blade. Your trapezius (also referred to as your “traps”) are the connective muscles from the neck to the head of the humerus or top of the shoulder, and are responsible for stabilizing your neck and shoulder while you paddle. These muscles require a great deal of endurance. This is also where we tend to hold our stress and the area that can fatigue and cramp up on long distance races. I often hear of muscle fatigue and recently of a tear of the rhomboid as described by Kevin Vangritis. Read more of his experience and how he recovered:

Kevin Vangritis is a friend of mine from North Carolina and is just getting into SUP racing. Over the summer, Kevin was training for a big 50+mile-long distance SUP crossing in Chicago (with Windy City Waterman and Matt Lennert). Prior to the race, he was helping a friend with an exercise and felt a pop near his right scapulae or shoulder blade. At the time, he thought that to simply take an anti-inflammatory and ice should do the trick.

I should note that Kevin is in amazing shape and has a very consistent, well planned and executed training and paddling routine, so this was a bit of a surprise. Kevin is also well versed in the field of sports orthopedics as he assists surgeons and medical teams and knows the anatomy which is also helpful when recovering from an injury.

He writes, “Over the next couple of days, I began to develop a large knot in my trap as well as radicular pain down my right arm into my hand, which was my major concern. This is a classic sign of a herniated cervical disc. The knot began to limit mobility in my neck. Our endurance paddle of crossing Lake Michigan was fast approaching, and I had to come up with a plan to get better. I completely stopped training both on the water and in the gym and continued using anti-inflammatories as well as heat. I showed up for the crossing on August 21st. We had very unfavorable conditions that day for the 50 plus mile paddle with 8-12 foot chop and 30 mph plus winds on Lake Michigan. We decided to go for it anyway without the support of our chase boats and Coast Guard. For four hours straight, we paddled hard against the wind and waves. We decided to call it a day due to safety concerns and knowing that the conditions were just too dangerous to continue without our support team in place.

After the paddle, there were a few large knots on my back that now involved my rhomboid on the right side. Upon returning home, I consulted a physician who diagnosed me with a torn trapezious and rhomboid. Apparently, this is a fairly common injury in this sport. He felt my best course of action would be seeing a sports medicine physical therapist. I spent the next six weeks in PT, attending two sessions each week. Each session, my regimen included a deep tissue massage, electric stimulation, heat therapy as well as cervical traction. I was given simple upper body exercises and stretching to do at home that kept my injured muscles isolated.  Each visit, we added a few new exercises to my routine.

I am 10 weeks out at this time and have just one small knot that still has not released itself and the radicular pain is 95% better. In the next week, I plan to try acupuncture therapy to try and release the one small knot. Since my injury, I paddled for the first time two weeks ago doing 2-3 mile paddles at a moderate pace. Although my weights are still a bit lighter than I normally use, I am slowly getting back to a more normal exercise routine. It is really important to listen to your body. I feel if I had not tried to push myself on Lake Michigan, my recovery would probably have been 3-6 weeks instead of the 10 plus weeks I have endured. Before the injury, I was enjoying a very successful year of racing and am now focused on and looking forward to being ready by spring to begin competing once again.”

Kevin will be on Maui this month and I’ll be checking him out in my training studio and on the water. We’ll be fine tuning him and making sure his training is in check and balanced. Thanks Kevin. Hang in there and keep up the good work!

Bicep Tendonitis:

Simply stated, this is where inflammation or tenderness occurs at the head or top of the bicep tendon due to weakness and overuse. I suffer from this sometimes after a downwind race or while I’m in intense training. This long, chord-like tendon connects the upper end of the biceps muscle to the bones in the shoulder. This muscle is responsible for extending your outward as you reach for the nose of your board with your paddle.

Since I’m right-handed, this is obviously my stronger paddling arm and tends to take most of the load. I often feel tingling, burning and soreness. Usually it is a result of weakness of the rotator cuff muscles. Icing helps me as well as good old rest.

I’ll discuss in more detail how to strengthen this area and the supportive muscles in the next article.

Knees:

The knees young and old can often take a beating, but SUP is probably quite mild on them compared to other high-impact sports like running, dirt biking or soccer. Sometimes old injuries from some of these pounding sports can show up when paddling. But for most, stand up paddling is incredibly gentle and great for the knees.

We all have our own unique paddling styles and types of conditions to manage that can also lead to imbalances of the joint and ligaments that stabilize the knee. For example, if faced with choppy, windy conditions where you are paddling long and hard from one side of your board, pressing down on the board rail in a funny angle can lend to knee irritation. This is especially taxing to the knee compartment if the tendons and supportive muscles and ligaments are weak and not trained properly.

The knee is the largest joint of the body and is compromised of many muscles, ligaments and tendons that help absorb twisting and shocks, and help brace the body for any abnormal consequences. Tears of the medial, lateral, anterior or posterior ligaments are common knee injuries. In wave paddling, I’ve seen a knee dislocate. This is rare, but happened when I saw a guy paddle into a big wave and all of a sudden his leg simply buckled. Later, I learned that his knee gave way completely due to an unstable knee cap (patella). It literally slid out of its natural groove.

Some folks have mentioned that the outer part of the knee, where the iliotibial band joins, can be sore and painful. Again we find that some of these larger muscles – that are used to taking a lot of the load as you unload the stroke and exit the blade at your feet – can be overstretched and are over active. This then can lead to extreme tightness and underactive inner thigh and adductor muscles.

Also, after multiple Maliko runs, I’ve discovered a twinge of inner knee discomfort on my back carving leg after being in a deep, surf stance position on big drops. Managing a 14ft board is very different, with a lot more property from the center of the board all the way back to the fin vs. a short board, requiring one to really utilize more force production on the knee of the carving leg.

Back:

The back is a really important component to stand up paddling for it also helps stabilize the core and is part of the core. It also helps release and control power and of course keeps you upright for all levels of paddling. Refer to my article: More on the Core for SUP here.

Here, we’ll talk about mainly the lower back since we’ve covered quite a bit on the upper part of the body. Having personally suffered extreme back injuries, SUP has actually really helped me!

The function of the lower back allows for flexibility forward and backward and doesn’t easily tolerate too much twisting.

Most people who paddle may experience low back discomfort usually caused by improper paddle length, poor paddling technique or from other muscle imbalances such as tight hamstrings and hip flexors and weak abdominal muscles, or a combination of all the above.

The spine itself or vertebral column contains the spinal cord and other nerves, along with sponge like discs that can be damaged or pinched in pretty severe wipeouts. Sometimes, no matter how well you train or how strong your core and low back are, things can just happen.

Now that you have a good understanding of the anatomy and how it functions while you paddle, you can learn to safely train to keep your body strong. Accidents, muscle strains, riderless boards torpedoing towards you in the lineup can certainly happen, therefore it’s important to know how to recognize something that may not be right or may even be really, really wrong.

Seeking qualified help is very important. I have an excellent medical team that I trust and go to when I myself or my clients or readers write in with questions. I also keep a well-stocked first aid kit in my truck at all times in case I need to wrap a strain or sprain, or at least help stabilize someone if needed.

Stand up paddling is easy and is typically easy on your body. Being very aware of your body, the muscles that you use when you paddle and being mindful of some possible injuries will simply make you a better paddler. Your body has a lot of moving parts, so in the next article I’m going to show all the cool exercises you can do for each muscle group I mentioned here, to help you potentially avoid injury, keep your body balanced and strong and keep all those part together and intact.

Also, don’t forget we’ll be posting Karen Wrenn’s training strategy too!

SUP wipe out photos by Simone Reddingius

Medical photos courtesy of webmd.com

Suzie Cooney, CPT Naish Team SUP Rider and Owner of Suzie Trains Maui

Follow Suzie on Facebook: SuzieTrainsMaui

Check out all of the new 2012 Naish SUP Boards!  Suzie rides the Hokua, Mana, Nalu & Glide for Maliko Runs.

Disclaimer

All the information presented in the SUP Fitness section of naishsurfing.com is for educational and resource purposes only. It is there to help you make informed decisions about your fitness training. It is not a substitute for, or an addition to, any advice given to you by your physician. Suzie Cooney, CPT, and Naish International strongly recommend that you consult your doctor and get medical approval before beginning any fitness and/or exercise program. You are solely responsible for the way information in SUP Fitness is perceived and utilized and you do so at your own risk. In no way will Suzie Cooney, Naish International or anyone associated with Naish International be held responsible for any injuries or problems that may occur due to the use of this website or the advice contained within.

TweetStand up paddling definitely gets you in AMAZING shape. Brody Welte in Florida mentioned offers some tips through his paddle fit course on how to do so. I also teach SUP beginner to advanced, and as a competitor know first hand that this sport will transform your body! Anyone can do it and you don’t have to know how to surf!

To see more of Suzie Cooney’s modeling portfolio go to Suzie Models Maui: http://www.suziemodelsmaui.com/

Check out website: Stand Up Paddling Fitness and get tips on how to SUP and how to train for SUP ( stand up paddling fitness )

and Suzie Trains Maui

Pick up your issue of  my SUP Fitness Guide in SUP Stand Up Paddler Magazine, Summer 2011, and turn to pages 58 & 62 for a few tips to keep you up and paddling strong. With tips on body endurance, leg strength and more. Carve your turns stronger, drop into bigger glides with confidence and improve your SUP race performance!

TweetTake a peak get your copy of SUP Stand Up Paddler Magazine, Summer Issue 2011:

Suzie Cooney Page 62 of the Fitness Guide photo Darrell Wong 2011 All Rights Reserved

Follow Suzie on Face Book: http://www.facebook.com/suzietrainsmaui

In this photo, I’m on the INDO Board Gigante disc with my big wave rider,  Naish Hokua 9’0″ quad fin.

Maui: 2011 Third Annual OluKai Ho’olaulea: Ohana Fun Paddle & Pre SUP Race highlights and interviews:

Maui: 2011 Third Annual OluKai Ho’olaule’a Ohana Fun Paddle & SUP Pre Race Highlights from Suzie Cooney on Vimeo.

photo courtesy of OluKai

Maui’s N. shore attracted over 400 total participants in ocean adventure excitement and adrenaline pumping paddling action. This year was unique with the first inaugural Ohana Fun Paddle which I helped host, to encourage new paddlers to experience a non-competitive 3 mile down wind paddle. Anything you could humanly paddle was welcomed. SUPs, kayaks, one mans, six mans and the special OluKai sailing canoe; Kamakakoa launched from Paia Bay to Kanaha. This was an event within the event. Over 100 paddlers entered the water with a big finish.

photo courtesy of OluKai

Then on up to Maliko Gulch was the big SUP race. The momentum was building as more and more boards began to fill the valley as the paddlers got ready for their 8 mile, more serious race. And what a race!

Thanks to Matthew Murasko, OluKai’s Hawaii Ambassador and team, and to many friends and volunteers this event was over the top. It was so organized, from the start to the finish. The luau, entertainment and award ceremony welcomed not only the racers but our entire island and the world. Join us next year!

Suzie Cooney

Read:  “The Magic of Maliko“  Article written for Makai Hawaii’s Ocean Lifestyle Magazine

Suzie is available for SUP instruction/private event hosting and special events. Contact  suzie@suzietrainsmaui for more information.

Video work: Carl Royzcki  InVision Productions.

Also be sure to check out www.OluKai.com to learn more about OluKai.  To see more photos taken by OluKai’s Photography team, click here

See the finish line, the crowd cheering you on the last buoy turn, the last surf heat before the horn, the last lap of your mountain bike or dirt bike race and see your personal victory!  Okay, now adjust the speed and tempo, add a little more weight to the bar, do a few more balance tricks and turn up the music.

Visualizing your win, your finish or any goal you set out for your racing or training I guarantee will get you that trophy or medal or simply help you get to the next phase of your training and sport.  We watch the networks play over and over in slow motion,  two competitors going handle bar to handle bar on the dirt track, paddlers digging as deep and fast as they dig deep into last turn back to the beach,  or the Olympic speed skaters pushing off those last few  powerful  meters.

You can do the same during your training. If you’re a surfer and while you’re performing a weighted squat on your INDO Board, you see the green room and the spray of huge dragons breath; popping you out of that tube standing tall touching the back of that blue wall.  For example, when I’m on my spin bike, I close my eyes as the music carries me across the ocean on my Naish Glide at warp speed, catching every bump and trough possible, or better, turning on the face of a big wave.

Whatever your sport, your mental game and how you see yourself as an athlete makes a critical difference in how you perform.   Do you see yourself as an athlete? Are you looking to build your game and confidence?  I’m not a scientist, but what I do know is that the subconscious captures images of our desire outcomes and holds them and when an opportunity mimics the situation, it retrieves that image and allows our minds and body to shape and make that true.

I have the pleasure to introduce to you my training client, Stephen. Here is his awesome story on how his visualization training became an exciting reality, to a successful 27 mile stand up paddle race finish. The race was Saturday April 23^rd, 2011. It started from Honolua Bay, Maui across the open ocean channel to the island of Molokai. Sport, stand up paddle, partner Mike Owens.  ( photos by Joshua Kjorven )

“ I would like to help contribute, it was one of those crazy ideas one gets while I was watching Connor and Dave battle it out in the Pailolo Channel on last year’s race. It was in November when I first watched the video of the battle where Connor ultimately won. Watching him paddle, getting that imprint of his paddle stroke, and ability to read the swell was captivating. I thought with a little practice “I could do that” and why not, what could possibly go wrong? I never think about the details (they usually become a barrier),I  just stay focused on the goal, and the details usually work themselves out in the end.

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I set up our indoor pool to train and get in shape during the winter months, and then arrived in Maui to start training with you and Jeremy. Jeremy corrected my paddle stroke, and taught me to catch bumps on the four Maliko runs we did, plus several days in the harbor. Suzie helped me focus on my balance and strengthened the areas that I needed to improve upon, and it really helped. In reality was I ready for such a crossing and be a contender? No but my goal was to do it, learn it, and experience the rush, get the confidence, and then do it again next year, hopefully solo.

Getting ready for the Maui to Molokai Challenge!

My partner was Mike Owens, we did a great job, for first timers, and we had fun. And we will do it again next year. I started visualizing this goal in November, and kept at it since then, but on the beach that morning I was just grateful to have the opportunity to do such a thing, everyone was giving us course instructions, Jeremy was saying this will be an experience of a lifetime and to enjoy it, but once we put the paddle to the water… That visualization, the memory of Jeremy’s instructions and Connors video all came in to focus and that made the difference.It was a great day, emotional and draining but I will do it again next year for sure.”        Stephen

This is an excellent example of how Stephen’s visual training of seeing his successful outcome and all the steps he needed to take to get there, seeing himself as an athlete, a competitor and a finisher!  Good job Stephen!

 What I suggest is that you get real clear on what you want to see. Get real specific with how you want to perform. Do you want to go faster, carve bigger turns, or catch bigger glides or simply finish? Focus that imagery on just that. See in your mind over and over again that perfect picture of the outcome.  Some people also explore hypnosis.

When you look in the mirror at the gym, get hyper focused and don’t be embarrassed of how strong you think you look. Right on! That’s what I want.  Growl, sing see the confetti!  If one of my clients is training for a big event and we’re squeaking out one more set or rep, I just love to whisper in their ear, “this is when you win.”     I’ll also say, “Are you not the fierce competitor I know?  Then do it.”

Now I’m not the mean trainer you see on TV, but I do give my clients the tools to help them get real with themselves and give them lots of positive images while we are training. I am the one that will keep you very positive and erase any negative and mental obstacles. If you don’t have a trainer, I suggest you try and do the same.

Develop a mantra that you say to yourself as you have your image. This is also a very powerful tool I suggest to my clients that get’s them very fired up and focused.  I don’t care if it sounds totally silly, or if it’s a string of unusual sounds, it’s what resonates with them,   If it makes sense to them and get’s them to that place they must go, then say it. I know people hear me when I’m surfing, SUP surfing or training down Maliko. I talk to myself all the time out loud. 

What I strongly suggest when testing out your mantra with your visual, please don’t say negative things, like “you dummy, just one more stroke” or “I’m an idiot…  “. You get my drift. Positive words, positive images equal a positive outcome.

Takeaway: Say to yourself“ I am an athlete, a fierce competitor and I am strong”.   See yourself getting tubed, finishing your first 5 or 10k, rounding that last buoy, or hitting it full throttle across the line.

I’d love to read about what you see when you train and what the outcomes are? Are you faster, stronger? How did it change the way you train? We welcome your comments!

Aloha, Suzie Cooney, CPT

Should you like to learn more about Suzie and train with her on Maui for your next successful experience, go to her website at http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com

Also follow her on Face Book at: http://www.facebook.com/suzietransmaui   

Suzie is alsoTeam Rider for Naish International. Check out the latest in her SUP specific training tips.

Transform your performance! Train like Suzie’s clients with the INDO Board

In addition to deep sea fishing with True’s Elite Athlete angler John Kelly, fashion show by Azedah Coutre on a private yacht, I better game my SUP game on as I team up with Darian Boyle Skiercross World Champ, TV Host and Extreme Athlete to lead the stand up paddling relay.  Also on the team, celebrity footwear designer Michael Toschi, Amie Engerbretson, Cedric Gracia and Bill Boyce; all exceptional talent!

Two lucky guests will enjoy the ultimate sports challenge and adventure.   Stay tuned for more to come as we get closer to the action!  To learn more go to The True-Collection website.

Aloha, Suzie Cooney