Archive for the ‘fitness’ Category

Paddler on Lake Michigan at the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium. Door County, Wisconsin.

In the last “Paddling From The Beginning” post I gave you just some of the reasons we paddle.  Today I want to talk just a bit about paddling for fitness.. for us average non-super athletic types.

I’ll never forget reading an interview with Israeli expedition paddler Hadas Feldman where she said something to the effect that she had to go on a major expedition every so often to simply avoid getting fat.  Obviously she wasn’t serious, but that’s athleticism I understand!  Certainly there are paddlers who go for the most efficient strokes, amazing speeds and all that. Bless their little souls! But most of us define fitness by simply staying active, alive and not getting too fat! Read the rest of this entry »

It’s wonderful.  Everywhere, so white.
The river has frozen over.  Not a soul on the ice.
Only me skating fast.
I’m speeding past trees, Leaving little lines in the ice,
Splitting, splitting sound, Silver heels spitting, spitting snow.
– Kate Bush

It’s not like you ever think you know everything.  It’s just that sometimes it’s hard to go so far back to the beginning that you feel like you don’t know anything!  That’s what it was like this weekend when we decided to give cross country skiing a go.  Every single step I took during those first days of kayaking I am reliving with cross country skis, right down to being pretty sure the sales guy thinks I am much less athletic than I am capable of being.  Oh well, some things never change.  After a day on the trails I’m not sure this is my thing, but when it’s January in Wisconsin you’ve got to do something. -  I wrote a bit more about day one on the skis here.

Don’t be afraid to try again
Everyone goes south
Every now and then
-billy joel

I love kayaking but unless I’m really going somewhere it’s just not exercise. Well it is, but not enough.  So as I start looking ahead to September and focusing on being capable of doing long days again I just have to run. Running reminds me not to dis myself too much when I look in the mirror.  Yeah, I don’t weight 145 lbs but I can run… and when I run I almost feel weightless.

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March 23rd – Hitting the trail in high winds and heavy rain.

Paddling fitness does not mean winning an Iron Man contest.  It’s no secret that one of the reasons for sea kayaking’s popularity is that people can do it well into their graying years.  Still, if you are planning a trip of any duration you must act prudently.  Give yourself enough time to build up to it, train your body, build endurance, have a physical and all the rest. You don’t have to be a Greek god but you do need to be well, fit.  Here are some snaps from the last few days…

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I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail, Poisoned in the bushes an’ blown out on the trail” – dylan

Finally the world has begun to thaw. Yesterday I took a six mile hike up and over the Baraboo Bluffs at Devil’s Lake State Park. For those of you not familiar with the term “Bluff” it’s basically a vertically challenged mountain. Our mini 1100 ft. mountains are made of a very unique purple quartzite and are studied by folks far and near. Hiking up and over them is a bit more challenging however. Especially when the trails are still covered in about 5 inches of water filled melting snow. Today I followed up with another 4 mile hike. I really despise exercise for the sake of exercise so it’s great to be back outside taking in the world around me. But to be honest, “blown out on the trail” feels about right some days. .

So I have been re-familiarizing myself with the BCU Three Star Test, as this is another summer goal. Yikes. Ok. So I can handle the “signs of hypothermia” type questions. My bigger concern is if Welsh is the mandatory language of BCU paddlers? If so, I’ll just work on mastering “Dydw i ddim yn deall” . and leave it at that. So that would go something like, “Have you heard of Rob Roy MacGregor?. . . .” Dydw i ddim yn deall! I’m not sure if you can answer a question about Rob Roy in Welsh but . . . Anything’s better than saying ahh, that’s that film with that guy from Star Wars right?

By the way, you could probably just quote Wordsworth. . .

Heaven gave Rob Roy a dauntless heart,
And wondrous length and strength of era,
Nor craved he more to quell his foes,
Or keep his friends from harm.

Yet was Rob Roy as wise as brave
Forgive me if the phrase he strong
A poet worthy of Rob Roy
Must scorn a timid song.

Bear witness many a pensive sigh
Of thoughtful herdsman when he strays
Alone upon Loch Veol’s heights,
And by Loch Lomond’s braes!

But would your BCU coach actually ask that question? I’m not sure I’ve read the bit about Rob Roy’s sea kayaking adventures. But one never knows! If you are interested in following along with all the fun sample questions Just click on over to Sea Kayak Georgia. Although I’m poking a bit of fun at it now, in actuality I fear BCU testing. My limited exposure has taught me that I must be at my best to certify. So I have a lot of work to do.

In other kayaking news It sounds like I will have a great trip coming up in May. I will talk more about that when it’s confirmed. Until then check out the Kayak Georgia link, learn more about Rob Roy, oh and just for fun. . . Go shopping for a drogue!

- dm

“Now I’ve been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come” – Cat Stevens

Oddly I don’t plan kayaking days, (as disjointed as this post is you can see I don’t plan them either) at least not within a 30 mile radius. It’s just impulsive. In the summer I’m often working on the computer by 6 am or so and by 1pm I have to get away. So I’m either out on a hiking trail or out on the water. I’ve found those spontaneous paddle days are always the best for my head.

When Mary and I first heard Leon Somme comment in an interview that he and Shawna got along better on the water in that there was no bickering about “car keys” and the like, we could relate to that. However, the fact that you have to plan, organize and pack for the trip means there are a lot of “car key” issues coming up before you actually launch. It often takes us an hour or so on the water to get back in touch with our other selves and find that free easy flow again. Some days I think we would be better off to just toss the car keys in the lake and be done with it!

What got me thinking about planning surprisingly was not the summer. Yes, there is much to plan. Over the weekend I received an Instructor Survey from the West Michigan Symposium and I have to think about what I would like to teach. You can tell it’s my first time ’round with this stuff. I never thought before about what I would “like” to teach. That’s a little more democratic than I’m used to. Usually in standard classes you just pack everything into a half day stew. It will be nice to be able to take a little more time on a subject. Time to be sure you are actually teaching and not just “giving overviews”. Hmmmm, what subjects do I want to teach? That will take some doing. But that’s another story, as Owl said to Pooh on a rather blustery day.

We actually planned a kayaking day at Lake Columbia, our only liquid water play spot this time of year. Spending the first day of spring on the water seemed like a good idea. First it was just us, then another couple then another. Great! Then we had a ton of snow, life conspired and soon it was back down to just us. Then again the tables turned and my oldest son decided to come. When we got to the launch there were other kayakers on the water and in the time it took to unload our gear other paddling friends we hadn’t expected joined us as well. So we were back up to a group again. Pretty darn cool!

We paddled about 50% of the horseshoe lake and rolled back into the rocky launch all feeling a bit out of shape as spring tends to always point out. I took a bit of time to roll and play. (Just for fun I added a sloppy roll video from the day to the gallery. See the bottom of the list) In fact this was the first time I had tried a scramble recovery in full drysuit and winter gear. Well, the first time I was right over the back side. Second time I found I could get up easily but sliding back into the cockpit in my normal way was not happening with all the extra gear. I bailed. Third time I moved more more forward than usual and just plopped it. That worked. Now, how would you approach that in an ocean cockpit? Something to try someday. . .

So I want to get a playboat. Mainly for surf & local rivers but who knows where it will go. . . So I think I’m leaning to either liquidlogic “Hoss” or “Gus”. At the moment the Gus is in first place, but who knows what I’ll think a week from now.

So there’s my hackneyed post. Oh heck, spring is coming and I’m just happy to be getting back out on the water in 40+ degree days. Everything else is CAKE!

-dm