I guess 3 days in a row was being a little bit unrealistic. I was so excited to go for another paddle this morning. 3 days in a row...coool I thought. It was me (in Marks Van Dusen), Mark (in Anton's Mustang K1), Anton in his TK1 and JJ in their double.
I started off feeling great. It felt relatively easy and I felt remarkably comfortable in the Van Dusen. About half way back up the river heading towards the lake I started to feel my shoulder aching and I noticed that I had dropped my right arm a bit. I tried a few different technique tricks to see if I could make it feel a bit better but it was just getting worse. Eventhough I had coped well with the other's wash earlier, it was just getting frustrating now and I was really struggling. Up at the lake I pulled in and got Mark to help me do a few stretches that Buzz (physio) had showed me as a trick to make it feel better. It seemed to work, but a couple of hundred metres into it, it started to get sore again. Very pi$$ed off.
Everytime I copped a bit of wash it would flare up because it was so fatigued and just couldn't help stabilise anymore. I ended up doing the last 1km with it tucked in so close to my body that I was just not paddling properly at all. Soooo frustrating. I'm sure everyone who paddled with me today would say what a bad mood I was in....so sorry guys. I promise not to whinge so much in future. I was not good company today.
I'm just a bit disheartened that it flared up so easily. I really don't want to have the surgery done, but I think it will have to be done eventually. Then again, it coped really well with the Hawkesbury Classic and with backing up at State 2 days in a row. So I don't know what the problem was today. I guess I haven't paddled 3 days in a row for quite a while now, so it probably wasn't the distance, it was just too fatigued doing 3 days in a row to function properly. I'll have to build up to it a bit slower next time.
Showing posts with label shoulder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shoulder. Show all posts
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
My Kayaking Background
This post has basically been copied from my other blog which was meant to be a diary of my journey towards the 2008 Hawkesbury Canoe Classic. I stopped blogging several weeks into it when my Father suddenly and unexpectedy died. Against the odds and only 10 weeks after my Dad's death, I did complete the HCC, and will finish my story on the original blog. But for the purposes of this blog, and my recent shoulder soreness, I thought I'd better explain the LONG story behind it all...
"Well, this has been a long journey - 6 years to take me up to this years attempt at the HCC. I haven't even made it to the start line yet!
2003 -The first time I thought of entering the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic (HCC) I had only just taken up Kayaking and decided that 6 weeks was not enough time to prepare for paddling 111km. I decided to be a volunteer and it was great to soak up the atmosphere.
2004 - The following year I was in serious kayak training and had had some success in State Marathon Series races. I had planned to enter the HCC and then I fell pregnant with my first son - happily it happened easier and quicker than we had expected, but it definately put an end to that years race. When I was 3 months pregnant, it was the last time I would paddle until I bought my Mirage 580 in 2007.
2005 - The following year my son would have only been 7 months old at race day and I was still breastfeeding him (and my mummy body still couldn't fit into my racing kayak), so I decided that it was best to put it off for another year.
2006 - The next year I fell pregant with my second son so that year was also out.
2007 - Last year I had planned to enter and had sold my racing kayak for a more stable (and wider) sea kayak. 3 weeks into my training (May 07) I had a nasty fall in the bathroom and badly injured my shoulder (? fracture - there's still debate over that one, torn rotator cuff - subscapularis, torn labrum, subluxed biceps tendon), so that was the end of that years plans (and the start of 12 months serious shoulder rehab).
2008 - well in January this year I was finally allowed to start kayaking again and have now slowly built up my distances and times. I have now completed 20km for 2 Sunday's in a row, so all is going well (touch wood). My shoulder feels fantastic paddling, but unfortunately still gives me pain and trouble doing many day-to-day activities, so I am currently deciding whether to go ahead with the surgery the Orthopedic Shoulder surgeon has suggested. The surgery won't be until after the HCC, so I have a bit of time up my sleeve still. So THAT is where I've been to get to today."
Well, the rest of the story is... that I trained really well, did my shoulder rehab exercises, my shoulder started improving dramatically, and with a lot of help and support from family and friends I successfully completed the 2008 HCC in 15hrs and 41min (half an hour quicker than I had ever hoped for). I then raced successfully in the 2008 State 5000m championships, and that pretty much brings me up to the start of this blog.
"Well, this has been a long journey - 6 years to take me up to this years attempt at the HCC. I haven't even made it to the start line yet!
2003 -The first time I thought of entering the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic (HCC) I had only just taken up Kayaking and decided that 6 weeks was not enough time to prepare for paddling 111km. I decided to be a volunteer and it was great to soak up the atmosphere.
2004 - The following year I was in serious kayak training and had had some success in State Marathon Series races. I had planned to enter the HCC and then I fell pregnant with my first son - happily it happened easier and quicker than we had expected, but it definately put an end to that years race. When I was 3 months pregnant, it was the last time I would paddle until I bought my Mirage 580 in 2007.
2005 - The following year my son would have only been 7 months old at race day and I was still breastfeeding him (and my mummy body still couldn't fit into my racing kayak), so I decided that it was best to put it off for another year.
2006 - The next year I fell pregant with my second son so that year was also out.
2007 - Last year I had planned to enter and had sold my racing kayak for a more stable (and wider) sea kayak. 3 weeks into my training (May 07) I had a nasty fall in the bathroom and badly injured my shoulder (? fracture - there's still debate over that one, torn rotator cuff - subscapularis, torn labrum, subluxed biceps tendon), so that was the end of that years plans (and the start of 12 months serious shoulder rehab).
2008 - well in January this year I was finally allowed to start kayaking again and have now slowly built up my distances and times. I have now completed 20km for 2 Sunday's in a row, so all is going well (touch wood). My shoulder feels fantastic paddling, but unfortunately still gives me pain and trouble doing many day-to-day activities, so I am currently deciding whether to go ahead with the surgery the Orthopedic Shoulder surgeon has suggested. The surgery won't be until after the HCC, so I have a bit of time up my sleeve still. So THAT is where I've been to get to today."
Well, the rest of the story is... that I trained really well, did my shoulder rehab exercises, my shoulder started improving dramatically, and with a lot of help and support from family and friends I successfully completed the 2008 HCC in 15hrs and 41min (half an hour quicker than I had ever hoped for). I then raced successfully in the 2008 State 5000m championships, and that pretty much brings me up to the start of this blog.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Nearly swimming
This afternoon, Anton and I met up at the usual spot for a paddle. Finally my intentions worked and I got there in time to do a bridge lap before Anton arrived. My shoulder felt heaps better straight away, and I felt good in the K1. It was very gusty, and I was just thinking how much more confident I felt in these conditions now, when BAM, a gust of wind grabbed my paddle and I nearly lost it. Well, I was soooo nearly swimming. I did a serious couple of braces, nearly lost the paddle in the wind several times, not quite sure how I pulled it off, but managed to stay upright. Confidence...gone!
Anyway, when I got back to the boat ramp Anton was ready to paddle and we headed up to the point. At least if I fell in heading that way, I knew I had easy re-entry spots. Anton was in his TK1, so the pace was a bit faster than when he paddles the Mirage. It was a solid paddle up and back, and my shoulder was starting to niggle a bit by the end. The wind was really gusty and several times, I was caught off guard and had to brace, but I managed to complete the session without swimming, so I guess I am getting more stable in this K1. We decided to do another lap up to the powerlines and back, and then called it a day. In all I covered about 9km, and had a nice solid paddle. The shoulder held up better than I expected and I think it'll be right to do the club race on Sunday - my first club race in a K1.
Anyway, when I got back to the boat ramp Anton was ready to paddle and we headed up to the point. At least if I fell in heading that way, I knew I had easy re-entry spots. Anton was in his TK1, so the pace was a bit faster than when he paddles the Mirage. It was a solid paddle up and back, and my shoulder was starting to niggle a bit by the end. The wind was really gusty and several times, I was caught off guard and had to brace, but I managed to complete the session without swimming, so I guess I am getting more stable in this K1. We decided to do another lap up to the powerlines and back, and then called it a day. In all I covered about 9km, and had a nice solid paddle. The shoulder held up better than I expected and I think it'll be right to do the club race on Sunday - my first club race in a K1.
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