A Hot Ticket!

. . .finally I got a ride on a Melges 24 at this past weekend's Annapolis Nood event and despite our flooky wind conditions (I did not see much difference between the Chesapeake and Long Island Sound . . .); my time on "Blur" was a hoot! Thank you Steve and crew for a wonderful experience. We had one rippen ride on the last down wind leg, catching a lovely buff which got us from "0-60" and sustained for ~ 2-3min leaving us all quite satisfied . . .(it was a hot ride!).

Am I making the switch from my beloved Mumm30 . . .well; I still have to play on the M32 . . .but not there yet, however; it was amazing the ease and low stress experienced on the M24. It's truly pure fun will little fuss. Yet, the sailing experience is unique from the Mumm in my personal opinion and I did find myself wondering how my fellow Mumm folks were fairing and missed not being apart of the their action. Though . . .I sure would like to play with the Melges again soon (wink).

In truth . . .as long as I am pushing my own sailing abilities; I am happy to sail on pretty much anything but an Ensign (sorry . . . but I was traumatized earlier in my sailing career). In regards to pushing your abilities and staying in the game . . . spring training! My virtual training program is undergoing some major re-evaluation because the current set up is not working ~ stay tune Team SailTrim! However, the weather leaves no excuse for not being active and giving some good thought to summer sailing goals or winter (if you live down under!).

There are those of us who sail year round and those who play seasonally. If we were to think of us as two groups (not to discriminate, it's simply to explain a mental thought process here); when you sail year round it's easier to stay closer to one's "sailing form" vs the folks who switch gears and then feel the crunch come Spring time. I would like to give the Seasonal Sailor a little priority here with hopes to ensure a healthy start to the new season!

It is not healthy to think one can get into "race shape" 2 days before an event, but if they start with 30mins a day today; they'd feel the benefits on the water! I can hear the cringes of 30min/day . . .work is crazy, work to be done on the boat and the kids have soccer, etc! How is one to find 30mins/day . . . easy (please don't get upset with me just yet)!

It's a cumulative effort per day. . . take the stairs, park further away from the office and play with the kids. Hmm . . .while watching the news sit on the floor and stretch for 20mins at the end of the work day vs. just sitting on the sofa . . . want more??? (maybe not, however this is my blog (wink)) . . .work at a computer all day???

Get up! Try standing up and take 30-60sec a few times through the day to relax the hamstrings and ease tension in the lower back. Take a nice deep breath, step back from anything one could hit their head on and slowly exhale while reaching down to touch toes/floor . . . hang out and take a few breathes and on each exhalation mentally and physically relax the legs and see how much closer the floor gets!

The idea is to make a few mini daily changes, encouraging a little bit more activity which engages the mind and the body. It feels good, does not take much time and the end result is feeling both mentally and physically ready to do the things one enjoys.

Fair Winds ~ Jenn

Who and what is SailTrim.Org???

I am still being asked "Who and What" is SailTrim.Org . . .I hope this helps:

SailTrim.Org ~ To the sailing community:

• A free resource of health, fitness and wellness information gathered together by a sailor for the sailor.
• A science teacher
• Hopefully . . .a motivating voice to keep people sailing and encourage new participation

How?

• A free monthly e-newsletter
• Seminars, clinics and virtual training
• Being active in the community through on and off the water participation ~ sailing!

SailTrim.Org ~ To the competitive sailor:

• An "insurance policy" ~ "ace in the back pocket" when your body says "NO" and the helmsman say "Hike Harder", "Grind Faster" and "Get the kite down . . . NOW!!" . . .I want to be the person who ensures your body responds with a flat back, speedy trim and a flawless douse.

How?

• Independent consulting for individuals and teams: this is the where people seem to get fuzzy because I can and do wear many hats due to my past professional experiences.

That "Hats" are:

Project Management ~ Was a geeky science type (still am!) running large projects which required working across domestic and international lines at Pfizer Pharmaceutials . . which crosses over nicely into team management skills . .

Sports Nutrition and Training ~ about time I did something more fulfilling with my degree in Medical Biology . . .add in a little more training/schooling and number of years as a competitor in distance running, triathlon and sailing: now help individuals with strength, conditioning and weight management.

Therapist ~ I love kinesiology and how the body moves so decided to go back to school for massage therapy while still at Pfizer (biomechanics of sailing and injury prevention is my specialty area).

Sailor ~ I was born into this one; but was lucky enough to follow the other paths mentioned above, and with some support from family in friends: SailTrim.Org came about.

How can these "hats" help?

Think back to your last regatta: how did you feel after the first day of racing, add in day 2, maybe 3,4,5 if it's a big event or was preceded with training sails . . .how did your body feel? I've been there and respect what we put our bodies through so the mind can have the "rush" typically associated with competitive sports. I also know how much better I feel physically and mentally if I do a few little things for my body to ensure day 2 is not hampered by day 1; day 3, I may be tuckered but ready for whatever the day brings . . .day 4,5 . . .etc.

Now imagine if there was a fellow sailor who had the background and training to help you recover quickly from a day of sailing . . .helpful nutritional tips, physiotherapy/massage and stretching . . . wake up next day with decreased soreness and more alert. Picture how well you'd feel on the water after such therapy, even the anticipation of a post sail session has you mentally feeling good . . .

Its been a few years now; that I've been discussing the aches and pains of sailing. Developing plans to recover or prevent sailing related injuries. Do not except hearing how someone may not return back to sailing as a result of their therapist, doctor or surgeon being unfamiliar with the biomechanics behind our sport and during the critical time of recovery . . . did not receive the treatment needed.

I started SailTrim.Org out of love for science and passion for sailing, putting the two together and creating a resource unavailable at the time: to a community that deserves it as much as baseball, football, soccer, etc. These sports have people like me, and my goal is to ensure the "sport of sailing" receives the same support in resources and information.

SailTrim.Org is here to teach and provide guidance to the community as a whole with hopes to grow into an organization of folks from around the world with the same goal of "sailing into a healthier tomorrow". I personally enjoy working with sailors and teams doing sports therapy, training and consulting to prevent time off the water and ensure peak performance on the water.

Being a competitive sailor I understand the time tables these "athletes" have, their priorities for a day of racing and the first thing on their mind at the end of the day (smile). I understand there may only be a few moments to address a concern. The cockpit or dock will be the "massage table" and the tent party is apart of the recovery plan. The teams with someone looking after their sailors is ensuring consistent on the water performance every day of the event. . . and having that person understand and respect the world we play in guarantees each member will get the care they need.

Any questions?

I would like to work with a Farr 40 team this summer as they prepare for Worlds and demonstrate how good it feels to sail physically and mentally strong (smile) from event to event leading into a world class regatta. Please email for details . . .it's a "win-win" offer.

Fair Winds ~ Jenn