Why kayak into the wind

It’s kayaking season again and it is my favorite time of year. It is especially nice to go out on these early summer days before it gets too hot and humid. The only down side is that it can be quite windy. The other day was sunny and the temperature was a perfect 80 degrees. Ah yes, but the wind was pretty fierce. Picture paddling like mad, only you’re moving backwards. Mmm, not so much fun. But, me being me, got to thinking how I could use this in a blog post. I had to do something to take my mind off the hard work!

So here’s how paddling into the wind is like life and business:

* Sometime you just have to push through, no matter how hard or uncomfortable it is. After we were paddling for a while, the wind died down and I felt great. I could feel those endorphins and I felt so accomplished and strong. All those 4 am workouts are paying off.

* You have to know when to stop and re-focus. We thought we might shorten our paddle if the wind got too strong, but it was such a beautiful day, we decided to keep going all the way around the lake. It turned out we didn’t have to turn around early since the wind died down and we actually had flat water for the last half of the paddle. There is something especially magical about the kayak gliding through mirror-like water.

* A struggle can pay off big time.  Sure it was tough when we started, but as those endorphins kicked in, I felt great and accomplished.  I felt like I could paddle for hours!

* How badly do you want it? I love being out on my kayak and short of a thunder storm, I’m willing to go out in all kinds of weather. I really, really wanted to kayak on that day. It is so good for my body, mind and spirit.

* Hard work pays off in the end. One might say that I am very concerned, er obsessed, with my food intake. After paddling hard for 2.5 hours, I can pretty much eat what I want afterwards, knowing that I’ve burned off the calories. We stop at our favorite deli for some yummy sandwiches and then top it off with a Dairy Queen Blizzard. These are a special treat for me and I wouldn’t go near them if I were just sitting at home doing nothing.

So have you been kayaking into the wind lately? If so, what have you learned?

Photo is courtesy of Kayking in the wind.