Doug Ellis "The Offseason"

Hey guys, just want to give everybody an update on our new regular Guest Blogger!! Our good friend and professional paddle boarder Doug Ellis (Virginia Beach) is going to be sending us blog posts with helpful tips, stories, motivation, etc. Doug is a crazy fast paddler but also one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. His first post kinda sum's up why he is so fast because my off season was way longer then a week haha. Definitely gets me motivated to get off the couch when I hear about guys like Doug and their training methods but this also gets back to a great point. "It should all be fun"

Here is what Doug has to say:

"Ah…the Offseason. Time to sit back, take stock of the past race season, and crush potato chips in my lay-z-boy, watching my favorite AMC re-runs as my paddleboard sits covered in the corner of my porch and my running shoes collect dust in the far depths of my closet. Not exactly. If you’re like me, the “offseason” lasts for about a week until another training block starts, and next season’s races fill the squares on your wall calendar. An extra set at the gym, an extra mile on the board, an extra repeat on the track- a little extra something for the guy who beat you last season. Split times, miles per hour, pace per mile, GPS read-outs, interval repeats, etc- I could recite these numbers in my sleep. I dream about them, facing them daily in an effort to get better, faster, stronger. These metrics are my measuring sticks, and the numbers never lie.
Last week I set out on a trail through the park just before dark. Checking the training schedule as always, I knew exactly how far and how fast I was to go. A quarter mile from the house, realizing I had forgotten my Garmin, I panicked. How would I know my splits, my pace, my distance, for God’s sake, how would I even put one foot in front of the other and actually run without it? Immediately turning around, I sprinted back to retrieve the device, as if I had left the stove on and a fire was sure to engulf my house in flames any moment. Pausing for a moment to see the sun slipping lower in the sky, I decided to face the fear of a no-tech workout, figuring that this run may be shot, but at least I’d break a sweat before dark.
A few miles into the run, after forgiving myself for my absentmindedness, I started to feel “different.” While I had no idea of my pace or distance, my cadence or power output, I actually began to…enjoy myself. A few more miles and running became nearly effortless. I wasn’t going very fast, nor looking at my left wrist to check splits every mile, and the usual grimace, a bi-product of pain, wasn’t present on my face. Instead, I caught myself…smiling. As I finished my run in the dark, I had re-discovered the joy of running without reason. For the first time that I could remember, I ran for enjoyment - not to hit a specific interval repeat, tempo pace or distance, but simply to put one foot in front of the other for the sheer pleasure that ensues.
This offseason, if you’re like me, you’ll be working hard to hit the measurable goals that you’ve set for yourself, clicking the buttons on your garmin as you go. However, challenge yourself occasionally to forget about the gadgets and measuring sticks and just be present. Chances are, it will recharge your battery better than potato chips and made-for-TV-movies, and you will re-discover the passion for your sport that lead you here in the first place. "

Stay tuned for more post's from Doug in the future. He really knows his stuff!!