Distance cruiser that I am, rarely ever gets me out of base training, and I really don't like it much when it hurts. Hmmm, maybe this year I should just try and work a little bit harder.Hey Brian, Scout looks like a real winner, he'll be a great paddling partner, and new family member.
5 comments:
I see you have a foot warmer in your previous post!! Nice pup!!
Interval training tomorrow... no slacking off!! :-)
I just finished reading 'River Horse' by William Least Heat-Moon. It's about a boat trip across America and has some very interesting sections about going up the Missouri from beginning almost to its source. What a river!
Thanks Michael, that sounds like a read for me.
Hi Sandy:
As I've been planning and "training" for the MR340, I've come to the conclusion that, for me, physical training may not be the most important factor. Sleep depreviation and loss of apetite may be larger issues than fitness. As I've read the race diaries and spoken with several of last year's competitors, it's led me to think more about the mental and emotional training than anything else. With your background, you won't have any trouble with the Muddy Mo., and will do better than most of those who busted a gut in fitness training. For me, if I can maintain a good stroke technique and find a pod of paddlers maintaining a similar pace, I'll make it the 340 miles in plenty of time.
What's been your experience in the long races about the mental and emotional aspects, especially with sleep deprivation?
Dan
Flatwater lover
- I find having an MP3 player with good music helps me a lot in staying awake, and I try to get 4 good hrs sleep most nights (your so physically spent that you sleep hard).
- Plan all your food, body maintenance chores, clothing changes etc... to be as simple as possible, no thinking required.
- I try to make many of my distance training paddles solo and at night.
- I also tried to force myself to paddle locations that are not completely familiar to get out of the comfort of the familiar. Sometimes all you have to do is change the direction or paddle the opposite side if you do lake paddling for training.
- I also did a number of distance training paddles at night that had me camping late at night so the routine was very familiar (if you have shore support this might not be so important).
- I took lots of calories in as liquid, as solids don't do me well over time. I drank a can of ensure at breakfast and endurox before bed, and had 2 large nalgenes per day of accelerade that I sipped on all day long.
- I prepackaged all my food into little snack servings etc to make it easier and distribute it through the day.
- Experiment and practice with food and drink during training paddles.
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