22.01.18 – Shropshire Paddlesports Course for Divs 7,8 & 9.

Still no Phil. Warmed up for about 800 metres with bouts of speed. Then it was start the watch and tracker and head off. The results on a clear and cold day with a head wind for half the time are: Distance – 3 miles Av Speed – 5.2 mph Max speed – 6.6 mph […]

18.01.18 – Interval Session

Paddled alone today – Phil not feeling 100%. Paddled at Queens Head – the session went: Warm up fully – did a whole mile with bouts of 12 strokes at flat-out. Then one minute flat-out followed by three minutes not flat-out paddling. Repeat point 2 fifteen times. Cool down. Achieved peak speed (7.1mph) on last […]

11.01.18 – Bouyancy Aids – don’t you just love them.

7am and its all very quiet and dark on the canal – the water is as black as tar and about as inviting as swimming in shark infested waters with an open wound! Today its 12 miles on the canal – at 70% of maximum effort. I am trying to sort out kit and make […]

09.01.18 – Frozen water = Portage = Cut legs

The new session which was a distance of just 5 miles after a warm up and was to encourage us to keep constantly paddling for longer. Simply from the tunnel to first bridge, Phil leads and I wash hang. At that bridge I take the lead and Phil wash hangs. There are just 4 bridges […]

09.01.18 – Training for Crofton

The whole day went to pot yesterday – the best laid plans – etc. The outcome was no paddle last night – rare to be in such a position esp when paddling with another person. The phone call calling off came to late to make alternative arrangements. So rather than being negative and letting missing […]

04.01.18 – Wind in the Willows (or at least Wind Across the Canal)

Morning paddle starting from the moorings alongside Tesco in Ellesmere.  The aim of the session was to cover a given distance (9 miles) at a speed that allows us to talk in sentences.  That was the plan.  The first quarter-mile and everything went to plan – then the wind got up – when I say got […]

If Only ………

   

02.01.18 – Footwear in Sports Direct?

The wife (and Chief Supporter) is running a 10K race in March for charity and wanted to look for a running top in the sales.  So to Sports Direct we go.  By luck she says to me, you stay downstairs and have a look at the footwear to see if you can find anything suitable […]

31.12.17 – Kit Test!

Ellesmere for a 5 mile paddle through the tunnel and out beyond which ever mere it is.  Fed up with my Stomp boots – I can wear them out quicker than I can drink a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka.   After a couple of session I might as well paddle bare foot!  So I resorted […]

28.12.17 – the difference the location makes

Those of us that live up north do not have the luxury of training on the DW course unless we include a great deal of commuting before and after each session. At the moment we have restricted ourselves to canal work on the Montgomery Canal (MC) or the Shropshire Union(SU).  The difference in water properties is immense.  […]