The beginning



At 47 most would regard you over the hill as an athlete, hopefully I can prove that's not always the case, and Ive got a few more puffs of steam left yet.


Ive chosen the fantastic sport of K1 Kayak marathon racing for my last ditched attempt of a physical endurance sport before I fall the wrong side of the hill.

The last time I did any Kayaking was well over 20 years ago, technology has made vast improvements in construction and weight saving, paddle technology too has gone a long way in deign and efficiency, but the overall concept has changed very little.


I have chosen to enter the Devizes to Westminster race Easter 2011, raced in a solo K1 its a race against the clock over 125miles of the Thames river, with 77 portages (get out of your boat and carry it around locks etc) over a period of 4 days,

if raced in a K2 (2 man) then its a race non stop from start to finish inc. through the night, advertised as one of the worlds toughest Kayaking races it not only tests your fitness and stamina, but your mental endurance as well together with the help of a good ground crew providing support with food and water.

Have a look at the posted YOU TUBE 6 part documentary to get a better idea of how tough this race can be, and for a laugh there's a couple of videos showing how difficult it can be trying out a K1 kayak for the first time.


I'm planning to enter one of the winter 6 race series starting on the 7th November to help towards the Devize race, my general fitness is OK and quite reasonable for endurance, perhaps bordering insane to take this on, got a feeling I'm going to be feeling some pain along the way.

I am smoking but that has another 7 days before I stop, aghhhh I have to :( I'm getting so much grief from my boys so all in all it'll be a good thing and a few more coins in my pocket.

Technique does play a major part in this sport, but fitness and training can't be ignored, so much to achieve in a short time, where to start I haven't a scooby yet or what other training away from Kayaking will help, another whole ball game to look at and plan.


The K1 Kayaks have a stability rating of 1 to 10, 1 being the least stable, the less stable they are the faster they go, that is if youre staying in the boat that is.

I'm comfortable on a 5, but the difference between the 5 and 4 seem a big step, the width (beam) is even narrower, if you can imagine trying to keep upright on a uni cycle for the first time then you're getting near how difficult it can be, once you're moving it's a little more stable, well that is until your co-ordination goes haywire then it seems to remind you you're on a tight rope and the ejection seat is getting ready to dump you overboard,

I keep being told its like learning to ride a bike all over again, mmmmm seems a lot harder than I remembered, so looks like practice and more practice will be the order of the day,

the club have told me as soon as I'm comfortable with the current boat ill be put on the next faster boat, heck the one I'm on is like balancing on an ice skate, the next one was like balancing on a knife blade aaaagghhhh


Im going to use this blog as a diary entry to show how I get on and some useful information about the K1 & K2 kayak marathon and sprint racing as I go, and my preparation for the Devizes to Westminster race, it should be a laugh and hopefully some may find it useful starting the sport themselves, or perhaps what not to do!!.


Feel free to add comments and any advise on any of the subjects I may be failing on, that'll be ALL to start with !!! lol


Tip's and hints will continually be added to entry 18

Saturday 11 June 2011

ENTRY 30 Core workout


These bunch of exercises are worth doing on top of any normal training routine to help with stability, there is so much advise out there for training programs to suit Kayak  marathon racing, Ill post my training schedule that Im able to fit in round my lifestyle.
I dont feel qualified enough to suggest routines for individuals, but the exercises below will help with stability, ever wondered why the top guys are so quick, STABILITY..........to get the best from your fitness and  paddle technique you need stability, its the main platform for everything else, so core strength is not to be ignored and essential.
Dont forget the cardiovascular side, from running to second sports like squash, if you dont like running skipping is spot on, its harder than you think    4 x 5 min x 4 twice daily with a 2 minute break in between, sprinting is good as well and training schedules with 2 minuets hard paddle and one minute off repeated.


Last one which i see very few people doing is warm up exercises before a race or stretching after a race, 
think about a race car, would you start it up on the start line and floor it, nope you'd get the engine up to temputure first, same after a race, if its an ali/turbo engine you leave it running to cool down first before switching off.
5 minutes skipping or jogging before you get on the water and as much time as you can get on the water warming up with some short sprints, and then dont forget to do your stretches after your race  :-)   

Core Workout for Month 1

The first month’s workout focuses on core stability. During core stability exercises there is little to no movement in the lumbar spine. The goal is to re-train your deep core muscles so that they keep your pelvis and spine stable.
Here are the core exercises:

Core Exercise #1: Bridges
Core Exercise #2: Plank (half or full)
Core Exercise #3: Back Extensions on the Floor
Aim for 12-20 repetitions per set (10-60 seconds for the plank) Complete 2-3 sets. Move in a slow and controlled manner. Rest 10-60 seconds in between sets. Do this workout 2-3 days a week for 3-4 weeks and move on to the next workout.

Core Workout for Month 2

The second month’s workout focuses on core strength. During core strength exercises you move through the full range of motion for the spine.
Here are the core exercises:

Core Exercise #1: Ball Crunches
Core Exercise #2: Back Extensions on the Ball
Core Exercise #3: Bicycle Crunches
Aim for 8-15 repetitions per set. Complete 2-4 sets. Move in a steady rhythm. Rest 30-60 seconds in between sets. Do this workout 2-3 days a week for 3-4 weeks and move on to the next workout.

Core Workout for Month 3

The third month’s workout focuses on developing power and speed. In order to develop power you must move in an explosive way.
Here are the exercises:
Core Exercise #1: Medicine Ball Soccer Throw
Core Exercise #2: Medicine Ball Sit Up Throws
Core Exercise #3: Medicine Ball Rotational Chest Pass
Aim for 5-10 repetitions per set. Complete 3-4 sets per exercise. Move in a fast and explosive manner. Rest 60-90 seconds in between sets. Do this workout 2-3 days a week for 3-4 weeks.
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