About Training Board

My name is Matt Baldwin and in this blog I record my fitness and workout routines, and I discuss diet and weight loss techniques. I also publish reflections or reviews of various fitness and nutrition related topics that interest me.

I am into CrossFit and I work out with the crew at CrossFit Asheville here in Asheville, NC.

If anything I have posted seems useful to you, let me know with a comment.
August 10, 2009

Antepenultimatic

I left for Indian Beach with my Dad at about 5:20 am, arriving a good 20 minutes before sunrise, we were pleasantly surprised by the wave shape and size. The surface was far from clean, but the swell was breaking pretty nicely in surfable sets, that were setting up nicely because the ocean stood [...]

August 9, 2009

The Lovely Lady

Spalding! The sea’s a lovely lady when you play in her. But if you play with her, she’s a bitch! Play in the sea, yes, but never play with her. You’re lucky to be here! You’re lucky to be ALIVE! — Swimming to Cambodia
The ocean, though ever changing, is always lovely and awesome. In [...]

August 6, 2009

Fractal Surfing

Today I waited for an opportunity to surf at high tide, so, just before Lena went down for a nap, I set out for Indian Beach, about 12:30 pm.
This morning, the buoys and NOAA were reporting a 3 foot SW swell, and low winds. Arch Cape was flat like a lake, confirming the winds, [...]

August 4, 2009

“Six feet of close choppy swell, with a side of mush, please.”

I managed to get out of the driveway by 5:40 am, was at Indian Beach just after sunrise, and in the water by 6:20 or so. I had an Elk sighting on the way in. Magnificent creatures.
I spent about an hour and three quarters battling baffling sets of unsettled waves… too close, too [...]

August 2, 2009

Surfing Solo; Pipoboarding in Arch Cape

A cold and misty solo surfing session at Indian Beach. A pipoboarding lesson with Danny. Another awesome gray day on the Oregon coast.

August 1, 2009

Was That Thunder?

“Low and Slow” becomes “Lo, and No”
Yesterday (Friday the 31st), Sean and I planned to extend our four day surfing streak to a fifth day, but we were foiled. We set out early as usual, departing before 5:30 am, and decided to check out Short Sand Beach for a change. The theme [...]

July 30, 2009

Duo Mareado

Sean and I surfed Indian Beach again this morning, leaving pre-dawn, before 5:30, and getting home about three hours later. Too much goodness to go into detail. Waves were well-formed, about five foot swell from the northwest, light or no winds. It was a battle to get out, but we rode well. [...]

July 29, 2009

Surfing with the Elks

As Sean, Steve and I left from Arch Cape at 5:30 this morning, we were startled to see three adult and one juvenile Elk in the empty lot by the fire station. We marveled a bit at these massive and elegant creatures, and then continued on our way to Indian Beach. It seemed [...]

July 27, 2009

Piss in Boots and Sunny Haze

Sean and I left for Indian Beach at 5:30 am; we were the first to arrive and were on the beach just after sunrise at about five ’til six. Conditions: patchy fog, fifty seven degree seas, light north winds, uneven seven foot swell, uneven, pretty short period. We made our way out by [...]

July 19, 2009

Carpe Diem

Saturday, July 18th: The Morning Session
Yesterday morning the surf report from NOAA was pretty favorable, although the visible appearance of the sea was not too desirable. Desperate to surf, I headed to Short Sand Beach in Smuggler Cove, a little bit later than usual. I left out at 7:17, and worked my ass [...]

hi mom!