We're having a pleasantly mild week for this time of year in Memphis, as a breeze from the north has kept temperatures below 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It's not cool, but just how I think summer should be, with just the right level of humidity keeping things green against a backdrop of insect serenade in our wooded city.
This afternoon I went down to the harbor and paddled the K1 for 60 minutes. There were numerous motorized pleasure craft out on the water--not a surprise on this national holiday, but it did make the harbor quite choppy. I tried to relax and not get my undies in a bunch over it--I'll have to get comfortable in turbulent water sooner or later, after all.
I did some more one-sided stroking drills. I tried to do ten in a row on one side without letting the opposite blade touch the water; if I had to do a stroke or a brace with the opposite blade, I started over. My coach is a real taskmaster.
I also did a drill where I paddled on both sides, but leaned the boat one way or another as I did so, trying to get a feel for the boat's point of secondary stability.
As I headed back to the marina, I decided, on a whim, to time myself from the Hernando DeSoto Bridge to the Auction Avenue bridge (six or seven hundred meters, maybe). I used to do this time trial fairly often, with a best time of 2:57 or so, and I was curious to see what I could do in the K1. But it quickly became apparent that there would be no PR today: every other stroke seemed to be part brace, and I couldn't keep the boat on a straight line to save my life (I think some adjustment to the rudder might be in order). As I flailed through the plane of the Auction bridge, I looked at my watch: about 3:42. Ugh.
Oh well, I guess I'll keep at it, and try to enjoy the punishment.
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