I finished January with my first “real” training session for a 100 mile downstream river race in June. The race I’m talking about is the Cal100 and takes place along the Sacramento River. While I’m still far away from California I hope to be home in June and drive to Sacramento River for this weekend. I haven’t entered this race before and I admit that I have never attempted a test of endurance of this magnitude before. I’m aware that it will require a tremendous amount of preparation both by putting in the training time but also in preparing mentally to be able to paddle efficiently for this distance on a surf ski. If it proves too much is yet to see, but I’m up for the challenge of balancing this along with my full time job and a house build I’m doing together with my wife which will hopefully kick of sometime after the race.
Back to my training session on January 31st on the Itchen Estuary in Hampshire, United Kingdom. My goal was to cover 18 miles, I figured it would take me around 3 hours and I started on the afternoon when the tide was high. I estimated that I could paddle 3 hours without substantial amount of nutrition and only brought some liquids with me. The lap is about 3.5 miles and was going to complete laps until reaching 18 miles. At each turn-around I also wanted to simulate a portage, mainly because I’m considering a race on the river Thames at the end of February at approximately the same distance which includes portaging. Now, a surf ski is far from ideal for portages and most paddlers there will be using K1s but since my only craft is an Epic V10 I might give it a go just for the experience.
The portages went well and I think I have a technique for getting up reasonably fast on a high pontoon from the low seat. My paddle went along without any delays, and the estuary was fairly quiet with a few rowing teams out there.
Rowers are usually accompanied by a motorized boat and they create small swells. I’m not that bothered about it even if it bounces of the banks sometimes and creates chop. Its forces you to concentrate a bit more so its a good thing. As for my own pace I was fairly consistent in speed around 6.5mph at a heart rate percentage of 65%-75%. This is of my supposedly max heart rate, although I’m not sure how accurate this is. I suspect my max heart rate is slightly higher which means the intensity was actually less. Anyhow, it felt like a good pace to settle for 3 hours without bursting and I wonder if I can maintain this for 100 miles.
After mile 13 it was already quite dark with the sun set and I had a lap and a half still to go. I may have considered for a minute to call it a day, January is a cold month and a hunger was starting to creep in, but I quickly decided to finish the distance. By this time all the rowers were off the water, I had seen them lifting up their boats earlier but halfway around this lap two boats whizzed past me and created a wave as I was turning.
Once they spotted me they slowed down but I had to follow them and their swell for the last couple of miles in the dark.
My three hours of paddling felt fairly comfortable but there are a few things I should try to change for my next long paddle. The cushioned seat I’m using in the bucket along with the shorts makes for a good rotation but the seat has an edge which may prove to be an issue if I were to sit for a longer time. Nutrition past three hours is needed, even if I train again for 3–4 hours I should try to eat something not to feel hungry shortly after having finished the session. While this in January with a temperature around 10ºC/50ºF it will be different in June when more liquids are needed. I’m happy about this and the hot shower was a treat after three hours out in the wind.
