I got my Monday Brick in last night, a 6 km paddle and a 7 km run. It has been for weeks of training (totals below) with SUP and running. I’ve shed a bit of my winter gut, and my upper body is feeling stronger. I’m stoked on that, as the surf in Riyuewan should be pretty damn good for the next few days, with perhaps a bit of size on Thursday and Friday. I’m feeling ready to paddle on to some bigger stuff. While the gratification from a consistent exercise regiment is far from instant, it is nice to be able to feel significantly fitter after just a month of getting serious about exercise again.

During last night’s SUP in Dadonghai Bay I still paddled parallel with the coast. But I went out further to sea, about 200 meters off the coast. Trying to combat my fear of the nighttime ocean. Perhaps next time I can take the nighttime paddle out to the Buoy 10 by myself.

I got back from my paddle, then put on the sneakers and ran down to the Sanya Library, and back again. Julietta and Darci were nice enough to wait for me, until 12:30 last night, to help me celebrate my birthday. Matt came down as well. We put some records on the shop’s lone Technichs 1200 and had a bit of a dance party. You know you’re with some good friends if you can dance to Cyndi Lauper and not feel self-consious in the slightest.

We’re headed up to Wanning tonight, as we have a meeting with the Wanning government early tomorrow morning. Hope to get into the surf by the afternoon. The Blair quad I got a month ago seems to be the perfect board for me. With a bit of width to it, I find it paddles really well. I’ve never been able to ride a 6’0 board as well as that one. We’ll get you guys and girls some pictures of this swell. In continuing in my somewhat cocky habit of naming a swell before it even produces, I’m thinking of calling this one March Madness (for you non-Americans, this is also the name for the 64-team college basketball tournament that is played out this month). We’ve got a few friends from mainland China coming down for this one as well.

Going out for last night’s paddle. I used my bicycle glove on my blistered hand for the first time. Very good idea, something I should have done a while ago. Hand blisters look disgusting

Frankie and me, birthday boys on today, March 15th. Frank has been here in Hainan for a similar period as me, a little less than my four and a half years.

My totals after four weeks of my SUP and Running training. Not too shabby