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The beaming morning sun warmed my tanned shoulders as waves gently crashed behind me. While standing in a huddle for the race briefing, some competitors waxed the shaft of their carbon paddles for better grip. Others applied sunscreen. I restlessly snugged the straps on my PFD, trying to quell my excitement and angst.
Late in the summer, I was in the Finger Lakes wine region for a very fun detox to retox exploration. I visited terrific wineries, crafting world class wine - and a distillery - on Seneca Lake. Between swirling and sipping, I squeezed in some SUPping and cycling to enjoy the area's natural beauty.
It was just before 5:00 am on a chilly July, Saturday morning in Markleeville, CA. I clicked into my bicycle pedals and asked a volunteer to point me to the starting area. “There’s no startling line,” he said, his headlamp shining in my eyes. “Just start riding.”
This winter, I spent several days paddling my SUP on the frosty Hudson River, NYC.
In January, I was in Altea, Spain spending a few fun days at Team Novo Nordisk's cycling training camp and exploring local winery & culinary specialties.
As the late morning autumn sun warmed my shoulders, I plunged the long paddle into the translucent turquoise Adriatic Sea, gliding along the craggy limestone coastline. There where scantly clad sun-worshippers nesting in nooks and crannies of the porous manila “Karst” rock. A pod of colorful kayaks emerged from a nearby cove surrounding one of Croatia’s 718 islands and islets. I slowed my SUP, from Adriatic Kayak Tours, to admire the serene, sparkly water surrounding Dubrovnik’s imposing City Wall (1.2-miles), which encircles the bustling Old Town.
