June 15 - ARC 9 Miler
June 8 - Onondaga Lake Park
May 19 - 'Round the Mountain
April 29 - Run of the Charles
April 4th-18th - Cross Training and Big Rocks
    March 31st - The Icebreaker Rebuttal and Retort
March 24th - The Icebreaker
March 8 - Allegro Resort Kayak Race
March - Spring Training
February - Early Paddling
January - The Offseason
 

June 15 - ARC 9 Miler
 

Determined not to make the same mistakes as my last trip to the Adirondacks, I took extra care to put a twenty in the truck the night before. This day was to be totally different. For one, I had a difficult time sleeping, so I got up at 3:45 AM - before the alarm even went off. I had plenty of time for oatmeal and coffee, and a chance to pack for all possible conditions. It was supposed to be 45 degrees and rain, but you can never be sure. And as I left Skaneateles that morning, I could tell I've lived in the North Country and CNY for while; it was the middle of June, and I still had my winter blades on the truck.

I got to the race in plenty of time, which is really good, because as it turns out, I didn't know where the race started. Or should I say I thought I knew where the race started, but I was mistaken. It was easy to find - just follow the car with a racing canoe.

It was a little cold, and raining pretty good by the time the race started. Again, I got a really good start and found myself the lead kayak, trailing only a couple of C-2s.

Somewhere around mile three, I settled into a rhythm - and not a good one. The faster boats that started behind me were beginning to pass. Normally, I would try and jump on wake and draft, but it just wasn't happening. I wasn't tired or sore, I just wasn't paddling hard. The marathon kayaks passed and offered me some encouragement, and that seemed to give me a much needed lift. For a short time, it was like being back in a C-2. I watched and matched their stroke rates for quite a while, until the bends in the river made it impossible.

It had to be around mile six or seven that my general malaise finally got to me. I can accept being passed by faster boats, or better paddlers, but I was now getting passed by a couple of C-2s that were in my heat and should not beat me. I watched as they worked with each other, side waking and drafting. Enough was enough. I jumped on for a ride. The pace required to draft was so slow I nearly went insane - really. After about five minutes, we came to a big bend in the river. I moved up to the side wake and put the hammer down. There was not much race left and I had way too much left in my tank. I left those C-2s behind, and started moving up and passing a couple of other boats.

The last half mile or so is where the river enters the lake. While we were in the river, the wind was not really noticeable except for a couple of places where it was a vicious side wind. Once we got out into the open water, it was a real struggle. I hate any kind of corrective stroke to begin with - period. Sorry, that's just the way I am - no need to rudder or j stroke; you can keep your draw and pry too. Yes, on a buoy turn I'll concede to a post, but that's about it. Anyway ... in that wind, there was nothing else I could do, but take about six stroke one one side to get the boat turned. Even with the water warmer than the air, I was very reluctant to put the kayak up on edge to cut the turn. Bad things happen when you do things like that in whipping wind.

Everyone struggled with the turn, and going into the wind for the finish created a little bunching of boats. I was able to tuck in behind a couple staying in their draft and out of the bulk of the wind. I jumped from one wake to another passing one more C-2 a few feet from the line.

I won the rec kayak class and had a good time, but that middle third of the race definitely cost me some time. I might have to go back to my old training technique - headphones and loud songs with an edge.
 

 
June 8 - Onondaga Lake Park

I don't know what to say about this one. I got back from an eight day business trip the afternoon before, hadn't paddled since late May, but what the heck, the race was only 20 minutes away.

This was a first for me - A Kayak Only Race !!! I can't remember if there were age groups for this one, but I like the kayak length classes - Under 14', 14-16' and over 16'. This meant I could race the MI-415 in the short class or the Voyager 445 in the midsize. Since I have only been in a 415 once since the Ice Breaker, I went with the 445.

Once again, I was unsure or the starting location, and while I could have sworn I read it was a 5 mile race, it turned out to be 2.38 miles (someone had a GPS).

There were a fair amount of kayaks, and the organizers did a good job for their first race, although it would have been easier if there were two heats. I had a good start again and was in third the whole race (two 16' + kayaks were ahead of me). Aside from a couple of fun loving boaters, it was a fast and uneventful race.

Who knows, this could be the start of that long desired Finger Lakes Series of races.
 
 

 
May 19 - 'Round the Mountain
 

It's a bit unusual, but I think this is one of the few Adirondack races that I had never done. And the way the morning started out, paddling in this race was also in question. Snow was in the forecast, but that's not uncommon for the Adirondacks, even in May.

The first problem I faced was waking up. Having missed all of the New England downriver races to this point, I was not accustomed to rising at 4:00 AM. And after a number of hits to the snooze bar, I was running 30 minutes late. I let the house in a hurry - coffee and gear in hand, boat tied to the roof. About 20 minutes into the ride, I realized that I had left the house without my wallet or money. Now, if I had gotten up on time I probably wouldn't have forgotten them, but even so I would have had time to turn back. Unfortunately, I didn't have a spare 40 minutes, so I drove on to the race. Hey, I know plenty of people that will show up for the race, and someone will be able to float me a loan. As I drove along 81 North, and exited in Watertown, it became clear to me I was at the point of no return. With no money, I would be unable to get gas for the return trip. Now I needed registration money and gas money - great.

I arrived 30 minutes after registration had begun and 30 minutes before the race was to start. I recognized only two racers and I wasn't really sure if they knew me well enough to spot me the cash. So I waited for others to arrive. Five minutes went by - no one came. Another five and still no one. Another five, and the anxiety was at a fever pitch. With few viable options, I decided to go to the top. I talked to the race director (Brian McDonnell) and explained the first part of the dilemma - no registration money (I was still pretty sure that people I knew well would show, so the gas money wasn't too important). Brian had Grace make a little notation on my form, and I was all set. I don't know how many time I thanked/appologized. This is not the kind of thing that happens to a veteran racer. I was pretty embarrassed.

The pre-race meeting was held as the snow began to fall ever so slowly. Flurries really, but it was just one more thing that makes you wonder "Why do I do this ?"  Rec kayaks were called out in the first wave - something I'm not used to. I'm not sure if it's better for the adrenaline or worse, but at that point, there is no running up to the bathroom.

Again I tried to focus on form, and got off to a good smooth start. There was only one kayak ahead of me after the first 100 yards or so (and he was in the over 50 class). I was feeling good, I had the right gear for the weather, paddling jacket and gloves. I kept my eye on the kayak ahead of me, but it was clear that I would not finish first on this day. After a mile or so, a pair of C-2s came up on my right with a kayaker tucked neatly away in the draft. Suddenly, I was in third, and not happy. I hadn't really been paying attention and should have jumped on someone's draft earlier. I struggled to push up to a different C-2 and began drafting.

As the field began to spread out, the C-2 that the second place kayak had been drafting fell off the other C-2, so we were separated only by a few boat lengths. There was plenty of wind on the water, so the lines that the canoes took was critical. I was very happy with the C-2 I was drafting. They had a good line, a good stroke rate, and would occasionally give short bursts that closed the gap with the others. It's possible the short bursts were also supposed to shake me, but I fought hard to stay with them and drafted them either straight back, or on the leeward side just ahead of the their stern.

The wind seemed to die down somewhat as we headed for what I can only describe as a hard left turn around some sizable rocks. The pack seemed to bunch up also. We were now four or five C-2s and two kayaks. As we approached the turn, I was very happy about our line. We were inside, "they" were outside, and the other C-2s were jammed up in the middle. It was the chance I was looking for to make a break. I pushed hard up on the inside, making sure I had good position. The C-2 that I had been drafting seemed momentarily stunned, but managed inside position on the other C-2s. And as we entered the turn, I could see that the other kayak was being pushed further outside by the wakes of the C-2s and myself. I passed all the C-2 on the turn and put on a small burst to keep them off. I'm not sure what happened, but it was quite a while before one of them caught me.

I was the second kayak to finish, but I knew the winner was not in my class, so I was looking forward to the first place bandana. Unfortunately, there were not enough kayakers to break the category by age, so second it was.

Brian seemed pretty pleased with his investment, and also gave me gas money to get home.
 
 

 
April 29 - Run of the Charles
 

There's some nice background / bio type stuff in last years description, if you're interested.

Where should I begin with this one ? I know, lets look at what we did wrong last year and see if we improved at all.

Notes from last year included:

1. Races can be won or lost on a portage just as easily as they can on the water.
2. A few pounds of water sloshing around in the bottom of the boat adds more time than pulling on the skirt.
3. First time racing with a Camelback (first time paddling with one - way too much water) !!

OK, cross training covered the first one adequately enough. No, there was no running/jogging with the kayak, but let's call it a brisk walk.

As for number two, I admit I did not fully deploy the skirt after all portages, but I did pull the front of the skirt over the front of the cockpit. I don't have any trouble with the neoprene skirt on the 415, but when it's cold, I can struggle with it on the 445. I did not take on much water from the little section of fast moving water, or from the constant rain. I would guess what little water there was in the boat got there during the exits and entries on the portages.

And regarding number three,  I got my own Camelback this year, used it every time I paddled, and got a smaller one than I borrowed last year (50oz vs. 70oz). Don't ask me why, but for some unknown reason, I filled it. On a warm sunny day, that would have been fine, but  for the three times that I did drink from it, I certainly could have gotten by with 16 to 20oz.

I actually considered posting a sort of pre-race prediction (last year vs. this year) based on a few things like number of races, amount of time on the water, general conditioning, weight, paddle, etc. As I began to review these factors, I became painfully aware that aside from the cross training for the carries, I was not quite as well off in most of the categories. And truthfully, my only other advantages for this season are that I have a nice new light Bending Branches paddle, and my form is marginally better. By this time last year, I had done more races, spent more time on the water, had paddled more than 9 miles on one occasion, and as it turns out, I was actually four pounds lighter this time last year. The only other possible advantage I could conceive of was the weather. Last year it was warm and sunny and early in the week they were saying mid 60s with a 30% chance of showers - that's not bad racing weather.

As days passed, and the weekend approached, the forecast for Sunday began featuring lower highs, and higher percentages of rain. By Wednesday, it was upper 50s and 50%, by Thursday, it was mid 50s and 60%, Friday it was lower 50s and 70%, and by Saturday is was upper 40s and 90%. It may have been in the upper 40s somewhere, but not along the Charles between Newton and Brighton. No, Sunday was cold, rainy, and windy. And again, like so many others,  I asked myself "Why do I do this ?"

As it turns out, I made a number of mental mistakes.  The first one was not evident until Sunday morning, when I realized that my paddling gloves were 300 miles away, hanging in the garage warm and dry.

If the weather kept racers away, it wasn't many. I cursed my early pre-registration as my friends drove off in there minivan, destined for home and a warm bed. Anyway...

I really wanted to focus on my form, especially at the start of the race. In the past few weeks, I have had lots of time to reflect about the differences and similarities in good paddling form in a canoe vs. a kayak, and I remember our worst form was always at the start. We would try to dig so hard on every stroke; all the time bring the paddle too far back and causing a somewhat noticeable bounce in the canoe. As the starter signaled, I just kept saying to myself "focus, focus, focus". It worked for a while, and I was pretty happy with my start (I was the fourth or fifth K-1). It wasn't my fastest, but it was certainly my smoothest. Well, right up until a sea kayak bow hit me just fore of my cockpit on the left hand side, leaving no water for my paddle. And as I paddled on the right and leaned to keep a somewhat straight line, I was struck aft of the cockpit on the right hand side, leaving me nearly perpendicular to the river. Just the kind of stuff to break one's focus. I couldn't tell how many K-1s were in front of me after that.

I didn't sprint to the first take out this year. The only boat I would have caught in the sprint (maybe) was the C-1 that had just passed me. (Given the fact that you are supposed to yield to faster paddlers, he was only the second C-1 I had seen pass me, he was already paddling for over two hours at that point, and I didn't really want to hear "on your right" once we got onto the street - I didn't challenge for position.) Don't get me wrong, I had passed plenty of canoes, and there were still lots more to go, just not close enough to catch. I was trying to also watch the take-out area to count the number of kayaks ahead of me. I think there were five, but it was tough to see.

The first carry is the longest by far. I remember being in good spirits and joking with one of the officers on duty last year as I crossed the first street - not knowing what lie ahead. The weather and lack of gloves had damped my spirit and left me without my usual sunny disposition. (Look, it's late and I'm tired. I promise there won't be any more bad puns.) I was also using a different carrying technique this year. Last year, I used what I would consider the "normal" kayak carrying method of having the inside edge of the cockpit resting on the top of my shoulder. This had always worked great in the past, but after last years race, I had massive bruises on my shoulders and hips from the bounces up and down, and in and out. I decided to go with a "modified" C-1 method of carrying, which put the edge of the kayak on my shoulder. I used my opposite hand to reach up and hold the top. I had used this method all pre-season to get a feel for it. Once again, 1/3 of a mile is a long carry, and I found myself passing the kayak from one shoulder to another on several occasions. I did pass a kayak on the first carry, I also was passed by a kayak on the first carry. While not especially thirsty, it was very easy to grab the hose and drink while carrying the kayak, so that was a plus.

I think I passed another kayak while putting in after the first carry. It had to be the judicial use of the partial skirt that got me by. But I did say I think, because I was having an awfully hard time thinking about anything except my cold, raw, permanently curled hands. For the first time in my life, I was actually considering pulling out of a race.

OK, the race was back in April and I wrote the first section the night I returned. I don't really remember much at this point, except that after a fourth place finish (no hardware to show for the effort), it's a long drive back to Skaneateles. I had nearly six hours of driving to beat myself up, and I did. Mostly, I was disappointed with a slower time than last year. When the final results were posted, I noticed that overall, times were slower, so I don't feel as bad - now.
 
 

 
April 4th - 18th - Cross Training and Big Rocks
 

I got back only a few days ago from two weeks in Florida. Sure, I probably could have found a place to rent a kayak and paddled everyday (or almost everyday), but it wasn't a vacation, so I opted for the next best thing - cross training.

With the Run of the Charles coming up at the end of April, and thinking about the disappointment of being passed on the carries last year, I decided to run (and I use the term loosely) everyday while I was away. OK, not on travel days, but all the other days.

I started out slow, just about 2 miles for the first four days, and finished strong (about 2.5 miles/day) for the the rest of the time. There was one day towards the end that I only did 2, but I had spent about an hour and a half on the tennis court the day before. I was tired, and it was humid, so 2 was plenty.

What brought me to Florida was Big Rocks - as in The Parable of the Earth Science Teacher and the Glass Jar.
 
 

March 31st - The Ice Breaker Rebuttal and Retort
 

This could be the start of something bad, but what the heck. I received an email after posting the Icebreaker Chronicle pointing out some interesting things that deserve being addressed. I'll withhold his name for now, but who knows for how long. Anyway ...

It was suggested that:

1. Perhaps the pool side bloody mary's counteracted any gain from the time spent kayaking.
2. My time was not as fast as the winning K-1 Women's time.
3. My time was not as fast as many C-1 times.
 

OK, fair enough.
 

As for the first charge, yeah, I had some bloody mary's at the pool. It was an all inclusive resort, and it was a vacation. Freddy, Ricardo, and you other guys, don't take this the wrong way, but let's be honest, the bulk of the calories were in the tomato juice.

Issue 2. Yeah, so what. It's not the first time a woman has beaten me, and it won't be the last (unless either I stop racing, or they do).

And as for the C-1's, hell, I'd be willing to bet I'm still faster in a C-1 than I am in a K-1.

I only need one excuse for the first race - bad form. I know not to pull the blade past my hip, but something happens to my brain in a race. That's why I need to work on it.
 

March 24th - The Ice Breaker
 

In view of what happened last year, I called Mac's Race Hotline on Friday to confirm the race would go as scheduled despite the forecast for heavy lake effect snow (LES) overnight. Brian assured me it was going to be held.

Friday afternoon, there was a 50 car accident on Route I-81 North (the recommended way of getting from Skaneateles to Saranac Lake), and with the forecast of more LES, I would once again resort to trying to skirt the storm by heading east to Utica and then up through the Adirondacks. The difference this year is that I would take the more westerly route through Old Forge and along the Fulton chain of lakes rather than going up through Speculator.  I got a fairly early start 6:15 and had snow for about 50 of the 200 miles, with relatively little effect on time.

Things were certainly different this year. First, I was using this trip not only to race, but also to deliver an MI-415 to a customer (woo-hoo). Second, I got to have my "usual" race meal of hot cakes thanks to the Old Forge McDonald's. And third, when I got to the stop light near the Town Hall, I could see plenty of other races ready to kick off the season.

Some things about the Icebreaker:
It is one of the best organized races. The registration takes place inside the Town Hall and it is quick and easy. Also, racers have access to bathrooms and plenty of room to change into and out of gear. There are plenty of safety people present, hot coffee and chicken broth are available at the finish line (thanks to the Blue Moon Cafe), and the Waterhole Upstairs hosts the awards ceremony with more soup and bread from the Blue Moon Cafe.

Now on with the show...

I had done the Icebreaker before (maybe even three times), but the last time was at least seven years ago and in a C2. At best this race is one of the most grueling early season races out there, but on a day when the high was supposed to be in the 20s (and I'm not sure it got there), there was snow for the entire race, and wind was whipping around, it was down right cruel.

Who thought up this race course ?  Three miles down stream, buoy turn, and two miles upstream - HELLO - it's March in the North Country.

But seriously, it is a great race and a good test for all abilities. The water moves fairly fast with a couple of short spots of class I / II (depending on flow and who does the scoring).  From talking to people before the race, it seemed clear that most had paddled a few times, but many had not paddled at all this year. The race was well attended, boasting a new record of 77 guideboats, canoes, and kayaks.

I was pleased with my performance taking third out of 10 in the K-1 Recreation / Sea Kayak Men under 50 category with a time of 44:22. Items worthy of note here are 1.) only C-2 Recreation Men had more participants with 11, 2.) Kayaks made up 26 of the 73 boats that finished, 3.) Kayak classes were split into Rec/Sea and Marathon based on a length of 16' 11", and 4.) Since there were three Male racers in the Rec/Sea category over 50, they created a category specifically for them (good thing too, or I wouldn't have placed). See the results.

The new MI-415 with a skilled paddler faired much better.  Robin won the K-1 Recreation / Sea Kayak Women category with a time of 43:54. I'm not sure how many times Robin has paddled this year, but it was the first time in 415 in a long time. Amazing what a good paddler can do with well designed boat isn't it ?!?!

That brings us down to the excuses portion of the post race wrap-up. Last year I started with five excuses (unfortunately, three of them aren't applicable this time and the fourth is shaky), but here's what I'll use.

Tom's Excuses for this Race:

4. Maybe it's time to retire that old MI-415 and unwrap a new one.
3. A Voyager 445 would have been a better choice.
2. My paddle broke during training and I needed to borrow my wife's.
1. Oh yeah, leisurely paddles in Mexico prepared me for the Icebreaker.

Allegro Resort Kayak Race :
 

This is exactly the kind of race I needed to get the season off on the right foot.

It was a small field of about 12-15 paddlers.

To keep things fair, it was a timed event where each paddler would use the same kayak and paddle (no helmet or PFD required). I have no idea what kind of kayak it was. All I know is, it was red, short (7 feet - maybe), and plastic.

The course was straight with a single buoy turn and then back to the starting line. View the Course.

The only rule mentioned at the start was if you flip, you're out.

I think I went eighth. The previous seven paddlers had finished very close, with only about 10 second separating first place and last place. I took the lead by a full 5 seconds. A few paddlers later, someone finished two seconds behind me. The remaining paddlers landed back in the pack.

The prizes were top notch. I received a Carlos and Charlies T-shirt, plastic yard (foot) drinking glass, and a plastic shot glass. Not bad for 27 seconds of work.

What were you expecting ?  A long ocean race ?!?!
 

Spring Training :
 

I had no idea that I would have had so much quality time on the water when the spring training trip (also known as vacation) was planned. Then again, a week in Mexico in mid March could hardly be a bad thing.

There were plenty of available water sports: fishing, diving, snorkeling, wind surfing, sailing, and of course, kayaking. And like most places I've stayed along the ocean, their selection of kayaks was predictable: heavy, slow, plastic sit-on-tops.

I managed to paddle four of the eight days I was there. I also managed to get into a kayak race (Allegro Resort Kayak Race) - pretty exciting !!!
 

 
Early Paddling :
 

Hard to believe it's February in Central New York. With temperatures in the middle forties, I had to paddle. I went for a little over an hour on the 16th, half an hour on the 19th, and 45 minutes on the 21st. I paddled a little bit on the 24th, and have the boat loaded and ready to paddle tomorrow (25th).

Another 45 minutes on the 25th and 26th. I can't wait for the season to start.
 

 
The Offseason :
 

I would love to say I dove right into my old offseason routine, but it didn't happen that way at all. And there is a good reason. I spent a considerable amount of time in my old offseasons building strength (which also added weight). Since I started last season on the north side of 200, I don't think there is a need to add any weight. So, I tried to keep it simple. Lift a few times during the week (3-5 depending), and get some aerobic and non aerobic workouts in 2 or 3 times a week. And while I'm certainly not in the racing shape I was in eight or nine years ago, I am in slightly better shape than last year.

I will need to spend much more time on my form this season.  Years ago, we found that the combination of youth and strength could quite often move a canoe faster than the combination of age and form. Now that I am not as young or strong, form is the area that will trim the most of my racing times, so that will be my focus.