Montessori racing

I'm finally settling into a strength routine that I hope to keep up from now until the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race.  An exercise physiologist friend showed me these exercises; if any readers in the Memphis area are feeling a need for the services of a personal trainer, let me know and I will put you in touch with this person.

The routine, which I'll call the "May strength routine" from now on, goes like this:

1.  Pushups with one hand on a medicine ball
2.  Compound squat/row exercise with a rubber band
3.  Bicep curls with dumbbells
4.  "V" drill: simultaneous lifting of the legs and the arms/torso while holding a medicine ball
5.  Triceps exercise with rubber band
6.  Torso twists with a medicine ball
7.  Dips, gripping the side of a table with feet on an exercise ball

I did my first serious session of these exercises yesterday, and today I'm a little sore.  This soreness and my persistent upper back soreness is all sort of melded together into a general sore, achy feeling.

But it didn't stop me from doing a bit of racing this morning.  There is a montessori school right next to the marina where I keep my boat downtown, and each spring this school has a little outdoor festival that includes some canoe and kayak races in the harbor.  It's largely a family affair, with lots of parent/child tandems and stuff like that, so I never take it too seriously.  I entered it today in a plastic touring boat, and found myself facing some good competition from a couple of people with surf skis.

First I paddled the K1 for 40 minutes.  I did eight 6-stroke sprints, at the top of each minute, and then paddled a brisk tempo for ten minutes before returning to the dock and swapping out the K1 for today's "race" boat, a Squall that belongs to a friend of mine.

The course was a two-mile loop.  Entrants could choose among racing one mile (half a lap), two miles (one lap), and three miles (one and a half laps).  I opted for the three-miler.  All three events started together, and when the gun went off a lead pack quickly emerged with me, Jason Salomon and his daughter Ahava in a tandem ski, and Fred Hatler in a solo ski.  I managed to stay on the skis' wakes until the first buoy turn, and after that they opened up a lead on me.  After the second turn, the Salomons, who were racing only two miles, poured it on and were in a comfortable lead by the time they finished at the two-mile mark.  Fred and I continued on for another mile, Fred maintaining a lead of 20 seconds or so on me.  I might have closed a little in the last half-mile, but never really threatened Fred for the win.

Paddling that plastic boat was a chore.  Last year I did some resistance drills where I towed a five-gallon bucket behind my surf ski, and that's about what it felt like I was doing in the race today.  I'm wicked sore this evening.  But I had a good time anyway.  I do so much paddling alone that it's always a treat to do an event with other people whether I win or not.