A Week with Women's Quest

The women of the San Juan Island Bike Trip at our private wine tasting on night one.

Clear blue skies, mountain views, glistening sea waters, thick evergreen forests, rolling meadows, and great friends - these are the things that made up my week leading the Women's Quest group through the San Juan Islands.  We were all blessed by breaching Orca whales, the magnificent splash of the tail of a humpback, soaring bald eagles, and mama seals and their babies poking their heads above water to see who was making all the noise.  Our laughing, screaming, and other child-like behavior (like eating ice cream everyday) rounded out this perfect week in the Pacific Northwest.

Strong women at the top of Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island.

The idea for a San Juan Island trip started when I met Colleen Cannon, founder of Women's Quest.  I was talking about how gorgeous the area was and asked her why she had never traveled there before. Her response? "I have ALWAYS wanted to go there.  We HAVE to do this."  So the planning began for the first Women's Quest/Koa Fit adventure out at the San Juan Islands.

I can tell you all the routes we rode, how many miles, how many feet of elevation, but then you would really miss the point of the whole week.  The rides are just the foundation of the retreat.  The real magic is in Colleen's recipe of exercise, self-reflection, challenges, and doing as much fun stuff as one human can possibly do in a week.

The water views from San Juan Island.

The best part about trips with Women's Quest is the bond that forms between the women on the trip.  Somewhere between eating ice cream, peddling to the top of mountains, watching the sunset from the rooftop, and Paddleboarding around the marina, real friendships are formed.  With no work to worry about, family to feed, or details to plan, the conversations veer towards discussions of magic, life, and the greatness or mother nature.  Exchanges that are normally reserved for best friends and sisters flow easily and open discussions of the heart are heard regularly at our meals together.

Now that I am home, I reflect back often on the week with the ladies.  Holding on to each gift or lesson every single one of those amazing women gave me.  I try to hold a space, even for just a few minutes of the day, where I don't worry about my "to-do's" or my checklist, and instead focus on the important matters of life - kindness, compassion, and fun.

Want to ride with us on the San Juan Islands?  Email info@koafitusa.com and check out all the retreats at www.WomensQuest.com

4 Dynamic Moves to Increase Speed and Power

It is that time of year again...SPRING!  The weather gets warmer and the days longer.  This is the time most people start to think about getting back into or starting their outdoor fitness activities.  Hiking, biking, running and more become so accessible with the increased daylight hours.  Before you spring (pun intended) back into your activities, take some time to get the body prepped for the extra strength you are going to need.  Below are 4 fun and no-equipment-needed exercises you can do about anywhere to get yourself powered up to go play outside.

Butt Kicks

Increase your hamstring quickness.  This exercise can be done moving forward or in place if you are doing them inside.  Start with a light jog and each time you lift a foot start lifting it higher towards your butt till your heel hits you in the backside. Do this as quick as you can for about 100 yards (or 1 minute in place) and repeat 3 times.



Squat Jumps

This explosive move increases strength in the whole leg.  Glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves are all worked in this one powerful move.  You core muscles and some back muscles will also get a workout.  Start in a low squat with your arms by your side.  In one quick movement, stand up and jump, bringing your knees towards your chest as high as you can.  Keep your landing soft as you go straight back to your start position in the squat.  Do 10 reps and repeat 2 times.













High Knee Taps

Get your feet moving faster and higher with this quick agility drill.  Staying in one place, put your hands out in front of you, palms down.  Quickly raise your knees up to tap your hand alternating left and right as fast as you can.  Do it for 1 minute and repeat 3 times.





Wide Step Sprints

This side-to-side movement helps strengthen the hips and prevent injury to the knees and ankles.  Find a nice long area like a gym or field.  Press of one foot and leap slightly sideways and forward landing on the opposite foot.  Repeat with the other foot so that you are zig zagging left and right as you sprint forward.  Do this as quick as you can for about 100 yards and repeat 3 times.

5 Butt Exercises for Injury Prevention

Recently, I was featured on the Athleta Chi Blog with my good friend, Colleen Cannon from Women's Quest.  Together we put together a routine for the all-important booty that you could do anywhere (literally anywhere, we were on a beach in Costa Rica).  Our butts do more for us than attract a potential mate.  They support our low backs, hips, knees and ankles.  They are key players in our balance and they help us prevent injury while we are out playing.

Our program focused primarily on the glute maximus and glute medius.  Being a past professional triathlete, Colleen was most in need of strengthening herself laterally (side-to-side).  Check out the whole program on the Athleta website, including instructions and photos of each exercise, by clicking here.

5 Life Lessons Learned on a Surfboard

This last November, I had the privilege of traveling with Women's Quest on their Costa Rica Surf Retreat to teach Strong Balance Class.  Below are the life lessons I learned while floating out in the 85 degree water.  To see the whole blog post on the Women's Quest website, click here.

Go With The Flow – If there is one thing you don’t want to do, it is fight the ocean.  She will always win.  It is better to tap into her natural rhythm and use it to help you.  This is true for all of life as well.  Always fighting the natural rhythms of life leaves you feeling exhausted and frustrated.   Rolling with the natural ebb and flow of your day helps you feel more connected to nature, to your loved ones, and to your body.

Timing Is Everything – When you are paddling out or paddling for a wave, timing is more important than strength.  Having patience to wait for the best waves and paddling at just the right time helps conserve energy and rewards you with great rides.  Having patience with yourself and others can lead to amazing things.  Opportunities arise that you might have missed if you were frantically marching along.  Taking a moment to slow-down and process helps us feel more secure and confident about moving forward in life.  

     

      Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy – The return on you investment is very black and white with surfing.  You paddle out with all your mite, breathe, and strength, and you are rewarded with a sweet wave and the feeling of accomplishment.  This is repeated over and over throughout your surf session.  In a world of instant gratification and technology that “helps” us with the heavy lifting, this simple lesson gets lost.  Hard work helps us feel powerful and confident.  Look for opportunities to challenge yourself.

      

      Believe in Yourself – You will not make it to the outside line-up without a little faith in yourself.  Believing you can do it, can make the difference between a swift paddle out and getting caught in the impact zone.  The ocean does not reward hesitation.  If you want to gain the most in your life, you have to believe in yourself.  It takes a lot of courage to have the confidence to know you can do it, but you can!  You must believe.

      

      Sing Songs with Your Friends – Some of the best moments on my board are sitting out in the ocean, waiting for waves, and singing and laughing with my friends.  With no place to be, no TV to distract us, we go back to how hanging out should be.  We sing, laugh, and solve the world’s problems.  Talking and connecting with your friends and family should be a priority.  It keeps us connected and also increases our ability to be compassionate to others.

Women's Quest is Headed Back to Costa Rica and All over the World!  Check out their website for details on all the 2016 Retreats.