WildSprint.com news and information 2010-07-17T17:08:38Z Copyright (c) 2010, Brent ExpressionEngine tag:wildsprint.com,2010:07:17 tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.151 2010-07-17T15:53:37Z 2010-07-17T17:08:38Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.149 2010-05-23T02:25:56Z 2010-05-23T03:46:58Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com "The Only Thing You Know About LIFE Forsure, Is That You Don't Know ANYTHING Forsure"! So my recommendation is to make every day the best it can be!

I'm actually doing so well, that I will be going back to work and resuming all normal life activities this Monday, May 24th...So, On to another chapter!

Since I'm paddling now, (8) days now since being given the ok by my Cardiologist), I've begun to book Forward Stroke Clinics again. Currently I have (2) Surfski Racing Clinics set up in Bellingham WA, on July 10 & 11. These will be private sessions hosted by the local paddling club up there, called The Whatcompaddlers. GREAT bunch of people and very focused on going FAST in their race boats! I love teaching these folks!!

I'm also doing the first Brent Reitz Forward Stroke Clinic for this season in Half Moon Bay on July 18 for California Canoe and Kayak (CCK). Please Go to their website for more details on the class and to sign-up! http://www.calkayak.com

I'm really looking forward to getting the teaching schedule back-on-track this year, so come on out to Half Moon Bay or Contact CCK or myself if you are interesed in another date/class.

Cheers and Thanks to All, brent ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.147 2010-04-30T18:15:13Z 2010-04-30T19:30:14Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com
Tomorrow, Sat May 1st, I'll be doing an On Land Clinic out in front of the R.E.I. Store in Marina, Ca @ 1pm...Come On Out!

I'll be going over the mechanics of an efficient Kayaking Forward Paddling Stroke. This is a very quick and easy way to get the basic concepts of how best to move a boat across the water early-on in the season!

Sorry for the short notice, but I contacted R.E.I. to volunteer to do this clinic once I discovered that they will be having an Entire PaddleSport Event there tomorrow. My clinic will dovetail nicely for all the folks interested in paddle-sports of all kinds!

R.E.I. carries copies of my DVD "The Brent Reitz Forward Stroke Clinic" at their store, should you be interested in a more in-depth way of understanding the most efficient mechanics of how to move your boat best, and in-turn Have MAXIMUM FUN!

Remember, My motto is: "Paddling is More Fun, the Less Tired You Are!" So come on out to Marina R.E.I. on MAY DAY and let's have some fun! brent ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.146 2010-04-23T18:50:16Z 2010-04-23T19:59:17Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com
I'm awaiting final-word from my Doctors about when I can Get Back On The Water Again, and I intend to start-up Clinics as quickly as possible once given their "Go-Ahead". I anticipate being able to Teach starting in the JULY Timeframe.

If you are interested in either; TAKING A CLINIC, or would like me to PUT ON A CLINIC, please feel free to contact me here, or call 831 277 7897 for more details. I intend to Teach as much as possible this Summer, so if you are interested, I'd appreciate if you'd let me know!

Take Care and See Ya On The Water, brent
]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.144 2010-04-23T16:21:02Z 2010-04-23T17:30:03Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com To: Brent Reitz
Subject: Re: 2009 Wildside relay Video

Brent,

Thanks for taking the time to look at the footage and the feedback. What you say makes sense and is the area of the forward stroke I am most confused about. I have noticed myself while looking at my footage it appeared I was finishing the stroke further away from the boat than I thought I should. Also the pause before the catch has always been a struggle for me to get a good feel for. I will focus more on these areas and hopefully dial them in before I get too old to grip a paddle!

Craig,

The two areas you have noticed yourself having difficulty with, are two areas where MOST EVERYONE has difficulty…The TORSO-PAUSE is the most important of the two to connect with, so let's discuss that one here:

A tip to think about getting the “pause” going to your advantage, is to really not think of it like “a pause” with anything other than Your Torso! The Hands, Shaft, Blade…everything else keeps moving on a constant, but you need to hold-back the recoil of The Torso a split second, to allow the all of Those Other Moving Parts enough time to engage with the water fully…Specifically burying the blade fully and as far forward as is natually possible. The Torso-Pause may come to you easier if you think about the movement in these terms.

Once you get that movement ingrained, it becomes as automatic as your current movement is now. Let’s work on that one first, and remember to ask me about the “finishing too far away from the boat-thing” when we see each other next. Cheers, brent

]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.142 2010-04-09T16:13:26Z 2010-04-09T17:18:28Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com
On a padding note, I'd like to embed a video my friend Craig Tannner did of a Surfski workout he did in Benica on The Shipping Channel. I feel like he did a good job on the production of the film and it "starts" to give a non-surfskier the "feeling" of how wonderful it is to link-up wave-ride after wave-ride. Enjoy and feel free to send me a COMMENT from Comment-Section of this site! Cheers and Thanks for all your kind words of encouragement, brent

]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.141 2010-03-20T16:38:39Z 2010-03-20T18:01:40Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com
My sister did a much better job of keeping the site "up to date" than I am, and for that I want to send out a Great Big Thank You to Donna again for doing such a great job!

I'd say however at this point, it appears that "No News is Good News"...I really don't have a lot to report...which is A GOOD THING! The need for 24/7 care and all that work seems to be behind me now. I feel great. Blood Pressure, Pain, Fatique and The Like, are all still daily issues to monitor and deal with, but this is normal, so I'm very pleased with my recovery progress...it's just going to take a while.

So, with that, I'm going to sign-off here, and tune-into my Sirius Radio Blues Channel to listen to B.B. King and Buddy Guy "shoot the shit" for the next hour!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND. In the words of the late Warren Zevon, "Remember to Enjoy Every Sandwich"! Cheers & Have Fun, brent ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.140 2010-03-12T15:39:29Z 2010-03-12T17:13:30Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com
I’m ROCK’N thru this thing! At the 7-Day Post Opt Check-Up, Both Doc’s; Cardiologist & Surgeon, have given me the Thumbs up to push Aerobic Exercise as hard as I want! That is to say, primarily walking. They figure that if I push too hard one day, the next day I’ll know it, and it will be up to ME to back-off. The constraints on my recovery-routine are that I’m not allowed to drive a car for 1-Month; and I'm not allowed to lift more than 5 lbs for 2 months…pretty cool! It’s up to me now, and I plan on lots of walking, not pushing too hard, but eventually shooting for some kind of training effect none-the-less.

The Medical Team's take is that “The Plumbing Job” (Removal and Replacement of my Aorta) is 100% in tact and doing well. However he “Cracked-Open Sternum” will need a full 3 full months for bones to knit back together. Hence the no lifting anything heavier than 5 lbs and also no Fun-Stuff like Kayaking, Lifting, Rope Climbing, Mt Bike Riding, etc till then.

Also, during the “Rib Stretching” Program carried out in surgery…(one of the more gruesome aspects of my surgeon’s job), one of my Upper Ribs evidently broke, (whoops!), instead of "bent", so that’s a bit painful just now. Blood Pressure, Sleeping and other body-functions are still in flux, which limit what I can do day-to-day as well, but for the most part I’ve avoided any “additional complications” of surgery. The Domino-Effect of surgery had always been one of my biggest concerns going into this thing, and now that aspect looks to be behind me, and Man, that's a huge relief!

I can not say enough about the quality and expertise of The Staff at Stanford Hospital! My Hat's Off to each and every one of them. Thank You Stanford!

TO ALL MY FRIENDS HEADED ON THEIR GREAT HOMAGE TO CANOECOPIA, MADISON WISCONSIN: I sure wish I was going to be able to see you all this weekend! DARN, missing last year was tough enough, now with this set-back....Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait until Canoecopia 2011! Have a BLAST at the Expo this weekend and know that I'm there In Spirit!

Thanks again for all your Love and Caring. Brent


]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.139 2010-03-08T02:19:32Z 2010-03-08T03:45:33Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com close to pretty darn normal"...and that feels "Pretty Darn Good"!

Of course, it's all relative, but we head back to Stanford this coming Wed for my 7-day Post Opt Check-up...and if I keep feeling as well as I did today, I can't believe I wouldn't get a Pristine Bill of Health next week!

I Walked around the block today! (Whoa, a whole 15-min walk! ...Sometimes It's the Little-Things that count...)

When I have gone through large life-episodes similar to this one in the past, Friends and Family are clearly the cornerstones making Life Worth Living. Thank-You for all the great Comments and Emails. We appreciate them.

Thanks again, brent ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.138 2010-03-06T03:22:04Z 2010-03-06T04:45:05Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com
This will be much more brief than I'd like...I wish I could return voice mails and emails, but that's taking a bit too much healing-energy just now...

First, thanks to my Sister Donna for the "Nothing Short of Fantastic" manner in which she ruled the Wildsprint website in my absence. I'm one lucky Bro! Everyone I've heard in voice-mails and such, have been very complementary and grateful of her wonderful narratives...and, of course, I am the most grateful of all!

Second, thanks so much to ALL of you who have helped me through this First, and Most Intense Chapter...We did it! There are no words to accurately describe the gratitude I have for you....all I can offer is my heart-felt thanks...

Third, please know, that even tho the Comments sections have been up and down on the site, I receive each and every one of the comments via email as well. I intend to get back to each and every one of you over my recovery-period. Thanks for being there for me over this past wild-ride of a week!...Whew, quite an adventure, but one I'm pleased and relieved to have taken!

Will Catch-up with you in a bit. Thanks Again, brent ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.137 2010-03-05T03:06:51Z 2010-03-05T04:17:52Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com Another great day living the dream folks!! The weather was fantastic today, which really helps to lift a persons spirits. Its going to be quite an adjustment for Brent to be so immobile so to speak.He is so used to getting right after it everyday that I think he's feeling frustrated, tired, and still in a fair amount of pain. Doesn't sound like any fun to me either....but he's doing the best with it that he can that's for sure. We've got things here on the island(Moss Landing) pretty well dialed in. Movies are going to be big for the entertainment piece of our nights' that's for sure....Nothing much to report except things are going really well and so is Brent's recovery for what I can tell....that being said, Have a great night Y'all....donna ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.136 2010-03-04T02:43:57Z 2010-03-04T04:11:58Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com We made it back to Moss Landing safe and sound. We were even lucky enough the get out of the hospital between all the showers and beat rush hour all together!! Which really made it alot less stressful.( Especially for me as I was driving, and there are no such things as "Rush Hours" or "Traffic Jams" where I live!!!) Brent is doing great! The discharge process was actually really fast. No hassles at all. We just walked right out, got in the car,and headed Home!! Yea!! We stopped at Eriks Deli for lunch and then home. By that time Brent was pretty tired. Its been a busy day and we're just now getting to relax together for the first time since this experience started. Its really been something else!! Blows my mind to think about where Brent was at in ICU, a hurting unit to say the least, 6 short days ago. Sure does confirm what an amazing machine the human body is if taken care of,and the advantages of preventative and proactive health and medical choices. I've been through alot of surgeries with my family, (fortunately they weren't on me!) and the difference in going into a surgery healthy and strong verses ambulatory is incredible. The correlation is, if you go in strong, you seem to come out strong....food for thought!! That's it for tonight folks. Thank you all again for hanging in there with us and keeping the energy going~~****~~~~***.....donna ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.135 2010-03-03T17:21:03Z 2010-03-03T18:26:04Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com Today is the day....its a game of hurry and wait. There are lots of steps to discharge, and we are just glad to be making them. Brent is great and ready to go. I will let you know when we make it home and how the ride went. It might take awhile, so keep checking. Thank you again for all the great support.....

Thank you Stanford Hospital Staff. The staff here are stellar!! We have had the best experience imaginable in such a critical time in our lives, especially Brents. The care and expertise are impeccable. The nursing staff is awesome. Thank you once again......donna ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.134 2010-03-03T00:59:49Z 2010-03-03T02:10:50Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com Its a great day at Stanford. Brent is going to be discharged tomorrow AM. We saw both the surgeons today. They said " both the tests look Pristine" and "the repair is tight as a drum". So....cant beat that! Its really been a long day for Brent, and we've met with alot of professionals, OT, PT, Cardiac Rehab, and Nutritionist's, who gave us alot of information to absorb....but were confident and ready to go. Not much else to say except Thank you all again for your kindnesses and have a peaceful night...donna ]]> tag:wildsprint.com,2010:site/index.php/site/index/1.133 2010-03-02T19:44:03Z 2010-03-02T20:55:04Z Brent brent@wildsprint.com Brent is ready to go home.....we're waiting for the test results to confirm that, and hopefully tomorrow we will be out of here. Its been a really busy day, nutritionists, cardiac rehab specialists, etc....everyone has to do there part of the discharge requirement so its been really busy. Brent looks great, and seems to be getting back to himself really fast. I'll keep you posted on the progress, but that's it for now.

I'm not sure when Brent will want visitors, but I will post that as soon as he lets me know, or maybe he will be doing it himself ....

Once again, we are all so appreciative of your constant concern and love and well wishes....thank you very much.....donna ]]>