I'm starting to get myself moving again with an eye toward 2021. One reason is the training camp in Florida that I mentioned last week: I've reserved lodging down there for January 1-10, and I need to get a bit of paddling under my belt between now and then so I'll be ready for the workouts that Chris has in store.
Another reason is that I've been watching the "Training for Surfski" video course that the Mocke brothers released this year, and I'm drawing some inspiration from that. While the course doesn't present too many ideas that I wasn't already aware of on some level--I've been doing athletic stuff for 40 years now, after all--I'm always interested in getting somebody's unique take on one topic or another. For instance, there are certain things I haven't really emphasized in my own training practices that I now believe deserve more of my attention after hearing the Mockes talk about it.
The weather hasn't been offering much motivational help lately: much of this past week has been overcast, wet, and cold. It would have been very tempting to skip paddling last Tuesday if I hadn't been committed to meeting Joe: skies were grey and a breeze was blowing while the Fahrenheit temperature hovered in the mid 30s. Once we were in our boats paddling it wasn't bad at all, but the time on the dock before and after wasn't fun.
The temperature was much the same on Thursday, but the sun was penetrating a partly cloudy sky, and it's remarkable how much difference that makes in my mood. I paddled for a relaxed 70 minutes both in the harbor and on the Mississippi.
I returned to the riverfront on Friday because Saturday was forecast to be a rainy, miserable day. This time I stayed in the harbor and did a brisk 60-minute aerobic paddle. For the "middle" 40 minutes (i.e., from 0:10 until 0:50), I aimed for a pace of 6.5 miles per hour. That made the session rather fatiguing, not because 6.5 mph is all that hard for me, but because of the extra concentration required when you're watching your G.P.S. device and constantly making little adjustments to stay at a certain speed.
The forecast didn't lie: yesterday was soggy and cold. I was happy to spend almost all day indoors. By this morning the rain had moved out, leaving behind a thick fog that hung low enough over the city that I couldn't see the tops of the tallest buildings downtown. The temperature was in the mid 40s. When I got to the dock I discovered that I'd forgotten to bring my watch with me, so I paddled "blind" in that respect. I wanted to paddle for 60 minutes, so I did a loop that I typically complete in that length of time.
I did rounds of my strength routine (which I think I'm going to start calling my "gym"--that's what the Mocke brothers call it and it's pleasantly concise) on Tuesday, Friday, and today.
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