My Solo SurfSet Date-nite

So last friday after a long day of work, I rode over to Chelsea Market to try out the brand-new SURFSET workout.  I myself am not a great surfer but LOVE the workout that surfing provides.   After declining an invitation to teach during the pop-up event (I was super stoked on the idea but a whole coast away!), I committed to trying a class.   Or 3. My three-hour marathon of SurfSET-ting was completely unintentional.  It went something like this:

5:30PM Surf at the Barre with Todd Allen.  Todd was a wonderful charismatic dancer who taught a killer barre class on a the Surfset board. While the class was fun, the plie's and booty lifts weren't the surfing experience I was looking for.  My shoulders didn't even ache.  So I stuck around to for...

6:30PM Friday Surf with Magen Banwart.  She had great energy, a broken toe & an assistant who spoke with a Australian accent! Ok, I felt I was going closer to my surfing experience already.  This class was more cardio driven- however- we still spent no time on our stomachs "paddling out"  (one of the hardest parts of surfing, if you ask me).Now the SurfSet equipment is pretty rad.  You have to balance on a fairly realistic board.  It's challenging and not uncommon for people to slip off! (a whole 1ft to the yoga mat below).  Also, the equipment boasts a pulley system for the arms to simulate paddling.  Pretty great... if used.  So far I was 2 hours in, and we hadn't used the pulley's for paddling.

Magen's class was fun, and she even handed out beers after class to all the participants.  Perfect.  The beer gave me *just* enough carbs and gumption to stick around for...

7:30PM DubSURF! with Mike Nicholson  -- SO. FREAKING. FUN.  One of the best times I've had in my head working out.  Mike is not one of the celebrity-trainers-for-hire.  He's a SurfSet trainer.  He played one continuous mix of a dubstep DJ set the whole hour- which for some people may be a personal hell.  But for me, I was loving it!  His surf-coach laid-back approach to the workout was refreshing.  AND WE PADDLED OUT! And did POP-UP'S!   Lying with my belly on the board, back extended, using the pulleys to "swim"  felt so so good for a cyclist who is constantly in back flexion.  This is the balance I needed.Maybe the mid-workout beer enhanced my enthusiasm but the classic SurfSet workout felt like pure fun.The rest of my date-night with myself consisted of devouring 2 arepas and a salad at Caracas and having a drink (or two) at Blue&Gold where Emily SpinNinja is the resident bartender-not-to-be-f**ked-with!   I know some people may think this was a lame date-night, but I had a blast.   Check out SURFSET.  It's around only until the end of the month.