February Figures

Six weeks training remain, and it’s unlikely that any real ‘training’ will be done in the week before the race, which leaves five weeks for a final push…

February has been another good month of training:

• Paddle:          109km 🙂
• Portages:      59 🙂
• Running:      39.5km 🙂
• Yoga:             200 mins 🙂
• Other:           90 mins 😦

All the bits that matter are looking good, and it’s feeling good…. still need a couple of longer paddles under my belt, but have  a plan/thoughts for that.

Trails:

• Doris and Ewan making things untenable for longer than I would like
• Slight touch of tennis elbow

Gains:

• Weather still unseasonable, when is it going to break? (crosses fingers, touches wood and says a small prayer)
• More variety of sessions added which has made the training more interesting
• Weight is continuing to drop, albeit slowly
• Still loving it…

So we push on into March, keeping watching the weather and hoping that Mother Nature isn’t hoarding the bad stuff for easter…

P.S……

50 days to go…..

Beau Temps…

The weather. We love it – whether it’s forecasting the weather, talking about the weather or complaining about the weather…

Storm Doris is just getting herself worked into a frenzy, and I have to admit that standing in the sideways sleet battening down my K1 and checking the roof rack was firmly bolted to the car didn’t seem like my best plan ever this morning… It seemed like madness, and my fingers were freezing!

At least both me and boat have arrived safely to work… and now we wait.

Does Doris dare?

 

Moo!

It seems many of the women in Beaujolais’ life have lovely eyes………

There is more than one way to skin a cat, but aside from Bailey’s prospects of making a second Christmas, it applies equally to training for Devizes to Westminster. Many of our fellow DWers spent Sunday completing the first of the classic waterside series events – affectionately known as Waterside A. These four races follow the course of the K&A canal, covering much of the DW course over a series of increasing distances – by all accounts it was a good days racing with more than one record falling.

The Buccaneers spent Sunday closer to home with a paddle/portage session on Loch Lomond – joined by LKR Club President; The Silver Fox… Beaujolais was quick to realise that a change of coaching input was just what Dirty D needed and promptly assigned TSF to the task. After some protracted discussion regarding a rather vague yellow buoy we set off in the equally vague direction of Duck Bay (at least one of us had our specs on)… a 3km loop from the car and a great wee warm up prior to the first portage. Turns out there are three yellow buoys in the bay – Dirty D opting to turn on the most descriptive of the three – the one proclaiming ‘dead slow’…. Which on the previous days paddle she had been – how did they know? TSF opting for the chance to stretch his paddling wings choosing the furthest buoy.

Back to the pontoon, Dirty D almost forgetting that the plan was to portage, thank goodness TSF was on the ball with a gentle reminder!! Out, in and off down the River Leven for a little river practise. I like paddling on the Leven as it reminds me of the Thames in many ways – the ‘nice’ bits of the Thames – not the completely intimidating, industrial, tidal parts… Back to the pontoon, portage and repeat. A nice wee mixture of everything before heading off to the Buccaneer HQ for a well earned second breakfast – the two multi-lappers scoffing their lot before the rest had barely had a chance to get the wrappers off theirs! Even Beaujolais was impressed with our efforts – and that’s not easily won these days…

A good weekend of paddling – Friday spent paddling/portaging our more traditional bay based session on Friday – a couple of boats/cruisers providing some excitement for Dirty D – seems she can mutter under her breath whilst reminding herself that these conditions are exactly what she comes to the loch for… Stupid boats, look at his wash, can’t he see I’m not comfortable with the conditions, there will be more/bigger wash at Easter, keep pushing with the feet, god this is horrible, it’s nearly dark, I don’t like this, I need to man up, keep f**king paddling, it’s just a wee wash, OMG OMG OMG, thank goodness B isn’t here to see me being a BGJ, almost done, see it’s not so bad, what were you worried about…. the inner/outer monologue goes on and on until the waves subside… Session didn’t really improve as I stepped out of the boat for the final sprint to the car, to be stopped in my tracks by cramp in my left calf (moo). It’s still not right, almost dropped the boat as I hobbled back to the car… I guess I have to be prepared for any eventuality!

Saturday saw a change of plan as portaging wasn’t really going to help my leg so we opted for an out and back to the wee bay with the boats – a course affectionately known as the 7km loop. Beaujolais was in a bullish mood and didn’t even look back as he jumped the start and paddled off on the most direct line from A to B, ignoring our self imposed winter rule of sticking inside the buoys… Dirty D not having the finest paddle of her winter wobbled and cursed along behind… Tired, tired, tired… But more importantly still moving forward, and ultimately that’s what counts! Back to the pontoon to find Beaujolais triumphantly out of his boat – decided a quick loop down the Leven was what I needed to push the distance up and get some more moving water under my hull (definitely a hull, and not a bottom). Beaujolais deciding discretion was the better part of valour left me to it and went to make sure Cortisone had seen his victorious paddle…

The mix up of training sessions has provided some very much needed light relief…. Whilst our DW Intervals session is exactly what I need, especially when combined with longer pieces of ‘just’ paddling on the canal, it can get a bit tedious… Hitting the river and some longer paddles on the open water of the loch have reminded this Buccaneer that actually all of these sessions and their associated skills will be needed come Easter, and it’s most definitely time to start mixing things up further.

Onwards….

Back to Basics…

Training is going well – a rather spirited paddle on the loch last night. Not so much the waves causing any excitement, but rather the gusting, squally, off shore wind – the type to get right under your paddle blade should you dare to be moving it about above the height of your belly button… All good stuff, with a most excellent hot chocolate based debrief!

Training for the four day event is a little different in focus from training for the straight through 24 hrs event. Gone is the need for darkness hours in the boat – still needed for that early Easter Monday morning start, but not critical to the overall plan. In come shorter, more dynamic paddles – speed rather than endurance creeping into the plan for the first time… But essentially we are still training for a race of 125 miles with 77 portages – that remains, ever intimidatingly, the same…

With that in mind Dirty D has been forced to take things back to basics. Over her last campaigns she has used the services of Linlithgow Physiotherapy Clinic (http://www.linlithgowphysiotherapy.co.uk/) to keep he in one piece – Pamela is a member of Linlithgow Kayak Racing and has a great understanding of what is going on in a boat – a real positive not having to explain what flat water kayaking is about and the movements involved. That said, she still thinks this race is a little crazy.

The niggles have been mostly kept at bay, and the body is in good shape. All except one wee elbow which is stubbornly not following the plan. Ignoring it has so far not worked so it seems more drastic or measured action is required. It’s also cause for some deep soul searching in the boat – as the assistant coach very rightly pointed out ‘it must be something you’re doing in the boat’. And it seems obvious once it’s written down, but how many of us battle on and through injury without really taking a good look at how we are moving, and more importantly, what we can do differently. I have to admit that this was something I spent a lot of time contemplating during training for our last two straight through attempts – every niggle, every ache, every tight spot analysed and adjusted for – the fear of injury, or repetitive strain ever present when the race is so long. And that’s the thing – the race is still the same length – the same number of paddle strokes will be required to get me and the boat from A to B…

So it’s time to rethink the mechanics of paddling forward, to assess what differences there are between left and right sides and try to eliminate the stress from the stroke. Time to make it righteous once more!!

 

January Jottings

Another month draws to an end, and I realise I have more training behind me than I have in front of me… Actually not that reassuring!

The numbers for January are in:

• Paddled: 104.5km 🙂
• Portages: 52 🙂
• Run: 21.5km 🙂
• Yoga: 105mins 😦
• Other: 120mins 🙂

Improvements in all aspects except the yoga – but these numbers don’t include any of the data from the cross country ski camp, so for the month as a whole, the data is looking good!!

Trails:

• cross country ski camp robbed us of precious boat time
• canal still periodically freezing

Gains

• cross country skiing has made me fitter and lighter, and the weight has stayed off
• days are getting longer
• weather has been unseasonable, in our favour (touches wood)
• motivation still high
• accommodation has been booked

So I head into February motivated, although a little apprehensive about what the weather has to bring… It’s been awesome for training, it’s really been hard to believe it’s December/January in Scotland. But at risk of being called pessimistic, I am not naive enough to think it will last for another 11 weeks – there has to be some stinkers in their somewhere. I’d much sooner have them now that during the easter weekend… But that’s just another of the unknowns that we have to tackle as we train and race – and it’s the same for everyone, even if it’s not the same at the same time…

Time to up the number of laps on the loch and throw in a couple of longer paddles, might even get around to putting in an entry…

 

Garmin vs Tomtom…

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the intrepid buccaneers… sessions have been piled on with running, paddling, portaging and rowing ergo being consistently completed.

It’s been going well, a new venue visited in the shape of the River Tweed with Gilbert, Lizelle, Kenny and Kevin… Great sessions on the loch and some bottom dragging on the canal… 

All diligently recorded on the garmin or the tomtom… Dirty D uses both – the tomtom for running and skiing and the garmin for in the boat…

The tomtom records heart rate directly from the wrist which eliminates the need for an external chest strap – great for avoiding chafing!! 

The garmin gives better feedback when paddling, more instant with less drop out. It also appears to be invincible – it’s been smacked, drowned, frozen and still keeps going… 

But one of the most valuable pieces of feedback comes from the garmin, in addition to the usual speed, distance etc it gives time moving…. and consequently the ‘time not moving’ can be worked out. So the time that the boat is stationary is measured….

Speed in the boat is important, but in real terms it’s more important to keep moving forward….. regardless of the speed, if the boat is moving forward, Westminster is getting closer… so minimising the time when the boat is not moving is paramount – more portage practice required!!

Hurray for Bosoms!

Dirty D and her search for the holy grail of the ultimate DW sports bra took a new and unexpected turn yesterday…..

On finishing her paddle she reached into the cosy sanctuary of her buoyancy aid expecting to find:

Only to be a little worried to find:

Bugger! And she was freezing with fingers that looked as though an angry mafia gang had given them a good going over…. I do believe there may even have been swearing 😳

With crossed fingers, a hope and a prayer she rummaged a little deeper into the warm inner sanctuary of her BA and could not have been more relieved to find the car key safely lodged in their, blissfully unaware of the distress its potential loss would have caused!

Hooray for bosoms!!

Dirty D’s Bottom Drag…

A wee paddle before work this morning – keeping the momentum going, paddle through the hands and all that – actually paddle needs to go through the hands as they are currently lovely and soft after the skiing… The pre-hard skin blisters are forming nicely!

As previously mentioned there are some fairly major works currently being undertaken on the Union Canal between Woodcockdale and Linlithgow with a stretch of canal having been drained for inspection and repair. This has had a direct affect on the canal on the Falkirk side of these works with the current water level sitting 10-15cm lower than usual. For anyone who has ever cursed the shallow nature of the canal on Glasgow to Edinburgh Day 2, you’ll appreciate my frustration with the bottom drag… It’s a pain in the, bottom! All good resistance training, and ensures I don’t become a spoiled princess by only paddling on the deep (mostly) and majestic Loch Lomond.

In terms of winter time trials this winter, the ice on the canal has been catastrophic, seeming to only appear long enough to interrupt the events before melting  away… 2-1 to the weather so far this winter. But it has had a beneficial effect on the amount of organic debris littering the canal – today’s paddle was entirely free of weed and leaves, and despite the low water levels was lovely – two new shopping trolleys, but nothing else to report.

Running with the C Word tomorrow, can’t help but think I’ll be wishing for less bottom drag…

Like Riding a Bike..

Only colder, wetter and much more like paddling…

After the best part of a month out of the boat Dirty D was a little apprehensive about getting back onto the loch – whilst things with the new boat had been improving prior to the festive break they were far from the finished article and most paddlers agree that there is no substitute for time in the boat, none!

To make the most of our planned paddle on Saturday I decided to have a quick 30 min re-aquaintance session on Loch Lomond with the new boat – get all the wobbles out of my system so to speak. Conditions on the loch were a little challenging with white horses rolling about on the main loch necessitating a move to the Loch Lomond Shores wee basin – looking for a little shelter, and the comfort of the shore. Not much comfort to be found in the basin as the waves rolled down the loch and into the basin… It can be hard to gauge the conditions from the bank and it wasn’t until I was half way across I squeaked out loud that things were a little lumpier than I was expecting! But at that point there’s nothing else for it but to keep paddling… Seems relations with the new boat are more advanced than I had  appreciated…

Saturday we were joined by GB in his racing sea kayak – nice! Always good to have the company of our fellow Buccaneers, especially when they turn up with a camera and a picnic! (see above for the pics of just how glorious Loch Lomond was looking on Saturday morning, once the sun came up).  A great portage session in sub zero conditions – the portages getting shorter and shorter and the pontoon became slippier and slippier… The final two merely involving lifting the boat out of the loch and then putting it back in again!

Sunday was ladies day on the loch with the ever enthusiastic Rottweiler and Invictus Mam cruising in their double, making it look effortless as always. Dirty D making it look hard work as always – but another 10 portages done, this time in their fullness as the temperature was now such that pogies were not required – it’s been an odd old campaign for weather so far!!

Great to catch up with Cortisone after our paddle, the bones of our support strategy are now in place – chicken salad sandwiches and creme eggs.

More of the same required – onwards!