I've been mostly out of the boat this week, trying to tie up all kinds of loose ends before I leave this Tuesday on a trip to Yellowstone National Park with my sister's family and my mother. The layoff has probably not been such a bad thing, as it's allowed me to let last Sunday's frustration wear off a bit. My back is feeling better as well, though there's still that sore spot in the upper left quadrant that I just can't shake. I'm afraid it's just waiting to flare up again as soon as I put some stress on it.
I paddled with Joe last Tuesday for 70 minutes. It was quite windy, so I paddled the surf ski. Today it was calm, and I got in a 40-minute session in the K1. Heeding Mike Herbert's advice, I put a foot strap in my K1 today--actually just a nylon-webbing belt that I've had for years and never wear. And I could definitely see how this feature will make a positive difference. That old Mike knows a thing or two.
I spent much of the 40 minutes experimenting with the added control the strap gives me over my boat. Then I did a couple of timed pieces: from the monorail bridge to the Hernando DeSoto Bridge (for which my PR is about 1:59) and from one set of pilings to the other beneath the A.W. Willis (formerly the Auction Avenue) Bridge (for which my PR is about 0:29). I tried to concern myself less with my times than with good form in the boat. Though I did not feel especially fluid or relaxed, my times ended up being decent: 2:03 and 0:30.
I think a good plan for the rest of this summer is to do a lot of untimed short, fast pieces, trying to achieve a higher comfort level at high intensity.
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