What a great way to start the weekend! It was so motivating to see the will power of the runners as they came past our cheer station at Mile Marker 19 in the Thunder Road Marathon. I can tell you this isn't an easy race. I ran the Thunder Road Half two times and it is HILLY! So congratulations to all of the runners who finished the half and the full! What an accomplishment. It was a unique experience for me to be on the sidelines seeing the front runners coming through SO strong! 19 miles in and some of them didn't even look like they'd broken a sweat! Incredible! 

I really appreciate lululemon Birkdale (Huntersville, NC) for inviting PaddleFit to be a part of this event. The goal was to have a cheer station at every mile marker of the race. Many local fitness organizations participated including our friends at Gotta Yoga. I hope that everyone who cheered realizes how much this means to the runners. If you've ever participated in an endurance race you know how much the spectators and people cheering help you from a mental standpoint. I know there have been times when I felt like I couldn't go another mile and then I saw people cheering for me and it gave me that little boost to keep going. PHYSICAL + MENTAL = Finishing !!!!!!! 

I have some great friends who came out to help me with this project and I REALLY appreciate it. They made coffee, signs, dressed in their BEACH attire, and jumped up and down for more than 3 hours. PaddleFit is a combination of land + water fitness so this was so in line with what we do which is support fitness on all levels. At PaddleFit we have a huge team of paddlers around the world who spend much of their time in lakes, rivers and oceans. We are passionate about keeping those water ways clean and safe. That is why the money from this event (if we win) will go to the Surf Riders Foundation Charlotte Chapter. Thanks to Tony and Adam from Surf Rider Charlotte (and Cameron) who came out and cheered with us! Also a "beach themed" cheer station would not be complete without HULA GIRLS. We were honored to have our local Aloha Island Hula Girls at our station supporting us. I hope the runners enjoyed seeing them and hearing the Island music. 

Click on the buttons below for links to learn more about PaddleFit, Surf Rider Foundation, Aloha Island Hula Girls and a gallery of photos from the race. 

I need to sleep but It's difficult to come down off of the high that I've been on for two days. I am exhausted but my mind is racing with ideas on how to bring everything I've experienced back to my PaddleFit Students in the Charlotte area. I am more motivated than ever to prove that PaddleFit is one of the best fitness activities available to us. Here are a few photos (many more to come) that will give you a glimpse into this incredible experience. 

Thanks to Brody Welte and the team at PaddleFit for putting together such valuable activities and for creating a forum to share ideas. What a privilege to spend time and learn from athletes like Sean Pangelinan and Slater Trout. I am completely stoked about everything new and exciting happening in the world of PaddleFit including retreats to places like Costa Rica and much, much more! 

I am a huge advocate of Indo Yoga Boards and balance trainers. I am excited to be getting more experience on them so that I can bring it back to my PaddleFit Students. 

Indo Boards will definitely be incorporated more frequently as we get into fall and winter. 

I am as we speak headed out to California for an SUP race and Indo Board training. I can't wait to learn more from the experts! Here is what I have to look forward to. 

"Indo Board Balance Trainers are the most effective land-based means of training for SUP racing, SUP surfing and SUP Yoga. In addition to its existing line of balance training devices, Indo Board has also recently released their groundbreaking Indo Yoga Board. The Indo Yoga Board is a simple 6 foot long, 15 inch wide board that allows yoga enthusiasts to simulate the instability of SUP Yoga while in a yoga studio, home, outdoors or virtually anywhere, without the need for a body of water and a stand up paddle board.

Indo Board is proud to sponsor the Indo Board SUP Yoga Classes at the 2013 Battle of the Paddle (BOP). The classes will be programmed and taught by nationally recognized SUP Yoga Instructors including Lauren Peterson, Founder of Namaste SUP, Julie Roach, Founder of H2Yo, Suzanne Yeo of Yogaworks and Michelle Gierst of Olympus SUP Fit.

The classes will take place on the beach just north of the BOP race course on Saturday Sept. 28, 2013 @ 1:00PM – 2:00PM and Sunday Sept. 29, 2013 @ 11:00AM -12:00 NOON. The classes will feature both land based (using the Indo Yoga Board) and traditional water based Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga and are designed to accommodate every type of Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga enthusiast from first-timers to experienced professionals."

Wow what a day at "work"! Unbelievable August weather and great turnout from Charlotte Family Yoga Center. The My Aloha Paddle & Surf Team of PaddleFit Instructors had a blast working with everyone who came out to experience the unique challenge of paddling and posing on the water. These are the type of events that I love to organize since it allows people who are already active to discover a new way to achieve fitness goals. 

These students were incredible and provided us with some fantastic photo opportunities. Here is a sampling. If you'd like to see all photos click on the link below the gallery. 

One of my goals for this summer is to provide people in the Charlotte/Lake Norman community with an alternative to "in the gym" workouts.
As a PaddleFit Affiliate I have gone through the PaddleFit Certification program
(1-3) and am licensed to offer you the tools and resources that PaddleFit
provides.

I work with the leading Stand Up Paddleboard Company in the area, My Aloha Paddle Sports & Fitness. My Aloha chose to get involved with PaddleFit because of the desire to be the Charlotte leader in the sport of SUP. In an effort to offer our you an opportunity to be a part of a group of active individuals who share similar health & fitness goals My Aloha made the decision to partner with a well respected brand like PaddleFit.

You can be a part of the PaddleFit movement which will make an impact
in your community. Get in touch with me to find out how you can become a part of
the PaddleFit Family. dana@standuplkn.com

I wasn't sure how my students were going to like the Indo Boards. THEY LOVE THEM. PaddleFit students are engaged in a unique fitness system that combines land and water fitness and of course Stand Up Paddleboarding. During the land portion I'm using Indo Yoga Boards to simulate the instability that a student will feel when on the water on a Stand Up Paddleboard. This gives them the opportunity to try some balance moves while on land then move them onto the paddleboard. Indo Board provides a great workout. It also gives us an indoor option in case weather is permitting us from being on the water. Come try them!