ON SURF TRIPS

“Champ, only the mediocre are always at their best.”

That's what Charles Mahoney, my boxing coach, tells me on mornings when I'm being a little too hard on myself for not feeling my best.

It's something I've come to appreciate. The idea that we're not supposed to be at our best all the time. That there are seasons for different versions of ourselves. Seasons for working hard, seasons for resting.

Every October, I go on a surf trip to Fiji.  So every June, I prepare.

I've always believed in the saying, "Stay ready so you don't have to get ready." So when June comes around, I'm not starting from scratch. Just a little more disciplined about my workouts, more thoughtful about what I eat, more consistent about sleep. I pay attention to the little decisions that are easy to dismiss otherwise.

I love training. Not because I love being disciplined every day, but because I love having a reason to be. There's something satisfying about a defined period of effort. A beginning, an end. It's a little sprint toward a better version of myself.

It's worth mentioning that there's a stretch in the beginning when you're doing all the right things and seeing very little in return. I think that's where a lot of us give up. The work stops being novel, but the rewards haven't arrived.

Then you notice you're stronger. Something that used to exhaust you doesn't anymore. You recover faster. You sleep better. You make a good choice without having to negotiate with yourself about it. The progress, however small, is proof that I'm capable of changing. A little stronger. A little wiser. A little better at riding through difficult things.

Of course, none of this guarantees I'll surf particularly well in Fiji. The ocean has a wonderful way of reminding you that it doesn't care how many straight leg kickbacks you can do.

And booking a surf trip doesn't guarantee waves. We've had plenty of wind, rain, and days with almost no swell. But those days aren't wasted. We snorkel, drink a little too much, play backgammon. There's really nowhere else I'd rather be.

Because what do I love about surfing? To begin with, everything. Nothing is better than surfing, except surfing with your friends.

So I'll arrive knowing I prepared. Whatever the ocean has planned for us is another story.  And then, all too soon, the trip is over.

We come home to a much colder version of California than we left. It takes me a while to settle back into the rhythm of everyday life. But eventually I do. The holidays arrive. I stay up too late, have another glass of wine. I don't feel particularly guilty about any of it. The habits are still there; I'm just not quite so dialed in.

Because I don't believe we're meant to live in a permanent state of self-improvement.

I like having seasons. Something to work toward, and time to simply enjoy where I am.  The waves are just a very good reason to start.

xx lp

Lisa Popp is the founder and creative director of Stillwater, a small-batch women's apparel brand she started in Los Angeles in 2014. Everything is designed in her Los Angeles studio and made locally. Runs Deep is her journal.