For those curious to know more about the Rainbow River where we've been having our training camp, here's a map of the area:
Blue Run Park (marked "B.R." at the bottom of the map) is where we access the river. The lake (marked "L," just above the icon for Swampy's Bar & Grille) is where we do our sprints. KP Hole Park is where we started our time trial on the "Strava" segment on Wednesday. Rainbow Springs, the main source of water for the river, is as far up the river as we can paddle; above the springs the riverbed sort of disappears into reeds and sawgrass, as you can see at the top of the map. The distance from Blue Run Park up to Rainbow Springs is about 8 kilometers (5 miles).
I woke up Friday morning feeling achey and sore--not at all how I'd hoped to feel after a day that was supposed to be easier on Thursday. We had a couple of tough training days scheduled for Friday and yesterday, and I confess to feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed as I had breakfast. But the only way out of it was through. The next workout was scheduled for 8:30 AM sharp, so I got myself down to the river and into my boat.
The workout was six 8-minute pieces, and within each piece we were to vary our stroke rates: 2 minutes at 60 spm, 2 minutes at 72 spm, 2 minutes at 60 spm, and 2 minutes at 80 spm. There was a 2-minute recovery interval after each 8-minute piece.
Once again, Chris H. glided steadily away as the first piece got underway. I kept pace with Roy a little bit longer, but eventually he opened a gap on me too. As the first piece wore on I wondered if I really would be able to complete five more. But once I was into the second piece my body started to come around. I focused on exploding through each stroke while maintaining a smooth motion overall and keeping my boat running quietly. Soon enough, the workout was over.
I went back to my place for lunch and got some rest, and was back at the river for the 4 o'clock workout. It was time for more sprints on the lake: four 250-meter sprints at 6-minute intervals, with a 10-second sprint thrown in at the 3-minute mark of each interval. Chris H. advised us to keep the stroke rate low enough to stay in control and take solid, precise strokes. The workout was intense, painful at moments, but it went by quickly. I was right around 68-69 seconds for all my 250s.
Oddly enough, I felt the best I'd felt all day after this workout. I think the endorphins were the reason. Once they'd worn off I felt tired and sore, but still satisfied after giving a good effort through two hard sessions.
I got up yesterday morning hoping I had the mettle for one more hard day left in me. First up was another low-stroke-rate session. We did eight 4-minute pieces with a one-minute recovery interval. We did the first two pieces at 56 strokes per minute, the next two at 60 spm, the next two at 64 spm, and the last two at 68 spm. Chris reminded us once more to focus on putting as much power as possible into each stroke. Just like with the low-stroke-rate workout we did a week ago, I was not really winded in this one but I could feel it in my muscles.
After some lunch and some rest, I returned to the river for a more intense session: three eight-minute pieces, starting at 16-minute intervals, at 5K-race pace. I was ready to bring 'em on and get it done. The pieces were suitably taxing, and the last couple of minutes of each were particularly tough, but overall it wasn't any kind of workout I haven't handled many times before.
Yesterday was rather chilly--the Fahrenheit temperature was in the 30s in the morning and the afternoon high wasn't much over 50, and the wind was not friendly. We got more of the same this morning: it was 38 degrees when I got up. Sure, I regularly paddle in colder temperatures at home, but I wasn't really expecting such weather in Florida, and I brought only just barely enough clothing to stay comfortable. In those TV commercials the Florida tourism board puts out, people are always wearing bathing suits and shorts and stuff.
Anyway, it was my last session before departing, so I figured I could handle it one more time. Chris H. and Alessia and I paddled from Blue Run Park all the way up to Rainbow Springs and back. It was mostly a recovery paddle, but apparently the section of river from KP Hole to Rainbow Springs is another one of those "Strava" segments, and Chris couldn't resist recording a time for himself. Alessia decided she wanted to do it too, and I, faced with the alternative of being That Guy, went along with the crowd, albeit halfheartedly (I don't do Strava myself). Chris had predicted the segment would be about a mile, but my G.P.S. device measured it at about 2500 meters--more than a mile and a half.
Once we'd dispensed with that chore, we paddled easy back down the river. The environs were lovely and the wildlife was active. At one point we saw two otters tangled up and making a lot of racket; it was unclear whether the encounter was hostile or amorous.
Once we'd returned to Blue Run Park I quickly changed into dry clothes and got everything loaded up for the trip back north. I eschewed I-75 in favor of the more scenic U.S. 19/98 that runs through the Gulf Hammock of the Nature Coast (formerly known as the Mosquito Coast). It didn't get me anywhere fast--it took me more than four hours to reach the Alabama State Line. I made it several dozen miles north of Montgomery and then decided I'd had enough. I'm staying the night in the town of Clanton and I should be home by a reasonable hour tomorrow.
All told, it was a very productive camp. The training was quite intense, and I'm returning home with some fresh ideas to incorporate. I'll talk more in the coming days about how I plan to do so.
For more information on what this blog is about, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment