It has been a tough race for training as the weather has been pretty awful and it has been blowing a gale and raining every night this week.  I am lucky in that I have a little area set up downstairs where I train but this is not as good as being out on the water.  This has meant that I have to make up for it this weekend after a long paddle last weekend I don’t feel too bad.  Last weekend was the first really long paddle that I have done, more for the mental well being than anything else.  50km from Maum bridge down to the middle of Galway. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/151153453  To give you an idea of what it was.

     Last year in about April I decided that I needed a new challenge for 2012.  I decided along with a friend Kevin O’Callaghan that this year we would attempt to complete the Devises to Westminister International canoe challenge( http://www.dwrace.org.uk/ ).  I short it is a 125 mile race along the Devises canal and along the Thames to Westminister with something like 70 portages thrown in for fun.  It is all done in a K2, a very thin and long kayak designed for flat water racing however speed comes with a compromise on stability.  

      The first attempts to get the K2 moving involved a lot of laughing from the support crew on the shore and even more helpful advice.  However we have improved a lot recently, thank god, and are now going out for 3 hour spins at a time which at times I thought would never happen.  One of the hardest things I found was figuring out how to train for a race that is going to last over 20 hours and go non stop.  It means you have to train at all times of the day and night and be as comfortable in the middle of the night as the middle of the day. 

     My training schedule is now in the heavy stage and I am out almost every night in a Kayak and the other nights I am in the Gym or out doing Pilates. My training regime is:
Monday-  Gym to work on lower body as this is a vital part with all the portages
 

Tuesday/ Wednesday / Thursday – Interval training in the Kayak (Pilates also on Wednesday)
 

Friday – Either a rest or if feeling good then a run or cycle
 

Saturday/ Sunday – 2/3 hour paddle to work on long distance paddling and style
 

     So it all leads to a lot of training and a pretty quiet social life as the body needs a lot of rest to enable it to keep going like this.  The plus side is that the race finishes in WEstminister in London so I am looking forward to blowing of a bit of steam , if I can still walk after that long sitting down.  If you are interested and want to join in the fun here is a sneak preview of what to expect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_LfzBEQ8Hg&feature=related

     I know it looks bad but this last year I have gone from a very basic Kayaker to a stage where I can proficiently sit in a K- boat and I have seen some beautiful places and wildlife where previously I would have driven passed and not even slowed down.  So get out there try something different and who knows where a new skill can take you.  I feel that for me personally to move forward and to keep growing I need to embrace change and try to get out of my comfort zone as often as I can force myself to.

I will keep you updated on how I'm getting on!

My favourite food for long endurance races is home made brown bread with much honey and butter and home made biscuits with whatever I have to hand.  The latter seem to have gone down well with Gerry Duffy (our roving ambassador for Gaelforce Events in 2012) and his guide, Shane Young when they recently completed the Gaelforce West route on a cold but not too wet, Friday morning in February.  So if you are wondering what fuel to put into your body – try this recipe in pounds and ounces (the quantities are large as necessitates a big household but they can be frozen very easily).