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

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.