Back to the Pelican State for a race

I have a race coming up this weekend: the River Rat canoe and kayak race on the Ouachita River at West Monroe, Louisiana.  In the past this race has been 6.5 miles or 10.5 kilometers, but I understand they've found a more accommodating place for the finish line that lengthens the course to 7.7 miles (12.4 km).

On Tuesday I did three sets of four (3 minutes on/1 min. off) at stroke rates of 60 strokes per minute/64 spm/68 spm/72 spm within each set.  Then on Tuesday afternoon I found myself engaged in some work that did not constitute good race preparation: a client had just taken down an oak tree from which she wants me to make a piece of furniture, and I tried to split one of the logs in her yard, thinking it would be a simple matter.  It was not.  After more than an hour of pounding wedges and moving the extremely heavy object into various positions, my body ached from head to toe.  Though the soreness has worn off as the week has gone on, as I write this I don't think I'm completely recovered from Tuesday afternoon's epic.

Fortunately I had a calm session to do in the boat on Wednesday, and I think it did my sore muscles some good.  It was four sets of (13 min. on/2 min. off) at 60-64 spm.

Yesterday I did a sprint session: eight 20-second all-out sprints, starting at 4-minute intervals.  Maks said "the feelings will not be the best after a longer block of little to no sprinting," and he was right about that.  Most of the sprints felt rusty, but I did manage to settle into a fluid rhythm for two or three of them.

This morning I went down to the riverfront and did a pre-race workout that Maks had assigned: two times (5 min. on/1 min. off) at 60 spm, two times (2 min. on/3 min. off) at 76 spm, and two times (1 min. on/3 min. off) at 90 spm.  Then I headed south on Interstate 55, and later picked up Interstate 20 west to Monroe, Louisiana.  And that's where I'm spending tonight.  I felt a bit sluggish in the boat this morning, and my arms are still a bit sore from Tuesday's logging.  I've also felt slightly queasy in my stomach for the last two days.  I sure hope a good night's sleep will help all that run its course so that maybe I can put together a decent race in the morning.

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