I got a pretty late start on paddling this year. It’s not like when I was racing – I remember one year when somebody asked me when my off season was, and I checked Garmin Connect and told them I hadn’t done any paddling between December 16th and January 6th, so I guess that was it. Between the fact that there were no races to train for, and this spring has been rainy and cold, there just weren’t any opportunities.
Today was my third paddle of the season. Last time, I went for 40 minutes and my physiotherapist Emma suggested I stick on that level of effort for a while. But I couldn’t help it – I paddled down for 20 minutes, knowing it would take a bit longer to come back because I’d had a tail wind. But the way back was very hard – I assumed because of the wind. I ended up taking a few breaks, and my shoulders were quite sore. I went into full “Boyan-mode”, paddling with my elbows down and almost no movement in my shoulders. But I was still completely done when I finished. I had to take another break before I could even lift the boat out of the water.
https://strava.app.link/P66uy62ZLTb
It was only after I got my boat on the roof rack that I noticed the rudder flag. “Hey, I don’t remember putting that on….come to think of it, I don’t remember taking it off…oh, and it’s soaking wet!” Yes, I’d inadvertently given myself some extra drag.
When I was racing, some of the real hard core types would put a rope with a knot or two on it around their boat, or even a couple of tennis balls, just for extra drag and more training effect. Knowing how fragile my shoulders are, there was no way I would participate in this madness. The closest I’d come was to switch to a wider boat, especially when training out on Lake Ontario. A little extra drag, a lot more stability, and I could really put the power down even in waves.