This week I got myself registered for the first race of the season, the "Battle On The Bayou" down at Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The confirmation list includes one Mike Herbert, the three-time Olympian from Rogers, Arkansas, and he gets my nod for the role of overall favorite. Meanwhile, it appears that the Pellerin triplets from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, are slated to compete in their Patriot K3. They were 3-0 against me in that configuration last year and have earned the right to be favored over me at Ocean Springs.
But there's really no point in my even thinking about such things, for I can control nobody's actions but my own. I intend to head down to the Gulf Coast as prepared and focused as I can be, just like always. Right now, two weeks out from race day, my greatest challenge is shaking off some physical (lower back) and mental (numerous business-related distractions) discomfort. Getting my mind right will simply be a matter of discipline and focus, but I'm a bit concerned about the lower back woes. They started in the aftermath of my long paddle almost two weeks ago, and a mere long hard paddle doesn't usually give me lasting back pain. I'm wondering if I might have done something else, that I've now forgotten, that put my back out.
As of this afternoon my back does seem to be improving slowly, and I'm just trying to avoid any activities that might aggravate the condition. I paddled for 60 minutes on both Thursday and today, and besides doing some 8-stroke sprints both days I've done a few surges but otherwise not pushed my luck. I got in another round of the strength routine yesterday.
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