Well I'm all ready and excited about tomorrow's club race. I've only done one before in the Mirage and this will be my first race in the club K1 (that I'm still borrowing). It sounds like heaps of people are going to be there, including lots of the friends I regularly see whilst training. Chris and the boys are going to come along and watch the start and finish, and it will be nice for them to finally meet all the people I always talk about.
Race Plan/Thoughts/Hopes etc...
The distance is 11.35km. I completed it in 1:17 last time in the Mirage. I have told the handicapper that I think I might do around 1:10 in the K1. This would mean an average speed of 9.73km/hr which I think is achievable given my recent shoulder soreness. I know I need to race way faster than that by the Worlds, but I think this is a good starting point. If I can beat 1:10 I'll be stoked. Hopefully I've convinced Anton to come (are you reading this Anton?) and he'll have my GPS on his Mirage. That will make it a bit easier to pace myself if the handicapper lets us start close together. My only concern is my ability to go hard in the K1 for that long. I know I'm fit enough, but it will be a good test of my core stability.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
A Family Jog
Since I was due for a run today and Chris was home, I had 2 options...1) Go for a run on my own (without the boys) or 2) All of us go together. Chris was keen to come along for a jog too, so off we headed with me pushing the pram (with Clayton in it), Connor riding his bike, and Chris jogging along with us. It was so nice to do it together as a family and I think it's something that Chris will keep doing until his first game of Soccer for the season. I wore the heart rate monitor again (thanks Anton) and our total jogging time (not including warm up and cool down) was 21:45 with my average heart rate at 179bpm.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Today's run
I went for a run this morning. Connor wanted to ride his bike again, and I now have no concerns about this affecting my training because I can't even keep up with him now. So he rode the bike whilst I jogged and pushed Clayton in the pram. I was originally going to have a 1 minute break at the turn around point, but felt good and decided to do it all in one go. It's the first time I've done that in over a month. Anton has kindly lent me his heart-rate monitor until I get mine back from the service centre, and I used it during the run. My total time jogging (not including a 5 min warm up and cool down) was 22min, and average heart rate was 173bpm. I got it up to 187bpm at one point, which is not unusual for me. For some reason I can get my heart rate up a lot higher than I am 'supposed to' be able to. All in all a good run.
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.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Cheesecake won the battle
Chris's Uncle Pete cooks these amazing cheesecakes. All sorts of flavours and they are absolutely scrumptious. Now I'm a total sucker for a cheesecake - any flavour. Great bribery material if you're interested! Anyway, he made a mango one for Clayton's birthday party on the weekend. Of course I had a small piece at the party, but there has been 3 leftover pieces just sitting in the fridge mocking me. I've been pretty good with my eating plan, and so good at resisting the urge to eat the cake. I was soooo close all day today, but didn't cave in. Well, the cheesecake finally won the battle tonight. 2 pieces of it (I was kind enough to leave the last piece for Chris). If you tasted this cake, you would understand that it was always going to win the battle eventually! Oh well, back on the plan tomorrow.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Dodging boats and water bombs
Aaaaah, Australia Day. Chris kindly offered me the opportunity to go for a paddle this afternoon, so against the complaints of my shoulder I decided to go. Anton (in his Mirage) was also keen, so we met down at the usual spot around 3pm. He tells me that it's tradition on Australia day for eggs, flour bombs, and water bombs to be thrown at anyone passing along the river. It was chockers! There were soooo many motorboats, boats towing things, kids on boogey boards, waterbomb throwers and swimmers it was amazing. Trying to paddle a K1 amongst all that boat wash, with the occasional ambush by water bombs was great balance practice. One group even had a huge elastic slingshot they were using to launch them. A waterbomb even whizzed over our heads and hit the far side of the river! At another place there was a kid who saw us coming and started paddling towards me on his boogey board. He was about 1 metre away and was reaching out to tip me in...at which point I looked him in the eye and said "If you tip me in I'll smack you with my paddle" (which of course I would never do), but it worked and he obviously thought better of it. I can't believe we did a whole lap without falling in or getting hit by something!
My shoulder was very sore. At the start it hurt so much that I thought I wouldn't be able to paddle at all, but I paddled faster and altered my technique a bit and it was a lot better. The 1 lap was certainly enough for it today though. I gave Anton my GPS to put on his Mirage so that we could get an idea of our speed. Whenever he looked at it we were doing above 9km/h and often almost 10km/h. Though this is not fast enough for race speed, I was going very easy and I was amazed that we were going so fast for how easy it felt. I really am getting better in the K1. In fact, this is the best I have EVER felt in a K1.
My shoulder was very sore. At the start it hurt so much that I thought I wouldn't be able to paddle at all, but I paddled faster and altered my technique a bit and it was a lot better. The 1 lap was certainly enough for it today though. I gave Anton my GPS to put on his Mirage so that we could get an idea of our speed. Whenever he looked at it we were doing above 9km/h and often almost 10km/h. Though this is not fast enough for race speed, I was going very easy and I was amazed that we were going so fast for how easy it felt. I really am getting better in the K1. In fact, this is the best I have EVER felt in a K1.
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