This morning I went downtown and paddled for 50 minutes. I was expecting to feel like I was in a low-watt furnace, but there was a strong breeze blowing from the southwest that made the conditions not just bearable, but rather pleasant.
I think it's supposed to be slightly cooler today than it was over the weekend, when the high reached the low 100s each day. The air seems a little better today, too. We had "code-orange" air quality alerts all last week, and by Saturday I felt like it was getting to me a little, with some shortness of breath. I holed up inside all day yesterday, and it felt good to be back outside getting some exercise today.
Like I said earlier, my competitive season is over, but I still want to get in the boat several times a week. I think times like this are good for working on technique and trying out any changes you want to make. When Greg Barton was here a couple of weeks ago, he suggested that I try sinking my blade a little deeper at the beginning of my stroke, and I've been working on that. So far it's felt a little uncomfortable, but that's not unusual when you make a change to your stroke.
As I was paddling out of the harbor and onto the Mississippi, an unusual-looking towboat was coming upriver pushing a barge with a crane and a bunch of other stuff on it. I paddled astern of the rig and found that its wake was excellent for surfing, so I did that for a while. If there's a better way to spend a hot summer day than surfing in a kayak or canoe, I'd love to hear what it is.
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