Training Log Archive: ahall

With Kevin on the Charles. Steady recovery paddle. CRCK up to the golf course bridge, down to the bottom of the lakes area and back. Didn't feel too bad, except the one raw patch on my thumb and the bruised bones in my backside......

Before the 70 Miler. Paddle from the old start to the new start location, and a few loops around with a couple of sprints

General Clinton 70 Miler with Kevin. A good result in the end, but getting there was a little sketchy at times..... First amateur mens, but we ended up getting beaten by a mixed team - granted the combined age of the two of them is less than mine, and Kevin is older than me!

More than 100 boats going off the start, with the Pro and Amateur classes combined, so it was a little chaotic.

Not a great start - we were getting shoved around by the waves, and I couldn't move the seat to get more control as it was stuck in place. Got to the first portage in second place in our race to Oliver and Dean from Ontario. A reasonable ride through the swamp, marred only by running aground in the "grass cut" where Kevin had to get out to pull us through. Got hit a few times by other boats, and ended up dropping a few spots.

Things settle down pretty much after Index, and we kept our position and were riding with other boats some. Got back in to first place for a bit, unitl the Milford pit. Pit itself went fine, but then Kevin almost dumped us in the river trying to put his water jug into the holder. Somehow we stayed upright (combination of a big pry from me and him bracing with the water jug!) Second place caught back up with us then, and we rode together along with another couple of boats. No-one was willing to pull down the next stretch and eventually Kevin and I got fed up with doing all the work so we sat back. It soon became apparent that this had been a mistake, as by Portlandville our group of 4 had become about 10..... Some riding down the next section and across the lake at Goodyear, with some people trying to sprint off and others crashing into people.

Portage went fine, if slow. Slippery and between Kevin's weak ankles and my dodgy hips we just took it steady. Goodyear cut didn't really have enough water in it, despite being OK the day before. We both had to get out when we ran out of water and push the boat down the channel, and then very scrapey down the rest of it (rocks and roots)

This section was my down spell - just didn't feel good and dropped to third place for a while. We were also pretty wobbly for some reason - not normally an issue but for whatever reason we were just not as stable as we normally are and had a bit of trouble in the bigger waves. By Oneonta and the final portage we were back in second place, watching first catching a good ride off a couple of other boats from the Pro race.

We had a good run down the next section, pulling away from thrid and eventually reeling in first place who had lost their ride. By Otego, where we pitted for the last time, we were enough in front of the second place team that despite our pit we stayed in front of them (they didn't pit there). Got onto a good wave from a Pro team and thought we were good to go..... and then they peeled off at Wells Bridge to pit and when they got back they were happy just to ride.

From there down, with a couple of other boats, chasing a team consistently about 3 minutes in front of us. About 7 miles from the end we started hearing voices from behind.... the team that had been in third place was now in second and were a couple of hundred yards back. Time to wind it up, which we managed to do successfully and it was a long slog to the finish on our own as one of the Pro teams dropped us, and we dropped the other one.

Felt pretty trashed at the end, and my hands are a bit of a mess, but I don't think there are any lasting effects. Had a wicked diaphragm cramp at one point, and a few quad cramps, but my hip didn't really hurt until the last half hour.

Scouting trip down the "swamp" section of the Susquehanna in preparation for the race tomorrow. Lots of obstacles, and one appearing as we paddled past it - a free floating tree that is going to jam up something in the river. Today we made it down with only one light tap of the stern on a tree that was under the water. Tomorrow may be another thing......

Charles with kevin. Mainly steady paddling, pre 70 miler. Right wrist and forearm not feeling great
Ugh

Wall ball squats with 10lb
Mini lunges and lateral lunges with 10lb
Step ups and lateral step ups onto foam balance block
Lateral and monster walks with purple band round feet
Bridging
Clamshells with green band

Calves, hip flexors, quads, itb, faber, hamstrings

Right wrist/forearm hurts, so took a day of rest. Paddling today wasnt going to affect the race next week much, but aggravating my wrist would

With Kevin. Right wrist hurts, but didnt while I was racing

Immediately before race

Mystic Race with Kevin. Lots of suck water......

Back to cars

Charles with Kevin. Some wake riding, some fartlek

To get my truck from the garage. Hip wasn't too unhappy about it

15 mins warm up on bike
Wall ball squats with 10lb weight
Mini lunges and lateral lunges with 10lb
Step ups and lateral step ups onto foam block
Monster walks and lateral walks with purple band

Calves, itb, faber, hip flexors

Sudbury River with Steve Miller in the rain and hail. Temperature dropped about 5 degrees while we were out there, from around 47 down to 42.....

Egg Rock up the Sudbury as far as we could go, somewhere above RT20 and above the water main crossing

Charles from Dedham Rec. Up to the top dam, down to Riverdale park, back to the rec. Much less water than 2 weeks ago, and it almost seemed as if they had forgotten to close the dam below as it was flowing pretty quickly for low water. Felt tired from the start, and that didn't improve with time

15mins on the bike then
Wall ball squats with 10lb, mini lunges and lateral lunges with 10lb weight, step ups and lateral step ups, clamshells with green band, hamstring curls with ball, monster walks and lateral walks with purple band

Quads, itb, calves, faber, etc

With Kevin on the Charles. DFS, up to Rt 16, down to Moody St, back up to Park Ave bridge and back. Steady paddle with some fartlek sprints thrown in. Felt sore from the weekend of racing

10 mins warm up on spin bike
Lateral walks and monster walks with bands
Step ups and lateral step ups onto block
Mini lunges and side lunges with 10lb weight
Wall ball squats with 10lb weight

Calves, quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, faber

With Emma, before the C2 race at Canton

Canton C2 race with Emma. Reasonable start, generally a good upstream leg on the Grasse River, a lot of it on our own or pulling other boats. Lot of riding down the Grasse river, either on the back of Steve and Pam or Antoine and Rosalie. Into the little river and still riding with the other two boats and then Antoine and Rosalie messed up a right angle bend and shot across the bend and it was down to the two of us. Steve and Pam pulled us up to the top, where we had a better turn and the bumper boats started. Went down most of the Little River either drafting or crashing and then , after the turn on the Grasse, we were pretty much side by side up to the finish. Last cross across the river before the finish, Steve and Pam went early and us a little later. Emma didn't leave any room for Steve and Pam when we made it across and crash again, so Steve and Pam clipped our stern and pushed us toward the bank. From pretty much a dead stop we had to get going when they were still moving. Photo finish, which they gave to Pam and Steve. I was pretty much maxed out for the last 3 miles, but had apparently eaten enough as I didn't blow up today.

after the race

Before the Canton C1 race

Canton Canoe weekend C1 race.
Reasonable start, good upstream leg and I stayed with Steve the whole way, but then after the top turn on the Grasse River I had no choice but to watch Steve paddle away from me and no idea why (he is normally faster than me, but having stayed with him the whole way up I was disappointed as to how quickly he got away). On my own the whole way down the Grasse and the up and down the Little River. Ran out of liquid before the bridge on the little river, which wasn't good, and my head was starting to go. Made it down the little river still in front of the next two boats, but shortly after getting back onto the Grasse the first one went by. My arms had gone. And at the last bend the second one went by and totally gapped me really quickly. I was done. Thinking about it - probably hadn't eaten enough and I forgot to take my Gu before I started. 12:30 is also a tricky time to be starting a race, but that is how it goes I guess. Need better fueling next time

Warm up for

3x15 wall ball squats with 10lb
3x15 mini lunges and lateral lunges with 10lb weight
3x15 step ups and lateral step ups onto foam block
4x monster walks and sideways walks with purple band

Hip flexors, quads, itb

With Kevin on the Charles. Didnt feel great, and a little wobbly for some reason. Digging holes at work today probably didnt help.......