[Paddlewise] Hill Country Canoeist 6-10-98

Maybe some on the Paddlewise list will find this interesting (Thanks to
West)::
	John


>Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 07:05:00 +0000
>From: West Hansen <west_at_smithsys.net>
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.01 (Win95; U)
>To: SMDRnews_at_CENTURYinter.net
>Cc: canoetx <canoetx_at_world.std.com>
>Subject: Hill Country Canoeist 6-10-98
>Sender: canoetx-approval_at_world.std.com
>Reply-To: West Hansen <west_at_smithsys.net>
>
>HILL COUNTRY CANOEIST
>By West Hansen
>
>   The Texas Water Safari, set for this Saturday, is world renowned not 
>just for being the world's toughest boat race, but for the unique rule 
>that disallows assistance in any form, except water, during the race. 
>This means that all gear and food must be carried in the boat from the 
>starting gun to the finish tape. Since racers must paddle and carry 
>these often heavy boats, the idea is to pack as little weight as 
>possible. So, the trick it to get as many calories as possible with the 
>least amount of weight. This leads to some pretty interesting 
>concoctions.
>   Real food tends to be bulky and spreads calories, vitamins, 
>carbohydrates, electrolytes and protein over a wide area. You have to 
>eat a lot of sandwiches to equal the amount of calories that will be 
>burned hour after hour during non-stop paddling. But mere calories 
>aren't the answer; otherwise racers could just pack in all their 
>favorite candy bars and go to town. For the long haul, Safari racers 
>will need everything included in a normal diet multiplied times ten. 
>When reading the governmental Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) on the 
>side of food packages, bear in mind that these amounts are what is 
>recommended for a sedentary lifestyle, not that of an ultramarathon 
>racer. In fact, most information regarding RDA for ultra distance 
>athletes can only be found in tests conducted by the actual 
>manufacturers of the food that is recommended. Despite the claim of 
>double blind testing, it 's tough not to be skeptical about test bias.
>   Ultimately, word of mouth between canoe racers and trial and error is 
>the determining factor for the specific energy food. Several paddlers 
>concoct their own magic potions for success. It's quite simple to 
>purchase concentrated amounts of carbohydrates, vitamins, electrolytes 
>and protein and mix it all together, but the real problem is swallowing 
>and digesting the nasty mess throughout the race.
>   Over the past few years of trial and error during my Safari attempts, 
>I have mixed together ingredients that could power a Saturn V rocket and 
>should have been buried in a toxic landfill. After a week of 
>experimentation, I would show up for weekend practice with my partners 
>and announce my latest mixture designed to end all need for calories and 
>small spaces. Somehow, I had managed to cram over 5000 calories in a 
>small plastic quart bottle. All I had to do now is take a gulp from the 
>bottle every few minutes to have enough energy for a hundred miles or 
>so. It even had a cool banana taste… sort of. 
>   After an hour of paddling came the moment of truth. I announced my 
>intentions and warned my partners to buckle their seat belts because we 
>were going to take off. I uncapped the semi-liquid gruel and should have 
>taken notice of the smoke cloud that popped out and the falling buzzards 
>above the lid, but I was determined. You'd think a quick glance at the 
>yellow-orange sludge would've deterred the sip, but I was convinced this 
>was just the thing for a winning race. I tilted my head back and took 
>four deep gulps, then quickly recapped the bottle before anymore river 
>foliage was permanently damaged. The "milk mustache" above my lip 
>removed what razor stubble remained, but I felt pretty good. I 
>calculated that I was able to ingest a little over one thousand calories 
>in a few seconds. Ha!  That should scare our competition!
>   Predictably, as with many seemingly good plans, the idea was 
>rejected. Not by my partners, but five minutes later by my stomach. I 
>guess it had just too much of a good thing. This led to a more 
>conservative diet with smatterings of actual food in my waterproof 
>packaging for the Safari. I don't do as much experimenting these days, 
>but occasionally get a new idea.
>   Hmmm, I wonder if I could make a sandwich out of two energy bars and 
>some energy gel…
>

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/
***************************************************************************