Getting back into kayaking
Discussion
Tonight is week 2 of my stage 2 course.
Last night I went along to the 'roll clinic' for some additional paddling time and start the process of learning how to roll.
Well, what an eye opener for me that was. I pride myself on having a great sense of spatial awareness and a logical brain. Well the former deserted me and the latter turned to mush during the session.
I was fine during the early exercises. You use a buddy's kayak to hold on to and lower yourself down until under the water, the a flick of the hips and up you come. I'm paraphrasing of course.
the next step is to go inverted, holding the paddle in the required position while the instructor then aligns the paddle and moves it through the range of motion to provide the leverage to right oneself. If you follow me.
Nope. My head was making me cling on to the paddle and almost fight the instructor as he tried to move it. There was a sense of panic there as well while trying to stop water going up my nose.
I took a break and bobbed about a bit and chatted to the other guys who seemed to have little difficulty. What I didn't want to do was make it something that I was getting a mental block over. Anyway, I concluded that the problem is that I have spent almost no time upside down. The stage 1 course, in fact all the courses focus entirely on self rescu e and that's why there is the separate clinic.
I spent some further time with the coach talking this through and concluded the session with me simple turning turtle and relaxing into the position before a couple of taps on the boat and he spun me upright. That seemed a logical step to me and I was much more comfortable doing that.
I'm going to do the roll clinic again in 2 weeks and will have a nose clip. Its not put me off. Not made me scared of the water at all. I'm enjoying it too much. It's interesting though that at 56 one comes across something difficult and challenging when you think life is a bit of a breeze really.
Got to pick up the pace a little, its less than 4 years to Tokyo! I'll be a sure fire medalist in the chubby middle aged chap floating upside down class by then!
Last night I went along to the 'roll clinic' for some additional paddling time and start the process of learning how to roll.
Well, what an eye opener for me that was. I pride myself on having a great sense of spatial awareness and a logical brain. Well the former deserted me and the latter turned to mush during the session.
I was fine during the early exercises. You use a buddy's kayak to hold on to and lower yourself down until under the water, the a flick of the hips and up you come. I'm paraphrasing of course.
the next step is to go inverted, holding the paddle in the required position while the instructor then aligns the paddle and moves it through the range of motion to provide the leverage to right oneself. If you follow me.
Nope. My head was making me cling on to the paddle and almost fight the instructor as he tried to move it. There was a sense of panic there as well while trying to stop water going up my nose.
I took a break and bobbed about a bit and chatted to the other guys who seemed to have little difficulty. What I didn't want to do was make it something that I was getting a mental block over. Anyway, I concluded that the problem is that I have spent almost no time upside down. The stage 1 course, in fact all the courses focus entirely on self rescu e and that's why there is the separate clinic.
I spent some further time with the coach talking this through and concluded the session with me simple turning turtle and relaxing into the position before a couple of taps on the boat and he spun me upright. That seemed a logical step to me and I was much more comfortable doing that.
I'm going to do the roll clinic again in 2 weeks and will have a nose clip. Its not put me off. Not made me scared of the water at all. I'm enjoying it too much. It's interesting though that at 56 one comes across something difficult and challenging when you think life is a bit of a breeze really.
Got to pick up the pace a little, its less than 4 years to Tokyo! I'll be a sure fire medalist in the chubby middle aged chap floating upside down class by then!
First thing we teach beginners is to capsize, then stay perfectly still for a count of 10 before doing anything. You need to be able to do this comfortably before trying to learn anything further or you'll just panic when you hit the water. I usually tell my beginners who have just been taught to roll in the pool that I'll give them a tenner if they manage to roll first time they fall in in a cold river. No matter how well they've learnt in the pool, the panic always sets in first time they hit the cold water and I've never paid out the tenner in 30 odd years.
ps, good luck for Tokyo
ps, good luck for Tokyo
Well, I have passed my stage 2 course and started stage 3 last Thursday. The last 2 sessions of st 2 are spent in the outfall of the legacy course at Lee Valley. That's a big eye opener for someone like me, and some others on the course, with relatively little paddle time overall.
What a thrill!
Stage 3 week 1 was an assessment as we have a new coach forthe this. Only 4 of us on it and 2 were more experienced. Not a problem and my chum and I will work on more outfall time while the other 2 go up the course a little.
This week roll clinic on Wednesday and course on Thursday.
Loving it but starting to think Tokyo might be a long shot.
What a thrill!
Stage 3 week 1 was an assessment as we have a new coach forthe this. Only 4 of us on it and 2 were more experienced. Not a problem and my chum and I will work on more outfall time while the other 2 go up the course a little.
This week roll clinic on Wednesday and course on Thursday.
Loving it but starting to think Tokyo might be a long shot.
I was racing in the Scottish slalom champs last weekend, I finished 11th, well technically 10th as I'm discounting the guy from New Zeland because he doesn't count towards the Scottish champs results!
I also think Tokyo is some way off, one of the lads who won the race (current ranked nr 1 in Britain and in GB team) managed to beat me by 20seconds...... I felt good doing the race in 85 and he managed a 65! ridiculously quick.
I also think Tokyo is some way off, one of the lads who won the race (current ranked nr 1 in Britain and in GB team) managed to beat me by 20seconds...... I felt good doing the race in 85 and he managed a 65! ridiculously quick.
Bumping this thread as the season for me starts again this week.
I am doing the stage 3 at Lea Valley again having completed it first time round without feeling confident in what I was doing.
I have invested in my first kayak, a Pyranah Burn 3 and its first time afloat will be Wednesday at rolling clinic and then Thursday evening for my course.
To get in the mood I had a go at hydrospeeding on the legacy course at Lea Valley. Real good fun, water not too cold but totally exhausting!
Now, I am excited.
I am doing the stage 3 at Lea Valley again having completed it first time round without feeling confident in what I was doing.
I have invested in my first kayak, a Pyranah Burn 3 and its first time afloat will be Wednesday at rolling clinic and then Thursday evening for my course.
To get in the mood I had a go at hydrospeeding on the legacy course at Lea Valley. Real good fun, water not too cold but totally exhausting!
Now, I am excited.
Went on lee valley in December. Passed both the legacy and Olympic tests in succession and spent an hour on each course. Great, great course and Olympic is a really fun place to practice. Powerful and unforgiving but great, clean lines. Closest I've been to alpine style ww in the uk. It was also nice that it is chlorinated. Chilly in December though.
Going kayaking tomorrow on the dranse as a warm up to get back into it. There has been zero water or snow here so not been kayaking since lee valley. The dranse is running at a steady 21m3 so should be fun on the upper bit. Low water though.
Have a trip planned for Ticino and Val sesia in may but will see what the levels end up looking like as the snow this year has been terrible so may have to change tack and go for an early French alps session. We will see!
Enjoy your stage three.
Going kayaking tomorrow on the dranse as a warm up to get back into it. There has been zero water or snow here so not been kayaking since lee valley. The dranse is running at a steady 21m3 so should be fun on the upper bit. Low water though.
Have a trip planned for Ticino and Val sesia in may but will see what the levels end up looking like as the snow this year has been terrible so may have to change tack and go for an early French alps session. We will see!
Enjoy your stage three.
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