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From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Re: A new way to teach the forward stroke?
Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 18:03:28 +1000
Niels wrote.
>All paddlers I've seen drop both hands.

And

>If I believe tests and wide-eyed teachers, I have a knack for
>finding the easy ways - which is why I (without even thinking) throw out
>the timing of your stroke and immediately jump to the wattage.

G'day again,

Dropping both hands! Come to Sydney Harbour and I'll buy you a beer and then
we can go and look at some of our surf ski racers! You can spot them a
kilometre away as they have the most stylish stroke in which the hand
doesn't drop during the power phase of the stroke. Whether its efficient or
ergonomic who knows, but it looks great. Likewise our instructors shout at
me if I drop my hand during the power phase, when they ask me to demo the
stroke to newcomers. The other times I'm really careful is if I'm sprinting
or if I'm dog tired on a long trip. But no one's perfect and I'm quite sure
that when I'm slack I drop my hand. For the sake of evaluating the effect of
your ideas in my stroke I thought it best to stick with the best stroke that
works for me.

Impulse Power! Have I spent too much of my life watching Star Trek or
helping to design defibrillators and pacemakers:~) I understand what you
mean but would also say that the two approaches each have their own virtues.
Jumping straight to the average is simple and direct. Breaking down the
different phases of power expenditure contributes to a more detailed
understanding. They should both give the same result. 

I came back to work today and was immediately swamped in tenders, reviews
and giving evening lectures so won't be able to collate the key data from my
posts or look up those other values you wanted in Cycling Science until the
weekend. Talk about Hard Reality it's like stepping into a different world
getting on to the water - but which world is more real! I promise to do it
next weekend though.

All the best, PeterO
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From: Niels Blaauw <niels_at_nibla.nl>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Re: A new way to teach the forward stroke?
Date: Mon, 02 May 2011 16:46:03 +0200
PeterO wrote:

> Dropping both hands! Come to Sydney Harbour and I'll buy you a beer and then
> we can go and look at some of our surf ski racers!

I'd love to! Your view sounds much better than my local canal with the 
bathtub-rental.

> You can spot them a
> kilometre away as they have the most stylish stroke in which the hand
> doesn't drop during the power phase of the stroke. Whether its efficient or
> ergonomic who knows, but it looks great.

I bet they do look great - but perhaps we shouldn't get our 
long-distance-stroke from testosteron-poisened wave-gods.

> Likewise our instructors shout at
> me if I drop my hand during the power phase, when they ask me to demo the
> stroke to newcomers.

Do they have any justification for that advice?

> The other times I'm really careful is if I'm sprinting
> or if I'm dog tired on a long trip. But no one's perfect and I'm quite sure
> that when I'm slack I drop my hand. For the sake of evaluating the effect of
> your ideas in my stroke I thought it best to stick with the best stroke that
> works for me.

I started thinking about efficiency when I found out that there's places 
along the Corsican coast that I can not reach on a one-day-trip. I spent 
years perfecting my stroke (and designing my paddle-carrier) to be able 
to visit those places without the risks that accompany multi-day trips: 
Bad weather getting me stuck for several days on a remote beach without 
water; running out of beer; getting my lighter wet and having to stop 
smoking for days; getting arrested for illegal camping.

Last year, I _did_ manage to visite those remote places - and was quite 
disappointed. The most beautiful places turn out to be easy to reach.

> Impulse Power! Have I spent too much of my life watching Star Trek

If you're talking the Originals and The Next Generation, there's no such 
thing as "too much Star Trek". Their idea of impulse power is nonsense, 
though.

> I promise to do it next weekend though.

Take your time. I value your input, whenever you have time to spare.

Take it easy,

Niels
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From: Niels Blaauw <niels_at_nibla.nl>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Re: A new way to teach the forward stroke?
Date: Mon, 02 May 2011 19:58:15 +0200
PeterO wrote:
> I understand what you
> mean but would also say that the two approaches each have their own virtues.
> Jumping straight to the average is simple and direct. Breaking down the
> different phases of power expenditure contributes to a more detailed
> understanding.

There are right and wrong times to remove data from equations. I just 
remembered a lecture about some light-therapy that went like this:

"If you crush all the mass in the universe together, you end up with 
something the size of a football. So, there really is _very_ little mass 
in the universe. All that's left, when you've taken out that little 
mass, is light - and that's where our light-therapy comes in."

Please warn me when I start reasoning like that. I'll have to sober up - 
a bit.

Niels
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