Nick Kinderman, a long-time friend of My Training Blog by Elmore, paddles to a second-place finish in the Pink Paddle on the Mississippi Gulf Coast this past weekend. Photo by Jennie Wetmore.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Monday photo feature
Nick Kinderman, a long-time friend of My Training Blog by Elmore, paddles to a second-place finish in the Pink Paddle on the Mississippi Gulf Coast this past weekend. Photo by Jennie Wetmore.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Summer (cont'd)
It's been another week about which I can't muster a whole lot to say. I'm getting in all my paddling and other training activities, but it has sort of a going-through-the-motions feel. There's almost another month before I'll have any races to do, and in the meantime the heat and humidity have been soul-crushing.
The Mississippi River has been sitting above 31 feet on the Memphis gauge for several weeks now, but the forecast on the NOAA website indicates it's about to start dropping fast. Today I paddled up onto Dacus Lake one last time before the water will be too low to do so. It was actually my best of these Sunday "long" paddles as far as dealing with the oppressive weather: I paced myself a bit better and also took full advantage of what little shade exists out there, and I think that was surprisingly effective in helping me conserve energy. I even did the ferry across the river in the shadow of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge.
The Mississippi River has been sitting above 31 feet on the Memphis gauge for several weeks now, but the forecast on the NOAA website indicates it's about to start dropping fast. Today I paddled up onto Dacus Lake one last time before the water will be too low to do so. It was actually my best of these Sunday "long" paddles as far as dealing with the oppressive weather: I paced myself a bit better and also took full advantage of what little shade exists out there, and I think that was surprisingly effective in helping me conserve energy. I even did the ferry across the river in the shadow of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Monday photo feature
Sometimes unfortunate things happen to one's paddling equipment. A Rocky Mountain river landed a direct hit on this paddle back in the summer of 1997.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Dog days
It's been hard finding much inspiration to write here this past week. Blame it on the withering heat of the last ten days or so.
But it was in fact a fairly standard week of training. In the boat I worked on technique like I always do, and I did several rounds of the June-July strength routine as well.
On Wednesday I managed to throw my back out while doing some work on the deck at the rear of my building. I was up on a ladder using my cordless drill, which is a rather heavy tool--I think it's four or five pounds, and that's a lot when I'm reaching up and out and boring a hole in either a leftward or a rightward direction, as I was doing Wednesday. The next thing I knew, I was feeling some acute discomfort in my right hip, as though it had come out of joint a bit. The condition gradually eased over the next couple of days. I also felt some soreness in the shoulder that had been injured a couple of months earlier. It has not bothered me while paddling, and that supports my belief that I'm a lot more likely to get injured doing some mundane task on dry land than I am while paddling my boat.
Yesterday I taught my next-to-last class of the summer on Pine Lake out at Shelby Farms. The final class will be on August 1, so go here if you or somebody you love wants a bit of instruction from yours truly.
Today I paddled for 100 minutes, a slightly shorter session than I did the last two Sundays but still a long time to be out in this heat. It wore me out thoroughly, but I managed to enjoy it. The river is still quite high--31.8 feet on the Memphis gauge, just three tenths of a foot lower than last Sunday--and I took the opportunity to paddle over onto Dacus Lake again. The water was beautiful, especially in the narrow channel that connects Dacus Lake with the main river. The channel runs through a piece of densely forested bottomland, and I enjoyed this rare moment of shade. I'm sure there were plenty of snakes about, though I didn't see any. By the time I was paddling back across the river toward the mouth of the harbor the heat was taking its toll on me. I drank from my camel back frequently and tried to keep my form together. Back at the dock I enjoyed some cold water from an insulated bottle I had left there, and took a little bath with the hose.
There's not much relief from this oppressive summer heat in sight. Right now it appears we might get a brief break on Tuesday, when some thunderstorms are expected to keep the high temperature down at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but the rest of the ten-day forecast calls for highs of 97 or higher. Oh well... I've survived my share of Memphis summers, and I reckon I'll make it through one more.
But it was in fact a fairly standard week of training. In the boat I worked on technique like I always do, and I did several rounds of the June-July strength routine as well.
On Wednesday I managed to throw my back out while doing some work on the deck at the rear of my building. I was up on a ladder using my cordless drill, which is a rather heavy tool--I think it's four or five pounds, and that's a lot when I'm reaching up and out and boring a hole in either a leftward or a rightward direction, as I was doing Wednesday. The next thing I knew, I was feeling some acute discomfort in my right hip, as though it had come out of joint a bit. The condition gradually eased over the next couple of days. I also felt some soreness in the shoulder that had been injured a couple of months earlier. It has not bothered me while paddling, and that supports my belief that I'm a lot more likely to get injured doing some mundane task on dry land than I am while paddling my boat.
Yesterday I taught my next-to-last class of the summer on Pine Lake out at Shelby Farms. The final class will be on August 1, so go here if you or somebody you love wants a bit of instruction from yours truly.
Today I paddled for 100 minutes, a slightly shorter session than I did the last two Sundays but still a long time to be out in this heat. It wore me out thoroughly, but I managed to enjoy it. The river is still quite high--31.8 feet on the Memphis gauge, just three tenths of a foot lower than last Sunday--and I took the opportunity to paddle over onto Dacus Lake again. The water was beautiful, especially in the narrow channel that connects Dacus Lake with the main river. The channel runs through a piece of densely forested bottomland, and I enjoyed this rare moment of shade. I'm sure there were plenty of snakes about, though I didn't see any. By the time I was paddling back across the river toward the mouth of the harbor the heat was taking its toll on me. I drank from my camel back frequently and tried to keep my form together. Back at the dock I enjoyed some cold water from an insulated bottle I had left there, and took a little bath with the hose.
There's not much relief from this oppressive summer heat in sight. Right now it appears we might get a brief break on Tuesday, when some thunderstorms are expected to keep the high temperature down at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but the rest of the ten-day forecast calls for highs of 97 or higher. Oh well... I've survived my share of Memphis summers, and I reckon I'll make it through one more.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Monday photo feature
One of my favorite sets of photos from the Mississippi River is one from a high-water period in April of 2008, when I paddled down around the old bridges that span the river just below downtown Memphis. In the foreground here, we see the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge that carries Interstate 55 over the river. The next bridge back is the oldest span, the Frisco Bridge; and beyond it is the Harahan Bridge.
The river is quite high right now, with a Memphis gauge reading this morning of 32.1 feet. The water in this photo is at least several feet higher than that: I paddled down by the old bridges yesterday, and the landscape pictured here was still dry.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
A weekend at the height of summer
This morning I paddled for 110 minutes, going down to the Frisco and Harahan and Memphis-Arkansas bridges, then back upriver above the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, up onto Dacus Lake, and then back into the harbor and to the dock.
Dacus Lake is an oxbow lake, which is to say that it occupies an old meander that has been abandoned by the Mississippi River. When the water is high like it is right now (32 feet on the Memphis gauge this morning), Dacus Lake and the Mississippi become united once more, and the intrepid guy or girl can paddle his or her boat freely from one to the other and back again. I didn't stay on Dacus Lake for long today, but it was nice to have that little change in scenery from what I have most of the year.
Before exiting the harbor I did several backstrokes-then-forward-strokes power-building drills. After paddling down to the old bridges, I did eight 30-second sprints, starting at three-minute intervals, as I paddled up the Arkansas bank.
It was very hot here today. I don't normally carry water in the boat with me during training sessions, choosing instead to hydrate thoroughly beforehand and have water waiting on the dock when I finish, but on these days of triple-digit heat indices I break out the camel back. Even though I had loaded it up with ice before leaving the house, the water was getting warm before I had been paddling for an hour.
On the last leg of today's paddle, in the harbor heading back to the dock, I practiced flipping and remounting my surf ski. It's a good idea to practice this self-rescue skill from time to time, and a broiling hot day like today feels like the perfect time to do it.
Yesterday I taught another class out at Shelby Farms. Only two such classes remain this summer--one next Saturday and one on August 1. Go here for more information if you or somebody you know would like to sign up.
Dacus Lake is an oxbow lake, which is to say that it occupies an old meander that has been abandoned by the Mississippi River. When the water is high like it is right now (32 feet on the Memphis gauge this morning), Dacus Lake and the Mississippi become united once more, and the intrepid guy or girl can paddle his or her boat freely from one to the other and back again. I didn't stay on Dacus Lake for long today, but it was nice to have that little change in scenery from what I have most of the year.
Before exiting the harbor I did several backstrokes-then-forward-strokes power-building drills. After paddling down to the old bridges, I did eight 30-second sprints, starting at three-minute intervals, as I paddled up the Arkansas bank.
It was very hot here today. I don't normally carry water in the boat with me during training sessions, choosing instead to hydrate thoroughly beforehand and have water waiting on the dock when I finish, but on these days of triple-digit heat indices I break out the camel back. Even though I had loaded it up with ice before leaving the house, the water was getting warm before I had been paddling for an hour.
On the last leg of today's paddle, in the harbor heading back to the dock, I practiced flipping and remounting my surf ski. It's a good idea to practice this self-rescue skill from time to time, and a broiling hot day like today feels like the perfect time to do it.
Yesterday I taught another class out at Shelby Farms. Only two such classes remain this summer--one next Saturday and one on August 1. Go here for more information if you or somebody you know would like to sign up.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Be sure to recover
Hard workouts are not what get your body in shape. It's the recovery from these workouts that brings improvement.
I know I've pointed this out in the past, and the idea is simple enough. But I competed in sports like running and canoe and kayak racing for quite a few years before I really had a good understanding of it. So I bring it up again--to remind myself, if nothing else.
Several factors contribute to a good recovery. Good nutrition is one; a regular good night's sleep is another. And, of course, resting your muscles is another, but this means more than just lying around. Easy movement of the muscles gets blood flowing and facilitates recovery. For a canoe/kayak racer, easy paddling will accomplish this, but there are also things you can do out of the boat, such as stretching and simple movement exercises. One of the positive results of the shoulder ailment I had for a couple of months is that it renewed my commitment to thorough stretching and warmup exercises, even on days when I don't paddle.
Ron Lugbill, in this post on his blog, discusses the use of "active" rest to help the muscles recover and come back stronger.
Yesterday I paddled with Joe for 80 minutes in the harbor. Some hot weather is beginning to move back in here, but we had a delightful breeze yesterday that made our session not just bearable, but delightful.
I'll be paddling with Joe again tomorrow morning. Monday and today I did two sets of the June-July strength routine.
I know I've pointed this out in the past, and the idea is simple enough. But I competed in sports like running and canoe and kayak racing for quite a few years before I really had a good understanding of it. So I bring it up again--to remind myself, if nothing else.
Several factors contribute to a good recovery. Good nutrition is one; a regular good night's sleep is another. And, of course, resting your muscles is another, but this means more than just lying around. Easy movement of the muscles gets blood flowing and facilitates recovery. For a canoe/kayak racer, easy paddling will accomplish this, but there are also things you can do out of the boat, such as stretching and simple movement exercises. One of the positive results of the shoulder ailment I had for a couple of months is that it renewed my commitment to thorough stretching and warmup exercises, even on days when I don't paddle.
Ron Lugbill, in this post on his blog, discusses the use of "active" rest to help the muscles recover and come back stronger.
Yesterday I paddled with Joe for 80 minutes in the harbor. Some hot weather is beginning to move back in here, but we had a delightful breeze yesterday that made our session not just bearable, but delightful.
I'll be paddling with Joe again tomorrow morning. Monday and today I did two sets of the June-July strength routine.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Monday photo feature
For years now, the North Fork Canoe Race and Show-Me State Championships has taken place each Fourth of July weekend on the North Fork of the White River at Tecumseh, Missouri. Paddlers race their USCA-spec craft on an out-and-back course on Norfork Reservoir, and their aluminum canoes on a Class II+ section of the North Fork from Sunburst Ranch to Dawt Mill. Here, Mike Herbert and his daughter Savanna claim the mixed tandem title in that latter event. Photo by Christel Herbert.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
The week that was
With my next race a while off now, I'm trying to settle back into a good-quality routine.
On Thursday I paddled for 60 minutes in very windy conditions on the Memphis riverfront. I did three 8-stroke sprints in the harbor, and then spent some time trying to surf some medium-sized waves out on the river near the southern tip of Mud Island. I wasn't achieving much sweetness in the surfing department, so when I got tired of trying I returned to the harbor and did some balance drills in the beam waves. All told, I got a pretty good practice session in, and because I was having fun with it I didn't feel like I was working that hard.
On Saturday I paddled for another 60 minutes, and this time the conditions were mostly calm, but quite wet. We had just had an enormous amount of rain on Friday--3.41 inches between 6 PM Thursday and 6 PM Friday--and there were a few remnants of that system lurking around the river Saturday morning. As I paddled from the mouth of the harbor up toward the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, I could see heavy rain falling on the Loosahatchie Bar, less than a mile away. About ten minutes later that rain was drenching me. But I forged ahead, having learned at camp years ago that "skin is waterproof."
My plan is to do a longer paddle on Sunday for the next several weeks. Today I paddled for 120 minutes, going up to the mouth of the Wolf River and then a couple of miles up the Wolf. The Mississippi, at a pretty high level of 30.1 feet on the Memphis gauge this morning, was backed up the Wolf for quite a few miles, so the couple of miles I paddled between the mouth of the Wolf and the Danny Thomas Boulevard bridge consisted basically of flatwater. On this section of the morning's route I pushed the tempo for three minutes out of every ten minutes. I was getting very tired by the time I was heading back down the Mississippi, and I tried to paddle with good form even though the intensity was dropping.
Meanwhile, I'm still doing the June-July strength routine on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
On Thursday I paddled for 60 minutes in very windy conditions on the Memphis riverfront. I did three 8-stroke sprints in the harbor, and then spent some time trying to surf some medium-sized waves out on the river near the southern tip of Mud Island. I wasn't achieving much sweetness in the surfing department, so when I got tired of trying I returned to the harbor and did some balance drills in the beam waves. All told, I got a pretty good practice session in, and because I was having fun with it I didn't feel like I was working that hard.
On Saturday I paddled for another 60 minutes, and this time the conditions were mostly calm, but quite wet. We had just had an enormous amount of rain on Friday--3.41 inches between 6 PM Thursday and 6 PM Friday--and there were a few remnants of that system lurking around the river Saturday morning. As I paddled from the mouth of the harbor up toward the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, I could see heavy rain falling on the Loosahatchie Bar, less than a mile away. About ten minutes later that rain was drenching me. But I forged ahead, having learned at camp years ago that "skin is waterproof."
My plan is to do a longer paddle on Sunday for the next several weeks. Today I paddled for 120 minutes, going up to the mouth of the Wolf River and then a couple of miles up the Wolf. The Mississippi, at a pretty high level of 30.1 feet on the Memphis gauge this morning, was backed up the Wolf for quite a few miles, so the couple of miles I paddled between the mouth of the Wolf and the Danny Thomas Boulevard bridge consisted basically of flatwater. On this section of the morning's route I pushed the tempo for three minutes out of every ten minutes. I was getting very tired by the time I was heading back down the Mississippi, and I tried to paddle with good form even though the intensity was dropping.
Meanwhile, I'm still doing the June-July strength routine on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
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