Fitness after pregnancy: It’s a team effort.

BY ZOE NAJIM

I made it! I feel like when you get the right answer on a math test: the values go in, the formula gets worked out, and poof you get the right answer. Before I got pregnant, I was healthy, in shape and active, and amazingly here I am again.

I was told this is the trick, and I believed them for the most part, but a small part of me was afraid that after I got pregnant, my active life would be over.  I can speak from experience that this has not happened.

Four weeks after delivery, I was able to work out in a gym, and six weeks later get back into freestyle windsurfing.  I skied all winter and now am really looking forward to a full windsurfing season!

The hardest part about doing sports and having a newborn is sleep deprivation.   But that is where your partner comes in.  Naps, which I normally would never take, are my new best friend (besides my husband).  And breastfeeding is a sure way of shedding the few pounds of extra fat that accumulates during pregnancy.

My goal is to compete in a Professional Windsurfing Association competition in Bonaire in June.  Showing up with my new baby and my husband, and competing (for fun) will be a dream come true.

Off to take a nap …

Zoe Najim is a Girls4Sport windsurfer who divides her time between Breckenridge, Colorado and Hood River, Oregon. Read more of her posts and others by Girls4Sport team riders here.

(Showing) Less Is More

BY LEANNE SALANDRO

When people ask me what I do for a living, they are often surprised to hear that I design and market clothing, specifically active wear providing a wide range of coverage for women. For the most part, we are in the market to offer more coverage versus less. You could say we sort of specialize in modesty.

First of all, people are surprised that I’m an everyday kind of person who designs clothes. It’s more of a high-dollar, fashion runway, Paris, Milan, big label occupation in most imaginations. For me, it’s not quite that glamorous. Enjoyable, but not glamorous.

After that, the surprise lingers around the fact that I would work hard on something involving the word “modesty” especially where the word “fashion” is concerned. People are often operating under the usually false misconception that confident women who are proud of their bodies want to show it off and wear revealing “sexy” outfits.

That may be true for some but, when you are engaged in a truly active endeavor like triathlon, surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, kayaking, etc. the last thing on your mind in the heat of the moment is, “do these shorts make my butt look too big”?

Sure, most of us like to look our best as much as possible but most female athletes are primarily concerned about actively enjoying or competing in their chosen sport comfortably. Performance is the priority, not the “hey, check me out” factor. Let’s face it, a little extra coverage actually keeps things nicely covered during rigorous activity and prevents impromptu peep shows of any, um, feminine assets. Furthermore, even the most gorgeously toned back and shoulders will suffer a scorching burn if unprotected all day in the sun kitesurfing. Not fun. Not pretty. Sun protection is serious stuff and even more so for female athletes who spend a lot of time outdoors. Extra coverage also gives the welcome bonus of skin protection.

The caveat here is we really do still want to look good and all this talk of modesty, serious sun protection and coverage engineered to fight physics starts conjuring up images of boring, utilitarian, “un-fun” fashion. Luckily, being too exposed was the “a-ha” moment for a fashion-loving person like myself.

After a particularly chilly surf session with my business partner Kim, we were changing out of our wetsuits and trying to preserve some modesty as we simultaneously wrangled neoprene and large towels with our stiff, cold fingers. We noticed some perv’ on a bicycle who kept riding back and forth past our vehicle… we’re talking five, maybe six, times obviously trying to catch a glimpse of something should a towel slip. I felt an emotional combo of anger and great amusement. How desperate do you have to be to catch a glimpse of the female form so that you’re compelled to ride your bike repeatedly past two, drenched, rumpled, middle-aged chicks struggling out of wetsuits? I can assure you that we were no visions of sexual loveliness as we were trying to get out of neoprene and into some warm, dry clothes. But I digress…

I decided that bottoms designed to coordinate with rashguards would be so great. That way, I could strip off my wetsuit and be covered. No need to fuss with towels! Just unzip and go about my business. Let’s go one step further and make such an ensemble fun and interesting.

In a nutshell, showing a little less really is more and it’s what we aim to deliver at Girls4Sport. Less revealing garments that provide more for the women wearing them. You get the benefits of sun protection and coverage, and (much to the chagrin of peep-tom cyclists everywhere) you also get the added allure of leaving a little something to the imagination.

Best Places for Beginner Windsurfers

BY ZOE NAJIM

Girls4Sport windsurfer Zoe Najim

It wasn’t until I visited Margarita Island, Venezuela, that I got hooked on windsurfing.  There, I realized all my sport fantasies came true in one sport; the fantasies are: thrills without too much danger, warmth, sun, wind, water, enjoyed with good music, good friends and Cuba Libres at the end of the day.  When I returned to the Delta region near Sacramento, I worked hard at keeping those qualities a reality.  It was a little difficult.  Now that I get more enjoyment from the sport of windsurfing, the comforts are less important.  Windsurfing in 50 degree water, and a similar ambient air temperature, is fine once you’re addicting to the sport. But anything less than full addiction requires my fantasy conditions.  But for beginners, I highly recommend these spots which diminishes the frustration that comes with learning a new sport, and increases the fun.

Exotic options for beginners:

El Yaque, Margarita Island, Venezuela: Warm, waist-deep water, steady wind that starts off light and then increases throughout the day, white sand beach, lots of places to eat and drink on the beach and in town.  El Yaque is to windsurfing what Breckenridge Colorado is to skiing.  Best time to go is February through May.

Bonaire: Also warm, waist-deep water, steady wind which also increases during the day, white sand beach and one of the finest scuba diving and snorkeling resorts as well.  Lodging is mostly a rental car or scooter ride away from windsurfing beach.  This is a laid back island, where daytime activities are the highlight.  Best time to go to Bonaire is February through May.

Aruba: Warm, waist deep water, steady wind increasing throughout day, white sand beach.  Wind is off-shore, so a rescue is imminent for beginners.  Luckily, rescue vessels are standing by.  Lots of restaurant options and nightly entertainment abound.  Sarah-Quita Offringa, the best female freestyler in the world is from Aruba.

Jericoacoara, Ceara,  Brazil is a cool, exotic, beautiful  windsurfing destination.  Located four hours north of Fortaleza by 4WD vehicle, in the national sand dunes park, it is not easy to get to.  However, once there, wind, sun, waves and beach abound.   Conditions are good for beginners in the mornings, when the wind is light and steady, and waves are small.  Stronger winds and bigger waves are the norm in the afternoons.  The beach at Jericoacoara is gradual, but gets deep so uphauling or waterstarting is necessary.

Not so exotic but still pleasant nevertheless:

South Padre Island, Texas: Warm, waist deep for miles, mostly lighter winds.  Gear rental right on windsurfing beach or at shop that is on the waterfront and in town.  Many options for condos, restaurants, bars etc.  Best time for wind is April and May.  October can be good too.  The closest airport is Brownsville.  For more info, visit windsurfinc.com or windsurftheboatyard.com.

Bird Island, Texas: Warm, waist deep for a little ways, light, steady wind.  Great  gear rental and instruction at beach.  Condos located about 20 min drive away.  Camping right at launch site.  Best winds are April and May. More info.

Cape Hatteras, North Carolina: Waist-deep, warmish water.  Unlimited lodging options during the Spring and Fall (high season is summer for general tourists).  Best thing is to rent a house on the sound side with a hot tub.  Click here for gear rental and instruction.

Zoe Najim is a Girls4Sport windsurfer who divides her time between Breckenridge, Colorado and Hood River, Oregon.