All this week our local TV weatherpeople went on and on about the wintry misery that was to arrive here right about now. As usual, the hysteria was overblown. While the northernmost reaches of this TV market might have gotten up to an inch of snow, most of the region has experienced little more than overcast skies, coldish (mid 40s Fahrenheit) temperatures, and periods of light rain.
I'm not saying I like the weather we're having now; I'm as weary of this gray winter as anybody. But for nonmeteorological reasons this has been, arguably, the crappiest, most depressing winter of my life, so if Mother Nature wants to send a few more bleak days our way, who cares? Bring it on.
So after doing two sets of the March strength routine, I headed down to the river. And it turned out to be a pretty good day to paddle. Sure, it was rather cold, but I was dressed for it. And with little wind, the session did not feel like an ordeal at all. I went out on the river and paddled about a third of the way up the Loosahatchie Chute, one of my favorite places no matter what the weather is. A light drizzle began to fall and the place became shrouded in mist to the point that I could barely see the downtown skyline even though it was never out of my line of sight. The river is rarely more beautiful than it is on days like today.
All told, I paddled for 100 minutes, and felt surprisingly good in the boat given Wednesday's long, hard session. I am tired now, but it's a nice feeling to have gotten out on a day when it was very tempting to skip it.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Marathon training
I was keen to do a longer, more intense session in the boat today. From the marina I paddled to the mouth of the harbor, then headed upriver toward the mouth of the Wolf River. A steady northwest breeze slowed my progress on this leg, but the going wasn't as miserable as it sometimes can be.
When I got to the Wolf I paddled up it some two miles to the Danny Thomas Boulevard bridge. Then I turned around and returned to the marina the same way I had come, pushing the pace pretty hard until I reached the harbor. Elapsed time: 120 minutes.
I've been plenty tired the rest of the day. But I think a couple more sessions like this one will be good to have under my belt when I enter the 22-mile race down at Vicksburg on April 27.
When I got to the Wolf I paddled up it some two miles to the Danny Thomas Boulevard bridge. Then I turned around and returned to the marina the same way I had come, pushing the pace pretty hard until I reached the harbor. Elapsed time: 120 minutes.
I've been plenty tired the rest of the day. But I think a couple more sessions like this one will be good to have under my belt when I enter the 22-mile race down at Vicksburg on April 27.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Low intensity
Today I did two sets of the March strength routine and paddled for 80 minutes. I paddled with my friend Joe, whom I hadn't seen in at least ten days, and we paddled fairly easy and talked about all kinds of stuff.
The river is on a pretty big rise. Just two weeks ago the Memphis gauge reading was around 11 feet, and today's level was almost 24 feet.
The river is on a pretty big rise. Just two weeks ago the Memphis gauge reading was around 11 feet, and today's level was almost 24 feet.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Monday photo feature
We're finally starting to have some warmer, sunnier days, and this pleasant weather brings out some of my favorite denizens of the Memphis riverfront: turtles. I think they are cute. I am charmed by their ways. Throughout the spring, summer, and fall, they can be seen sunning themselves on logs. If you get too close, they file off into the water.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Late night
Today I did two sets of the March strength routine and paddled for 90 minutes. It was overcast and cooler today, but not nearly as windy as yesterday.
I was operating on only about five hours of sleep, but this time it was my own fault. I went out and saw some late-night live music last night and got to bed just before 2:00 AM. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing for somebody who's had trouble sleeping to do, but I feel that if I don't get out and see good music from time to time then I'm missing out on one of the best reasons to be a Memphian.
I was operating on only about five hours of sleep, but this time it was my own fault. I went out and saw some late-night live music last night and got to bed just before 2:00 AM. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing for somebody who's had trouble sleeping to do, but I feel that if I don't get out and see good music from time to time then I'm missing out on one of the best reasons to be a Memphian.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
I should've flown a kite today
Out on the river this morning it was warm and very windy. The wind was from the southwest, and that usually means rough water. I figured I could use a little time out on that: my next race is on the Mississippi down at Vicksburg next month, and it's never guaranteed that we won't have rough conditions there.
From the marina I paddled to the mouth of the harbor and then up the river along the Tennessee bank. As I neared the base of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge I found myself in one of the more bizarre predicaments I can remember. Modern-day surf skis like mine have high-profile bows that quickly shed water from crashing waves and keep the boat up on the surface of the water. The wind, blowing from my left, caught my bow and blew me sideways toward a log jam floating against the bank. Despite turning my rudder hard to the left and forward sweeping on my right, I got blown up against the log jam and pinned there by the wind.
It was not a life-threatening situation as far as I could tell, but I felt like Paddle to the Sea when he gets trapped in Great Lakes ice for an entire winter. One of my options was to hop in the water and swim/wade my boat to shore, but the water is freezing this time of year and I really didn't want to do that if I could avoid it.
Finally, by taking choppy paddle strokes and scooting the boat around with body-thrusts, I managed to maneuver myself next to a solid-looking log that I could push off on with my paddle. I did so carefully, for if the log suddenly gave way I would be in the water. After what felt like an eternity, I had my bow pointed into the wind and was able to paddle free of the log jam.
After that weird ordeal I decided to do just a couple of loops on the river between the HDB and the mouth of the harbor. Then I returned to the harbor and did my little balance drill paddling in beam waves. My balance has felt good the last several weeks. A few sessions of floundering in that K1 had shaken my confidence in the surf ski, so I've put the K1 paddling on hold until warm weather is here for good.
I'm happy to report that I've slept better the last couple of nights. I hope I can continue that streak.
From the marina I paddled to the mouth of the harbor and then up the river along the Tennessee bank. As I neared the base of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge I found myself in one of the more bizarre predicaments I can remember. Modern-day surf skis like mine have high-profile bows that quickly shed water from crashing waves and keep the boat up on the surface of the water. The wind, blowing from my left, caught my bow and blew me sideways toward a log jam floating against the bank. Despite turning my rudder hard to the left and forward sweeping on my right, I got blown up against the log jam and pinned there by the wind.
It was not a life-threatening situation as far as I could tell, but I felt like Paddle to the Sea when he gets trapped in Great Lakes ice for an entire winter. One of my options was to hop in the water and swim/wade my boat to shore, but the water is freezing this time of year and I really didn't want to do that if I could avoid it.
Finally, by taking choppy paddle strokes and scooting the boat around with body-thrusts, I managed to maneuver myself next to a solid-looking log that I could push off on with my paddle. I did so carefully, for if the log suddenly gave way I would be in the water. After what felt like an eternity, I had my bow pointed into the wind and was able to paddle free of the log jam.
After that weird ordeal I decided to do just a couple of loops on the river between the HDB and the mouth of the harbor. Then I returned to the harbor and did my little balance drill paddling in beam waves. My balance has felt good the last several weeks. A few sessions of floundering in that K1 had shaken my confidence in the surf ski, so I've put the K1 paddling on hold until warm weather is here for good.
I'm happy to report that I've slept better the last couple of nights. I hope I can continue that streak.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Both ends burning on this candle
This morning I did two sets of the March strength routine and paddled for 110 minutes. I paddled up to the mouth of the Wolf River and then a mile or so up the Wolf during this longer-than-usual paddling session.
I went to the river prepared to take pictures of the pelicans, but sadly they were gone. A big reason, probably, is that the river is rising and the dike they had been hanging out on is now underwater.
I felt quite good in the boat in spite of yet another poor night of sleep. I'm not sure where I'm finding the energy to do everything I'm doing right now. I've never been much of a multi-tasker and have never liked to have many balls in the air, but that's the position I find myself in right now. In addition to paddling, today I looked at a property where I might relocate my woodworking shop and test-drove a pickup truck that I'll need because the truck I'd been using to transport logs and lumber around will be staying with my soon-to-be ex-spouse.
After busy days like this you'd think I'd fall into bed and go right to sleep, but I guess it's the grief, anger, and other emotions you'd expect in a person whose spouse has left him that keep me wide awake for hours. And so I'm feeling like I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop in the form of an injury or a severe illness.
I went to the river prepared to take pictures of the pelicans, but sadly they were gone. A big reason, probably, is that the river is rising and the dike they had been hanging out on is now underwater.
I felt quite good in the boat in spite of yet another poor night of sleep. I'm not sure where I'm finding the energy to do everything I'm doing right now. I've never been much of a multi-tasker and have never liked to have many balls in the air, but that's the position I find myself in right now. In addition to paddling, today I looked at a property where I might relocate my woodworking shop and test-drove a pickup truck that I'll need because the truck I'd been using to transport logs and lumber around will be staying with my soon-to-be ex-spouse.
After busy days like this you'd think I'd fall into bed and go right to sleep, but I guess it's the grief, anger, and other emotions you'd expect in a person whose spouse has left him that keep me wide awake for hours. And so I'm feeling like I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop in the form of an injury or a severe illness.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Pelicans are still here
This morning I did two sets of the March strength routine, which, as I said before, is the same Smart Bell workout described in this post from last year.
Then I went down to the river and paddled for 90 minutes. It was sunny and beautiful but a north breeze kept things pretty chilly--I think today's high is supposed to be around 52 degrees Fahrenheit. I also felt pretty tired in the boat, and I think it's largely because full eight-hour nights of sleep have been hard to come by for me lately.
The pelicans are still hanging out in full force near the lower end of the Loosahatchie Bar. I'd sort of figured they'd be moving on by now. I'll have to take a still camera next time I go down there, in case they're still around: I'd like to post a picture of these magnificent birds here.
Then I went down to the river and paddled for 90 minutes. It was sunny and beautiful but a north breeze kept things pretty chilly--I think today's high is supposed to be around 52 degrees Fahrenheit. I also felt pretty tired in the boat, and I think it's largely because full eight-hour nights of sleep have been hard to come by for me lately.
The pelicans are still hanging out in full force near the lower end of the Loosahatchie Bar. I'd sort of figured they'd be moving on by now. I'll have to take a still camera next time I go down there, in case they're still around: I'd like to post a picture of these magnificent birds here.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Monday photo feature
My niece Ada does some canoeing on the White River near Calico Rock, Arkansas, about five years ago. Ada's all grown up and in college now, spending this semester in Rome. I'm awfully proud of the girl.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
March winds
I'm starting up a strength routine for this month. I've spent the last several months experimenting with new routines and trying some new exercises, but with the abrupt changes that have recently befallen me, I'm sticking with something familiar for this month--a Smart Bell workout. Look back to this post from last year for more information on what a Smart Bell is and what I do with it.
Down at the river it was very, very windy today, with some pretty vicious gusts. I paddled for 90 minutes, getting on the main river from the mouth of the harbor to the Hernando DeSoto Bridge and back, and otherwise staying in the harbor.
Down at the river it was very, very windy today, with some pretty vicious gusts. I paddled for 90 minutes, getting on the main river from the mouth of the harbor to the Hernando DeSoto Bridge and back, and otherwise staying in the harbor.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Pelicans galore
I paddled for almost three hours this morning--175 minutes, to be exact.
I paddled around the Loosahatchie Bar today, and I usually do that much faster than I did today. I think my fastest time, starting and finishing at Harbortown Marina, is a hair under two hours. Most of the time I do it in two hours and 10 or 15 minutes.
But things went slower today. One reason was that today's water level, around eleven and a half feet on the Memphis gauge, leaves a huge sandbar exposed at the north end of the Bar, requiring a paddler to go much farther upstream than he has to do at higher levels.
Another reason was that I had my Go Pro camera and hoped to get some footage of the pelicans that I had seen Wednesday. And I wasn't disappointed: there was an even bigger flock hanging out at the same spot near the lower end of the Bar. I got a good five or six minutes of footage.
Of course, the Go Pro camera has its limitations: it has a very wide-angle lens, much better for capturing sweeping landscapes than for intimate, close-up shots. And so I was a little disappointed later in the day when I viewed my footage and found it lacked the detail I was hoping for.
But that shouldn't diminish the first-hand experience I had out on the river. Those birds were truly beautiful.
This evening I'm still tired from my marathon session. Generally, I don't think ultra-long training sessions are a good idea. You can maintain good stroke form for only so long, and once that form breaks down, all you're doing is practicing poor strokes.
But training is not the main reason to go paddling. In the scheme of things, it should be well down the list of reasons. The experience I had in the outdoors today was hard to beat.
I paddled around the Loosahatchie Bar today, and I usually do that much faster than I did today. I think my fastest time, starting and finishing at Harbortown Marina, is a hair under two hours. Most of the time I do it in two hours and 10 or 15 minutes.
But things went slower today. One reason was that today's water level, around eleven and a half feet on the Memphis gauge, leaves a huge sandbar exposed at the north end of the Bar, requiring a paddler to go much farther upstream than he has to do at higher levels.
Another reason was that I had my Go Pro camera and hoped to get some footage of the pelicans that I had seen Wednesday. And I wasn't disappointed: there was an even bigger flock hanging out at the same spot near the lower end of the Bar. I got a good five or six minutes of footage.
Of course, the Go Pro camera has its limitations: it has a very wide-angle lens, much better for capturing sweeping landscapes than for intimate, close-up shots. And so I was a little disappointed later in the day when I viewed my footage and found it lacked the detail I was hoping for.
But that shouldn't diminish the first-hand experience I had out on the river. Those birds were truly beautiful.
This evening I'm still tired from my marathon session. Generally, I don't think ultra-long training sessions are a good idea. You can maintain good stroke form for only so long, and once that form breaks down, all you're doing is practicing poor strokes.
But training is not the main reason to go paddling. In the scheme of things, it should be well down the list of reasons. The experience I had in the outdoors today was hard to beat.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Cold in the air and in my body
This morning I went downtown and paddled for 90 minutes. There was a north breeze blowing and the temperature was around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. There were patches of blue sky overhead but no real sunshine. In all, a rather cheerless day. But I shouldn't complain, because while I was down along the Gulf Coast last week, Memphis was having its worst week of weather this winter.
It's been weeks since I've used my Go Pro camera. Needless to say, I've had some weightier matters on my mind lately than my little amateur video project. But I wish I had had the camera on board today, because I encountered a flock of migrating pelicans over on the Arkansas side near the southern tip of the Loosahatchie Bar.
I guess I will soon be dreaming up a strength routine for the month of March, but the way I've been burning the candle at both ends, it's probably not the worst thing for me to be taking my time on that. I've actually come down with a little cold, and the only surprising thing about that is that I haven't gotten much sicker much sooner.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Monday photo feature
Maggie Pyle of Mobile, Alabama, was the fastest female on the water in Ocean Springs this past weekend. Fellow Mobile resident Robert Nykvist shot this photo of her as she approached the finish.
Both Maggie and Robert have told me they read this blog regularly. I always appreciate hearing that, for there are times when I wonder whether anybody reads this silly thing. So these two readers get a shout-out here.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
One more Gulf Coast session
Battle on the Bayou race director Nick Kinderman said yesterday that the results would be posted online by tomorrow or Tuesday, but apparently he was feeling all productive and got them up today. Take a look at them here.
I slept rather late this morning and decided to skip paddling and get myself back to Memphis. But then I went outside and found the weather quite nice--cool and breezy, but lots of sunshine--and changed my mind. It was too pretty a day not to paddle, and I doubt the weather is as nice up in Memphis right now.
I put in at the cove where yesterday's race had started and paddled out into the Back Bay of Biloxi. Then the wind began to pick up, so I turned around and headed up into the more protected waters of Old Fort Bayou. I returned to my putin spot after 90 minutes of paddling.
I'm feeling surprisingly free of soreness today. In recent years I have been extremely sore for a couple of days after each race, but it seems I have been spared this time.
I slept rather late this morning and decided to skip paddling and get myself back to Memphis. But then I went outside and found the weather quite nice--cool and breezy, but lots of sunshine--and changed my mind. It was too pretty a day not to paddle, and I doubt the weather is as nice up in Memphis right now.
I put in at the cove where yesterday's race had started and paddled out into the Back Bay of Biloxi. Then the wind began to pick up, so I turned around and headed up into the more protected waters of Old Fort Bayou. I returned to my putin spot after 90 minutes of paddling.
I'm feeling surprisingly free of soreness today. In recent years I have been extremely sore for a couple of days after each race, but it seems I have been spared this time.
First race in the books for 2013
The fourth annual Battle on the Bayou canoe and kayak race took place yesterday, and I finished third overall. German native Christian Maßow (pronounced "massow") edged the tandem surf ski paddled by Phil Capel of the greater Little Rock area and Brad Rex of Baton Rouge for the win.
I had spent much of the race trading wake rides with these two boats and had even led for short periods, but I faded in the last four miles or so and finished some thirty or forty seconds back. Could have been the exhausting events of the last several weeks catching up with me, or maybe these other two boats were just better. Either way, it was fun to be racing again after a long offseason, and with luck any lessons I learned yesterday will be to my benefit in the future.
Race director Nick Kinderman says the results will be posted in a couple of days, and I'll link to them here when they are. Nick and his team of volunteers did an outstanding job making this event happen. Some balmier weather would have been nice, but I think it otherwise was the best Battle on the Bayou yet.
I had spent much of the race trading wake rides with these two boats and had even led for short periods, but I faded in the last four miles or so and finished some thirty or forty seconds back. Could have been the exhausting events of the last several weeks catching up with me, or maybe these other two boats were just better. Either way, it was fun to be racing again after a long offseason, and with luck any lessons I learned yesterday will be to my benefit in the future.
Race director Nick Kinderman says the results will be posted in a couple of days, and I'll link to them here when they are. Nick and his team of volunteers did an outstanding job making this event happen. Some balmier weather would have been nice, but I think it otherwise was the best Battle on the Bayou yet.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Another marathon behind the wheel
Yesterday I thought I was all done with paddling by lunchtime, but when Heidi got off work in the mid-afternoon she asked me if I wanted to join her on an upper section of the Hillsborough. It sounded fun to me, so we took her inflatable kayak up to a cypress swamp east of I-75. Heidi, a zoologist and the animal nutritionist for the company that owns Busch Gardens, Sea World, and other theme parks, proceeded to point out all the wildlife. We saw a few turtles, three smallish alligators, and numerous species of birds, including several that Heidi said weren't so easy to spot.
This morning I said goodbye to Heidi and began the trip around the Gulf of Mexico to Ocean Springs. I knew when I decided to go to Tampa that I was setting myself up for a long drive today, and it was indeed a monster. The leg on I-10 from Lake City to Ocean Springs seemed to go on forever.
Tomorrow's Battle on the Bayou race course starts in the Back Bay of Biloxi and goes up Old Fort Bayou for some nine and a half miles, finishing next to The Shed barbecue joint. When I arrived in Ocean Springs, I went to The Shed first to get in a short paddle. I did another six 12-stroke sprints and otherwise paddled easy and tried to get loose after the long drive.
Once that piece of business was taken care of, I went to the Gulf Hills Hotel, next to where the race starts, and went through race check-in. I saw a few familiar faces and socialized for a while, but now I think I'm headed to bed pretty soon.
This morning I said goodbye to Heidi and began the trip around the Gulf of Mexico to Ocean Springs. I knew when I decided to go to Tampa that I was setting myself up for a long drive today, and it was indeed a monster. The leg on I-10 from Lake City to Ocean Springs seemed to go on forever.
Tomorrow's Battle on the Bayou race course starts in the Back Bay of Biloxi and goes up Old Fort Bayou for some nine and a half miles, finishing next to The Shed barbecue joint. When I arrived in Ocean Springs, I went to The Shed first to get in a short paddle. I did another six 12-stroke sprints and otherwise paddled easy and tried to get loose after the long drive.
Once that piece of business was taken care of, I went to the Gulf Hills Hotel, next to where the race starts, and went through race check-in. I saw a few familiar faces and socialized for a while, but now I think I'm headed to bed pretty soon.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Down south and back in the boat
I took a couple of days of much-needed rest in Athens. The weather was miserable, so it was a good time to chill out anyway.
Yesterday I made the next leg of my trip, driving down to Tampa, Florida. It's a bit out of the way for me (I have to be in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, by tomorrow evening), but I consider it a worthwhile side trip because my friend Heidi lives here. Anybody who's looked at my Holmes Woodwork website lately knows that it's in bad need of an overhaul, and Heidi's quite the savvy webmaster and she's walking me through some bits of the process that have a way of making my eyes glaze over. Of course, she probably could have helped me with this stuff long-distance, but Heidi also happens to be one of the nicest, loveliest, most interesting people I know, and I'm relishing spending a little time with her.
And as if that weren't enough, it's WARM where Heidi lives, and her house is across the street from the Hillsborough River! So my boat's off the car for the first time since Sunday morning. Yesterday evening I did a pretty easy 40-minute paddle, just unwinding from the long drive. With a race this Saturday my ATP-CP system could use a little work, so I did six 12-stroke sprints, starting them at two-minute intervals to ensure a nice full recovery.
This morning I went back out on the river and paddled for 60 minutes, doing another set of six 12-stroke sprints. Then, a little later in the session, I paddled for ten minutes at my likely race pace for this Saturday--enough to get the feel of paddling hard for a sustained period but not enough to wear myself out. The weather was breezy but otherwise nice--partly cloudy and low 70s--and it felt good to paddle in nothing but shorts and a T-shirt.
I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow but this has been a nice stop so far.
Yesterday I made the next leg of my trip, driving down to Tampa, Florida. It's a bit out of the way for me (I have to be in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, by tomorrow evening), but I consider it a worthwhile side trip because my friend Heidi lives here. Anybody who's looked at my Holmes Woodwork website lately knows that it's in bad need of an overhaul, and Heidi's quite the savvy webmaster and she's walking me through some bits of the process that have a way of making my eyes glaze over. Of course, she probably could have helped me with this stuff long-distance, but Heidi also happens to be one of the nicest, loveliest, most interesting people I know, and I'm relishing spending a little time with her.
And as if that weren't enough, it's WARM where Heidi lives, and her house is across the street from the Hillsborough River! So my boat's off the car for the first time since Sunday morning. Yesterday evening I did a pretty easy 40-minute paddle, just unwinding from the long drive. With a race this Saturday my ATP-CP system could use a little work, so I did six 12-stroke sprints, starting them at two-minute intervals to ensure a nice full recovery.
This morning I went back out on the river and paddled for 60 minutes, doing another set of six 12-stroke sprints. Then, a little later in the session, I paddled for ten minutes at my likely race pace for this Saturday--enough to get the feel of paddling hard for a sustained period but not enough to wear myself out. The weather was breezy but otherwise nice--partly cloudy and low 70s--and it felt good to paddle in nothing but shorts and a T-shirt.
I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow but this has been a nice stop so far.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Georgia's on my mind
Yesterday morning I did two full sets of the February strength routine and paddled for 60 minutes, doing one last set of five fifteen-stroke bucket tows before my race this Saturday.
Then I put my boat on the car and started driving east. I took Lamar Avenue out of town, where it turns into U.S. 78. This road took me to Birmingham, and from there I took Interstate 20 into Georgia. In Atlanta I picked up I-85 north and made my way to the college town of Athens. I'm now staying at the home of my longtime buddy Travis, who teaches at the law school there.
Travis is nice enough to let me visit for a couple of days during this difficult time, and I hope he knows I'll always be available to him if he ever goes through something similar (though I sure hope he never does, because his wife and daughter are two of the most delightful people I know). Besides hanging out with him, I plan to do a little paddling and stretching and resting up for this Saturday.
Then I put my boat on the car and started driving east. I took Lamar Avenue out of town, where it turns into U.S. 78. This road took me to Birmingham, and from there I took Interstate 20 into Georgia. In Atlanta I picked up I-85 north and made my way to the college town of Athens. I'm now staying at the home of my longtime buddy Travis, who teaches at the law school there.
Travis is nice enough to let me visit for a couple of days during this difficult time, and I hope he knows I'll always be available to him if he ever goes through something similar (though I sure hope he never does, because his wife and daughter are two of the most delightful people I know). Besides hanging out with him, I plan to do a little paddling and stretching and resting up for this Saturday.
Monday photo feature
I race on the Arkansas River at Little Rock every year, but in June of 2005 I was way upstream doing one of the classic canoe and kayak races in this country. Starting at Salida, Colorado, and finishing about 26 miles downriver at Cotopaxi, the FIBArk race is, I believe, the oldest and longest-running whitewater race of any kind in America. "FIBArk" stands for First In Boating on the Arkansas.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Sticking with it
I managed some pullups and leg raises this morning. I did them on a horizontal beam in a breezeway at my mother's old house. A decent pullup bar can be surprisingly hard to find.
Then I did my medicine ball exercises in the Greenbelt Park, and paddled my boat for 90 minutes, doing a set of those fun-filled bucket tows along the way.
I've been sleeping better the last couple of nights--not quite the full eight hours I like yet, but pretty close. It helps that several items of divorce business that I'd feared might be really contentious got settled without much trouble.
In any case, I'm tired this evening, partly because I worked out hard this morning, but more because of what a nightmare this whole week has been.
Then I did my medicine ball exercises in the Greenbelt Park, and paddled my boat for 90 minutes, doing a set of those fun-filled bucket tows along the way.
I've been sleeping better the last couple of nights--not quite the full eight hours I like yet, but pretty close. It helps that several items of divorce business that I'd feared might be really contentious got settled without much trouble.
In any case, I'm tired this evening, partly because I worked out hard this morning, but more because of what a nightmare this whole week has been.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Monday photo feature
It's another picture of our beautiful old bridges over the Mississippi River just down from downtown Memphis. We're looking eastward from flooded bottomland on the Arkansas side. The Harahan Bridge is on the left, and the two bridges to the right are the Frisco Bridge and the Memphis and Arkansas Bridge.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Energized
I feel like I've hit my stride with my strength routine for this month. The exercises seemed tough and I was wicked sore when the month started, but now my muscles are adapting and I'm feeling some "pep in my step" as I do them. Seeing as how my first race of the season is just two weeks away, that's a nice feeling.
I also like having the routine broken up among several different locations. Rather than slogging through one long workout session, I get a couple of breaks that enable me to really give everything I've got to every part of the workout. I think that's especially important with these power-building exercises I'm doing.
Yesterday morning I did two sets of each strength exercise, then paddled my boat for 70 minutes. Since then I have been concentrating on good recovery (just as important as the workouts, as I've mentioned before). I've had some trouble sleeping the last few nights and that's not helping, but I'm availing myself of some hot tub soaking and relaxed stretching.
I also like having the routine broken up among several different locations. Rather than slogging through one long workout session, I get a couple of breaks that enable me to really give everything I've got to every part of the workout. I think that's especially important with these power-building exercises I'm doing.
Yesterday morning I did two sets of each strength exercise, then paddled my boat for 70 minutes. Since then I have been concentrating on good recovery (just as important as the workouts, as I've mentioned before). I've had some trouble sleeping the last few nights and that's not helping, but I'm availing myself of some hot tub soaking and relaxed stretching.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Bleak (cont'd)
Today I did my pullups and my leg raises and my medicine ball exercises. And I towed my five-gallon bucket. In the first set I did twenty strokes, but that seemed a few too many for me to put absolutely everything I had into each stroke. So for the remaining four sets I made it fifteen strokes, and that seemed about right.
After that I just paddled, spending a total of 90 minutes in the boat by the time I was done. It was another pretty miserable day: overcast, occasional drizzle, and about 42 degrees Fahrenheit. But I wanted to be alone today, and that's a pretty safe bet out on the Mississippi River on a day like today.
After that I just paddled, spending a total of 90 minutes in the boat by the time I was done. It was another pretty miserable day: overcast, occasional drizzle, and about 42 degrees Fahrenheit. But I wanted to be alone today, and that's a pretty safe bet out on the Mississippi River on a day like today.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Bleak
Today I paddled for 70 minutes. The sun was shining when I first got up this morning, but by the time I got down to the river it was overcast and dark.
We have not had a bad winter in this part of the country; in fact, I'm not sure we've had a day yet where the temperature failed to rise above 30 degrees Fahrenheit. But this has seemed a very grey winter to me. Bright sunny days have been few. And it's affecting my mood in the usual way.
We have not had a bad winter in this part of the country; in fact, I'm not sure we've had a day yet where the temperature failed to rise above 30 degrees Fahrenheit. But this has seemed a very grey winter to me. Bright sunny days have been few. And it's affecting my mood in the usual way.
Monday, February 11, 2013
A pain in the neck
I woke up this morning with a crick in my neck on the right side. Ugh.
That made the idea of training today considerably less enticing. But glumly I commenced my sprawling strength routine for this month, with pullups and leg raises here at home followed by medicine ball exercises in the Greenbelt Park followed by resistance paddling in the boat. Today I tried a new method of resistance paddling. I had been butting my bow against the marina and trying to "push" it, but I found it very difficult to maintain good stroke form that way. Today I tied one end of a long polypropylene rope to a five gallon bucket, looped the other end over my torso, and towed the bucket for twenty strokes at a time. I felt that I was taking much better strokes this way. Polypro rope floats, so at the end of a set I could just take the loop off my torso and leave the rope wherever it happened to be in the harbor while I paddled a recovery interval of a couple of minutes.
After all that I continued paddling for a 90-minute session. My neck had bothered me during all the strength exercises, but it didn't really bother me as I paddled.
That made the idea of training today considerably less enticing. But glumly I commenced my sprawling strength routine for this month, with pullups and leg raises here at home followed by medicine ball exercises in the Greenbelt Park followed by resistance paddling in the boat. Today I tried a new method of resistance paddling. I had been butting my bow against the marina and trying to "push" it, but I found it very difficult to maintain good stroke form that way. Today I tied one end of a long polypropylene rope to a five gallon bucket, looped the other end over my torso, and towed the bucket for twenty strokes at a time. I felt that I was taking much better strokes this way. Polypro rope floats, so at the end of a set I could just take the loop off my torso and leave the rope wherever it happened to be in the harbor while I paddled a recovery interval of a couple of minutes.
After all that I continued paddling for a 90-minute session. My neck had bothered me during all the strength exercises, but it didn't really bother me as I paddled.
Monday photo feature
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Paddling (it's what I like to do, after all)
This morning I went downtown and paddled for 60 minutes. It was chilly but not nearly as windy as yesterday.
I'm feeling a little beat-up right now from all the new exercises I started this week--rather intense exercises at that. It was nice to get out and do nothing but paddle today.
I'm feeling a little beat-up right now from all the new exercises I started this week--rather intense exercises at that. It was nice to get out and do nothing but paddle today.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Recover
I've mentioned in the past that it is not exercise, but your recovery from exercise, that brings improvement in your fitness. You can train like a man or woman possessed, but if you don't give your body a chance to repair the damage that the training has done, your athletic performances will get worse, not better. This is what we call "overtraining."
One of the many interesting ideas I've learned from reading Ron Lugbill's blog is to count recovery sessions among your workouts for the week--in other words, if you do three recovery sessions and nine other kinds of workouts in a week, you're allowed to say you did twelve workouts that week. A recovery "session" consists of activities intended to help your body recover, such as a hot shower or soak in a hot tub followed by some relaxed, deliberate stretching. Sounds like the kind of workout I can look forward to. And it just so happens I have a hot tub at my house! A few years ago a friend of Martha's had one he didn't want, and he told Martha that if she would arrange to move the thing, it was all hers. Score! And so since I read Lugbill's advice a couple of weeks ago, I've tried to get in several hot tub and stretching "workouts" each week.
And I could sure use some recovery right now. My arms did indeed get sore after I introduced some pullups into my routine on Tuesday, and it hasn't run its course yet. I went easy on the pullups when I did my two sets of the February strength routine this morning.
After the strength work I got in the boat and did five sets of the resistance paddling that I started doing Sunday--that is, I butted my boat up against the marina and tried to "push" it with ten strokes. Then I continued with steady paddling for a 60-minute session.
The weather conditions were not what I would call hostile, but they sure weren't pleasant, either. It was overcast and in the mid 40s at the time I was on the water, and the wind was screaming out of the north. I was just glad not to be having the sort of weather the northeast U.S. is having today.
One of the many interesting ideas I've learned from reading Ron Lugbill's blog is to count recovery sessions among your workouts for the week--in other words, if you do three recovery sessions and nine other kinds of workouts in a week, you're allowed to say you did twelve workouts that week. A recovery "session" consists of activities intended to help your body recover, such as a hot shower or soak in a hot tub followed by some relaxed, deliberate stretching. Sounds like the kind of workout I can look forward to. And it just so happens I have a hot tub at my house! A few years ago a friend of Martha's had one he didn't want, and he told Martha that if she would arrange to move the thing, it was all hers. Score! And so since I read Lugbill's advice a couple of weeks ago, I've tried to get in several hot tub and stretching "workouts" each week.
And I could sure use some recovery right now. My arms did indeed get sore after I introduced some pullups into my routine on Tuesday, and it hasn't run its course yet. I went easy on the pullups when I did my two sets of the February strength routine this morning.
After the strength work I got in the boat and did five sets of the resistance paddling that I started doing Sunday--that is, I butted my boat up against the marina and tried to "push" it with ten strokes. Then I continued with steady paddling for a 60-minute session.
The weather conditions were not what I would call hostile, but they sure weren't pleasant, either. It was overcast and in the mid 40s at the time I was on the water, and the wind was screaming out of the north. I was just glad not to be having the sort of weather the northeast U.S. is having today.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Quite a day
I have a feeling I'm going to be one sore dude for the next couple of days, because I did a bunch of stuff today that my body isn't used to.
First, my strength routine for February: I started here at home with a set of pullups, followed by a static leg lift while hanging from the pullup bar (I raised my legs straight out in front of me for a twenty-count). I did this cycle twice.
Then I drove down to the river and did the same medicine ball exercises I did Sunday in the Greenbelt Park. One of these exercises is a rotational power drill, sort of like what these tennis players are doing in this video. The other is the "clean and jerk" exercise that starts at the 2-minute mark of this video. I did two sets of ten for each.
Finally, it was time to get in the boat. I met Joe at the marina, and since it was a sunny, calm day with a forecast high over 60 degrees Fahrenheit, I decided to do a longer session in the K1. With Joe there for support in case of a swim, I paddled from the marina to the north end of the harbor and back, a total distance of about three miles. I stayed upright the whole way, but I had to focus nearly a hundred percent of my concentration on balance. I had brief stretches where I seemed to get in some smooth strokes with good rotation, but I did plenty of braces, too. It tired me out mentally and I started getting pretty sloppy in the last thousand meters or so. When we got back to the marina I swapped out for the surf ski and paddled to the south end of the harbor and back in that.
I'm expecting to wake up tomorrow with soreness in my biceps from the pullups and in my core from the leg raises and from trying to keep the K1 upright. But it's all good.
First, my strength routine for February: I started here at home with a set of pullups, followed by a static leg lift while hanging from the pullup bar (I raised my legs straight out in front of me for a twenty-count). I did this cycle twice.
Then I drove down to the river and did the same medicine ball exercises I did Sunday in the Greenbelt Park. One of these exercises is a rotational power drill, sort of like what these tennis players are doing in this video. The other is the "clean and jerk" exercise that starts at the 2-minute mark of this video. I did two sets of ten for each.
Finally, it was time to get in the boat. I met Joe at the marina, and since it was a sunny, calm day with a forecast high over 60 degrees Fahrenheit, I decided to do a longer session in the K1. With Joe there for support in case of a swim, I paddled from the marina to the north end of the harbor and back, a total distance of about three miles. I stayed upright the whole way, but I had to focus nearly a hundred percent of my concentration on balance. I had brief stretches where I seemed to get in some smooth strokes with good rotation, but I did plenty of braces, too. It tired me out mentally and I started getting pretty sloppy in the last thousand meters or so. When we got back to the marina I swapped out for the surf ski and paddled to the south end of the harbor and back in that.
I'm expecting to wake up tomorrow with soreness in my biceps from the pullups and in my core from the leg raises and from trying to keep the K1 upright. But it's all good.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Monday photo feature
The Hernando DeSoto Bridge, visible in the background of the photo, opened in 1971. I was born in 1967, and so until I was about four years old the only way to drive a car across the Mississippi at Memphis was on the Memphis and Arkansas Bridge. My family took annual trips to Hardy, Arkansas, and as a very small child I thought going across the M&A Bridge alongside the Frisco and Harahan Bridges was one of the most magical parts of those trips.
An interesting project is currently in the works for the Harahan Bridge. The old automobile lanes are no longer there, but the steel support structure remains. Now there is a plan to build a bike-pedestrian route here.
While poking around with my Google search engine I found some interesting pages on these old bridges, here and here and here and here. They contain some great photographs.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Powah!
I haven't worked out a complete strength routine for February, but I tried out several new exercises today. I started with a couple of medicine ball drills, and since it's a beautiful sunny day today, I took the medicine ball downtown and did the drills in the Greenbelt Park just across Mud Island from my marina.
Then I went down to the dock and once I was in the boat, I jammed the bow into the side of the marina and paddled as hard as I could. I did five sets of ten strokes (where I define a "stroke" as one complete cycle of a stroke on the left and a stroke on the right) with a minute or so of easy paddling in between. This drill will take some getting used to; at first I was afraid one of my strokes would pull my boat over. But by the last set I was getting the hang of it.
The purpose of all these drills is to incorporate some power into my training, an idea I've gotten from reading Ron Lugbill's blog. I don't want to overdo it--Lugbill is writing for a slalom-racing audience, and slalom requires a lot more re-acceleration of the boat than straight-ahead racing does--but I hope some power training will improve my starts and also help with the occasional burst in the middle of a race.
Anyway, once I get a full routine worked out for this month I will describe it in detail.
After the power drills I continued paddling for a 90-minute session. I spent the last ten of those minutes in the K1, since it was a nice day and the water around the marina was calm. I'm still tentative in that boat, and for once I'm actually looking forward to one of our legendary Memphis summers, when a flip is sort of fun rather than a prospect of freezing to death. For now, I remain a "project" as a K1 paddler, just like that player on the college basketball team who has college-level size but not college-level skills, and therefore won't really help the team until at least a couple of seasons from now.
Then I went down to the dock and once I was in the boat, I jammed the bow into the side of the marina and paddled as hard as I could. I did five sets of ten strokes (where I define a "stroke" as one complete cycle of a stroke on the left and a stroke on the right) with a minute or so of easy paddling in between. This drill will take some getting used to; at first I was afraid one of my strokes would pull my boat over. But by the last set I was getting the hang of it.
The purpose of all these drills is to incorporate some power into my training, an idea I've gotten from reading Ron Lugbill's blog. I don't want to overdo it--Lugbill is writing for a slalom-racing audience, and slalom requires a lot more re-acceleration of the boat than straight-ahead racing does--but I hope some power training will improve my starts and also help with the occasional burst in the middle of a race.
Anyway, once I get a full routine worked out for this month I will describe it in detail.
After the power drills I continued paddling for a 90-minute session. I spent the last ten of those minutes in the K1, since it was a nice day and the water around the marina was calm. I'm still tentative in that boat, and for once I'm actually looking forward to one of our legendary Memphis summers, when a flip is sort of fun rather than a prospect of freezing to death. For now, I remain a "project" as a K1 paddler, just like that player on the college basketball team who has college-level size but not college-level skills, and therefore won't really help the team until at least a couple of seasons from now.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
"If you've got a good stroke, your body won't feel broke!"
Yeah, I know... I could have made my living writing slogans for the Burma Shave billboards if I'd been born a half-century sooner.
But my innate corniness should not diminish the importance of my point: if you find yourself dealing with a lot of nagging injuries, you should take a good, hard look at your stroke.
When I started doing some kayak racing with a wing paddle in the late 1990s, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the forward stroke. I had studied the photos and diagrams in William T. Endicott's The Barton Mold, and the blades seemed to be doing the right thing in the water as I paddled, so I figured I was good to go.
But in my first couple of years I ran into some problems with wrist tendinitis. At times the pain was so keen that I couldn't paddle or do much of anything else.
Then I saw the then-new forward stroke video, The Brent Reitz Forward Stroke Clinic. In the video Brent discusses a common mistake people make in their strokes that causes tendinitis, and recommends what he calls the "Chicken Wing": as you finish a stroke on one side and withdraw the blade from the water to begin a stroke on the other side, you should raise not just your hand, but your entire forearm including the elbow, as you do so. I took Brent's advice and incorporated this simple change into my stroke, and I never got wrist tendinitis again.
For the next few seasons I trained hard and raced pretty well without any injuries that kept me out of the boat. But I was not always free of pain. The most common discomfort was soreness and stiffness and pinched-nerve feelings in my shoulders and neck. I was frustrated by all that but sort of resigned myself to the idea that these ailments were simply my price of admission to the sport I loved.
Meanwhile, I continued to ponder my stroke. A couple of times I asked Greg Barton, when he was in town for the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race, how my stroke looked. He told me it wasn't bad, but cautioned me to rotate fully and not use my arms too much.
In the summer of 2005, after my biggest races were over, I made a conscious decision to increase my rotation to the extent I was capable. For a few weeks or even months paddling was quite uncomfortable as I tried to internalize this unfamiliar motion. But eventually I got used to it and now I don't know how to paddle any other way.
I don't know if this alteration to my stroke improved my competitive results at all--it seems like I have continued to finish about where I always have in my races, and my times have remained roughly the same. But my shoulder and neck pain has all but disappeared. I think the less-complete rotation I had been doing had concentrated the work in my upper back and shoulders, whereas now the work is better distributed throughout my torso.
This topic came back to my attention last week when I suddenly found myself with one of those old shoulder knots. I thought to myself, "I'll bet this is the result of paddling my K1." As I have described in recent posts, my stability in that boat is pretty dicey at this point, and I haven't been able to relax and rotate fully. The episode has reinforced my belief that my improved stroke has eliminated most of my shoulder and neck pain. Not a bad return on my investment even if I do wish I were faster. I advise anybody with nagging pain to look over everything that he or she is doing with the paddle: there's probably a flaw in there somewhere that can be fixed.
But my innate corniness should not diminish the importance of my point: if you find yourself dealing with a lot of nagging injuries, you should take a good, hard look at your stroke.
When I started doing some kayak racing with a wing paddle in the late 1990s, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the forward stroke. I had studied the photos and diagrams in William T. Endicott's The Barton Mold, and the blades seemed to be doing the right thing in the water as I paddled, so I figured I was good to go.
But in my first couple of years I ran into some problems with wrist tendinitis. At times the pain was so keen that I couldn't paddle or do much of anything else.
Then I saw the then-new forward stroke video, The Brent Reitz Forward Stroke Clinic. In the video Brent discusses a common mistake people make in their strokes that causes tendinitis, and recommends what he calls the "Chicken Wing": as you finish a stroke on one side and withdraw the blade from the water to begin a stroke on the other side, you should raise not just your hand, but your entire forearm including the elbow, as you do so. I took Brent's advice and incorporated this simple change into my stroke, and I never got wrist tendinitis again.
For the next few seasons I trained hard and raced pretty well without any injuries that kept me out of the boat. But I was not always free of pain. The most common discomfort was soreness and stiffness and pinched-nerve feelings in my shoulders and neck. I was frustrated by all that but sort of resigned myself to the idea that these ailments were simply my price of admission to the sport I loved.
Meanwhile, I continued to ponder my stroke. A couple of times I asked Greg Barton, when he was in town for the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race, how my stroke looked. He told me it wasn't bad, but cautioned me to rotate fully and not use my arms too much.
In the summer of 2005, after my biggest races were over, I made a conscious decision to increase my rotation to the extent I was capable. For a few weeks or even months paddling was quite uncomfortable as I tried to internalize this unfamiliar motion. But eventually I got used to it and now I don't know how to paddle any other way.
I don't know if this alteration to my stroke improved my competitive results at all--it seems like I have continued to finish about where I always have in my races, and my times have remained roughly the same. But my shoulder and neck pain has all but disappeared. I think the less-complete rotation I had been doing had concentrated the work in my upper back and shoulders, whereas now the work is better distributed throughout my torso.
This topic came back to my attention last week when I suddenly found myself with one of those old shoulder knots. I thought to myself, "I'll bet this is the result of paddling my K1." As I have described in recent posts, my stability in that boat is pretty dicey at this point, and I haven't been able to relax and rotate fully. The episode has reinforced my belief that my improved stroke has eliminated most of my shoulder and neck pain. Not a bad return on my investment even if I do wish I were faster. I advise anybody with nagging pain to look over everything that he or she is doing with the paddle: there's probably a flaw in there somewhere that can be fixed.
Month's end
On Thursday, I brought January to a close with two sets of the January strength routine and an 85-minute paddling session. Joe and I stayed in the harbor and did a fairly strong tempo session: it wasn't too intense for conversation, but I think we were slightly out of our normal cruising comfort zone.
Now I'm taking a couple of days off, partly to catch up on some other work and partly to regroup physically for some new training routines for February.
Now I'm taking a couple of days off, partly to catch up on some other work and partly to regroup physically for some new training routines for February.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Warm and wild
This morning I did two sets of the January strength routine. Then, because the weather was much too warm for sitting in a car, I hopped on my bicycle and pedaled it down to the river.
Today's temperature is somewhere in the mid 70s, Fahrenheit. When it gets like that at this time of year, it typically is accompanied by some serious south wind, and that was the case today. My friend Joe showed up at the dock about the same time I did, and we decided it was a day for paddling in the harbor. We paddled for 75 minutes and got in as much conversation as we could with the wind howling in our ears.
Word on the street is that the Mid South is in for some severe storms sometime tonight. Behind that will be some more seasonable weather.
Today's temperature is somewhere in the mid 70s, Fahrenheit. When it gets like that at this time of year, it typically is accompanied by some serious south wind, and that was the case today. My friend Joe showed up at the dock about the same time I did, and we decided it was a day for paddling in the harbor. We paddled for 75 minutes and got in as much conversation as we could with the wind howling in our ears.
Word on the street is that the Mid South is in for some severe storms sometime tonight. Behind that will be some more seasonable weather.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Monday photo feature
Sunday, January 27, 2013
More water
Today I did two sets of the January strength routine and paddled for 90 minutes, all in the surf ski.
A couple of weeks ago a system came through that dumped over three inches of rain on Memphis, and it moved on across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. As a result, the river is now over 20 feet on the Memphis gauge for the first time in at least ten months. It crested at 23.2 feet a couple of days ago. Since then it's been fairly dry here at Memphis, but precipitation farther north, such as the ice storm that just hit the upper Midwest, should keep the river at a reasonable wintertime level for the next while.
A couple of weeks ago a system came through that dumped over three inches of rain on Memphis, and it moved on across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. As a result, the river is now over 20 feet on the Memphis gauge for the first time in at least ten months. It crested at 23.2 feet a couple of days ago. Since then it's been fairly dry here at Memphis, but precipitation farther north, such as the ice storm that just hit the upper Midwest, should keep the river at a reasonable wintertime level for the next while.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Make every session count
I'm still reading the back-posts on Ron Lugbill's whitewater slalom blog, and new posts are appearing frequently.
One of the recurring topics on the blog is that of the importance of quality in all training sessions. In his most recent post on the topic, Lugbill says,
Even though I'm not really racing slalom anymore, I try to make every session a good session. In flatwater/open water racing, it might not be as obvious what constitutes a good session as in slalom, where you know you're doing well if you're having good crisp runs without all the poles swinging behind you. But just remember the main objective: propelling the boat forward as fast as you can. That means taking nice fluid strokes with full rotation, and keeping your boat quiet (i.e., not rocking or bobbing the boat).
That's what I try to do every time I get in my boat, whether I'm doing an excruciating set of lactic intervals or just paddling around with my nieces and nephews. If I let myself get sloppy at times like those, there's no reason to think I won't be sloppy when I race.
And I think this counts for out-of-the-boat sessions as well. Two or three times in the past I've referred to what Greg Barton said in William T. Endicott's The Barton Mold: if you don't practice good form and technique while lifting weights, you're likely not to have good form and technique in the boat.
One of my favorite times to give serious thought to my stroke and boat control is on days after hard workout when I go down to the river for some light paddling. It's actually harder keep a tippy boat balanced when paddling slowly, and I use this time to explore the connection between my hands that pull the paddle and my core and legs that keep the boat upright and push the boat forward. In this way, even a low-intensity session can have high training value.
One of the recurring topics on the blog is that of the importance of quality in all training sessions. In his most recent post on the topic, Lugbill says,
Your goal should be to have excellent runs in practice. Training is not about just some physical conditioning to train a particular energy system. Training is about learning to have top quality runs so you will have top quality runs in competitions.
If for some reason, you cannot have quality runs in practice, you are better off not training than to practice having poor runs. Wait for another time or another day to practice when you can do quality runs.
If you are too tired, in such a bad mood, sick, have bad equipment, or for some reason you are not up to having a top quality practice, then you should not go out and just do poor runs for the sake of conditioning. Rest, fix your boat, do what you need to in order to get yourself ready to have good quality runs. And only then should you go out and train.
Even though I'm not really racing slalom anymore, I try to make every session a good session. In flatwater/open water racing, it might not be as obvious what constitutes a good session as in slalom, where you know you're doing well if you're having good crisp runs without all the poles swinging behind you. But just remember the main objective: propelling the boat forward as fast as you can. That means taking nice fluid strokes with full rotation, and keeping your boat quiet (i.e., not rocking or bobbing the boat).
That's what I try to do every time I get in my boat, whether I'm doing an excruciating set of lactic intervals or just paddling around with my nieces and nephews. If I let myself get sloppy at times like those, there's no reason to think I won't be sloppy when I race.
And I think this counts for out-of-the-boat sessions as well. Two or three times in the past I've referred to what Greg Barton said in William T. Endicott's The Barton Mold: if you don't practice good form and technique while lifting weights, you're likely not to have good form and technique in the boat.
One of my favorite times to give serious thought to my stroke and boat control is on days after hard workout when I go down to the river for some light paddling. It's actually harder keep a tippy boat balanced when paddling slowly, and I use this time to explore the connection between my hands that pull the paddle and my core and legs that keep the boat upright and push the boat forward. In this way, even a low-intensity session can have high training value.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Some more K1 fun
This morning I did two sets of the January strength routine and paddled for 80 minutes. I wanted to paddle my new K1 today and the conditions were fair for it (mostly cloudy and chilly, but dead calm), but I didn't want to spend the entire session wobbling around in a tippy, unfamiliar boat and not getting any good strokes. So I went half-and-half, paddling the surf ski for 40 minutes and the K1 for 40 minutes.
When I got in the K1 I felt pretty good (I think it helped to be warmed up from paddling the surf ski), and I set off toward the north end of the harbor. But some 300 meters from the marina I let my center of gravity slip just a hair too far to the right, and over I went.
The harbor does not have many good places to pull out on the bank; the banks are steep and covered with trees and/or underbrush. I pulled myself onto the boat's stern deck, face-down, and paddled myself over into the trees, dodging vines floating logs, and seeing the bright side of winter in that the snakes are hibernating. I used a sturdy sapling for support and climbed back into the boat, which hadn't taken on too much water.
The problem now was that I had to dodge more logs and vines to get back out of the trees, and in my effort to do so I flipped again. The boat took on more water, but that actually made it more stable and this time I hopped back in quickly (using another tree for support). I paddled back to the marina, dumped the water out of the boat, and spent the rest of my 40 minutes paddling laps around the marina. I didn't flip anymore, though I did have a couple of close calls.
One might think I'd be demoralized by the experience, but actually I feel good about the session. It was only my second time in the boat, and swims notwithstanding I already felt quite a bit more stable than I had last Saturday. It was also reassuring to have some idea of the consequences of a swim this time of year: today, with the air temperature in the high 40s, they weren't bad. I'll continue to make sure I'm properly dressed.
The objective, of course, is to become comfortable enough in the boat to take good forward strokes with full rotation, and today I had short stretches where I was able to do that before I had to stop and brace. Now I just have to lengthen those stretches, and that will come with more time in the boat. I figure for the next several months I'll keep working in short sessions like today's whenever the conditions are calm, and then I'll really hit it hard this summer.
When I got in the K1 I felt pretty good (I think it helped to be warmed up from paddling the surf ski), and I set off toward the north end of the harbor. But some 300 meters from the marina I let my center of gravity slip just a hair too far to the right, and over I went.
The harbor does not have many good places to pull out on the bank; the banks are steep and covered with trees and/or underbrush. I pulled myself onto the boat's stern deck, face-down, and paddled myself over into the trees, dodging vines floating logs, and seeing the bright side of winter in that the snakes are hibernating. I used a sturdy sapling for support and climbed back into the boat, which hadn't taken on too much water.
The problem now was that I had to dodge more logs and vines to get back out of the trees, and in my effort to do so I flipped again. The boat took on more water, but that actually made it more stable and this time I hopped back in quickly (using another tree for support). I paddled back to the marina, dumped the water out of the boat, and spent the rest of my 40 minutes paddling laps around the marina. I didn't flip anymore, though I did have a couple of close calls.
One might think I'd be demoralized by the experience, but actually I feel good about the session. It was only my second time in the boat, and swims notwithstanding I already felt quite a bit more stable than I had last Saturday. It was also reassuring to have some idea of the consequences of a swim this time of year: today, with the air temperature in the high 40s, they weren't bad. I'll continue to make sure I'm properly dressed.
The objective, of course, is to become comfortable enough in the boat to take good forward strokes with full rotation, and today I had short stretches where I was able to do that before I had to stop and brace. Now I just have to lengthen those stretches, and that will come with more time in the boat. I figure for the next several months I'll keep working in short sessions like today's whenever the conditions are calm, and then I'll really hit it hard this summer.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monday photo feature
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Trying to stay on track
This morning I did two sets of the January strength routine and paddled for 90 minutes. I would have liked to paddle the K1 again today--what kid doesn't want to play with his new toy?--but I needed a real session today after yesterday's ten minutes or so in the boat, and so the surf ski it was. I think for the duration of winter my K1 paddling will be limited to sunny days when it's dead calm.
I paddled at a good strong pace today, throwing in a long surge about 25 minutes out. I was trying to get back across the river from the Arkansas side ahead of a tow rig coming downriver. He blew his horn at me, but I got across with plenty of room to spare.
I paddled at a good strong pace today, throwing in a long surge about 25 minutes out. I was trying to get back across the river from the Arkansas side ahead of a tow rig coming downriver. He blew his horn at me, but I got across with plenty of room to spare.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Struggles
I didn't make it to the river yesterday, but I did do two sets of the January strength routine in the afternoon. I think my lower abdominals must be getting in better shape, because those exercise ball drills have been feeling easier the last several times. The exercises that still feel very difficult to me are the core drills that Daniele Molmenti does at 4:40 and 5:03 of this video.
The big excitement came this morning, when I went down to the harbor to paddle my new K1 for the first time. At least, I was excited during the drive down there. But that faded as I found myself spending a lot more time fussing with the adjustments of the seat, footboard, tiller, and rudder than I spent in the boat. Apparently the boat's previous owner and I are polar opposites in our settings preferences. And it's possible I'll be fussing with the settings some more once I get somebody to look at me in the boat and tell me how trim it is.
Once I was finally in the boat, I was reminded of just how much tippier than a surf ski a K1 is. I managed to stay upright, but I dared not stray far from the marina in case of a swim in that cold water. The weather was not helpful: even though it was some 20 degrees warmer today than it was earlier this week, it still wasn't exactly balmy, and a pretty stiff south wind created a fair amount of chop. In the end I just did a few laps in the interior of our U-shaped marina where I had a little protection.
In short, very little actual paddling took place today, and I think it could be a while before I really get comfortable in this new boat. We've still got two months of winter ahead of us; would've been nice if I'd gotten this boat in the summertime. But no worries... stability will come. And this new challenge will give me some fresh motivation.
The big excitement came this morning, when I went down to the harbor to paddle my new K1 for the first time. At least, I was excited during the drive down there. But that faded as I found myself spending a lot more time fussing with the adjustments of the seat, footboard, tiller, and rudder than I spent in the boat. Apparently the boat's previous owner and I are polar opposites in our settings preferences. And it's possible I'll be fussing with the settings some more once I get somebody to look at me in the boat and tell me how trim it is.
Once I was finally in the boat, I was reminded of just how much tippier than a surf ski a K1 is. I managed to stay upright, but I dared not stray far from the marina in case of a swim in that cold water. The weather was not helpful: even though it was some 20 degrees warmer today than it was earlier this week, it still wasn't exactly balmy, and a pretty stiff south wind created a fair amount of chop. In the end I just did a few laps in the interior of our U-shaped marina where I had a little protection.
In short, very little actual paddling took place today, and I think it could be a while before I really get comfortable in this new boat. We've still got two months of winter ahead of us; would've been nice if I'd gotten this boat in the summertime. But no worries... stability will come. And this new challenge will give me some fresh motivation.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Santa came in January
Well, my Vanquish K1 has arrived. The nice man from KAS Transport came through Memphis last night.
I'm having a very busy day in my workshop, so it remains to be seen whether I put it in the water today. If not, I'll take it down to the harbor tomorrow morning. I'm sure I'll have to spend some time making adjustments to get the boat trim and get the rudder working the way I like it. And then the first few sessions will probably be spent trying to keep the thing upright.
I'm having a very busy day in my workshop, so it remains to be seen whether I put it in the water today. If not, I'll take it down to the harbor tomorrow morning. I'm sure I'll have to spend some time making adjustments to get the boat trim and get the rudder working the way I like it. And then the first few sessions will probably be spent trying to keep the thing upright.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
No whining, even on crummy days
This morning I did two sets of the January strength routine and then paddled my boat for 70 minutes.
There had been a very mild ice storm here yesterday, which is to say that while it put a coat of ice on almost everything, it did not affect the streets and did not bring down tree branches and stuff like that. When I got down to the marina the temperature display in my car's dashboard said it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit, so whatever thaw took place today had only just begun. After surviving an extremely dicey walk down an icy ramp, I struggled to untie the ropes that secured my boat to its rack and to undo the zipper and fastex buckles on my boat's cover.
The rest of the session was simple enough, though it felt like sort of a chore on this cold, dreary, cheerless day.
Since I'm sitting here fighting off waves of self-pity, it's a good time to point you toward a new post on Ron Lugbill's blog about being a good sport. He talks about the things we all think about, such as not whining about poor officiating and not congratulating the people who beat you, but he also mentions more general things like not forgetting the huge variety of people who help you along your way and maintaining good relationships with fellow competitors. Good advice for athletes in any sport. Read the post here.
There had been a very mild ice storm here yesterday, which is to say that while it put a coat of ice on almost everything, it did not affect the streets and did not bring down tree branches and stuff like that. When I got down to the marina the temperature display in my car's dashboard said it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit, so whatever thaw took place today had only just begun. After surviving an extremely dicey walk down an icy ramp, I struggled to untie the ropes that secured my boat to its rack and to undo the zipper and fastex buckles on my boat's cover.
The rest of the session was simple enough, though it felt like sort of a chore on this cold, dreary, cheerless day.
Since I'm sitting here fighting off waves of self-pity, it's a good time to point you toward a new post on Ron Lugbill's blog about being a good sport. He talks about the things we all think about, such as not whining about poor officiating and not congratulating the people who beat you, but he also mentions more general things like not forgetting the huge variety of people who help you along your way and maintaining good relationships with fellow competitors. Good advice for athletes in any sport. Read the post here.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Another blog to look at
Ron Lugbill, a member of the U.S. national team in whitewater slalom in the 1970s and early 1980s, has a blog I've just found out about. Take a look at it here.
Ron is the less-famous of the two Lugbill brothers: his brother Jon was a five-time world champion in the C1 class. I've never met Ron myself--he had long since retired from competition by the time I started racing slalom in the 1990s--but I admire him based on my second-hand experience with him, such as reading articles he's written and talking to racers he's coached. I think he's a lawyer these days, but does some freelance coaching and, as one can tell from reading his blog, spends a lot of time thinking about the sport.
Of course, the racing I'm doing these days is not slalom, so there's a lot of stuff on Lugbill's blog that doesn't really apply to my training. But there's a lot of stuff that does. It'll take me a while to read through all his back-posts and ponder what it all means for me. One thing that's already caught my attention is his assertion that one should work on speed and power throughout the year; I've always done most of my speed work in the couple of months before the biggest races. He also talks about how best to incorporate strength training into a paddler's regime.
I learned of the blog when somebody linked to it on the Whitewater Slalom Alumni and Friends page on Face Book. Go "like" that page if you're looking for more paddling stuff to chew on.
Ron is the less-famous of the two Lugbill brothers: his brother Jon was a five-time world champion in the C1 class. I've never met Ron myself--he had long since retired from competition by the time I started racing slalom in the 1990s--but I admire him based on my second-hand experience with him, such as reading articles he's written and talking to racers he's coached. I think he's a lawyer these days, but does some freelance coaching and, as one can tell from reading his blog, spends a lot of time thinking about the sport.
Of course, the racing I'm doing these days is not slalom, so there's a lot of stuff on Lugbill's blog that doesn't really apply to my training. But there's a lot of stuff that does. It'll take me a while to read through all his back-posts and ponder what it all means for me. One thing that's already caught my attention is his assertion that one should work on speed and power throughout the year; I've always done most of my speed work in the couple of months before the biggest races. He also talks about how best to incorporate strength training into a paddler's regime.
I learned of the blog when somebody linked to it on the Whitewater Slalom Alumni and Friends page on Face Book. Go "like" that page if you're looking for more paddling stuff to chew on.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
My boat and I get together in all kinds of weather
I've got several days to catch up on here, days highlighted by severe swings in the weather.
Friday was flat-out beautiful--sunny and reaching 68 degrees by the afternoon. After doing two sets of the January strength routine that morning, I decided it was too nice a day to drive down to the river, and rode my bike. I paddled for 70 minutes amid quite a few floating logs that had been flushed out of the Wolf River by the heavy rain we'd had Wednesday and early Thursday.
The warm temperatures remained through yesterday, but the sun didn't. We got about a quarter-inch of rain during the day, and then overnight last night it started pouring. It continued to rain hard this morning as I did another two sets of the January strength routine. And it was distinctly colder outside. There would be no bike ride to the river today.
One thing I can say about that Go Pro camera that Martha gave me for my birthday last August: it gets me out in my boat on days like today when a person could be forgiven for staying home. I'm on sort of a personal mission to shoot footage of the Mississippi River in all kinds of weather, and opportunity knocked today.
I planned to paddle for 70 minutes, and that's exactly what I did. The cold, wet conditions prompted me to push the pace even though I knew that wouldn't make the time pass by any faster.
The rain continued past lunchtime. I'm actually glad to see it considering the severe drought our region, like most of the rest of North America, has had. We need a lot more days like this to pull us out of it.
Friday was flat-out beautiful--sunny and reaching 68 degrees by the afternoon. After doing two sets of the January strength routine that morning, I decided it was too nice a day to drive down to the river, and rode my bike. I paddled for 70 minutes amid quite a few floating logs that had been flushed out of the Wolf River by the heavy rain we'd had Wednesday and early Thursday.
The warm temperatures remained through yesterday, but the sun didn't. We got about a quarter-inch of rain during the day, and then overnight last night it started pouring. It continued to rain hard this morning as I did another two sets of the January strength routine. And it was distinctly colder outside. There would be no bike ride to the river today.
One thing I can say about that Go Pro camera that Martha gave me for my birthday last August: it gets me out in my boat on days like today when a person could be forgiven for staying home. I'm on sort of a personal mission to shoot footage of the Mississippi River in all kinds of weather, and opportunity knocked today.
I planned to paddle for 70 minutes, and that's exactly what I did. The cold, wet conditions prompted me to push the pace even though I knew that wouldn't make the time pass by any faster.
The rain continued past lunchtime. I'm actually glad to see it considering the severe drought our region, like most of the rest of North America, has had. We need a lot more days like this to pull us out of it.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
More continental drainage 101
Well, it's pouring down rain here in Memphis today, and that might get up one's hopes for a major rise in the Mississippi, until one looks at today's national weather map:
As the map shows, the heaviest precipitation is south (i.e., downstream) of Memphis, where it will have no effect on our part of the big river.
There is, according to this map, some rain falling in the Ohio Valley, along the state line between Kentucky and Indiana and between Kentucky and Illinois. That will send some water our way. And I believe the rain showing up along the Kansas-Nebraska border is falling in the Missouri River watershed, so we'll eventually be paddling on that water. It'll add some much-needed flow to the section of the Mississippi between St. Louis and Cairo as well.
One interesting wrinkle in the Mississippi's watershed is southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas. Rain that falls in that region does not affect the Mississippi at Memphis. The region is part of the St. Francis River watershed, and the St. Francis flows almost as far south as Helena, Arkansas--well downstream of Memphis--before it joins the Mississippi.
Well, that's enough lecture for today. Perhaps I will continue this lesson in a later post.
As the map shows, the heaviest precipitation is south (i.e., downstream) of Memphis, where it will have no effect on our part of the big river.
There is, according to this map, some rain falling in the Ohio Valley, along the state line between Kentucky and Indiana and between Kentucky and Illinois. That will send some water our way. And I believe the rain showing up along the Kansas-Nebraska border is falling in the Missouri River watershed, so we'll eventually be paddling on that water. It'll add some much-needed flow to the section of the Mississippi between St. Louis and Cairo as well.
One interesting wrinkle in the Mississippi's watershed is southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas. Rain that falls in that region does not affect the Mississippi at Memphis. The region is part of the St. Francis River watershed, and the St. Francis flows almost as far south as Helena, Arkansas--well downstream of Memphis--before it joins the Mississippi.
Well, that's enough lecture for today. Perhaps I will continue this lesson in a later post.
Training session and ASHOF update
Yesterday morning I did two sets of the January strength routine. I've gotten over most of the soreness, but I still can't believe how much the core exercises hurt, especially ones with the exercise ball.
Then I went down to the river, where misty precipitation increased into a hard, steady drizzle during my paddling session. I think the river is exceptionally beautiful in this sort of weather. And the temperature was higher than it had been in recent days--I think it was in the upper 50s when I was down there--so I was reasonably comfortable. I didn't wear pogies, and that's always a bonus in January.
In the last several years my friend Phil Capel, a fellow paddler and the director of the Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race at Little Rock each June, has been speaking with voting members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame regarding the candidacy of Mike Herbert that I talked about in my last post. Phil tells me that there are some 300 potential inductees on their list right now, meaning that anybody hoping to be inducted could have to wait some years yet. Right now he's trying to get some assurance that Mike is on that list.
And at the moment that's the main thing I'd like to be sure of, too: that the voters are aware that Mike exists and that he's getting the same consideration as candidates who perhaps have a higher public profile. I've never received a reply to any correspondence I have ever sent to ASHOF, so right now I have no idea whether anybody is listening or not.
For now, what I would like is to know who the voting members are so that I might send them a polite letter in support of Mike's candidacy and encourage others to do the same. I'll share what I find out here.
Then I went down to the river, where misty precipitation increased into a hard, steady drizzle during my paddling session. I think the river is exceptionally beautiful in this sort of weather. And the temperature was higher than it had been in recent days--I think it was in the upper 50s when I was down there--so I was reasonably comfortable. I didn't wear pogies, and that's always a bonus in January.
In the last several years my friend Phil Capel, a fellow paddler and the director of the Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race at Little Rock each June, has been speaking with voting members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame regarding the candidacy of Mike Herbert that I talked about in my last post. Phil tells me that there are some 300 potential inductees on their list right now, meaning that anybody hoping to be inducted could have to wait some years yet. Right now he's trying to get some assurance that Mike is on that list.
And at the moment that's the main thing I'd like to be sure of, too: that the voters are aware that Mike exists and that he's getting the same consideration as candidates who perhaps have a higher public profile. I've never received a reply to any correspondence I have ever sent to ASHOF, so right now I have no idea whether anybody is listening or not.
For now, what I would like is to know who the voting members are so that I might send them a polite letter in support of Mike's candidacy and encourage others to do the same. I'll share what I find out here.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Just what I need: another project...
Yesterday the daily newspaper here in Memphis ran an item in its sports section announcing the 2013 induction class for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Several years ago it occurred to me that my friend Mike Herbert of Rogers, Arkansas, had not been inducted into the ASHOF, so I composed a letter to the Hall's powers that were, hoping to convince them that Mike is every bit as outstanding as the men and women already inducted and therefore should be considered for induction himself.
I never got any sort of response to my query, and eventually I got busy with other things. Whether any influential person ever laid eyes on my letter, I have no idea; all I know is that now, in 2013, Mike still has not been inducted into the Hall.
So I am giving it another go. This morning I sent an e-mail to Mr. Ray Tucker, the ASHOF executive director. This effort alone will probably not do the trick, and in the coming days I hope to track down contact info for members of the ASHOF board, and perhaps bestow some paper snail-mail upon them.
If anybody reading this would like to join in this effort, please do. I welcome any advice on how I can get the ear of the actual decision-makers in this process.
The rest of this post consists of the e-mail I sent to Mr. Tucker.
To the board of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame:
I wish to congratulate the eight new inductees in the Class of 2013, and I commend your selection committee for choosing such an exemplary group. These eight men and women represent a standard of achievement that all Arkansans can be proud of.
It is my privilege to be acquainted with another outstanding Arkansan and I urge you to consider him for future induction into the Hall.
Mike Herbert of Rogers is one of the greatest athletes ever to compete for the United States in the sport of flatwater sprint kayaking. He made his first Olympic team in 1988 and became the first American ever to make the final of the 500-meter single kayak event. In that final, he fell just inches shy of winning the bronze medal. You can watch the television footage of that final race in Seoul, South Korea, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95iuP4jnonM&feature=relmfu
During the next two years Mike won three world championships medals, a rare feat for U.S. paddlers in this European-dominated sport. Then, in 1991, Mike won the 1000 meters at the Pan American Games in Havana, making such an impression on Fidel Castro that the Cuban dictator saluted the U.S. flag during the medal ceremony:
http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08-05/sports/sp-183_1_gold-medal
In 1992, Sports Illustrated ran this feature of Mike in its Olympic preview issue prior to the Games in Barcelona:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1004021/index.htm
The following is a summary of Mike Herbert's athletic career:
Michael Adam Herbert
Sport: Flatwater sprint kayak
Born September 30, 1960, Belleville, Illinois
Residence since early teens: Rogers, Arkansas
Current address: 8865 Galleon Drive, Rogers, AR 72756; k1herbert@msn.com
Mike Herbert began racing canoes as a teenager with his father, Bob. The two quickly became the tandem to beat on the circuit in northern Arkansas, where marathon canoe racing is popular on rivers like the Arkansas, the Black, the Buffalo, the Current, the Eleven Point, the Mulberry, and the White.
After watching the 1984 Olympic kayak races on TV, Herbert switched over to kayak and set the goal of becoming an Olympian himself. He found himself on the water in Seoul for the 1988 Games, in which he missed winning the bronze in the 500-meter single kayak event by mere hundredths of a second.
The next several years were remarkably successful, as Herbert won a bronze medal at the 1989 world championships, two silver medals at the 1990 world championships, and a gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games. Precious few Americans have won world championships medals in this European-dominated sport, and Herbert's three medals from the worlds make him the second-most decorated U.S. flatwater kayaker ever, behind the legendary Olympic champion Greg Barton.
Though his international career is behind him, Mike Herbert continues to be active in the sport, attending the national championships of marathon canoeing most years and renewing his friendly rivalry with Greg Barton each year at the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race at Memphis.
Mike Herbert's achievements on the international level and his continuing enthusiasm for his sport on the regional and national levels present an overwhelming case for his induction into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Olympic results
1988 Olympics, Seoul, South Korea: 4th, single kayak 500 meters
1992 Olympics, Barcelona, Spain: 9th, 4-man kayak 1000 meters
1996 Olympics, Atlanta, USA: 8th (semifinal), single kayak 500 meters
World Championships results
1989 World Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria: Bronze Medal, single kayak 500 meters
1990 World Championships, Poznan, Poland: Silver Medal, single kayak 500 meters
1990 World Championships, Poznan, Poland: Silver Medal, double kayak 500 meters
Other international results
1987 Pan American Games, Indianapolis, USA: Gold Medal, double kayak 500 meters
1987 Pan American Games, Indianapolis, USA: Gold Medal, 4-man kayak 1000 meters
1991 Pan American Games, Havana, Cuba: Gold Medal, single kayak 1000 meters
About flatwater sprint kayaking:
The format of this sport is similar to that of swimming: racers are placed in lanes on a lake or other calm body of water, and propel their boats forward as fast as possible. At the Olympics, world championships, and most other international events, paddlers compete over distances of 200 meters, 500 meters, and 1000 meters.
The national governing body for canoe and kayak racing is USA Canoe-Kayak: www.usack.org.
The international governing body is the International Canoe Federation: www.canoeicf.org.
Several years ago it occurred to me that my friend Mike Herbert of Rogers, Arkansas, had not been inducted into the ASHOF, so I composed a letter to the Hall's powers that were, hoping to convince them that Mike is every bit as outstanding as the men and women already inducted and therefore should be considered for induction himself.
I never got any sort of response to my query, and eventually I got busy with other things. Whether any influential person ever laid eyes on my letter, I have no idea; all I know is that now, in 2013, Mike still has not been inducted into the Hall.
So I am giving it another go. This morning I sent an e-mail to Mr. Ray Tucker, the ASHOF executive director. This effort alone will probably not do the trick, and in the coming days I hope to track down contact info for members of the ASHOF board, and perhaps bestow some paper snail-mail upon them.
If anybody reading this would like to join in this effort, please do. I welcome any advice on how I can get the ear of the actual decision-makers in this process.
The rest of this post consists of the e-mail I sent to Mr. Tucker.
To the board of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame:
I wish to congratulate the eight new inductees in the Class of 2013, and I commend your selection committee for choosing such an exemplary group. These eight men and women represent a standard of achievement that all Arkansans can be proud of.
It is my privilege to be acquainted with another outstanding Arkansan and I urge you to consider him for future induction into the Hall.
Mike Herbert of Rogers is one of the greatest athletes ever to compete for the United States in the sport of flatwater sprint kayaking. He made his first Olympic team in 1988 and became the first American ever to make the final of the 500-meter single kayak event. In that final, he fell just inches shy of winning the bronze medal. You can watch the television footage of that final race in Seoul, South Korea, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95iuP4jnonM&feature=relmfu
During the next two years Mike won three world championships medals, a rare feat for U.S. paddlers in this European-dominated sport. Then, in 1991, Mike won the 1000 meters at the Pan American Games in Havana, making such an impression on Fidel Castro that the Cuban dictator saluted the U.S. flag during the medal ceremony:
http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08-05/sports/sp-183_1_gold-medal
In 1992, Sports Illustrated ran this feature of Mike in its Olympic preview issue prior to the Games in Barcelona:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1004021/index.htm
The following is a summary of Mike Herbert's athletic career:
Michael Adam Herbert
Sport: Flatwater sprint kayak
Born September 30, 1960, Belleville, Illinois
Residence since early teens: Rogers, Arkansas
Current address: 8865 Galleon Drive, Rogers, AR 72756; k1herbert@msn.com
Mike Herbert began racing canoes as a teenager with his father, Bob. The two quickly became the tandem to beat on the circuit in northern Arkansas, where marathon canoe racing is popular on rivers like the Arkansas, the Black, the Buffalo, the Current, the Eleven Point, the Mulberry, and the White.
After watching the 1984 Olympic kayak races on TV, Herbert switched over to kayak and set the goal of becoming an Olympian himself. He found himself on the water in Seoul for the 1988 Games, in which he missed winning the bronze in the 500-meter single kayak event by mere hundredths of a second.
The next several years were remarkably successful, as Herbert won a bronze medal at the 1989 world championships, two silver medals at the 1990 world championships, and a gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games. Precious few Americans have won world championships medals in this European-dominated sport, and Herbert's three medals from the worlds make him the second-most decorated U.S. flatwater kayaker ever, behind the legendary Olympic champion Greg Barton.
Though his international career is behind him, Mike Herbert continues to be active in the sport, attending the national championships of marathon canoeing most years and renewing his friendly rivalry with Greg Barton each year at the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race at Memphis.
Mike Herbert's achievements on the international level and his continuing enthusiasm for his sport on the regional and national levels present an overwhelming case for his induction into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Olympic results
1988 Olympics, Seoul, South Korea: 4th, single kayak 500 meters
1992 Olympics, Barcelona, Spain: 9th, 4-man kayak 1000 meters
1996 Olympics, Atlanta, USA: 8th (semifinal), single kayak 500 meters
World Championships results
1989 World Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria: Bronze Medal, single kayak 500 meters
1990 World Championships, Poznan, Poland: Silver Medal, single kayak 500 meters
1990 World Championships, Poznan, Poland: Silver Medal, double kayak 500 meters
Other international results
1987 Pan American Games, Indianapolis, USA: Gold Medal, double kayak 500 meters
1987 Pan American Games, Indianapolis, USA: Gold Medal, 4-man kayak 1000 meters
1991 Pan American Games, Havana, Cuba: Gold Medal, single kayak 1000 meters
About flatwater sprint kayaking:
The format of this sport is similar to that of swimming: racers are placed in lanes on a lake or other calm body of water, and propel their boats forward as fast as possible. At the Olympics, world championships, and most other international events, paddlers compete over distances of 200 meters, 500 meters, and 1000 meters.
The national governing body for canoe and kayak racing is USA Canoe-Kayak: www.usack.org.
The international governing body is the International Canoe Federation: www.canoeicf.org.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Monday photo feature
Epiphany marked the end of Christmas yesterday. Joe Royer took this photo during a yuletide river outing a couple of years ago, and it's as good a way as any to say goodbye to this holiday season and get on with a new year.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Adapting to some new stuff
This morning I did two sets of my new strength routine for the month of January. All the exercises are harder than they look in the videos, especially the core exercises. My lower abdominals have been very sore since I did the new exercises on Friday, so today's workout brought the pain.
After that I went down to the river and paddled for 70 minutes. I had a mission: on Friday I saw a flock of migrating pelicans over near the Arkansas side above the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, but I was pressed for time and didn't get far enough up there for a good luck. So today I brought along my Go Pro camera and planned to go up there and spend as much quality time with the pelicans as they would allow.
Sadly, when I got up to where they had been, they were gone.
Oh well. At least my paddling session was good. I was feeling it in my muscles from the strength workout, and I concentrated hard to make sure my stroke form didn't get sloppy.
It had been overcast and gloomy when I started paddling, but by the time I returned to the dock it had turned into a beautiful blue-sky sunny day. I drove home with the happy feeling of having done some good work for the morning.
After that I went down to the river and paddled for 70 minutes. I had a mission: on Friday I saw a flock of migrating pelicans over near the Arkansas side above the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, but I was pressed for time and didn't get far enough up there for a good luck. So today I brought along my Go Pro camera and planned to go up there and spend as much quality time with the pelicans as they would allow.
Sadly, when I got up to where they had been, they were gone.
Oh well. At least my paddling session was good. I was feeling it in my muscles from the strength workout, and I concentrated hard to make sure my stroke form didn't get sloppy.
It had been overcast and gloomy when I started paddling, but by the time I returned to the dock it had turned into a beautiful blue-sky sunny day. I drove home with the happy feeling of having done some good work for the morning.
Friday, January 4, 2013
New strength routine
I paddled this morning for 60 minutes. It was cold, but the bright sunshine and calm conditions made it an ideal day to paddle.
In the early part of the year, when the competitions are still months in the future, I sort of plan my training month to month. Here we are in a new month, so it's time to begin a new phase.
For paddling, that means turning up the volume a little. Last month I was getting down to the river twice a week, and I'll be making it three times a week this month. I'll lengthen my sessions a bit, too: I've been paddling for an hour each time, but in the next couple of weeks I'll be stretching that out to 80 or 90 minutes.
It's on the strength-building front that I really adopted the habit of monthly routines. I got the idea some fifteen years ago when I read The Barton Mold, William T. Endicott's case study of world and Olympic champion Greg Barton. Here's an excerpt from the book that I posted last February, when I was addressing this same topic. (The Barton Mold is available in PDF format on the International Canoe Federation website, here. This excerpt is from the section entitled "How Barton trains.")
For the last few weeks I've been focusing on my core. As I move forward I plan to continue some core exercises but also incorporate some other stuff. The strength routine I have made up for the month of January draws, once again, from the videos I have cited in recent posts that star Jingjing Li and Daniele Molmenti. Both are Olympians in whitewater slalom, and Molmenti won the gold medal in men's kayak at the Games in London last summer.
Here is my routine for January. The exercises are difficult to describe and I don't know what any of them is called, so I'll refer to the time at which they occur in either the Jingjing Li video or the Daniele Molmenti video:
1. Rubber band exercise at 5:42 of the D.M. video
2. Exercise ball exercise at 2:55 of the J.L. video
3. Rubber band exercises (hand paddling?) at 6:56 and 7:10 of the D.M. video
4. Core exercises at 4:40 and 5:03 of the D.M. video
5. Rubber band exercises at 8:42 and 9:30 of the D.M video
6. Exercise ball exercise at 3:10 of the J.L. video
I did a very light version of this routine this afternoon, mostly just trying to familiarize myself with all these different movements.
In the early part of the year, when the competitions are still months in the future, I sort of plan my training month to month. Here we are in a new month, so it's time to begin a new phase.
For paddling, that means turning up the volume a little. Last month I was getting down to the river twice a week, and I'll be making it three times a week this month. I'll lengthen my sessions a bit, too: I've been paddling for an hour each time, but in the next couple of weeks I'll be stretching that out to 80 or 90 minutes.
It's on the strength-building front that I really adopted the habit of monthly routines. I got the idea some fifteen years ago when I read The Barton Mold, William T. Endicott's case study of world and Olympic champion Greg Barton. Here's an excerpt from the book that I posted last February, when I was addressing this same topic. (The Barton Mold is available in PDF format on the International Canoe Federation website, here. This excerpt is from the section entitled "How Barton trains.")
Barton takes two or three exercises from each of [his categories of lifting exercises] and makes up a routine consisting of 10-12 exercises, which he continues for three or four weeks. He then creates a new routine. Some exercises would stay in the routine, but a number would be different.
I do this is because I think it helps to get over plateaus. I'll change to another
exercise that works the same muscle, but maybe from a little different angle.
As soon as I start the new exercise, I can make improvements right away.
But pretty soon I reach a plateau. Then maybe I'll go back to the old one and
find that, sure, maybe I've lost a bit initially, but not much. And then after
a week or two, I've actually surpassed where I was. It's a way of tricking your
mind and body into improving beyond what it felt was a barrier.
For the last few weeks I've been focusing on my core. As I move forward I plan to continue some core exercises but also incorporate some other stuff. The strength routine I have made up for the month of January draws, once again, from the videos I have cited in recent posts that star Jingjing Li and Daniele Molmenti. Both are Olympians in whitewater slalom, and Molmenti won the gold medal in men's kayak at the Games in London last summer.
Here is my routine for January. The exercises are difficult to describe and I don't know what any of them is called, so I'll refer to the time at which they occur in either the Jingjing Li video or the Daniele Molmenti video:
1. Rubber band exercise at 5:42 of the D.M. video
2. Exercise ball exercise at 2:55 of the J.L. video
3. Rubber band exercises (hand paddling?) at 6:56 and 7:10 of the D.M. video
4. Core exercises at 4:40 and 5:03 of the D.M. video
5. Rubber band exercises at 8:42 and 9:30 of the D.M video
6. Exercise ball exercise at 3:10 of the J.L. video
I did a very light version of this routine this afternoon, mostly just trying to familiarize myself with all these different movements.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Seasonably cold
It must be January. A pale sun didn't provide much warmth this morning as I went down to the river. Once on the water, I found my rudder was frozen and I had to work the pedals gently for several minutes until the lines came free.
But I was dressed for the cold, and once I got moving I was reasonably comfortable. A north breeze was blowing, but not the sort of screaming gale that makes me want to ditch my boat and hop the next one-way flight to the equator. And the temperature had risen above the freezing point by the time I got back to the dock: the water that had dripped onto my deck and my pogies was in its liquid state.
But I was dressed for the cold, and once I got moving I was reasonably comfortable. A north breeze was blowing, but not the sort of screaming gale that makes me want to ditch my boat and hop the next one-way flight to the equator. And the temperature had risen above the freezing point by the time I got back to the dock: the water that had dripped onto my deck and my pogies was in its liquid state.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday photo feature
The complicated business of draining the continent
Yesterday afternoon I went downtown and paddled for 60 minutes on a cold but calm day. The river level was 10.9 feet, the highest Memphis gauge reading since last May. Even though this level is on the low side of medium for this time of year, it felt very high, with the water covering parts of the landscape that had been high and dry for months.
The Mississippi River has been in the national news lately because its low levels have threatened the smooth flow of barge traffic, and so some readers might be surprised to hear me say the water is up here at Memphis. But the Mississippi is a long river, and Memphis is not where the current news-making problem is. That distinction belongs to the section between St. Louis, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois. Above St. Louis, the lock-and-dam system on the river is pretty reliable for keeping the river at adequate depths for commercial traffic, and at Cairo the Ohio River comes in and increases the Mississippi's flow capacity by about 200 percent. Months of drought conditions in the watershed of the Missouri River (which reaches the Mississippi just above St. Louis), combined with frozen water in the upper reaches of the Mississippi, have resulted in a scarcity of water from St. Louis down to Cairo, where the Ohio provides relief.
Fairly often I find myself explaining the river's behavior to people in other parts of the country, and even to people right here in Memphis who just don't pay much attention to the river.
Back in 1993, when footage of the devastating floods on the upper Mississippi dominated the national news on TV, there was some wailing here in Memphis over our impending doom. But that was all wasted breath, because below-normal flows on the Ohio that summer meant that the lower Mississippi's riverbed had plenty of room to accommodate the water coming down from the upper Midwest.
When we have had heavy rain here in the Memphis area, I sometimes hear the question "Has all this rain brought the Mississippi up?" The answer is always no. Local rainfall does bring up our small rivers, like the Wolf. But even an enormous infusion of water from the Wolf is not enough to make a noticeable change in the Memphis gauge reading on the Mississippi. Wolf River water does, however, combine with flows from other area tributaries like the Loosahatchie River and Nonconnah Creek to affect Mississippi River levels farther downstream.
The most appalling display of local ignorance of our river's ways occurred in May of 2011, when the river rose to the second-highest level ever recorded at Memphis. Before the floodwater had even arrived here, I had a conversation with a conspiracy theorist who claimed that the government was holding back information and that anything and everything near the river was liable to be washed away at any moment. I calmly explained that flash floods don't happen on the Mississippi and that flows are entirely predictable based on precipitation data from higher up in the watershed. But the guy didn't seem convinced. Then came the flood, and with it a caravan of national network news trucks, and suddenly hundreds of people who had never before given the river five seconds of thought were experts on our continent's grandest waterway. One of the worst was Bob Nations, our local director of emergency preparedness, who might really know his stuff when it comes to tornadoes or earthquakes but clearly had no idea how the Mississippi River works. Many other people were so thoughtful as to lecture me on why I should never, ever go near the river with a kayak at any level. Even in the best of times I have a tendency toward misanthropy, so in the interest of personal sanity I had to close my eyes and try to shut out all the misinformation swirling around during the Great Flood of 2011.
Most of the time, thankfully, I am able to do my thing on the river without attracting much attention. As the song goes, the Mississippi "just keeps rollin' along," through times of flood and times of drought and everything in between. And as long as I'm able, I'll keep paddling my boat out there, getting my exercise and enjoying the natural wonders of the place. Happy New Year.
The Mississippi River has been in the national news lately because its low levels have threatened the smooth flow of barge traffic, and so some readers might be surprised to hear me say the water is up here at Memphis. But the Mississippi is a long river, and Memphis is not where the current news-making problem is. That distinction belongs to the section between St. Louis, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois. Above St. Louis, the lock-and-dam system on the river is pretty reliable for keeping the river at adequate depths for commercial traffic, and at Cairo the Ohio River comes in and increases the Mississippi's flow capacity by about 200 percent. Months of drought conditions in the watershed of the Missouri River (which reaches the Mississippi just above St. Louis), combined with frozen water in the upper reaches of the Mississippi, have resulted in a scarcity of water from St. Louis down to Cairo, where the Ohio provides relief.
Fairly often I find myself explaining the river's behavior to people in other parts of the country, and even to people right here in Memphis who just don't pay much attention to the river.
Back in 1993, when footage of the devastating floods on the upper Mississippi dominated the national news on TV, there was some wailing here in Memphis over our impending doom. But that was all wasted breath, because below-normal flows on the Ohio that summer meant that the lower Mississippi's riverbed had plenty of room to accommodate the water coming down from the upper Midwest.
When we have had heavy rain here in the Memphis area, I sometimes hear the question "Has all this rain brought the Mississippi up?" The answer is always no. Local rainfall does bring up our small rivers, like the Wolf. But even an enormous infusion of water from the Wolf is not enough to make a noticeable change in the Memphis gauge reading on the Mississippi. Wolf River water does, however, combine with flows from other area tributaries like the Loosahatchie River and Nonconnah Creek to affect Mississippi River levels farther downstream.
The most appalling display of local ignorance of our river's ways occurred in May of 2011, when the river rose to the second-highest level ever recorded at Memphis. Before the floodwater had even arrived here, I had a conversation with a conspiracy theorist who claimed that the government was holding back information and that anything and everything near the river was liable to be washed away at any moment. I calmly explained that flash floods don't happen on the Mississippi and that flows are entirely predictable based on precipitation data from higher up in the watershed. But the guy didn't seem convinced. Then came the flood, and with it a caravan of national network news trucks, and suddenly hundreds of people who had never before given the river five seconds of thought were experts on our continent's grandest waterway. One of the worst was Bob Nations, our local director of emergency preparedness, who might really know his stuff when it comes to tornadoes or earthquakes but clearly had no idea how the Mississippi River works. Many other people were so thoughtful as to lecture me on why I should never, ever go near the river with a kayak at any level. Even in the best of times I have a tendency toward misanthropy, so in the interest of personal sanity I had to close my eyes and try to shut out all the misinformation swirling around during the Great Flood of 2011.
Most of the time, thankfully, I am able to do my thing on the river without attracting much attention. As the song goes, the Mississippi "just keeps rollin' along," through times of flood and times of drought and everything in between. And as long as I'm able, I'll keep paddling my boat out there, getting my exercise and enjoying the natural wonders of the place. Happy New Year.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Race schedule 2013
I've been pondering my competition schedule for this coming year. Right now I definitely plan to do these four races, barring injury or other unforeseen circumstance:
March 2: Fourth annual Battle on the Bayou, Old Fort Bayou, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Starting in the Back Bay of Biloxi near the mouth of Old Fort Bayou, the course winds nine and a half miles up the bayou to the finish next to The Shed barbecue joint.
April 27: Ninth annual Bluz Cruz Marathon, Mississippi River, Vicksburg, Mississippi. The race starts at Madison Parish Port and finishes 22 miles downriver on the Vicksburg Front.
June 1: Tenth annual Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race, Arkansas River, North Little Rock, Arkansas. The five-and-a-half-mile course starts at Murray Park and heads downriver to the Interstate 30 bridge.
June 15: 32nd Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race, Mississippi River, Memphis, Tennessee. Known as "The fastest 5000-meter race in the world," this race draws both world-class racers and people who pull their canoes out of the backyard once a year to participate.
I'd love to work in several more if I can. Generally, I'm looking for events that are either within a reasonable driving distance of Memphis or something that coincides with a vacation trip to a more distant area. And I am not interested in ultra-long races (more than two hours or so).
Anyway, I'll post any updates here as they develop.
March 2: Fourth annual Battle on the Bayou, Old Fort Bayou, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Starting in the Back Bay of Biloxi near the mouth of Old Fort Bayou, the course winds nine and a half miles up the bayou to the finish next to The Shed barbecue joint.
April 27: Ninth annual Bluz Cruz Marathon, Mississippi River, Vicksburg, Mississippi. The race starts at Madison Parish Port and finishes 22 miles downriver on the Vicksburg Front.
June 1: Tenth annual Arkansas River Canoe and Kayak Race, Arkansas River, North Little Rock, Arkansas. The five-and-a-half-mile course starts at Murray Park and heads downriver to the Interstate 30 bridge.
June 15: 32nd Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race, Mississippi River, Memphis, Tennessee. Known as "The fastest 5000-meter race in the world," this race draws both world-class racers and people who pull their canoes out of the backyard once a year to participate.
I'd love to work in several more if I can. Generally, I'm looking for events that are either within a reasonable driving distance of Memphis or something that coincides with a vacation trip to a more distant area. And I am not interested in ultra-long races (more than two hours or so).
Anyway, I'll post any updates here as they develop.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
A little snow
It snowed here late Tuesday night and early yesterday morning, though not nearly as much as it did west of the river in Arkansas and Missouri. We ended up with an inch or so here in Memphis, and the dock looked like this yesterday morning:
I paddled for an hour. It was quite windy and busy barge traffic made things rough out on the river, so after about ten minutes of fighting that I returned to the harbor. The sky was overcast and the damp, penetrating cold made it the sort of session I couldn't wait to be done with. As soon as my hour was up I threw the boat back up on the rack and made a beeline for my car.
I paddled for an hour. It was quite windy and busy barge traffic made things rough out on the river, so after about ten minutes of fighting that I returned to the harbor. The sky was overcast and the damp, penetrating cold made it the sort of session I couldn't wait to be done with. As soon as my hour was up I threw the boat back up on the rack and made a beeline for my car.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Monday photo feature
I know, the resolution is awful, but it's appropriate for the season. I think Joe snapped this one of me on the same day as last week's photo. Apparently there are chances of snow in the Memphis area tomorrow night, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
All tired out
We're having some more December-like weather now. The sky was dark and threatening rain all day today, but I don't think it ever actually rained except for a light drizzle as I rode my bike down to the river this morning.
I had planned to paddle for just an hour, but I found Joe and Carol Lee Royer getting ready to paddle when I arrived down at the dock, and I ended up paddling all the way up to the mouth of the Wolf with them. At this time of year I see them only once in a while, so it was nice to catch up.
Feeling a little pressed for time, I paddled pretty hard from the mouth of the Wolf back down into the harbor. I was feeling it all over when I got back to the dock, and the bike ride home was the final knockout punch that sent me into naptime after lunch.
I had planned to paddle for just an hour, but I found Joe and Carol Lee Royer getting ready to paddle when I arrived down at the dock, and I ended up paddling all the way up to the mouth of the Wolf with them. At this time of year I see them only once in a while, so it was nice to catch up.
Feeling a little pressed for time, I paddled pretty hard from the mouth of the Wolf back down into the harbor. I was feeling it all over when I got back to the dock, and the bike ride home was the final knockout punch that sent me into naptime after lunch.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Chill
The winter solstice arrived with appropriate weather. When I went down to the river this morning it was somewhere in the low to mid forties with a brisk wind from the north. I wore pogies today for the first time in a very long time: last winter was so mild that I don't think I wore them after February.
At least it was bright and sunny today, and I got good and warm during my hour-long paddling session. The paddling itself is almost never that bad in cold weather; the hard part is standing on the dock before and after, getting the boat down or putting it away, and changing clothes. I guess it's time to get used to it, as the forecast for the next week calls for more seasonable weather.
At least it was bright and sunny today, and I got good and warm during my hour-long paddling session. The paddling itself is almost never that bad in cold weather; the hard part is standing on the dock before and after, getting the boat down or putting it away, and changing clothes. I guess it's time to get used to it, as the forecast for the next week calls for more seasonable weather.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Various stuff that's going on
My back is feeling better and I'm doing my strength workouts again. Yesterday I did three sets of Jingjing Li's exercise ball drills and today I did the other little thing I do--pushups and cinder block lifts and step-ups and stuff.
I'm still paddling twice a week right now; I've fallen into a Friday and Sunday routine. Today was a nice day and I thought about paddling today since we have some unpleasant weather on the way. But I didn't. We'll see if I regret it when it's time to go to the river on Friday. Channel 5 weatherman Dave Brown says we're going to have some serious wind tonight and tomorrow, and I hope that moves on out by Friday.
My friend Don Walls, an Arkansan who's a mighty good canoe racer both in C1 and in C2 with partner Dale Burris, has a device that's both a heart rate monitor and a GPS, and he downloads maps of where he's paddled and graphs of what his heart has done. An example from one of his workouts is here.
I especially enjoy looking at the map feature. While I'm certainly interested in the physiological stuff that goes on during training, I'm also interested in where a paddler goes and what he sees and experiences. One reason I like paddling so much is that it's a sport that engages all the senses.
As for a heart rate monitor, I used one back in the late 1990s and early 2000s until the chest belt broke, and since then I've just trained by feel. Most of the time I think I know when I'm in the aerobic zone and when I'm going lactic and stuff like that. I know great athletes who claim that a heart rate monitor is indispensable, and maybe I'll come around to that view by and by, but for now I'm happy enough without one.
I'm still paddling twice a week right now; I've fallen into a Friday and Sunday routine. Today was a nice day and I thought about paddling today since we have some unpleasant weather on the way. But I didn't. We'll see if I regret it when it's time to go to the river on Friday. Channel 5 weatherman Dave Brown says we're going to have some serious wind tonight and tomorrow, and I hope that moves on out by Friday.
My friend Don Walls, an Arkansan who's a mighty good canoe racer both in C1 and in C2 with partner Dale Burris, has a device that's both a heart rate monitor and a GPS, and he downloads maps of where he's paddled and graphs of what his heart has done. An example from one of his workouts is here.
Don Walls (bow) and Dale Burris en route to victory in the 2012 Aluminum Nationals on the White River near Allison, Arkansas.
I especially enjoy looking at the map feature. While I'm certainly interested in the physiological stuff that goes on during training, I'm also interested in where a paddler goes and what he sees and experiences. One reason I like paddling so much is that it's a sport that engages all the senses.
As for a heart rate monitor, I used one back in the late 1990s and early 2000s until the chest belt broke, and since then I've just trained by feel. Most of the time I think I know when I'm in the aerobic zone and when I'm going lactic and stuff like that. I know great athletes who claim that a heart rate monitor is indispensable, and maybe I'll come around to that view by and by, but for now I'm happy enough without one.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday photo feature
Joe Royer took this picture of me back in February of 2003. A nice little blanket of snow had just fallen, and the river appears to be somewhere around 30 feet on the Memphis gauge. Right now, as we head into another winter, the temperature is much higher and the water is much lower.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Lower back healing, higher water coming
There's still a spot of soreness in my left lower back, but I'm otherwise feeling much better. I paddled for an hour this morning, and I felt a lot better in the boat than I did on Friday.
The river is on a pretty dramatic rise right now: the Memphis gauge level this morning was 5.8 feet, and it's forecast to be over 8 feet a couple of days from now. The front that brought some pretty good rainfall here last weekend stretched well up into the upper Mississippi and Ohio basins, and I think that's what's brought about this boost in the water level.
And yet, the river is still quite low--a more typical level for this time of year would be in the teens. That means that any sort of return to normalcy will require continued rain higher up in the watershed. Unless rain continues to fall in the Midwest, we could easily be back below zero a couple of weeks from now.
The river is on a pretty dramatic rise right now: the Memphis gauge level this morning was 5.8 feet, and it's forecast to be over 8 feet a couple of days from now. The front that brought some pretty good rainfall here last weekend stretched well up into the upper Mississippi and Ohio basins, and I think that's what's brought about this boost in the water level.
And yet, the river is still quite low--a more typical level for this time of year would be in the teens. That means that any sort of return to normalcy will require continued rain higher up in the watershed. Unless rain continues to fall in the Midwest, we could easily be back below zero a couple of weeks from now.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Agony and entropy
I spent this week with a hurt back. It started last weekend--the result, I think, of spending all Saturday afternoon standing up at an event. I was in some fairly severe pain Sunday morning. I did paddle Sunday, and actually felt little pain in the boat, but everything else--walking down the ramp to the dock, lifting my boat off the rack, and stuff like that--was a real ordeal.
I was all but laid up the rest of Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday I was starting to move around a bit more and by Wednesday I was stretching gingerly and doing abbreviated versions of the strength exercises I've been doing. Though not pain-free today, I'm feeling significantly better, and this morning I went down to the river to paddle.
Once again, my back felt fine in the boat. But the paddling session felt terrible. It felt as though I hadn't been in a boat in months: sitting upright and taking good strokes was an incredible chore, and I felt somewhat out of breath the whole time even though I paddled easy. Very odd, considering that except for the back issue, this week of training wasn't much different from what I've been doing for the last month.
The body is a funny thing. When I was young and competing as a distance runner, I remember that in training I felt good about fifty percent of the time and terrible about fifty percent of the time. As I got older I gained a better understanding of the roles that good nutrition and hydration and full nights of sleep play in one's mood and energy level, and these days I'd say I feel good out paddling about nine times out of ten. I guess I would chalk today's labored session up to the physical and mental disruption that my back ailment caused me this week.
I was all but laid up the rest of Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday I was starting to move around a bit more and by Wednesday I was stretching gingerly and doing abbreviated versions of the strength exercises I've been doing. Though not pain-free today, I'm feeling significantly better, and this morning I went down to the river to paddle.
Once again, my back felt fine in the boat. But the paddling session felt terrible. It felt as though I hadn't been in a boat in months: sitting upright and taking good strokes was an incredible chore, and I felt somewhat out of breath the whole time even though I paddled easy. Very odd, considering that except for the back issue, this week of training wasn't much different from what I've been doing for the last month.
The body is a funny thing. When I was young and competing as a distance runner, I remember that in training I felt good about fifty percent of the time and terrible about fifty percent of the time. As I got older I gained a better understanding of the roles that good nutrition and hydration and full nights of sleep play in one's mood and energy level, and these days I'd say I feel good out paddling about nine times out of ten. I guess I would chalk today's labored session up to the physical and mental disruption that my back ailment caused me this week.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Doldrums
I've got a nice little routine going these days--doing some strength exercises, paddling my boat a couple times a week--but I'm definitely not in "training mode." At the moment my heart and mind are just not in it. It's a busy time in my professional life, with the holiday season upon us and all. And with three months to go before what will likely be my first race of the season, I haven't been particularly motivated to go out and work my body hard.
Sometimes I hit roadblocks in the thick of the season, too. I might get sick or injured, or I might have some outside obligation suddenly come up, or I might just fall into an emotional funk where I just don't want to deal with training for a few days. In short, a season never goes exactly as planned.
During periods like this I just try to keep moving in some way. If that's not possible because of illness or injury, I tell myself that the rest is not a bad thing--fitness is the result of your recovery from training, after all, and not of the training itself. Either way, when I get back to full speed I'll feel that I've got something to build on.
I spent an hour in my boat on Thursday and another one yesterday. It's turning cold today, but the last few days have been quite warm while also overcast and wet. My two paddling sessions were done in light, misty rain, and I'm not sure the Mississippi River is ever more beautiful than it is in these conditions.
Sometimes I hit roadblocks in the thick of the season, too. I might get sick or injured, or I might have some outside obligation suddenly come up, or I might just fall into an emotional funk where I just don't want to deal with training for a few days. In short, a season never goes exactly as planned.
During periods like this I just try to keep moving in some way. If that's not possible because of illness or injury, I tell myself that the rest is not a bad thing--fitness is the result of your recovery from training, after all, and not of the training itself. Either way, when I get back to full speed I'll feel that I've got something to build on.
I spent an hour in my boat on Thursday and another one yesterday. It's turning cold today, but the last few days have been quite warm while also overcast and wet. My two paddling sessions were done in light, misty rain, and I'm not sure the Mississippi River is ever more beautiful than it is in these conditions.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Ducky
In my last post I forgot to mention the enormous flock of ducks I encountered as I paddled Friday. It was really windy so I stayed in the harbor, and up near the north end there were some thousand ducks hanging out, taking a break from their southward migration. When they saw me coming they took off en masse, and while I was sorry to disturb them, it was a beautiful sight.
Today I followed the same routine as I did Friday: some strength exercises followed by a bike ride to the river for an hour of paddling. It was windy again today but I ventured onto the river anyway. There was no barge traffic and the water was surprisingly calm.
Yesterday I did a set of the exercise ball drills I've been doing. I'm trying to get in three of those per week.
Today I followed the same routine as I did Friday: some strength exercises followed by a bike ride to the river for an hour of paddling. It was windy again today but I ventured onto the river anyway. There was no barge traffic and the water was surprisingly calm.
Yesterday I did a set of the exercise ball drills I've been doing. I'm trying to get in three of those per week.
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