ENTRY 18 some basic hints and pitfalls

This will be my last entry for a while so I thought I'd pass on a few tips and where some of the pitfalls may lie for the complete novice.


Hopefully Ive helped to give a little more understanding about flat water racing for the complete novice and hopefully help a little bit more over the next few paragraphs, not aiming to be a coach but just a quick look into what helped me and what didnt and any confusions I had, as I have you will have to constantly spend time self coaching and analising yourself, sounds a little daunting to start with but it does get easier as time goes on.




BACK PAINS
One of the problems I first encountered when I first got back into a canoe after a 20 year break was really bad lower back aches, guess the canoeing position is not a normal position we use most days other than sitting on the bed and watching the late night film, and lacking in any regular exercise the cure for me was tacking 5 min's out of each day to stretch the ham strings, after a week and still doing the exercises I have never suffered any more lower back pains, worth a try if youre having that problem, theres loads of good videos on you tube that will help. 
It is worth noting that our body's do adapt quite well and most pains will disappear after a short while, if there is anything persisting mention it and get some help. 


JOINING A CLUB
Couldnt be easier to sort out, to go it alone without any help will only aid in slow progress, just about every club is extreamlly helpful and willing to help, and all clubs have their own equipment that you can get to use for a very minimal fee, at this stage some people are happy to spend their hard earnt cash and without any help can often end up buying equipment that is unsuitable or well above above their ability's which again only aids slow progress or something impossible to master,
depending on the size of the club there will always be plenty of coach's or experienced paddlers that will help and give advice. 
So for the beginning keep your money in your pocket but put clothing as a top of the list, not boats and not wing paddles, if in doubt what to do just ask, no one bites :)


TRAINING
Not one I can really answer as im still learning myself, it will take a little while to get to know all the coach's within your club depending on the size, the larger clubs tend to have quite a few different training nights of various ability's, it will take a little while to get to know whos who and what group is best for you depending on your ability and what your goals may be, again ask questions and bear with it for a bit until everything settles into place,
you will no doubt come up against conflicting advice, dosent necessarily mean that someones giving you wrong information, but there is often more than one way to skin a cat, its what works for you, this is where you start to self coach and experiment, I spent ages paddling with my arms quite far out on the paddles after advise, but  was really struggling to get a good paddle technique untill I started experimenting and moved my hands further back into the center which made a huge difference for me, BUT may not for someone else, so always evaluate and experiment for yourself.


Core balance and rotation training video






Balance technique in the boat


Heres one more video for balance training

Heres another set exercises you can try, nice and simple, not sure how well ill be able to explain in text, I was told that by balance training both sides of the brain will help with balance in the boat, wont even try and explain the scientific explanation, ive been doing it for a few days and can feel a benefit, but then try anything to stay dry lol.

1. stand up straight, arms out and bent 90deg at the elbow, now with your right hand touch your left elbow, arm back in the starting position and now the left hand  touch your right elbow, repeat 10 times (you can change this to eyes closed or standing on alternative legs)
2. stand up straight, arms straight out in front, bring up your left leg with your thigh horizontal to the ground, with your right hand touch your knee and retrn to the start position, now repeat with the opposite leg and arm and repeat 10 times (again you vary it with eyes close)
3. stand up straight, arms down by your sides, with your left leg bring it up behind you (like a donkey kick) with your right hand touch your heal, try and get them to meet together, now repeat with the opposite leg and arm, repeat 10 times (again can vary with eyes closed)
4. last one and simple, stand up straight arms down by your side, extend your arms out from your side and fully extend and smoothly in an arm with one finger tip touch your nose, now repeat 10 times, again can be varied with eyes shut or a different finger each time.
5. now repeat all the above 4 times for one exercise and try throughout the day to do do the above exercises 4 to 5 times a day

The idea behind it is to co-ordinate the left and the right hand side of your brain to work together, just to show how your brain is not used to working together on both sides try this one, fold your arms as normal, now unfold them and relax your arms down by your side now quickly fold your arms the OPPOSITE way you normally do, most will struggle for a bit, I cant give a better explanation as Im blowed if I can remember the full scientific explanation, but its worth a try as its so simple and quick

BOATS
you'll start of in the most stable boat and if the coach thinks you can candle the next stability boat you'll be in it, chances are you'll be in a boat thats a little tippy for you but not too uncomfortable, as to how quick you move up to the really tippy boats will depend on how your balance and confidence is, also depends on whether its summer or winter, generally the summer is the time to build up to the tippy boats as the waters warmer and when the colder weather starts its better to stay in the stable boat, not much fun tipping in the winter.
The younger kids tend to have a better sense of balance, for the rest of us we tend to loose it a bit as we get older, there is no point in going beyond your ability to start with as it can be demoralizing and you'll be fighting a very unstable boat and unable to concentrate on technique.
If youre keen and enjoying the racing you'll be tempted to purchase your own boat, have a little patience and endure the slower boat that you may be stable in and develop your technique, 
good technique takes time to master and can account for more over fitness, you can be the fittest guy going but with lousy technique and balance  youre likely to be tail end Charlie more often than not, you will find some useful balance training exercises on you tube that can help and good chore strength helps too, it takes time and wont happen in 5 minutes 


Try pushing yourself to hard and this can be a result, 






Not going to keep your attention for long, will it!!!!!!!


Boat stability ratings


BCU stability ratings

Second hand canoe adverts




PADDLES
you'll start of with the so called standard asymmetric paddles, stick with them for a while whilst youre developing the early stages of good paddling, the racing wing paddles can come a bit later on, 
carbon wing paddles are not cheap, again ask what ones will be right for you and when the times right  have a go on somebody else's paddles first, 
technique is totally different to the asymmetric paddles, their not that difficult to get used to, try and use them the same way as the asymmetric you'll find the paddle will dive under the boat and tip you out, there are loads of videos on you tube as well as any coaching about paddle technique, not something you'll get right straight away, could take 6 months plus to perfect and theres many that haven't after years, so this is one area thats worth the most attention to perfect, it looks easy but far from it to perfect, on top of that you will have other areas to concentrate on at the same time, arm pushing/pulling, core rotation, leg movement, steering, posture, balance all at the same time plus more, so this is one area that will only come together with practice and more practice, took me 5 months to find the second gear and I'd say im only 80% there, 
Watch the faster guys and again ask questions and watch the videos, all will help






watch these guys


Info for technique



Carbon paddle sales

DIET
Perhaps a subject beyond me and can get very scientific, for the beginning a good balanced diet is all thats needed, perhaps higher on the carb intake, again plenty of sites on the web offering specific information, water is the most essential fluids you'll ever need and plenty of it, most of us drink well below the recommended daily allowance, avoid the so called energy drinks, may give you wings for a bit but can quite often result in clipped wings quite quickly, same to goes for high sugar drinks, 
Bananas are a good source of slow release energy foods, it is a subject worth looking into and looking at a healthier diet, remember like cars we need fuel, the further and faster we go and the more we need


A guide to eating for sports

MENTAL FITNESS
Again this is another important area to give some consideration, it can be easier to defeat yourself than someone else doing it, the right mental attitude is important, from training to racing, some races are quite long and especially something like the Devizes to Westminster race at 125 miles and 16 plus hours non stop racing will need the right mental attitude, it can make a huge difference 


Mental fitness






CLOTHING
For training and racing it is fairly basic clothing needs, its a balance between keeping warm and not overheating during the winter, most wear the under compression tops and leggings that are being sold for other sports, not cheap items or there are some dedicated items for sale in the link below, a few light layers are best including long sleeve, ive found the cycle tops fairly cheap and ideal,  some still wear shorts on the cold day's (nutters) but ive found the running bottoms the most comfortable, footwear, basic trainers aren't that ideal as their bulky, best ones available are the diving neoprene boots, loads for sale on e bay from as little as a fiver, some prefer to go bare foot, yes more comfortable on the footplate but you never know what youre treading on in the river if you take a spill, same to for the portaging.
If its touring or a slow run then there is more dedicated clothing to keep warm, some can come a little pricey but are good quality.
Wet suits are ok if youre just having a gentle paddle but its so easy to overheat in them, mines been gradually cut down to just leggings, ideal for the really cold training nights, 
Gloves are ok but the best items to use are the pogies', Pogies they allow you to still feel the paddle and simuler to some of the mitts sold for motorcyclists, again you'll find some in the link below, perhaps one of the best bits of kit you'll ever buy.
A hat of some description is essential for winter, most of your body heat is lost through your head so a worthy piece of kit and the last is a waterproof top, those cheap ones that bundle up into a small package are ideal. 
They also sell the divers waterproof bags, again e bay is ideal, these are great to put your wet clothing in instead of mixing with any other dry clothes in your kit bag.      dry bag example    Waterproof phone bag


Clothing and other equipment

Marathon racing info

CROSS TRAINING
Ideally cross training with another sport is very beneficial, running, squash to name a couple and mixed with some gym work to increase strength, plus allows a break up of what can sometimes be a boring training schedule, the video below explains it a lot better












WARMING UP
warming up and stretching before exercise/racing is essential, again Ill let the video explain  









Hope thats of some help to get you through the first few steps, remember you get out of what you put in and achievements come in small steps


Happy racing

ENTRY 17 post race

The reason behind starting this blog was to help give a better insight into K1 flat water racing for those with no knowledge about the sport at all, when I first started with zero knowledge about racing other than I wanted to race I really struggled to find a huge amount of detailed information, and for what I did find with no knowledge meant little to me.
I hope Ive helped to give a basic view into this form of racing for those that may be interested in racing, or those with just a curiosity about it.


My only regret is not taking the sport up many years ago and for the last 2 years walking past my local club and not popping in, I have thourally enjoyed the last 5months and have made some nice friends and met a huge bunch of very helpful people and found a truly diverse hobby.


I have been lucky with my past involvements with sport in the younger days and some of the basics learnt then have helped, I would say I am of average fitness and have up until now smoked 20 cigarettes a day and I dont think I have faired too badly.
As with any sport to get to the top takes an awful lot of commitment and dedication, for some that suits for others personal fulfillment and enjoyment are top of the list, there truly is something for everyone at what ever level you want to compete at,
dont consider yourself fit enough!!!!!!!! canoeing is not a killer sport or activity, I would be flat on the floor half way if I had to run the distance we race over, canoeing is far more gentle on the body than say running, 
its also extreamlly amazing how quickly the body adapts and gets used to exercise, yeah you'll need some commitment to keep going but canoeing not like some solitary activity's and many on a club run with others many have not noticed or aware they may have covered 10 miles with ease.


Competition is not for everyone, and for those there are plenty of enjoyable day trips and weekends away, there seems to be plenty of trips being organised by most clubs, you wont be restricted to just your club, and for those that want something more exotic theres loads of canoeing and kayaking trips/holidays abroad, the only place ill leave alone with a wobbly K1 will be the Amazon, they seem to have some fish with very sharp teeth lol, as much as Im hooked with the racing side I have really enjoyed a couple of leisurely trips out, cant beet the English summer when it does get here, mi-randing down the river with a bunch of friends enjoying a natter and stopping somewhere for lunch.


For those wanting a something a little more white knuckle theres the white water canoeing, something I tried many many years ago in Wales, heart stopping sometimes and sometimes very challenging but extreamlly rewarding and exhilarating when completing a difficult section


For those that like something a little more traditional theres the Canadian open canoes, single and doubles, takes a bit of a knack getting used to paddling and steering one, may take 5 mins or a few days but great when youve mastered it, these boats are great too for those long trips.


You also have the sea, theres many that enjoy day trips out on specialist sea boats, and if you live near the sea youve got a fantastic resource right next to you, again if its racing you like theres a small group here in the UK that do the downwind ski canoe racing, looks pretty fun and if youve got a holiday booked in for New Zealand or Australia you'll find it very popular there, hope to see it get of the ground here, and hoping to be having a crack at a race later this year in the UK




I could go on all day about the various types of canoeing, best bet is find your local club and go and see, ask questions and have a go and give it a try, most come of the water with a big grin on their face :)


http://www.bcu.org.uk/ 


The best site to find local clubs and canoeing information inc 3rd party insurance

Sea Kayaking fishing White water rafting






Devizes to Westminster (6 part) 125 mile UK race









Slalom racing

Flat water racing  








Surf ski racing










Touring










Down wind sea racing (Ireland)










White water canoeing












Just for fun










play boating










white water tricks








C2 touring in Scotland










C1 high kneeler sprint racing










K4 sprint racing










Canoe sailing

 

ENTRY 16 last Essex Winter Series race

Well it didnt take long before the last race came round, a fairly chilly and windy day at the Leeside club the last race was over 8 miles with no portages,

I was fortunate to have a chance meet up with another club member for a Sunday training session, turned out to be a brilliant training session for me, Richard has been canoeing for a number of years with plenty of race experience and a keen UK sea racer.
Richard was very helpful with what I was doing wrong on technique and what I should be doing, his explanations all made sense and by experimentation  the end of the session showed a real difference and improved technique with a notable speed increase,
just felt like everything had started to click into place and I really could feel a difference.

At least it wasnt raining but another dull English winter day with a chill and fairly windy, the Leeside event marking the last race of the Essex winter series was well attended, was also pleased to learn that I was running 9th overall in the series,
no portages today so no repeat of the last race lol, all I had to do was keep me ass firmly planted in the seat and keep it there,
it was quite chilly and for once I decided on a decent warm up and rattled of a mile jog down the toe path before the start, god Im not used to running :( but it blew the cob webs out and had at least warmed me up quite nicely for the start.
I was told the race may be a little choppy as the banks are concrete lined and susceptible to wave bounce, shouldn't be too bad for me in the stable boat but we did have a strong/gusty head wind on the start line, could see that one racer had bailed before the start line and later found out 2 had bailed from my class from the start line with the help of the wind.
Got squeezed in on the start line and decided to tuck in behind Dean, not enough time to get a better position, off the start I could see Richard to my far left go like a rocket with 2 more from my right as fast, had the usual sufferings with my boat trying to keep it in a straight line which a constant play with the steering, one of the faster guys  just in front that had beaten me before was struggling with the wash and balance, so a quick push to get past him, was expecting him to take me a little further on but no sign, the wind was a killer in some paces, the better stability on my boat was paying dividends over some of the others but hindering me in other areas, really hard to get the leg power down when youre fighting with the steering.
Had some of the faster Juniors go past, seemingly totally oblivious to the choppy conditions and the wind, inc the faster guys in my group those who have the natural stability were stomping ahead in these conditions.
Could feel the paddle technique improvement paying off for me after Richards help, a bit out of shape sometimes but it was a definite improvement, was keeping Dean and Richard in sight and was passing quite a few boats that had started earlier, wasnt going to take a chance of looking behind as the I wasnt trusting the gusting wind, Ill have to wait for the turn to see where I stand.

Seemed very quick for the first turn 3 miles out, the long straight leading up to the turn psychically did look like it was going up hill, this turn being right by the newly built Olympic stadium, well at least I know how to get to it by river, the run back down from the turn still looked like it was running up hill but at least the wind was from behind now, Dean and Richard weren't that far ahead on the turn so perhaps something  was possibly was working a little better,
The run back to the Leeside club house was uneventful, could see I was loosing some ground to Dean and Richard,  out past for another mile to the final turn point, could see Mo in the distance, cant miss her couloured top lol, started to hit a bit more traffic from some of the shorter course class's, I was keeping an eye on the leaders of our class returning the other side from the turn, missed them all except Richard and I seemed to be nearer, well I thought I had gained some ground but found out afterwards he had taken a dunking by the club house, but it spured me on for the last mile and pushed as hard as I could into the wind to gain more ground, I still struggle so much with the boat cockpit being too small for my lanky legs and the chaffing on my back from the cockpit is getting to be un-bearable sometimes, but putting that to one side when the legs start to work I really can see a difference in speed from the wash coming of the bow.

Finished 2 minutes behind Richard and 5 minutes behind Dean, giving me a 6th place, and earn't me a final position of 8th overall in the series, got to be honest I was pleased with it, especially as I only started last September, smoke 20 fags a day and according to my kids "ancient" and beyond it,

I have thourally enjoyed the winter series and thanks to my club and help from club members I am definably hooked and loving the sport and really looking forward to the start of the summer Hasler series where I can start competing against others of my own ability and hopefully take my self to the limits of my ability and get to move up the divisions fairly quickly, especially now that I have stopped smoking,
and very much to looking ahead for the start of the next winter series, cant let Dean take the trophy 2 years in a row lol :)

Congratulation to Dean for taking the overall win of Class 3 :) and team Chelmsford for taking the overall club win

Ill do a post shortly covering a summery about my flat water K1 racing, mainly aimed at the newcomer and  how I get on with the C1 high kneeler including moving up to the more wobbly boats, and hopefully a crack at one of the UK sea races this year.

Weathers going to get warmer soon so perhaps a great opportunity to start having a look at what canoeing is all about and how diverse it is, something to suit everyones tastes,  one of the best ways to get fit too

happy paddling

Darren