Surf Contest Warm Up

My friend Amy Murphee and I both flew here to Florida to compete in the Kona Pro Surf Contest in New Smyrna Beach. We have been surfing the contest site for the past 2 days and doing some light training at night. Throughout all this we have been drinking lots of water and eating energy foods like lean cuts of meat, eggs, soy, and nuts. These are great sources of protein which help maintain your muscle mass. Whole grains, oatmeal, bananas, apples, grapes, and yogurt are a couple of my favorite things to eat on contest days. Some good herbs that give you energy are ginseng and ginkgo. I am a huge fan of green tea with ginseng. Some foods to avoid eating are; cookies, baked goods, candy bars, sodas, and fruit drinks. These foods are loaded with sugar and cause a quick energy boost due to rising insulin levels. You will feel an energy decline just as quickly as you felt the energy boost. You are often left feeling more drained then you did before you ate them. Another thing I try and do all the time, but especially before contests is stretching. I like to have my muscles feeling loose and flexible. You are also less prone to injuring yourself when your muscles are well stretched. Here are two of my favorite stretches/poses.

                   Maria Kuzmovich - The Bow pose

                         Amy Murphee - Swaying Palm pose