Hard at play

I usually paddle with Joe on Tuesdays, but this week Joe wasn't feeling well, so I was on my own.  When I got down to the dock, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to paddle a V10 Sport surf ski of Joe's that he told me I'm welcome to borrow.  This boat is a bit more stable than the ones I usually paddle, and in fact I've rented one to use in the Gorge Downwind race next month.  The boat's hull speed is slower, but I'm hoping that a bit of extra stability will help me produce a net gain in speed in a downwind setting.

When I reached the mouth of the harbor I saw a barge rig heading upriver from below the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge.  Having paddled pretty hard on Sunday, I'd planned to go a little easier Tuesday; but I decided I had to see how the V10 Sport performed in those waves.  The towboat was producing nice ones and I got three or four really sweet rides.  The boat is definitely not touring-boat stable; its initial stability might even be less solid than what I'm used to.  But I think overall I was in better control on the waves.

I should note that barge wakes aren't really an ideal simulation of downwind conditions.  The wave trains sort of wander back and forth across the river, so that after you've surfed one wave, the next wave might be way off to your right or to your left.  And you can't really work your way forward in the waves like you can in a true downwind setting.  But it is a good chance to work on balance and control while surfing, along with the intense sprinting required to catch a wave.  I definitely got a hard workout on what was supposed to be an easy day.

I started a new strength routine Monday and did another round of it Wednesday.  This new demand on my muscles, combined with the hard paddling of Sunday and Tuesday, resulted in one dead-dog-tired human being here at my house.  By Wednesday evening my energy level was over toward the catatonic end of the spectrum.

I planned to go back to the river yesterday morning, but it was pouring down rain.  Rain alone isn't enough to stop me from paddling, but this storm was accompanied by some pretty spectacular lightning.  So I didn't get in the boat until the afternoon.  I got the recovery session I'd been needing, paddling very easy for 50 minutes.

Today I did another round of the strength routine.  My muscles seemed to be more comfortable with their new job.


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