There's more going on than you think

Paddling twice a week has been my routine in recent weeks.  But a run of really nice weather lured me to the river three times this past week.

Joe and I did our regular loop of the harbor on Tuesday.  Skies were clear and the temperature was in the mid 50s Fahrenheit.  One might question how much training I get during these Tuesday sessions, but I consider them very important.  They give me a chance to practice my strokes at a leisurely pace, and converse with a friend who knows the sport well, with whom I can discuss ideas for training and racing.  It's also a chance for me to behold the many aspects of the harbor's environs that I might overlook during a harder workout.

By Thursday the weather was still sunny and had warmed up into the 60s, so I went downtown for a 60-minute paddle.  A front came through Friday and yesterday morning it was some ten degrees cooler, but it was sunny and beautiful again, and I enjoyed another hour in the boat.

Both Thursday and yesterday there were barge rigs moving up the Mississippi just outside the harbor entrance, so I went out and surfed.  As I've said before, towboat wakes aren't a perfect simulation of downwind conditions, but I think they're useful for working on a lot of skills.  In these latest sessions I worked on prolonging each ride as long as possible by following the wandering "hole," keeping an eye out for a new run to link to.  Even if there turned out not to be a new run, at least I reinforced the right habits.

I've been keeping up some strength work during this lull in "serious" training.  After wrapping up the old routine Tuesday, I started a new routine Friday and did it again this morning.

As for the future, I have a training opportunity coming up in several weeks: long-time racing friend Chris Hipgrave is organizing a training camp on the Rainbow River at Dunellon, Florida, to which he's invited racers from primarily the southeastern U.S.  Chris plans to be down there from December 29 through January 11, and athletes will be coming in and out during that period, depending on what their schedules will allow.  I'm still pondering how long I can be away from home, but I hope to make it for most of that period.  Updates to come...

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