How are your intervals going?
Last week was the first time I tried to do intervals since the end of the 2013 race season. I thought I was going to vomit. I didn't get very far either before throwing in the Ke Nalu and opting for far easier movements. I quickly found out I was not ready to leave the aerobic training of moping along for paddling fast for any extended period of time. My intervals, I mean interval (singular) were bad, scary bad. I guess that should be expected but I was not prepared for how bad I was going to feel during the training session. I assumed I would have a difficult time lifting up the dog food due to sore arms the next day but during mile 1 (after a decent warm up) I was ready to nap. I did manage to get to mile 2 but I slowed way down and decided to change up the training program for the day. I felt frustrated having to give up on the plan I had set but it was necessary, very necessary.
For the rest of the session I worked on paddle switches then headed to the Strand Beach to work on starts. I had a bottle of water with Hammer hydration tablets waiting, which made the decision to give up in the intervals easier to swallow. I had fun working on a weakness (the paddle switches) and even more fun trying to get stronger at starts. By the end of the session I had: worked out how to hold the new 14' Starboard Allstar (dang I miss a 12-6!), where to place my hand on the paddle shaft during the run, and was able to land right on my feet when jumping into the deeper water. Fun stuff indeed, but it certainly wasn't intervals. I need to do intervals.
Intervals aren't the only problem…I'm having technological issues as well.
This past Saturday I tried to get out the GPS gear and see which paddle was best for a consistent pace. I have been going back and forth between an 8.5" blade and an 8" blade and have no idea what will work best. I also wanted to find my sweet-standing-spot on the new Starboard. Well, I couldn't see the numbers on my iPhone because my X-1 Audio case kept fogging up. I couldn't tape the case to the top of the bow because it was raining. I finally tied the case to the forward leash plug but had the fogging issue again and I kept almost falling as I was looking straight down and squinting the whole time. I tried wrapping the arm band around the bottom of my foot but there was the looking down squinting thing again. Then I wrapped the case around my thigh and I don't even want to begin to describe how stupid an idea this was…needless to say tech rehearsal did not go so well and I still have no idea which paddle is best. I am leaning towards the smaller blade due to the shoulder issues but I may have cut the shaft too short...
Tech issues were just the starting point of the weekend follies…
Today I had to veer off from my intended training program as well. Now that was really frustrating. Three frustrating workouts in a row can truly test one's patience.
I had plotted a 6.5 mile course that I would time at a moderate pace. My course was going to be 6.5 miles of side chop if I had stuck to it. I couldn't even put a dent in what I wanted to do today. The sun fooled me. The wind and the temperature were much meaner to the lack of neoprene worn today than expected. At least I had a leash on my ankle...
Despite some intense frustration and serious grinding of teeth, I did manage to sneak in one new technical aspect of paddling I learned from searching Youtube for paddling videos. Thanks to Carolina Paddleboard Company's Youtube channel, I was able to learn, from a talk Brian Szymanski gave at their shop, why the Starboard bow is shaped the way it is. I did not realize that the shape is intended to have moderate quartering chop roll under the board by putting more weight on the leeward rail. When done correctly, small waves roll under instead of wrapping over the nose. I had plenty of opportunity to work on this technique, which proved to be challenging yet very beneficial. I found paddling in side chop and applying this technique made for a much smoother paddle in some gusty winds and small waves. I was able to maintain a straighter line and feel much more comfortable as most ripples did go under the bow. Szymanski was speaking about the 2013 Allstar in the video but the weight on the leeward rail technique seemed to work well for me today on the 2014 Allstar, which has a much sharper nose. I did end up paddling pretty fast after falling in once (too much weight on the leeward rail) so I maybe I can count that as doing intervals today as well…
Here is the link to the talk at Carolina Paddleboard Company if you want some good insight into SUP design:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Fpb1lOV3I
Back to technical issues…
I am so glad I put on all my gear before the morning of the Cold Stroke Classic. It took me a half hour to figure out how to put my hydration pack on without being all twisted and tangled in the straps and tubes. What a mess! They say never try anything new the day of a race but one should also try everything old well before a race to get used to the nuances of your bodies interaction with gear.
So…what does one take away from a few frustrating sessions on the water and in the kitchen with hydration packs? The old saying holds true: a bad day on the water is still a pretty dang good day.
I hate being frustrated because it certainly is a blessing to be able to get out on the water and go for a paddle. A poor performance might stir up a bit of anger but it should be fleeting. I may need another root canal from grinding my teeth so much this last week but that would be an expensive consequence for acting like a little sh!$burger. It's a paddle! It's a beautiful thing! I have plenty of gear to keep me comfortable when paddling in colder months so to go out in winter without enough neoprene is about as stupid as strapping a GPS to your thigh to read the numbers!!
I will chalk up the quick trip from "ahh, I'm paddling" to "GRRRR, I HATE THIS" to the winter doldrums and very cold toes. I will work on getting better at maintaining an even keel. This earth of ours can be a wonderful place thanks to all the beauty we, as paddlers, can see on her waterways. We are blessed to be able to grab our SUPs and hit the water and most of you do not need to be reminded of this. I am usually the grumpiest person on the water and I love being around all the positive people I have met on the paddling journey. Your smiles and attitudes remind me of why we do this, even when it hurts. And the hurt just makes me want to work harder, train harder, and live healthier.
I hope I wasn't too grumpy once I got off the water today. My lovely wife and my lovely mongrels certainly don't need to deal with that kind of nonsense! Can't wait for race season to get under way and be back among the brothers and sisters who love this amazing sport.
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