“DO YOU KNOW HOW TO KITESURF?”
I was on vacation last week. I have a dream job, so it really wasn't that different for me. I just sat in a different place to read emails and write newsletters, I worked out in different gyms and my jogs were a little more scenic.
The island of Bonaire is known for its scuba diving (our reason for the trip, I think Morgan dove 8 times over the course of our week-long trip) and kitesurfing. It's beautiful with a bunch of cool trails to hike and sparsely populated beaches. This blog isn't sponsored by their Tourism Department, I'm just trying to set the scene. While my wife was diving, I would either hang with our son or if he was occupied with another family member, I'd go work out or run or hike around the island.
A scenic destination I went to was the 1000 Steps. It’s a trail with a lot of steps (but definitely, not a 1000) leading down to a beautiful beach. When I got there the top was pretty crowded with people taking photos, so I waited patiently behind them. When they finished with their photos though, they didn't really go anywhere. They just kind of stood there and it took me a minute to realize that they were debating (in Dutch) whether or not they could make it down the steps to the beautiful beach at the bottom and then come back up. After snapping a quick photo of the 1000 steps Rock, I skipped down the stairs to the beautiful beach that had about 5 people hanging out on it. I hung out there until I'd locked the memory in and then walked back up to meet up with the rest of the family.
I didn't know that there would be a physical toll to get to that beach, but when it happened, I was ready.
Later in the day, I sat eating lunch and watched a group of tourists learning to kitesurf. They'd wait patiently and then a gust of wind would come through and they were off, bouncing off of the waves and flying through the air.
In that way, life is a little bit like the ocean and fitness arms you with a kitesurfing board. When the waves and the wind hit right, you can soar through the air and ocean and experience something amazing, or you can just sit there and bob up and down.
On this trip, I was fit enough that when I wanted to get to the downtown area, the 30 minute walk while carrying my son was no big deal. Hiking the 1000 steps was no big deal. My wife was able to hike down difficult trails with full scuba gear and launch herself off through rough waters to experience dives that very few other divers were able to see. Our fitness gave us a board and when the wind gusted we got to fly.
I want that for you, too. I have no idea on how many amazing things you've missed out on due to poor fitness, but I know I can help you miss out on less in the future. If you'd like some help, send me an email and I'll get you started. My email address is corey@coreblendtraining.com.
Or if you're planning a trip to Bonaire let me know and I'll recommend some good pizza. It's a little bit of a walk, but it's worth it.
