RE: [Paddlewise] training/conditioning

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Khiak Mann [SMTP:khiak_at_mailexcite.com]
	Sent:	Thursday, October 15, 1998 9:51 AM
	To:	paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
	Subject:	[Paddlewise] training/conditioning

	I ask a serious, specific question about paddling and conditioning
and so far I've received two replies, both wise-assed and not helpful. 

	Is this what paddlewise is all about? 


Paddlewise gets way too much "wise-assed" commentary. Fortunately, that's
not what Paddlewise is all about.  Buried in the noise is plenty of valuable
information.  

I didn't write about your conditioning question earlier since I'm not really
not an expert in this area.  I can add a little to the discussion, however.

I have been paddling for just under 2 years and am totally obsessed with the
sport.  I paddle alot -- three to seven times a week.  It has become my
major form of exercise.  I paddle up stream in the Willamette river (a slow
moving River in Western Oregon) and try to get into the ocean or in some
white water once a week.

My approach to conditioning was to go out often and paddle as hard as I
could for an hour or two.  It seemed to work and I saw lots of results.  My
body firmed up and my endurance imporved to the point where I can paddle
circles around most kayakers I know.  It also led to a pretty bad over use
injury.

At last years San Juan Challenge (a 2 day 40 mile race) I blew out the
tendons in my left elbow.  Only now, six months later, am I able to paddle
as agressively as I like but still, after an hour of agressive paddling, I
need to back off to keep the elbow from getting sore.

I've talked to many people about my problem -- including endurance athletes
in running and bicyling.  From these conversations, I'm convinced that my
injury resulted form incorrect training.  Rather than paddling as fast as I
can for an hour or so, I need to paddle slower but for longer periods of
time.  Basically, tendons take a long time to build up strength.  

Its still important to train your body to handle intense effort, but you do
this with interval training.  Here's what I do.  Some of my paddlling I do
with other people.  When I do this, I just maintain a brisk pace for a long
time and enjoy the company.   A couple times a week, however, I do a serious
conditioning workout alone.  For this workout, I paddle for 15 minutes or so
to completely warm up.  Then I do a number of 10 to 15 minute intervals
where I paddle as hard as I can physically paddle.  I focus on technique
since my goal is to train myself to push hard at races.  I then go back to a
slow pace for 5 to 10 minutes to recover.  I then repeat with another
intense interval.  I try and do 4 of these intervals during the workout, but
I sometimes increase the number of intervals to make for a harder workout.

With this technique, I've come back from my injury and am back in racing
form for short distancees.  I use my brisk, steady workouts to increase my
milage and intervals to get ready to race.  I am going to increase the time
spent on my steady workouts until I can safely and regularly paddles at a
brisk and steady pace for three hours (I like 20 miles races which take
about three to three and a half hours).

The big thing, is avoid the tendency to go at 100% steadilly for the whole
workout.  I've talked to marathon runners about training and they are
shocked I didn't more seriously injure myself.

Good luck,

--Tim


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