Today I paddled in the harbor for 40 minutes, doing six 12-stroke sprints (I define a "stroke" here to be a full cycle of a stroke on the left and a stroke on the right).
The purpose of these short sprints is to work the ATP-CP energy system that I talked about in my post way back on February 16. One of these sprints, done at maximum intensity, takes me between 10 and 15 seconds. If I sprint for much longer than that, my body will start to produce lactic acid, and then I'll be working that system rather than the ATP-CP system. So I keep them short, counting strokes rather than timing because it's hard to look at a watch when you're paddling all-out.
While the aerobic system takes a few months to develop and the lactic system takes six to eight weeks to develop, you can develop your ATP-CP system with just a few days of these short sprints. So it makes sense to do it in the days leading up to a big race, in which you'll use up your stash of ATP-CP as you explode off the start. Because you don't produce any lactic acid during sprints of 15 seconds or less, it's a good way to rev your engines while you're otherwise paddling easy and resting up.
In 2012 I have competed in three races, finishing second in the first and winning the next two. But when I line up in Little Rock this Saturday, I will not be among the favorites.
Last year, I finished ninth overall at the Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race. And five of the people who beat me that day are registered for this Saturday's race. Last year's top two, Carlos Garcia and Cedric Bond, are training partners at the U.S. national team's "high performance" facility at Oklahoma City. 51-year-old Mike Herbert, third last year, has a list of achievements that these younger paddlers would love to match: he's a three-time Olympian, a three-time medalist at the world championships, and a Pan American Games gold medalist.
Kaitlyn McElroy, who also trains at Oklahoma City, just won a bronze medal and a silver medal in double kayak competition on the World Cup circuit this month. Oklahoman Dylan Puckett is currently the top junior kayaker in the U.S.
Garcia, Bond, and McElroy are all good enough to race in the Olympics this summer. The main reason they won't be there is the tight limit on the number of athletes that the I.O.C. has imposed on what it considers "fringe" sports like canoe-kayak. For most of my lifetime, the U.S. Olympic Team has included several K1 racers along with a full slate of K2s and K4s, not to mention single and tandem canoes. But in both 2008 and 2012 the U.S. has had only two people--two people--on its flatwater Olympic Team.
But that's a rant for another day. Also at Little Rock this Saturday will be Austin Schwinn, a young guy who beat me by a couple of minutes over 18 miles at the USCA Nationals four years ago, and who has improved significantly since then; and Katy Hill, whom I've never met but whose name I've seen floating around the flatwater ranks in recent years. In the last two years, female flatwater racers have been my tightest competition at Little Rock, and I won't be surprised if Ms. Hill fills that role this year. There are several other people registered in the K1 class (for boats that meet Olympic flatwater racing specs) with whom I'm not familiar, but my guess is they're pretty good.
So it's possible that I will have a great race this Saturday and finish out of the top ten. How do you set a goal for a race like that?
Well, my goal might sound a little simplistic, but here it is: I'm going to go as fast as I can. Basically, I want to be in the thick of competition with these racers who train as much as or more than I do, and the best way I know to do that is go out hard and try to stay with the fastest paddlers I can possibly hang with. I'm hoping that the training I've done over the last couple of months will enable me to do that.
I would like to believe that even at age 44, I can hang with a training group like the one from Oklahoma City even though I wouldn't be its fastest member or even close to it. This race gives me a chance to prove that to myself. I am grateful to these flatwater Olympic hopefuls for venturing out to an event that's not held on a regulation nine-lane course, and I hope the experience will be as valuable for them as it is for me.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Active recovery
There's apparently a storm front heading this way, and the wind was picking up out on the river today. So I stayed in the harbor and paddled very easy for 40 minutes as a recovery from yesterday.
One might argue in favor of not paddling at all on a recovery day--that way, you'd really get some rest. But I'm a believer in an active recovery. I think getting some blood flowing through my paddling-specific muscles helps repair whatever damage the workout did to them. And as I've said numerous times in this blog, paddling is a technical sport and one can never get too much in-the-boat stroke practice.
One might argue in favor of not paddling at all on a recovery day--that way, you'd really get some rest. But I'm a believer in an active recovery. I think getting some blood flowing through my paddling-specific muscles helps repair whatever damage the workout did to them. And as I've said numerous times in this blog, paddling is a technical sport and one can never get too much in-the-boat stroke practice.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
It didn't kill me, so I guess it's made me stronger
I put in my last hard day before I race at Little Rock this Saturday. I did seven laps of the May strength circuit, then met Joe at the marina for a workout of twelve 45-second pieces with 30 seconds recovery. The workout went by quickly, but it was very tough and I'm feeling beat from head to toe now.
But I'm otherwise feeling good and I hope to arrive at the race this Saturday rested and sharp. The rest of the week I'll be paddling just long enough enough to get loose and doing a few 10- or 15-second sprints to work the ATP-CP system.
But I'm otherwise feeling good and I hope to arrive at the race this Saturday rested and sharp. The rest of the week I'll be paddling just long enough enough to get loose and doing a few 10- or 15-second sprints to work the ATP-CP system.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Monday photo feature
Mike Herbert, Andy Balogh, and Joe Royer explode off the starting line at the 2007 edition of the Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race at Little Rock, Arkansas. Since its inception in 2003, this event has used several different courses on the Arkansas, all of which have finished beneath the Interstate 30 bridge in downtown North Little Rock. This Saturday's race will start at Murray Park, making the course about five and a half miles.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Work now, rest later
I hope to get some rest this week with a pretty intense race coming up Saturday, but with three weeks still to go before the OICKR, I'm not ready to shut the training down quite yet. So I put in some work today, doing seven laps of the May strength circuit and paddling for 100 minutes. I'll lift weights again and do a hard workout on Tuesday, and then I'll go easy the rest of the week, with a few short sprints, in preparation for the Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race.
It feels like summer has arrived, with highs in the 90s and little rainfall but plenty of humidity. I guess Memorial Day weekend is as reasonable a time as any for the heat to get here. The good news is I'm feeling a bit more energetic and my weight has come back up.
It feels like summer has arrived, with highs in the 90s and little rainfall but plenty of humidity. I guess Memorial Day weekend is as reasonable a time as any for the heat to get here. The good news is I'm feeling a bit more energetic and my weight has come back up.
The U.S. Olympic flatwater team is complete
Tim Hornsby and Ryan Dolan both advanced to the "B" final of the men's K1 200 meters in World Cup No. 2 at Duisberg, Germany, this weekend. Then, in the final round this morning, Hornsby finished fifth to Dolan's eighth, winning the U.S. Olympic Team spot in the event. Hornsby crossed the finish line 0.248 second ahead of Dolan. The complete results of the Duisberg regatta are here.
The U.S. has qualified only two flatwater sprint boats in this summer's Olympics: one for the women's 500-meter single kayak and one for the men's 200-meter single kayak. Hornsby, of Atlanta, joins Carrie Johnson of San Diego to fill these two spots. The Olympic flatwater regatta will take place August 6-11 at Eton Dorney, Buckinghamshire.
In whitewater slalom, the U.S. has qualified as many boats as a nation can qualify for the London Games: one boat in each of the four Olympic classes (women's kayak, men's kayak, men's single canoe, men's double canoe). Members of the U.S. national team, selected back on April 12-14, will compete for those spots in World Cup No. 1 at Cardiff, Wales, on June 8-10. My Training Blog by Elmore will report the results as soon as they are available.
The U.S. has qualified only two flatwater sprint boats in this summer's Olympics: one for the women's 500-meter single kayak and one for the men's 200-meter single kayak. Hornsby, of Atlanta, joins Carrie Johnson of San Diego to fill these two spots. The Olympic flatwater regatta will take place August 6-11 at Eton Dorney, Buckinghamshire.
In whitewater slalom, the U.S. has qualified as many boats as a nation can qualify for the London Games: one boat in each of the four Olympic classes (women's kayak, men's kayak, men's single canoe, men's double canoe). Members of the U.S. national team, selected back on April 12-14, will compete for those spots in World Cup No. 1 at Cardiff, Wales, on June 8-10. My Training Blog by Elmore will report the results as soon as they are available.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Less is more
Back in Memphis yesterday, I did six laps of the May strength circuit and paddled for 80 minutes.
I met Meghan at the marina and we paddled together for 35 minutes. After she left I did four pieces in the harbor from the monorail bridge to the Hernando DeSoto Bridge (a little less than 500 meters). In the first couple of pieces I paddled as hard as I could with a high (for me) stroke rate; my times were 2:05 and 2:03. For the third one I decided to back off the stroke rate and take longer, smoother strokes, and my time was 1:59. I did the same in the fourth piece, and clocked about 2:01.
It was a reminder that paddling harder and faster does not always produce faster times. Keeping the boat running smoothly, without bobbing up and down or rolling side-to-side, is crucial to making it go fast, and paddling so hard that you lose control of those things is counterproductive.
Meanwhile, I felt quite tired yesterday even though I'd just had several relaxing, low-intensity days at Calico Rock. I checked my weight and I was three or four pounds below normal... hmmm.
I met Meghan at the marina and we paddled together for 35 minutes. After she left I did four pieces in the harbor from the monorail bridge to the Hernando DeSoto Bridge (a little less than 500 meters). In the first couple of pieces I paddled as hard as I could with a high (for me) stroke rate; my times were 2:05 and 2:03. For the third one I decided to back off the stroke rate and take longer, smoother strokes, and my time was 1:59. I did the same in the fourth piece, and clocked about 2:01.
It was a reminder that paddling harder and faster does not always produce faster times. Keeping the boat running smoothly, without bobbing up and down or rolling side-to-side, is crucial to making it go fast, and paddling so hard that you lose control of those things is counterproductive.
Meanwhile, I felt quite tired yesterday even though I'd just had several relaxing, low-intensity days at Calico Rock. I checked my weight and I was three or four pounds below normal... hmmm.
Low water on the White
The reason for the lull in posting this week is that Martha and I spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the River View Hotel in Calico Rock, Arkansas. We paddled our boats on the White River on Wednesday and Thursday, and otherwise just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful weather.
The White River at Calico Rock will be the site of a big racing weekend on June 23-24. On Saturday morning, the United States Canoe Association's Aluminum Canoe Nationals will tear up the White, followed by the Arkansas "Big Dog" Canoe and Kayak Race that afternoon. On Sunday morning the traditional "Big Dog" C2 Race will take place.
The water on Wednesday was very low (around 1000 cfs at Calico Rock, according to the USGS), and our friends at the River View tell us it's been that way all spring. If it's like that on June 23-24, racers will have enough water to race on, but the bottom-drag will be tough. On Thursday we found more water flowing down the White (around 1200 cfs). I hope the demand for electricity will be sufficient for the damkeepers up at Bull Shoals and Norfork to let it flow next month.
The White River on Wednesday, between Red's Landing and Calico Rock. Normal summertime dam releases make the water three or four feet deeper here.
Martha loves to paddle on the White River.
Martha took this photo from Lovers' Leap in Calico Rock, just above the Arkansas Highway 5 bridge, on Thursday morning. The gravel bar in the lower left of the picture had been much bigger the day before.
The White River at Calico Rock will be the site of a big racing weekend on June 23-24. On Saturday morning, the United States Canoe Association's Aluminum Canoe Nationals will tear up the White, followed by the Arkansas "Big Dog" Canoe and Kayak Race that afternoon. On Sunday morning the traditional "Big Dog" C2 Race will take place.
The water on Wednesday was very low (around 1000 cfs at Calico Rock, according to the USGS), and our friends at the River View tell us it's been that way all spring. If it's like that on June 23-24, racers will have enough water to race on, but the bottom-drag will be tough. On Thursday we found more water flowing down the White (around 1200 cfs). I hope the demand for electricity will be sufficient for the damkeepers up at Bull Shoals and Norfork to let it flow next month.
The White River on Wednesday, between Red's Landing and Calico Rock. Normal summertime dam releases make the water three or four feet deeper here.
Martha loves to paddle on the White River.
Martha took this photo from Lovers' Leap in Calico Rock, just above the Arkansas Highway 5 bridge, on Thursday morning. The gravel bar in the lower left of the picture had been much bigger the day before.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Cutting the volume
Today I did six laps of the May strength circuit and paddled for 55 minutes. Joe and I did eight 75-second pieces with 45 seconds recovery. This amounted to a "lactic tolerance" workout; my hope is it will help me withstand the lactic burn as I dig for the finish line in the last few hundred meters of the coming races.
For most of this season I have done my workouts in the middle of much longer (90 minutes or more) paddling sessions, but I'm starting to trim that down now that the big races are just around the corner. I'm still revving my engines hard, but I'm trying to get more rest the rest of the day.
The best college running coach I had was very insistent on running workout sessions as efficiently as possible--warm up, do the workout, cool down, and go home. Lingering at practice just wasted energy, he believed, and it was better to give everything you had to training for an hour or less and then go back to studying or partying or whatever else you did with the rest of your life.
Since paddling is both lower impact and more technical than running, I think there is value in some long paddles to precede and follow up a hard workout. But when the big races are coming up, and I need all the rest I can get when the training is at its most intense, I take my old college coach's advice and keep my session in the boat short and sweet.
For most of this season I have done my workouts in the middle of much longer (90 minutes or more) paddling sessions, but I'm starting to trim that down now that the big races are just around the corner. I'm still revving my engines hard, but I'm trying to get more rest the rest of the day.
The best college running coach I had was very insistent on running workout sessions as efficiently as possible--warm up, do the workout, cool down, and go home. Lingering at practice just wasted energy, he believed, and it was better to give everything you had to training for an hour or less and then go back to studying or partying or whatever else you did with the rest of your life.
Since paddling is both lower impact and more technical than running, I think there is value in some long paddles to precede and follow up a hard workout. But when the big races are coming up, and I need all the rest I can get when the training is at its most intense, I take my old college coach's advice and keep my session in the boat short and sweet.
U.S. Olympic Team update
USA Canoe-Kayak had hoped to add a second paddler to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team this past weekend. But Ryan Dolan and Tim Hornsby, the two contenders for the Olympic spot in men's 200-meter single kayak, both failed to make at least the "B" final, one of the conditions for Olympic nomination, at the first World Cup race at Poznan, Poland.
In international regattas, the athletes with the nine best semifinal performances advance to the "A" final, which determines places 1 through 9 for the event. The second nine racers compete in the "B" final for places 10-18, and the next nine make the "C" final. Dolan and Hornsby both made the "C" final.
And so Carrie Johnson of San Diego remains the only athlete to have officially punched her ticket to the London Games for now. She will compete in the women's 500-meter single kayak. Dolan and Hornsby will try again at World Cup No. 2 at Duisburg, Germany, this coming weekend. The complete results of the Poznan World Cup event are here (look on the left side of the page).
The U.S. Olympians in whitewater slalom, meanwhile, will be determined at World Cup No. 1 at Cardiff, Wales, on June 8-10.
In international regattas, the athletes with the nine best semifinal performances advance to the "A" final, which determines places 1 through 9 for the event. The second nine racers compete in the "B" final for places 10-18, and the next nine make the "C" final. Dolan and Hornsby both made the "C" final.
And so Carrie Johnson of San Diego remains the only athlete to have officially punched her ticket to the London Games for now. She will compete in the women's 500-meter single kayak. Dolan and Hornsby will try again at World Cup No. 2 at Duisburg, Germany, this coming weekend. The complete results of the Poznan World Cup event are here (look on the left side of the page).
The U.S. Olympians in whitewater slalom, meanwhile, will be determined at World Cup No. 1 at Cardiff, Wales, on June 8-10.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Monday Photo Feature
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Lethargic
I woke up tired this morning, partly because I was up later than usual. Live from Memphis was putting on its second annual "Bikesploitation" film festival, and I went to that (on my bike, of course). Then I came home and listened to the St. Louis Cardinals play some dreadful baseball against the Dodgers in a late game on the west coast.
So this morning I labored through my strength circuit (I'm up to six laps now) and then drove to the river for a 100-minute paddling session. For the first half hour or more I felt incredibly sluggish and even light-headed in the boat, but eventually I rallied for a good second half.
Tomorrow is a day off, and I'm glad.
So this morning I labored through my strength circuit (I'm up to six laps now) and then drove to the river for a 100-minute paddling session. For the first half hour or more I felt incredibly sluggish and even light-headed in the boat, but eventually I rallied for a good second half.
Tomorrow is a day off, and I'm glad.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Good and loose
The Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race is two weeks from today. The Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race is four weeks from today.
I knew today would be another hot one, but it was a nice morning again. Perfect for a bike ride down to the river for some paddling.
In fact, this run of weather has been good for athletes in sports other than mine. Yesterday a state record fell in high school track, as the Southwind High School boys ran 1:26.01 in the 4 x 200-meter relay at their regional meet. "Day was warm, and I was feeling good and loose," said anchorman Jimmy Keys, who wound up as the meet's MVP.
I'm probably not feeling as good and loose as Keys--my back is still a little sore, and I'm tired in my shoulders from yesterday's workout--but I have to say my spirits are high with this good weather and the big races coming up. Today I did an easy 60-minute paddle and enjoyed the nice day on the water.
I knew today would be another hot one, but it was a nice morning again. Perfect for a bike ride down to the river for some paddling.
In fact, this run of weather has been good for athletes in sports other than mine. Yesterday a state record fell in high school track, as the Southwind High School boys ran 1:26.01 in the 4 x 200-meter relay at their regional meet. "Day was warm, and I was feeling good and loose," said anchorman Jimmy Keys, who wound up as the meet's MVP.
I'm probably not feeling as good and loose as Keys--my back is still a little sore, and I'm tired in my shoulders from yesterday's workout--but I have to say my spirits are high with this good weather and the big races coming up. Today I did an easy 60-minute paddle and enjoyed the nice day on the water.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Bike to work(out)
It's a bright sunny day here, and getting warm enough to push the limits of comfort this afternoon. But this morning was glorious.
My friend Meghan wanted to get together and paddle this morning and she was on a tight schedule, so I'd been leaning toward driving to the river to make sure I didn't keep her waiting. But then, looking at this morning's paper, I remembered that this is National Bike to Work Day, and decided I couldn't not ride. I also had to ride a mile in the opposite direction to feed my mother's cats (she's out of town), so just like that I was on a tight schedule. But in the end I made it to the dock with a few minutes to spare.
My bike is a pretty basic one. It's a mountain bike, but not a "fancy" one with the shock absorbers and all that stuff. And I don't do much trail riding with it; I mostly just ride around Midtown and Downtown Memphis. Years ago, after I'd finished college and graduate school and settled down back in Memphis, I knew I wanted to own a decent bike, but I didn't want to spend thousands of dollars on a fancy model and all the accessories like the shoes and what have you. I figured I had the time, energy, and money to be serious about one sport, and for me that sport always was and always will be paddling. So I got the bike I'm still riding today, and it has served me well.
There was an interesting interview on NPR this morning (in observance of National Bike to Work Day) with a guy named Grant Petersen, who has written a book on bike commuting. I thought it was really interesting because he made the same points I had made for myself regarding biking. He urged the audience to avoid space-age bicycle technology if all they want to do is use a bike to go to work or run errands. I'll second that.
Anyway... I made my own bike commute today, as I have enjoyed doing the last several weeks. Meghan and I paddled together for about 35 minutes. My back was still stiff as we got started but it loosened up nicely as we paddled along on this exceptionally pleasant morning. When Meghan had to leave, I went back to the dock and did some stretching, then got back in the boat and did eight 2-minute pieces with 90-second recovery. I did the first two pieces in the harbor (flatwater), the next three going up the Mississippi along the Tennessee bank, and the last three coming back down the Mississippi. There were some waves out on the river from some towboat traffic that had moved through, but I felt like I was moving the boat well.
I completed my commute with the ride back home. My back has continued to feel better.
My friend Meghan wanted to get together and paddle this morning and she was on a tight schedule, so I'd been leaning toward driving to the river to make sure I didn't keep her waiting. But then, looking at this morning's paper, I remembered that this is National Bike to Work Day, and decided I couldn't not ride. I also had to ride a mile in the opposite direction to feed my mother's cats (she's out of town), so just like that I was on a tight schedule. But in the end I made it to the dock with a few minutes to spare.
My bike is a pretty basic one. It's a mountain bike, but not a "fancy" one with the shock absorbers and all that stuff. And I don't do much trail riding with it; I mostly just ride around Midtown and Downtown Memphis. Years ago, after I'd finished college and graduate school and settled down back in Memphis, I knew I wanted to own a decent bike, but I didn't want to spend thousands of dollars on a fancy model and all the accessories like the shoes and what have you. I figured I had the time, energy, and money to be serious about one sport, and for me that sport always was and always will be paddling. So I got the bike I'm still riding today, and it has served me well.
There was an interesting interview on NPR this morning (in observance of National Bike to Work Day) with a guy named Grant Petersen, who has written a book on bike commuting. I thought it was really interesting because he made the same points I had made for myself regarding biking. He urged the audience to avoid space-age bicycle technology if all they want to do is use a bike to go to work or run errands. I'll second that.
Anyway... I made my own bike commute today, as I have enjoyed doing the last several weeks. Meghan and I paddled together for about 35 minutes. My back was still stiff as we got started but it loosened up nicely as we paddled along on this exceptionally pleasant morning. When Meghan had to leave, I went back to the dock and did some stretching, then got back in the boat and did eight 2-minute pieces with 90-second recovery. I did the first two pieces in the harbor (flatwater), the next three going up the Mississippi along the Tennessee bank, and the last three coming back down the Mississippi. There were some waves out on the river from some towboat traffic that had moved through, but I felt like I was moving the boat well.
I completed my commute with the ride back home. My back has continued to feel better.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Stiff as a board
Yesterday I did a nice 45-minute recovery paddle.
Today I woke up with bad stiffness in my back. I've mentioned in the past that I often have some lower back soreness, but today it's in the middle of my back, right along my spine. I can't think of anything I did yesterday that might have caused it; maybe I just slept on it wrong.
Anyway, I did five laps of the May strength circuit today, and I hope I'll be up for a workout in the boat tomorrow.
Today I woke up with bad stiffness in my back. I've mentioned in the past that I often have some lower back soreness, but today it's in the middle of my back, right along my spine. I can't think of anything I did yesterday that might have caused it; maybe I just slept on it wrong.
Anyway, I did five laps of the May strength circuit today, and I hope I'll be up for a workout in the boat tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Outfitting the tandem kayak, Part 10: Making the hatch lids
To make the hatch lids, I start with the pieces of deck that I cut out to make the hatch openings. The finished hatch rims are larger that these cutouts, so I need to build the cutouts outward to fit over the rims.
Using some scrap plywood that I have lying around the shop, I make templates in the shape of the hatch openings (the stern hatch template is shown here; the pictures in this post all pertain to the stern hatch). I will stick the deck cutout onto the template with a hot glue gun. I have applied postal tape around the edges to create a "non-stick" surface where I will be laying resin-saturated Kevlar and fiberglass to build the lid outward from the cutout. The template is cut into halves because the deck cutout has a slight ridge on it and I want the template to fit up into that ridge.
I have now built the lid outward with strips of Kevlar to cover the entire template. I will use a sharp knife to trim the rough edges flush with the template.
Here is the lid after I have trimmed the edges and popped it off the plywood template. The darker material is the original hatch cutout. There is still some hot glue gun reside on it that I will chisel off.
Now, I need to make a "lip" on the lid that will fit down over the hatch rim, like a trash can lid fits down over a trash can.
Here's the method I dreamed up to create this "lip." I have taken scrap pieces of two-by-four lumber and cut them to fit the lid's curves, covered them with postal take to make them non-stick, and hot-glued them around the edges of the rim. I was very glad to have my bandsaw for cutting these curves. As a woodworker I have other tools with which I could have done the job, but I confess I don't know how I would tell a non-woodworker to do this.
After laying on a couple of layers of fiberglass, I pop the lid off this "mold." Now that the shape has been established, I can continue to add fiberglass layers without the mold until I have achieved the desired thickness.
After reinforcing the lip, I cover the top with a layer of fiberglass, using peel-ply to leave a nice smooth surface. Here is the finished lid after the lip has been trimmed for a nice-looking fit over the hatch rim.
It's good to treat the exterior parts of a composite boat with some sort of wax or other protectant. For this lid, I'm trying out a new product distributed from right here in Memphis by my friend Gino Bauwens. His company offers the "Kayak Protector" pictured here, as well as a "Kayak Cleaner" and several related items, for sale here.
Whew! I'm finished! Oh, wait... no I'm not. I still need to make and install the straps that hold the lips in place on the hatch rims.
Time for a little more sewing. I have bought some nylon webbing at Outdoors, Inc., which sells it by the foot. Using the same needles and thread I used for the neoprene hatch covers, I sew on the female part of a "fastex" buckle.
I also sew a loop at the other end of each strap to attach to this little nylon bracket that attaches to the boat with screws. I expect you can buy these brackets, as well as fastex buckles, all kinds of places; I bought them from a website called topkayaker.net.
And here it is... the stern hatch lid, on top of the stern hatch neoprene cover, on top of the stern hatch! All of which I constructed in this project!
Here's the completed bow hatch. The lid doesn't look quite as nice as the one on the stern hatch because of the contrast between the new Kevlar and the Kevlar in the original deck cutout (I made this lid first, and then, learning from this result, covered the stern lid with a single piece of Kevlar). But it's finished, and it's functional. Yahoo!
Using some scrap plywood that I have lying around the shop, I make templates in the shape of the hatch openings (the stern hatch template is shown here; the pictures in this post all pertain to the stern hatch). I will stick the deck cutout onto the template with a hot glue gun. I have applied postal tape around the edges to create a "non-stick" surface where I will be laying resin-saturated Kevlar and fiberglass to build the lid outward from the cutout. The template is cut into halves because the deck cutout has a slight ridge on it and I want the template to fit up into that ridge.
I have now built the lid outward with strips of Kevlar to cover the entire template. I will use a sharp knife to trim the rough edges flush with the template.
Here is the lid after I have trimmed the edges and popped it off the plywood template. The darker material is the original hatch cutout. There is still some hot glue gun reside on it that I will chisel off.
Now, I need to make a "lip" on the lid that will fit down over the hatch rim, like a trash can lid fits down over a trash can.
After laying on a couple of layers of fiberglass, I pop the lid off this "mold." Now that the shape has been established, I can continue to add fiberglass layers without the mold until I have achieved the desired thickness.
After reinforcing the lip, I cover the top with a layer of fiberglass, using peel-ply to leave a nice smooth surface. Here is the finished lid after the lip has been trimmed for a nice-looking fit over the hatch rim.
It's good to treat the exterior parts of a composite boat with some sort of wax or other protectant. For this lid, I'm trying out a new product distributed from right here in Memphis by my friend Gino Bauwens. His company offers the "Kayak Protector" pictured here, as well as a "Kayak Cleaner" and several related items, for sale here.
Whew! I'm finished! Oh, wait... no I'm not. I still need to make and install the straps that hold the lips in place on the hatch rims.
Time for a little more sewing. I have bought some nylon webbing at Outdoors, Inc., which sells it by the foot. Using the same needles and thread I used for the neoprene hatch covers, I sew on the female part of a "fastex" buckle.
And here it is... the stern hatch lid, on top of the stern hatch neoprene cover, on top of the stern hatch! All of which I constructed in this project!
Here's the completed bow hatch. The lid doesn't look quite as nice as the one on the stern hatch because of the contrast between the new Kevlar and the Kevlar in the original deck cutout (I made this lid first, and then, learning from this result, covered the stern lid with a single piece of Kevlar). But it's finished, and it's functional. Yahoo!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Varying the intensity
Today I did five laps of the May strength circuit, and then rode my bike down to the dock to join Joe for a workout. We did eight three-minute pieces with three-minute recovery; we did the first two minutes of each piece at anaerobic threshold, then picked it up to sub-maximum intensity for the third minute.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Monday Photo Feature
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Breathing hard all morning
It was a morning full of aerobic work. It started with five laps of the May strength circuit, followed by a bike ride down to the river, where I paddled for 130 minutes. For the first time in a while, the river is high enough for me to paddle around the Loosahatchie Bar. The bike ride back home completed the day's exercise.
Somebody brought it to my attention that people who don't use "Blogger" were blocked from posting comments on this site. I checked my settings and I think I've got that fixed now. Sorry--I'm still learning here.
Somebody brought it to my attention that people who don't use "Blogger" were blocked from posting comments on this site. I checked my settings and I think I've got that fixed now. Sorry--I'm still learning here.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Setting goals
The Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and KayakRace is five weeks from today. This is the race I'm really pointing
to in my training. I think every athlete should have some sort of
goal for each competitive season. The body is not capable of
performing at its best at all times, so it makes sense to select a
small number of times each year to have it ready for peak
performance.
Back when I was a high school and
college distance runner, setting goals wasn't that hard to do.
Sports at the college and secondary levels are structured with
obvious achievements to aspire to. A high school runner has regional
and state titles to shoot for as well as all-region and all-state
teams to try to make. Even less-talented runners can improve their
times in the various distances and can help their teams do well in
the big meets. For a college runner, there's the challenge of being
all-conference and qualifying for the NCAA championships.
But once college is over, athletic
goals suddenly are not so clear. And in canoe and kayak racing, a
much smaller sport than running, deciding what to shoot for is that
much tougher. Unless you're on track to make national and Olympic
teams, your race offerings tend to be a disjointed set of events that
don't lead to any particular title.
My response is to pick an event with
high-quality competition and train to be at my very best when the day
of that event arrives. I am fortunate that such an event happens
each year in my hometown: the opportunity to test myself against the
competition in the OICKR, and to promote the sport here by placing a
Memphian as high in the field as possible, is plenty of motivation
for me to be prepared for this race.
Of course, winning this race is all but
out of the question for me as long as people like Olympic champion
Greg Barton and three-time Olympian Mike Herbert keep showing up.
But the hidden blessing here is that I am forced to evaluate my
achievements on my own, and find internal happiness with my successes
rather than have them validated by titles or medals.
In any case, I think setting goals for
the season is a good idea. Pick a race that you really want to focus
on and do well in, and structure your training plan accordingly. It
makes training a lot more fun and there's much satisfaction in seeing
through a plan from start to finish.
Catching up
Sorry for the several days of silence. Allow me to bring you up to date:
On Wednesday, I did a 60-minute paddle to recover from Tuesday's workout.
On Thursday, I did four laps of the May strength circuit, and then rode my bike down to the river for a 100-minute paddling session with Joe. We did a "pyramid" workout: pieces of 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and 1 minute with a 2-minute recovery interval.
On Friday, I rode my bike down to the river and paddled for 100 minutes.
The river is on a nice rise this week. After sitting around three or four feet on the Memphis gauge for what felt like forever, it's coming up and is forecast to hit 17 feet by Monday. During yesterday's session I paddled up into the lower end of the Loosahatchie Chute, an area that was nothing but sandbars when the water was low.
One other thing to catch up on: race results have been posted for my last two races. The results of the Gator Bait Waterfest Regatta on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Ridgeland, Mississippi, are here. The results of the Bluz Cruz Marathon on the Mississippi River at Vicksburg are here.
On Wednesday, I did a 60-minute paddle to recover from Tuesday's workout.
On Thursday, I did four laps of the May strength circuit, and then rode my bike down to the river for a 100-minute paddling session with Joe. We did a "pyramid" workout: pieces of 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and 1 minute with a 2-minute recovery interval.
On Friday, I rode my bike down to the river and paddled for 100 minutes.
The river is on a nice rise this week. After sitting around three or four feet on the Memphis gauge for what felt like forever, it's coming up and is forecast to hit 17 feet by Monday. During yesterday's session I paddled up into the lower end of the Loosahatchie Chute, an area that was nothing but sandbars when the water was low.
One other thing to catch up on: race results have been posted for my last two races. The results of the Gator Bait Waterfest Regatta on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Ridgeland, Mississippi, are here. The results of the Bluz Cruz Marathon on the Mississippi River at Vicksburg are here.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Who actually reads this thing?
Today I did four laps of the May strength circuit, then rode my bike down to the river for an 80-minute paddle with Joe. We did eight 2-minute pieces with 90-second recovery. These workouts start to hurt a little when the recovery interval gets shorter than the work interval. My arms were feeling pretty rubbery during the last three pieces.
This blog has a "hit counter," and I used to get really excited whenever it shot up, but then I realized what veteran bloggers probably know well: a lot of the "traffic" comes from spam sites. I don't want to cajole anybody who prefers to remain unknown, but I am curious to know how many actual people are reading this blog. Some people have told me when I bumped into them somewhere, and I appreciate that. I'll just add that the comments section, which has been very quiet here, is a fine way to let me know.
This blog has a "hit counter," and I used to get really excited whenever it shot up, but then I realized what veteran bloggers probably know well: a lot of the "traffic" comes from spam sites. I don't want to cajole anybody who prefers to remain unknown, but I am curious to know how many actual people are reading this blog. Some people have told me when I bumped into them somewhere, and I appreciate that. I'll just add that the comments section, which has been very quiet here, is a fine way to let me know.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Outfitting the tandem kayak, Part 9: Making the neoprene hatch covers, continued
Okay... my attention has been divided among many different things lately, but I'm still inching along on this boat-outfitting project. When we last visited the project back on April 19, I had started making the neoprene hatch covers, and was unsatisfied with the first set I had made. I had made them by folding the neoprene into a hem over the shock cord and gluing it in place. They just seemed too bulky to me.
The type of sprayskirt I have always preferred is the kind that has the shock cord sewn onto the neoprene, like these skirts pictured here that I use with my slalom C-1, and I decided I wanted to make my hatch covers that way. I found this web page with instructions for making a skirt in this fashion.
Following these instructions, I cut out two pieces of MDF in the shape of the hatch rim.
I cut a length of shock cord to fit the hatch rim and closed the loop with a stainless steel clip. I bought both the shock cord and a dozen clips from Sweet Composites. I also often buy shock cord here in Memphis from Outdoors, Inc., but since I was already ordering a bunch of other stuff from Sweet, it made sense to let them sell me some shock cord, too.
Next, I cut a piece of 1/8" neoprene in the shape of the MDF template, with about an inch border around the edges. The neoprene is also a Sweet Composites purchase--they sell it by the yard from rolls.
I stretch the shock cord around one of the pieces of MDF, and loop a piece of nylon webbing (recycled from a roof-rack strap whose buckle had broken) through it. The webbing will be the grab loop for pulling the cover off the hatch coaming.
Then I sandwich the neoprene between the MDF with the shock cord on it and the other piece. Spring clamps keep it all together.
Time to start sewing the shock cord to the neoprene. This is a slow, tedious process that I spread out over a few days.
I use waxed nylon thread that I bought at my local Tandy Leather Factory store. They sold me the appropriate needles as well.
Each stitch requires no small bit of persuasion. I use a pair of needle-nose pliers and Martha's antique thimble to get the needle through.
The hardest part is sewing through the grab loop, the cord, and the neoprene.
At last, the boat has hatch covers. Now it's time to make the protective lids that fit over them.
The type of sprayskirt I have always preferred is the kind that has the shock cord sewn onto the neoprene, like these skirts pictured here that I use with my slalom C-1, and I decided I wanted to make my hatch covers that way. I found this web page with instructions for making a skirt in this fashion.
Following these instructions, I cut out two pieces of MDF in the shape of the hatch rim.
I cut a length of shock cord to fit the hatch rim and closed the loop with a stainless steel clip. I bought both the shock cord and a dozen clips from Sweet Composites. I also often buy shock cord here in Memphis from Outdoors, Inc., but since I was already ordering a bunch of other stuff from Sweet, it made sense to let them sell me some shock cord, too.
Next, I cut a piece of 1/8" neoprene in the shape of the MDF template, with about an inch border around the edges. The neoprene is also a Sweet Composites purchase--they sell it by the yard from rolls.
I stretch the shock cord around one of the pieces of MDF, and loop a piece of nylon webbing (recycled from a roof-rack strap whose buckle had broken) through it. The webbing will be the grab loop for pulling the cover off the hatch coaming.
Then I sandwich the neoprene between the MDF with the shock cord on it and the other piece. Spring clamps keep it all together.
Time to start sewing the shock cord to the neoprene. This is a slow, tedious process that I spread out over a few days.
I use waxed nylon thread that I bought at my local Tandy Leather Factory store. They sold me the appropriate needles as well.
Each stitch requires no small bit of persuasion. I use a pair of needle-nose pliers and Martha's antique thimble to get the needle through.
The hardest part is sewing through the grab loop, the cord, and the neoprene.
At last, the boat has hatch covers. Now it's time to make the protective lids that fit over them.
Monday Photo Feature
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Pedaling and paddling
This morning I did four laps of the May strength circuit, then rode my bike down to the river, where I paddled for 80 minutes. It's about a 20- to 25-minute bike ride from my house to the marina, so the round trip adds 45 or 50 minutes of additional aerobic exercise.
Tomorrow is a day off, and I'm looking forward to it after a rather taxing four-day stretch.
Tomorrow is a day off, and I'm looking forward to it after a rather taxing four-day stretch.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Carp bombing
I didn't ride my bike to the river today. I had to drive my mother to the airport this morning, so I just drove to the river from there. Maybe tomorrow.
Today I paddled my boat for 130 minutes, during which time I did eight three-minute pieces. I did the first two minutes of each piece at anaerobic threshold, and the third minute at sub-maximum (i.e., not quite all-out) intensity. The recovery interval was three minutes.
One of the hazards of paddling on the Mississippi River is the Asian carp, an invasive species of fish that has proliferated in the last ten years. They like to hang out near the bank in the eddies and shallows, and they are very excitable on warm days like today. As I paddled upriver by the bank along the Greenbelt Park, a five- or six-pounder leapt right over my bow, maybe a foot from my face. A few minutes later another one, about the same size as the first, exploded from the water on my right, glancing violently off my boat in the process, then swam underneath my boat, banging around against the hull and rudder for a couple of seconds. I was worried that he might have broken my boat, but fortunately he hadn't.
I need to start paddling with one of those Go Pro cameras on my boat. Sooner or later I'll capture an Asian carp jumping over the bow, and it will be a You Tube sensation.
Today I paddled my boat for 130 minutes, during which time I did eight three-minute pieces. I did the first two minutes of each piece at anaerobic threshold, and the third minute at sub-maximum (i.e., not quite all-out) intensity. The recovery interval was three minutes.
One of the hazards of paddling on the Mississippi River is the Asian carp, an invasive species of fish that has proliferated in the last ten years. They like to hang out near the bank in the eddies and shallows, and they are very excitable on warm days like today. As I paddled upriver by the bank along the Greenbelt Park, a five- or six-pounder leapt right over my bow, maybe a foot from my face. A few minutes later another one, about the same size as the first, exploded from the water on my right, glancing violently off my boat in the process, then swam underneath my boat, banging around against the hull and rudder for a couple of seconds. I was worried that he might have broken my boat, but fortunately he hadn't.
I need to start paddling with one of those Go Pro cameras on my boat. Sooner or later I'll capture an Asian carp jumping over the bow, and it will be a You Tube sensation.
Friday, May 4, 2012
More on "bonking"
Today I rode my bike down to the river and did a 75-minute recovery paddle. I ought to ride my bike down there more often, but it seems to require just enough advance planning that I tend not to. One of the nice things about keeping my boat down at the marina is that I don't need my car to carry it down there every day. And now we've even got bike lanes on North Parkway, the main route from my house to the marina. So we'll see if I can start a habit with today's ride.
The other day I mentioned that I had "bonked" a couple of times in Vicksburg. Most canoe and kayak racers know the meaning of that expression, but for anybody who doesn't I'll elaborate a little.
"Bonking" is the same thing as what marathon runners call "hitting the wall." As this Wikipedia page explains, it's "a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy."
Basically, an athlete who has bonked is physically unable to compete any longer, and must redirect his or her efforts to simply getting to the finish line or, in more extreme cases, to surviving until the necessary help arrives. The race is not necessarily over for a bonked athlete; like I said in my post last Saturday, I had built big enough leads in those Vicksburg races that I was able to amble to the finish line before being caught by another paddler. But if that athlete is in a tight race with a competitor who has not bonked, the chances for victory are over.
The nice thing about those Vicksburg "bonks" is that they happened with only about a mile to go in the race. On four occasions I have bonked with much greater distances in front of me. My first "bonk" in a canoe and kayak race occurred in December of 2001 at about Mile 9 of the 12-mile Captiva Classic off Captiva Island near Fort Myers, Florida. The second happened the following summer, with maybe six miles to go in a 22-kilometer (about 13.7-mile) race in southern Ontario. The third came in May of 2009 around Mile 27 in a 35-mile race on the White River near Allison, Arkansas. The fourth occurred last summer just over half way through the 18-mile Chicago Shoreline Marathon on Lake Michigan.
The reason I remember these episodes so well is that each of them was keenly unpleasant in a very memorable way. Certainly the physical discomfort was considerable, but the psychological part of it is what I really remember. Each time, the thoughts going through my mind were of utter despair. As I limped along through mile after endless mile, with paddlers I had left behind hours before cruising past me, I emitted silent whimpers of self-pity and cursed my decision to enter the race in the first place.
At the turn of the century I was still new to open water/marathon/surf ski racing and hadn't really done any races longer than the three-mile Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race. So in the Captiva Island and Ontario races, bonking was a result of my inexperience. I took no fluids, not even water, in the boat with me. I have since learned that a participant in these longer races must ingest something in-race to extend the limit of his glycogen stores. Some people actually take solid snacks in the boat with them--fruit, trail mix, energy bars, stuff like that. I don't like to chew solid food during exercise, and I personally think that "Gu" stuff is disgusting, so I stick with liquids, usually some gatorade diluted with water in a camel back bag.
With these libations on board, I went the next seven years after that Ontario debacle without bonking in a race. Then, in a moment of temporary insanity, I decided to enter that 35-mile race on the White River. Even with my standard mixture of gatorade and water, I just couldn't last. The lesson I took from that experience is simply not to do races that long. I don't enjoy them. I do not share the opinion that a longer race is a more worthwhile race. If you like to spend a third or more of your day sitting in a boat hammering away with a paddle, that's your prerogative, but ultra-marathon events are not my cup of tea.
In Chicago last August, I was victimized by both my own tactical errors and simple bad luck. I went out too hard, stubbornly trying to hang with guys who were out of my league, and then my camel back let me down: about a third of the way in, I looked down and discovered that my tube was dangling in the water, and the bite valve had come off and all my fluids had drained away. I was already struggling by the time I reached the turnaround point, and the bonk I knew was coming hit me with a good eight miles to go. It was my worst bonk ever. I actually stopped to beg water from a safety boater, and later stopped at a beach just to stand up for a few minutes. I did eventually limp across the finish line, but for all practical purposes I was a "DNF" in that race.
Anyway, I hope the reader has learned something from this description of "bonking" and my personal experience with the phenomenon.
The other day I mentioned that I had "bonked" a couple of times in Vicksburg. Most canoe and kayak racers know the meaning of that expression, but for anybody who doesn't I'll elaborate a little.
"Bonking" is the same thing as what marathon runners call "hitting the wall." As this Wikipedia page explains, it's "a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy."
Basically, an athlete who has bonked is physically unable to compete any longer, and must redirect his or her efforts to simply getting to the finish line or, in more extreme cases, to surviving until the necessary help arrives. The race is not necessarily over for a bonked athlete; like I said in my post last Saturday, I had built big enough leads in those Vicksburg races that I was able to amble to the finish line before being caught by another paddler. But if that athlete is in a tight race with a competitor who has not bonked, the chances for victory are over.
The nice thing about those Vicksburg "bonks" is that they happened with only about a mile to go in the race. On four occasions I have bonked with much greater distances in front of me. My first "bonk" in a canoe and kayak race occurred in December of 2001 at about Mile 9 of the 12-mile Captiva Classic off Captiva Island near Fort Myers, Florida. The second happened the following summer, with maybe six miles to go in a 22-kilometer (about 13.7-mile) race in southern Ontario. The third came in May of 2009 around Mile 27 in a 35-mile race on the White River near Allison, Arkansas. The fourth occurred last summer just over half way through the 18-mile Chicago Shoreline Marathon on Lake Michigan.
The reason I remember these episodes so well is that each of them was keenly unpleasant in a very memorable way. Certainly the physical discomfort was considerable, but the psychological part of it is what I really remember. Each time, the thoughts going through my mind were of utter despair. As I limped along through mile after endless mile, with paddlers I had left behind hours before cruising past me, I emitted silent whimpers of self-pity and cursed my decision to enter the race in the first place.
At the turn of the century I was still new to open water/marathon/surf ski racing and hadn't really done any races longer than the three-mile Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race. So in the Captiva Island and Ontario races, bonking was a result of my inexperience. I took no fluids, not even water, in the boat with me. I have since learned that a participant in these longer races must ingest something in-race to extend the limit of his glycogen stores. Some people actually take solid snacks in the boat with them--fruit, trail mix, energy bars, stuff like that. I don't like to chew solid food during exercise, and I personally think that "Gu" stuff is disgusting, so I stick with liquids, usually some gatorade diluted with water in a camel back bag.
With these libations on board, I went the next seven years after that Ontario debacle without bonking in a race. Then, in a moment of temporary insanity, I decided to enter that 35-mile race on the White River. Even with my standard mixture of gatorade and water, I just couldn't last. The lesson I took from that experience is simply not to do races that long. I don't enjoy them. I do not share the opinion that a longer race is a more worthwhile race. If you like to spend a third or more of your day sitting in a boat hammering away with a paddle, that's your prerogative, but ultra-marathon events are not my cup of tea.
In Chicago last August, I was victimized by both my own tactical errors and simple bad luck. I went out too hard, stubbornly trying to hang with guys who were out of my league, and then my camel back let me down: about a third of the way in, I looked down and discovered that my tube was dangling in the water, and the bite valve had come off and all my fluids had drained away. I was already struggling by the time I reached the turnaround point, and the bonk I knew was coming hit me with a good eight miles to go. It was my worst bonk ever. I actually stopped to beg water from a safety boater, and later stopped at a beach just to stand up for a few minutes. I did eventually limp across the finish line, but for all practical purposes I was a "DNF" in that race.
Anyway, I hope the reader has learned something from this description of "bonking" and my personal experience with the phenomenon.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Looking forward to my biggest races
Today I did three laps of the May strength circuit. My hamstrings and quad muscles have been sore since Tuesday because of all the lunges in this new circuit.
Then I went down to the river and paddled for 105 minutes. I spent the first half of the session paddling up to the mouth of the Wolf, and much of that time I felt really tired from the strength workout. But I was starting to find a groove by the time I got to the Wolf. Upon reaching the Wolf I did a set of eight intervals of 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off.
I have two pretty intense races coming up in June: the Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race at Little Rock on June 2 and the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race here at Memphis on June 16. Both races are significantly shorter than the races I have done so far this season (5.5 miles at Little Rock, 3 miles at Memphis). And in neither of these races will I be the favorite to win. I will have to race extremely well just to finish in the pack among some very respectable competition.
So as I train in this next month I will have a couple of main objectives for these races: to go hard off the starting line for as long as I can before I settle into my mid-race pace, and to withstand the lactic burn as I hammer the last mile or so to the finish. My workouts will emphasize speed and lactic endurance, and I will continue to maintain my aerobic base in the meantime.
Then I went down to the river and paddled for 105 minutes. I spent the first half of the session paddling up to the mouth of the Wolf, and much of that time I felt really tired from the strength workout. But I was starting to find a groove by the time I got to the Wolf. Upon reaching the Wolf I did a set of eight intervals of 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off.
I have two pretty intense races coming up in June: the Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race at Little Rock on June 2 and the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race here at Memphis on June 16. Both races are significantly shorter than the races I have done so far this season (5.5 miles at Little Rock, 3 miles at Memphis). And in neither of these races will I be the favorite to win. I will have to race extremely well just to finish in the pack among some very respectable competition.
So as I train in this next month I will have a couple of main objectives for these races: to go hard off the starting line for as long as I can before I settle into my mid-race pace, and to withstand the lactic burn as I hammer the last mile or so to the finish. My workouts will emphasize speed and lactic endurance, and I will continue to maintain my aerobic base in the meantime.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
New strength circuit
Happy May Day, everybody! Time for a new strength circuit. It's warm and dry here in Memphis, so I'm moving it out to the backyard. Today I did three laps of the following circuit:
Hindu pushups, 10 reps
Lunges with cinder block, 10 paces
4-way abdominals, 8 reps
Bent-over rows with cinder block, 2 x 10 reps
Lunges with cinder block, 10 paces
Cleans with cinder block, 10 reps
Lunges with cinder block, 10 paces
There's a video demonstration of Hindu pushups here. There's a video demonstration of lunges here, although I've always done lunges walking forward rather than staying in one spot. I hold the cinder block up over my head. For a demonstration of bent-over rows, look here. And you can see cleans here; I go on to lift the cinder block over my head when I do them, and I don't drop it to the floor afterward--I've only so many cinder blocks.
I think one of the biggest mental obstacles to somebody wanting to start an exercise program is simply having ideas of what to do. In the case of weightlifting and other strength work, I've found it helpful to keep a list of all the different exercises I know. I divide the list into categories of different parts of the body: abdominal exercises, upper torso exercises, biceps and triceps exercises, wrist and forearm exercises, leg exercises, and so on. Then, when it's time to draw up a routine, I pick an exercise or two from each of the categories.
Where, exactly, did I learn the exercises I know? Well, some of them are ones everybody knows: pushups, situps, and pullups, for instance. I learned more as I did weight training for my high school and college cross country teams. As a teacher I also did some coaching, and I learned all kinds of exercises from the coaches of other sports that I worked with.
These days, the Internet makes it easy to learn new exercises. If you google "weight training" or "strength training" or "weight exercises" or something like that, you'll find more information than you want, along with lots of You Tube videos like the ones I've posted above.
Meanwhile, for my in-the-boat workout today, I met Joe down at the riverfront and we paddled in the harbor for 100 minutes. I'll be working back into some more intense stuff as the week goes on.
Hindu pushups, 10 reps
Lunges with cinder block, 10 paces
4-way abdominals, 8 reps
Bent-over rows with cinder block, 2 x 10 reps
Lunges with cinder block, 10 paces
Cleans with cinder block, 10 reps
Lunges with cinder block, 10 paces
There's a video demonstration of Hindu pushups here. There's a video demonstration of lunges here, although I've always done lunges walking forward rather than staying in one spot. I hold the cinder block up over my head. For a demonstration of bent-over rows, look here. And you can see cleans here; I go on to lift the cinder block over my head when I do them, and I don't drop it to the floor afterward--I've only so many cinder blocks.
I think one of the biggest mental obstacles to somebody wanting to start an exercise program is simply having ideas of what to do. In the case of weightlifting and other strength work, I've found it helpful to keep a list of all the different exercises I know. I divide the list into categories of different parts of the body: abdominal exercises, upper torso exercises, biceps and triceps exercises, wrist and forearm exercises, leg exercises, and so on. Then, when it's time to draw up a routine, I pick an exercise or two from each of the categories.
Where, exactly, did I learn the exercises I know? Well, some of them are ones everybody knows: pushups, situps, and pullups, for instance. I learned more as I did weight training for my high school and college cross country teams. As a teacher I also did some coaching, and I learned all kinds of exercises from the coaches of other sports that I worked with.
These days, the Internet makes it easy to learn new exercises. If you google "weight training" or "strength training" or "weight exercises" or something like that, you'll find more information than you want, along with lots of You Tube videos like the ones I've posted above.
Meanwhile, for my in-the-boat workout today, I met Joe down at the riverfront and we paddled in the harbor for 100 minutes. I'll be working back into some more intense stuff as the week goes on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)