The results for Saturday's race are now posted here.
This morning I did two sets of the April strength routine and paddled for 70 minutes. In the boat I did eight intervals of three minutes on, three minutes off, paddling at anaerobic threshold for the first two minutes of each "on" interval and at sub-maximal intensity for the third minute. One thing I've learned over many years of racing at there are many degrees of "hard" paddling: there's "easy" hard and "all-out" hard and everything in between. One thing I try to do in my training is get my body to recognize those "easier" degrees of hard as an opportunity for recovery. During the course of any race there are periods where I'm pushing the pace, doing something close to "all-out" hard, but there are also periods where I'm hanging back, maybe sitting on another paddler's wake for a while, and if I'm in good shape it feels like I'm taking a breather.
Having just done a long race on Saturday, I normally might have waited another day before doing a workout. But tomorrow I'll be spending the day visiting with some family up in Jackson, Tennessee, and later this week my mother and I are driving to North Carolina to see my nephew get his Eagle Scout award, so I want to get a couple of quality sessions in before these forced layoffs.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Monday photo feature
Mike Herbert of Rogers, Arkansas, sets a new course record with his first-place finish at the Bluz Cruz Marathon race on the Mississippi River at Vicksburg this past Saturday. I swiped this photo from the Face Book page of Phil Capel, the bowman in the second-place tandem kayak. My guess is that Phil's lovely wife Robbie snapped the picture.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Up and at 'em
I woke up this morning pretty sore from yesterday's racing. I might have been tempted to spend the entire morning in my motel room drinking coffee and doing nothing in particular. But a student I tutor in math had called me and asked if I could meet with her late this afternoon, so I got busy having breakfast and getting moving so that I could get back to Memphis with time to spare.
By 8:45 AM CDT I was down on the Vicksburg Front, where the race had finished yesterday, putting my boat in the water for a recovery paddle. I paddled down the Yazoo to the Mississippi and continued south below the Interstate 20 bridge, then made my way back upriver along the Louisiana side. I paddled a nice relaxed pace, trying to get a full range of motion in my strokes to work out the soreness, and enjoyed the scenery. I think the riverfront at Vicksburg is just as beautiful as the one at Memphis, maybe even more so.
I could see dark clouds moving in from the northwest, so I decided to ferry back across the river before any lightning appeared. As I paddled back up the Yazoo toward the Vicksburg Front it began to drizzle, and it was quickly becoming a torrential downpour by the time I was taking my boat out of the water after 90 minutes of paddling. I owe my student thanks for getting me moving early and not ending up in the thick of that mess.
By 8:45 AM CDT I was down on the Vicksburg Front, where the race had finished yesterday, putting my boat in the water for a recovery paddle. I paddled down the Yazoo to the Mississippi and continued south below the Interstate 20 bridge, then made my way back upriver along the Louisiana side. I paddled a nice relaxed pace, trying to get a full range of motion in my strokes to work out the soreness, and enjoyed the scenery. I think the riverfront at Vicksburg is just as beautiful as the one at Memphis, maybe even more so.
I could see dark clouds moving in from the northwest, so I decided to ferry back across the river before any lightning appeared. As I paddled back up the Yazoo toward the Vicksburg Front it began to drizzle, and it was quickly becoming a torrential downpour by the time I was taking my boat out of the water after 90 minutes of paddling. I owe my student thanks for getting me moving early and not ending up in the thick of that mess.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
The ninth annual Bluz Cruz Marathon: a record-breaking performance, but not by me
Well, we had another successful Bluz Cruz Marathon canoe and kayak race on the Mississippi River at Vicksburg today. It was great to see friends both old and new. My Training Blog By Elmore extends its deepest gratitude to the race organizers and all the volunteers who made the event possible.
Up at the start, at a place on the Louisiana side of the river called Madison Parish Port, it was clear that the river was up (today's Vicksburg gauge reading was 38 feet). And once the race got started, it was clear that the wind would be a factor. It was largely a beam wind coming from our right, and it had me doing all kinds of little gymnastic moves to keep the boat balanced and moving forward.
The conditions kept my attention and consumed my energy the entire way down. At one point about midway through I very nearly flipped during a half-second lapse in concentration. Nevertheless, as I neared the mouth of the Yazoo River, up which I would paddle the last mile or so to the finish, I saw that I had a shot at bettering the course-record time I set two years ago. With the wind finally at my back on the Yazoo, I paddled as hard and efficiently as I could... and I just missed the record with my time of one hour, 56 minutes, 49 seconds--fifteen seconds slower than the 1:56:34 I clocked two years ago.
But it's silly to get too upset over it. For one thing, I doubt the starting line and finish line are in precisely the same locations year in and year out, and for another, I'm pretty sure the wind conditions were more challenging this year than they were two years ago. This actually might be the best I've ever done in this race.
And it wouldn't have really mattered if I had beaten the course record anyway, for the record was obliterated by Mr. Mike Herbert, who was participating in this race for the first time. Herbert, a three-time Olympian and a three-time medalist at the world championships of flatwater sprint kayaking, came in today under one hour and 52 minutes. I took second, about five minutes back. It was the first time in five tries that I had failed to win the Bluz Cruz race, but anybody who is disappointed over a loss to Mike Herbert is either very, very good or very, very full of himself.
No disappointment here... just elation from having competed well. You can see it on my face in this photo that Joe took of me afterward:
Up at the start, at a place on the Louisiana side of the river called Madison Parish Port, it was clear that the river was up (today's Vicksburg gauge reading was 38 feet). And once the race got started, it was clear that the wind would be a factor. It was largely a beam wind coming from our right, and it had me doing all kinds of little gymnastic moves to keep the boat balanced and moving forward.
The conditions kept my attention and consumed my energy the entire way down. At one point about midway through I very nearly flipped during a half-second lapse in concentration. Nevertheless, as I neared the mouth of the Yazoo River, up which I would paddle the last mile or so to the finish, I saw that I had a shot at bettering the course-record time I set two years ago. With the wind finally at my back on the Yazoo, I paddled as hard and efficiently as I could... and I just missed the record with my time of one hour, 56 minutes, 49 seconds--fifteen seconds slower than the 1:56:34 I clocked two years ago.
But it's silly to get too upset over it. For one thing, I doubt the starting line and finish line are in precisely the same locations year in and year out, and for another, I'm pretty sure the wind conditions were more challenging this year than they were two years ago. This actually might be the best I've ever done in this race.
And it wouldn't have really mattered if I had beaten the course record anyway, for the record was obliterated by Mr. Mike Herbert, who was participating in this race for the first time. Herbert, a three-time Olympian and a three-time medalist at the world championships of flatwater sprint kayaking, came in today under one hour and 52 minutes. I took second, about five minutes back. It was the first time in five tries that I had failed to win the Bluz Cruz race, but anybody who is disappointed over a loss to Mike Herbert is either very, very good or very, very full of himself.
No disappointment here... just elation from having competed well. You can see it on my face in this photo that Joe took of me afterward:
Friday, April 26, 2013
Race tomorrow
This morning I did six short sprints (less than 15 seconds each) in the harbor. Then I put the boat on the car and headed south. If I had had plenty of time, I would have taken the "Blues Highway" (U.S. 61) through the Delta, but I didn't, so I took Interstate 55 to Jackson and I-20 to Vicksburg.
And here I am. The Mississippi is plenty high, and some breezy conditions are forecast for tomorrow, so I expect it will be an exciting contest.
In an effort to relax and promote a good night's sleep tonight, I thought I'd soak in the bathtub in my motel room this evening, only to find that those Super 8 cheapskates have rigged the drain so it won't close. But I'm too smart for them: just so happens I have a pill bottle whose lid fits right into the drain hole, so my tub held water.
Who knows how to stick it to The Man? This guy. That's who.
And here I am. The Mississippi is plenty high, and some breezy conditions are forecast for tomorrow, so I expect it will be an exciting contest.
In an effort to relax and promote a good night's sleep tonight, I thought I'd soak in the bathtub in my motel room this evening, only to find that those Super 8 cheapskates have rigged the drain so it won't close. But I'm too smart for them: just so happens I have a pill bottle whose lid fits right into the drain hole, so my tub held water.
Who knows how to stick it to The Man? This guy. That's who.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Last workout before my next race
This morning I did two sets of the April strength routine and then met Joe down at the dock. We stayed in the harbor again today, paddling for 80 minutes and doing a set of ten 30-second forward sprints with full recovery.
30-second pieces are long enough to make the body produce some lactic acid, but short enough that there shouldn't be too much wear and tear on our bodies ahead of this Saturday's race (Joe will be racing at Vicksburg in a tandem kayak with his wife, Carol Lee). Like I said before, I've been trying to get in some faster pieces so that on Saturday my body can turn over at a suitable rate for 22 miles and not feel like it's working too hard.
This week I received my copy of Canoe News in the U.S. Mail. Canoe News is the magazine that the United States Canoe Association puts out three or four times a year, and this issue contains an article written by yours truly. I wrote up something about the nine-day stretch last June that included the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race here at Memphis and the USCA's Aluminum Nationals on the White River in Arkansas several hours from here. Yes, I know last June was quite some time ago, but the lady who puts Canoe News together spent a big chunk of last year going through cancer treatment, so I think her tardiness can be forgiven.
Anyway, if you would like to get your own copy of this issue of Canoe News, you must join the USCA. Happily, it's very cheap to do so--a mere $20 for a year of standard ("governing") membership. Go join up, and they'll mail Canoe News right out to you.
30-second pieces are long enough to make the body produce some lactic acid, but short enough that there shouldn't be too much wear and tear on our bodies ahead of this Saturday's race (Joe will be racing at Vicksburg in a tandem kayak with his wife, Carol Lee). Like I said before, I've been trying to get in some faster pieces so that on Saturday my body can turn over at a suitable rate for 22 miles and not feel like it's working too hard.
This week I received my copy of Canoe News in the U.S. Mail. Canoe News is the magazine that the United States Canoe Association puts out three or four times a year, and this issue contains an article written by yours truly. I wrote up something about the nine-day stretch last June that included the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race here at Memphis and the USCA's Aluminum Nationals on the White River in Arkansas several hours from here. Yes, I know last June was quite some time ago, but the lady who puts Canoe News together spent a big chunk of last year going through cancer treatment, so I think her tardiness can be forgiven.
Anyway, if you would like to get your own copy of this issue of Canoe News, you must join the USCA. Happily, it's very cheap to do so--a mere $20 for a year of standard ("governing") membership. Go join up, and they'll mail Canoe News right out to you.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Relax = boat go fast
I did a low-intensity 100-minute paddle in the harbor this morning, recovering from yesterday's workout. I paddled and chatted with Joe, whom I've seen a bit less of this season because of all the crazy stuff I've got going on. It was nice to catch up.
The wind was really blowing from the south today. I had to make myself relax and not fight it. Right now the forecast for Saturday in Vicksburg calls for some pretty good wind, so relaxation practice is good.
Speaking of relaxation and recovery... it's been a while since I've mentioned the concept of a "recovery session." When I first read about the idea on Ron Lugbill's blog several months ago, I was all excited because it was the perfect use for the hot tub in my backyard. But a short time later I found myself being hit with a divorce, and with that came displacement from the house and discontinued access to the tub.
But you don't have to have a hot tub to do a decent recovery session. I do have an ordinary bathtub where I live now, and lately I've been trying to get in one or two good soaks, followed by some stretching, each week.
The wind was really blowing from the south today. I had to make myself relax and not fight it. Right now the forecast for Saturday in Vicksburg calls for some pretty good wind, so relaxation practice is good.
Speaking of relaxation and recovery... it's been a while since I've mentioned the concept of a "recovery session." When I first read about the idea on Ron Lugbill's blog several months ago, I was all excited because it was the perfect use for the hot tub in my backyard. But a short time later I found myself being hit with a divorce, and with that came displacement from the house and discontinued access to the tub.
But you don't have to have a hot tub to do a decent recovery session. I do have an ordinary bathtub where I live now, and lately I've been trying to get in one or two good soaks, followed by some stretching, each week.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Bringing the pain two minutes at a time
Today I did two sets of the April strength routine, then went out into the beautiful day to paddle for 90 minutes.
I did eight intervals of two minutes on, two minutes off. Basically, it felt like the hardest parts of my "spike" workout last Friday, without the "easier" longer pieces.
I did eight intervals of two minutes on, two minutes off. Basically, it felt like the hardest parts of my "spike" workout last Friday, without the "easier" longer pieces.
More on water levels
I hope nobody thought I was being flippant when I mentioned the rising Mississippi River in my post on Friday. At the time I wrote that, I didn't realize the scope of the flooding higher up in the watershed. Right now some communities on the upper Mississippi, the Missouri, the Illinois, the Wabash, and some smaller tributaries are enduring a soggy mess as a result of the heavy rains that moved through the Midwest last week.
At the moment the lower Mississippi, whose riverbed can accommodate a much larger volume of water, does not face any major problems. At Memphis the river is expected to crest around 32.5 feet, shy of the official flood stage of 34 feet. At 32.5 feet a couple of low-lying settlements begin to see a little floodwater, but for them it's just an annual nuisance, sort of like snow is for denizens of the Minnesota prairie. More than 99.9% of the Mid South population will have no idea the river is doing anything unusual.
Down at Vicksburg the current forecast for this Saturday is a level of 38 feet on their gauge. I expect a low-lying community or two will feel the impact, but the city of Vicksburg, most of which is high above river level, will be fine. For racing purposes, the level will seem nice after last year's 19.2 foot reading, at which it took me over 140 minutes to slog to the finish line. Two years ago, when the level was 36.4 feet, I set the course record of one hour, 56 minutes, 34 seconds.
Whether I'll have that kind of performance this year remains to be seen. I have been feeling good in the boat lately, but in general I haven't been giving my undivided attention to training this year. In any case, I'd be remiss not to note that while we canoe and kayak racers generally love lots of water, it's not a welcome sight for everybody.
At the moment the lower Mississippi, whose riverbed can accommodate a much larger volume of water, does not face any major problems. At Memphis the river is expected to crest around 32.5 feet, shy of the official flood stage of 34 feet. At 32.5 feet a couple of low-lying settlements begin to see a little floodwater, but for them it's just an annual nuisance, sort of like snow is for denizens of the Minnesota prairie. More than 99.9% of the Mid South population will have no idea the river is doing anything unusual.
Down at Vicksburg the current forecast for this Saturday is a level of 38 feet on their gauge. I expect a low-lying community or two will feel the impact, but the city of Vicksburg, most of which is high above river level, will be fine. For racing purposes, the level will seem nice after last year's 19.2 foot reading, at which it took me over 140 minutes to slog to the finish line. Two years ago, when the level was 36.4 feet, I set the course record of one hour, 56 minutes, 34 seconds.
Whether I'll have that kind of performance this year remains to be seen. I have been feeling good in the boat lately, but in general I haven't been giving my undivided attention to training this year. In any case, I'd be remiss not to note that while we canoe and kayak racers generally love lots of water, it's not a welcome sight for everybody.
Monday photo feature
Jake Stachovak of Wausau, Wisconsin, pauses during his trip down the muddy Mississippi River in 2010. One of the low points of his trip occurred at Vicksburg, where he was pepper-sprayed by a couple of juvenile delinquents. I'm happy to say that my Vicksburg experiences have been better, and I hope to have another good time this weekend when I go down to participate in the Bluz Cruz Marathon, a 22-mile race that finishes along the Vicksburg Front.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Everything in flux
Today I did two sets of the April strength routine and paddled for 90 minutes. In the boat I did what I call a "spike" workout: pieces of 3', 2', 2', 6', 2', 2', 6', 2', 2', 3' with 2 minutes recovery in between. I'm hoping that with this steady diet of short, hard pieces under my belt, I won't be too fazed by my 22-mile race pace next Saturday. In this workout, the six-minute pieces actually felt like a break from the shorter, more intense pieces.
I guess we're in the typical weather pattern for this time of year: several days of warm, muggy weather followed by a line of heavy thunderstorms with cooler temperatures behind it. We'd had a couple of days in the 80s, but then the thunderstorms came through last night, and today it's cool (forecast high: about 57 degrees Fahrenheit) and breezy. The wind was coming directly from the west out on the river this morning; that's not very common, and it creates water conditions that I'm not all that used to. Balance and control were tricky as I did my workout.
Meanwhile, the river is on a big rise. It had been down around eleven feet on the Memphis gauge for a couple of weeks, but it's now over twenty feet as a result of the storm systems that have moved across the Midwest in the last ten days or so. I'm happy about it because this water is moving on down toward Vicksburg, where it will combine with water from the Saint Francis, White, and Arkansas drainages to give us a good, fast race course next Saturday. Let's hope the wind cooperates.
I guess we're in the typical weather pattern for this time of year: several days of warm, muggy weather followed by a line of heavy thunderstorms with cooler temperatures behind it. We'd had a couple of days in the 80s, but then the thunderstorms came through last night, and today it's cool (forecast high: about 57 degrees Fahrenheit) and breezy. The wind was coming directly from the west out on the river this morning; that's not very common, and it creates water conditions that I'm not all that used to. Balance and control were tricky as I did my workout.
Meanwhile, the river is on a big rise. It had been down around eleven feet on the Memphis gauge for a couple of weeks, but it's now over twenty feet as a result of the storm systems that have moved across the Midwest in the last ten days or so. I'm happy about it because this water is moving on down toward Vicksburg, where it will combine with water from the Saint Francis, White, and Arkansas drainages to give us a good, fast race course next Saturday. Let's hope the wind cooperates.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Active recovery
Today I paddled for 100 minutes. I was quite sore from yesterday's workout, so I kept the intensity low, letting the blood flow through the relevant muscle groups while not distressing them.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Pace workout
Today I did two sets of the April strength routine and paddled for 100 minutes.
I paddled down to the mouth of the harbor and then up the river along the Tennessee bank. When I was 40 minutes in, I began my workout for today: eight intervals of three minutes on, three minutes off.
I did the first interval while continuing upriver, and then turned back downriver for the next several. I'll be racing on a 22-mile section of the Mississippi down at Vicksburg a week from this Saturday, so I'm trying to get in some river time every time I paddle in these weeks leading up. Today a pretty strong south wind was blowing, generating some chop on the river, but since there was no barge traffic it wasn't too menacing.
The fourth interval took me back into the harbor. Paddling on calmer water with the wind at my back, I was able to concentrate more on good form. I felt strong and fast in the fifth and sixth intervals, but by the seventh and eighth I was getting pretty tired and just trying to take good, smooth strokes.
It's quite warm today, supposedly heading for a high around 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The turtles were out sunning themselves on floating logs in the harbor. I do love our turtles, yessiree.
I paddled down to the mouth of the harbor and then up the river along the Tennessee bank. When I was 40 minutes in, I began my workout for today: eight intervals of three minutes on, three minutes off.
I did the first interval while continuing upriver, and then turned back downriver for the next several. I'll be racing on a 22-mile section of the Mississippi down at Vicksburg a week from this Saturday, so I'm trying to get in some river time every time I paddle in these weeks leading up. Today a pretty strong south wind was blowing, generating some chop on the river, but since there was no barge traffic it wasn't too menacing.
The fourth interval took me back into the harbor. Paddling on calmer water with the wind at my back, I was able to concentrate more on good form. I felt strong and fast in the fifth and sixth intervals, but by the seventh and eighth I was getting pretty tired and just trying to take good, smooth strokes.
It's quite warm today, supposedly heading for a high around 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The turtles were out sunning themselves on floating logs in the harbor. I do love our turtles, yessiree.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Monday photo feature
Here I am competing in one of my first slalom races, one of those "citizen races" they used to have on the Nantahala. This photo was taken in the summer of 1992, at which time I was going on 25 years old. If I had started slalom racing about twelve years earlier, I might have gone on to be decent at it. Photo by Michael Stout.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
A little of everything today
This morning I did two sets of the April strength routine and paddled for 120 minutes.
I paddled from the marina up to the mouth of the Wolf River in less than 45 minutes, something I don't do very often. I paddled a pretty strong pace, but I also got a lot of help from favorable weather and water conditions.
After that I paddled a couple of miles up the Wolf to the Danny Thomas Boulevard bridge. The bottom couple of miles of the Wolf is usually flatwater, backed up from the Mississippi, but today there was some steady current coming down: the Memphis area got three inches of rain on Thursday, and it's still draining. So I paddled up against some resistance, especially once I had gotten solidly above the elevation of the Mississippi's level. It was slow going, but of course the trip back down with the current canceled that out.
When I got back to the Mississippi, I thought I had taken a wrong turn and arrived at a different river. The steady south breeze that had blown during my trip up the river had grown into a gusting gale, and on top of that the river was suddenly choked with barge traffic, so I had to navigate some rough water for the two and a half miles or so down to the harbor. It was a challenge to keep the boat moving and not let too many of my forward strokes be replaced by braces.
When I reached the harbor, I had the wind at my back and I breathed easier as I let it blow me back to the marina. It was a classic training day on the Memphis riverfront: in one session I encountered five or six different water conditions.
I paddled from the marina up to the mouth of the Wolf River in less than 45 minutes, something I don't do very often. I paddled a pretty strong pace, but I also got a lot of help from favorable weather and water conditions.
After that I paddled a couple of miles up the Wolf to the Danny Thomas Boulevard bridge. The bottom couple of miles of the Wolf is usually flatwater, backed up from the Mississippi, but today there was some steady current coming down: the Memphis area got three inches of rain on Thursday, and it's still draining. So I paddled up against some resistance, especially once I had gotten solidly above the elevation of the Mississippi's level. It was slow going, but of course the trip back down with the current canceled that out.
When I got back to the Mississippi, I thought I had taken a wrong turn and arrived at a different river. The steady south breeze that had blown during my trip up the river had grown into a gusting gale, and on top of that the river was suddenly choked with barge traffic, so I had to navigate some rough water for the two and a half miles or so down to the harbor. It was a challenge to keep the boat moving and not let too many of my forward strokes be replaced by braces.
When I reached the harbor, I had the wind at my back and I breathed easier as I let it blow me back to the marina. It was a classic training day on the Memphis riverfront: in one session I encountered five or six different water conditions.
Friday, April 12, 2013
The start-to-boat-ramp workout
Today I did two sets of the April strength routine and paddled for 110 minutes.
I paddled up to the mouth of the Wolf and did a workout I've been doing for years. Starting beneath the power lines where the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race starts, I paddle at sub-maximum intensity down to the boat ramp at the south end of the parking lot that serves as the OICKR staging area. I do this five times, the recovery being the paddle back up to the starting line. Each piece takes me around 1:45 to 1:50; I estimate the distance at about a quarter-mile (probably less than 500 meters, since I'm pretty sure I'm not a sub-2-minute 500 guy).
This has been what I consider a perfect spring day: cool with plenty of sunshine, the air feeling washed clean by yesterday's rain.
I paddled up to the mouth of the Wolf and did a workout I've been doing for years. Starting beneath the power lines where the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race starts, I paddle at sub-maximum intensity down to the boat ramp at the south end of the parking lot that serves as the OICKR staging area. I do this five times, the recovery being the paddle back up to the starting line. Each piece takes me around 1:45 to 1:50; I estimate the distance at about a quarter-mile (probably less than 500 meters, since I'm pretty sure I'm not a sub-2-minute 500 guy).
This has been what I consider a perfect spring day: cool with plenty of sunshine, the air feeling washed clean by yesterday's rain.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Ever serious
Today I paddled for 90 minutes in the harbor. It was a "recovery" session after yesterday's workout, so I kept the intensity pretty mild, but even during easy sessions I'm thinking a lot about my stroke and other technicalities.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Wakeup resistance
This morning I did two sets of the April strength routine and paddled for 100 minutes.
In the boat I did the same workout I did last Tuesday: four 8-minute buildup tempo pieces with 4 minutes recovery. I felt a little stronger throughout the workout today than I did a week ago.
Even though I got a full night of sleep last night, for some reason I woke up feeling sleepy and groggy, and that feeling lasted into my first half-hour of paddling. Once I got into my workout, though, my body finally seemed to get the memo that it had work to do.
In the boat I did the same workout I did last Tuesday: four 8-minute buildup tempo pieces with 4 minutes recovery. I felt a little stronger throughout the workout today than I did a week ago.
Even though I got a full night of sleep last night, for some reason I woke up feeling sleepy and groggy, and that feeling lasted into my first half-hour of paddling. Once I got into my workout, though, my body finally seemed to get the memo that it had work to do.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Monday photo feature
Thanks to its high clearance, this truck parked on Mud Island made out just fine during the great Mississippi River flood in May of 2011.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
More southern breezes
This morning I did two sets of the April strength routine and paddled for 120 minutes.
It was quite breezy from the south today, but because of light barge traffic the river wasn't as rough as it sometimes gets in a south wind. As I've said before, ideal conditions are no guarantee down at Vicksburg in three weeks, so I decided to get in a good long downriver leg into the wind. I paddled into a headwind for several miles, then experienced some beam winds where the Mississippi turns sharply to the west below downtown Memphis. That was probably good for me: the river at Vicksburg flows in a southeasterly direction, so beam winds are possible there.
I think paddling in windy conditions are a mental challenge as much as anything. Having the wind noise in your ears can make things seem gnarlier than they actually are. I just tried to stay relaxed and get into a nice rhythm, keeping the boat running over the chop.
It was quite breezy from the south today, but because of light barge traffic the river wasn't as rough as it sometimes gets in a south wind. As I've said before, ideal conditions are no guarantee down at Vicksburg in three weeks, so I decided to get in a good long downriver leg into the wind. I paddled into a headwind for several miles, then experienced some beam winds where the Mississippi turns sharply to the west below downtown Memphis. That was probably good for me: the river at Vicksburg flows in a southeasterly direction, so beam winds are possible there.
I think paddling in windy conditions are a mental challenge as much as anything. Having the wind noise in your ears can make things seem gnarlier than they actually are. I just tried to stay relaxed and get into a nice rhythm, keeping the boat running over the chop.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Spring... maybe?
This morning I did two sets of the April strength routine. My abs are mighty sore as they adapt to the medicine ball drills.
Then I went downtown and paddled for 100 minutes. I paddled up to the mouth of the Wolf, and then started a "pyramid" workout: pieces of 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute with 2 minutes recovery in between. I did the first three pieces on the flatwater in the bottom mile of the Wolf. By the first four-minute piece, I was back out on the Mississippi, and some heavy barge traffic meant that I did that piece, along with the five-minute piece and the second four-minute piece, on some confused water. The last three pieces took place back in the harbor.
Could it be that spring is here at last? I woke up to a very foggy morning; here's a cool picture I pulled from the Face Book page of WREG-TV Channel 3 here in Memphis:
Once the fog burned off, it became beautiful and sunny with temperatures in the mid 60s Fahrenheit. I'm likin' it.
Then I went downtown and paddled for 100 minutes. I paddled up to the mouth of the Wolf, and then started a "pyramid" workout: pieces of 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute with 2 minutes recovery in between. I did the first three pieces on the flatwater in the bottom mile of the Wolf. By the first four-minute piece, I was back out on the Mississippi, and some heavy barge traffic meant that I did that piece, along with the five-minute piece and the second four-minute piece, on some confused water. The last three pieces took place back in the harbor.
Could it be that spring is here at last? I woke up to a very foggy morning; here's a cool picture I pulled from the Face Book page of WREG-TV Channel 3 here in Memphis:
Once the fog burned off, it became beautiful and sunny with temperatures in the mid 60s Fahrenheit. I'm likin' it.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Forging ahead stoically
I had a doctor's appointment (annual physical) this morning, so paddling had to wait until this afternoon. I paddled for 90 minutes.
I swear, Mother Nature is toying with us and cackling cynically as she does so. After a gorgeous day Monday, we were back to overcast and chilly yesterday, and today I found myself paddling in a light rain. The temperature was around 49 degrees Fahrenheit. Considering the year I'm having so far, I'm having a hard time not taking this personally.
I swear, Mother Nature is toying with us and cackling cynically as she does so. After a gorgeous day Monday, we were back to overcast and chilly yesterday, and today I found myself paddling in a light rain. The temperature was around 49 degrees Fahrenheit. Considering the year I'm having so far, I'm having a hard time not taking this personally.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Time to get a little more serious
Here's a new strength routine for the month of April:
1. Exercise ball drill demonstrated by Jingjing Li at 2:55 of this video
2. Clap pushups
3. Hindi squats (demonstrated in this video)
4. Bicep curls with 25-lb. (about 11.25 kg) dumbbell
5. Exercise ball drill demonstrated by Jingjing Li at 1:57 of this video
This morning I did two sets of this routine. Then I went to the river and paddled for 100 minutes. With my most intense competitions of the season now just two months away, it's time to start dialing up the intensity in the boat. Today I did four 8-minute buildup tempo pieces with four minutes recovery in between. I struggled a little, but it nevertheless felt good to go faster after all the distance paddling I've been doing.
1. Exercise ball drill demonstrated by Jingjing Li at 2:55 of this video
2. Clap pushups
3. Hindi squats (demonstrated in this video)
4. Bicep curls with 25-lb. (about 11.25 kg) dumbbell
5. Exercise ball drill demonstrated by Jingjing Li at 1:57 of this video
This morning I did two sets of this routine. Then I went to the river and paddled for 100 minutes. With my most intense competitions of the season now just two months away, it's time to start dialing up the intensity in the boat. Today I did four 8-minute buildup tempo pieces with four minutes recovery in between. I struggled a little, but it nevertheless felt good to go faster after all the distance paddling I've been doing.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Monday photo feature
It was a chilly but lovely autumn day in 2010 when my nephew Joel and I ran a section of the Little Tennessee River in western North Carolina.
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