Pre-season training sessions for a new OC1/2 paddler
With Chris Maynard
A. First, how many on-water sessions can you fit in a week? Let's look at a 3 day plan to start off (more = bonus).
DAY 1
15mins easy warm up
15mins slowly building intensity
Work on technique focusing on body rotation and length of stroke, keep head and eyes looking straight ahead concentrating on breathing. We must learn to breath properly when paddling! Focusing on this will enhance performance when training & racing.
20mins steady and firm
Now work at an intensity that's comfortable for you and try to feel the canoe run on the recovery stroke ( when the paddle has left the water). Focus on leg drive pushing with your heel on the power phase of the stroke (pulling, levering the paddle through the water.)
10 mins easy warm down
Think about how good you were today and what you could work on for the next session.
DAY 2 - TIME TRIAL
10min easy warm up
Select a course or distance of around 6 to 8km (or 30 or 40mins) in length.
Now paddle this course at your own RACE PACE
10 mins easy warm down
The object of this time trial is to:
prepare you for racing
improve your cardiovascular fitness.
record your time from start to finish.
Each week you have a goal of trying to better that time. Of course sometimes that may not be achievable due to weather and tidal conditions, but we want to see some measured improvement throughout the season.
REMEMBER to think of the little things during your time trial: breathing, using your legs, etc.
Also if you have other paddlers to train with, you can start at different intervals trying to catch the paddler in front or better still extending your distance on the paddler behind.
ALWAYS record in a diary:
your time
low or high tide
outgoing or incoming tide
wind direction
This will help justify time differences and compare your better times.
With the distance you can of course decrease and repeat the same course twice in one session, or if you like, increase the distance to 10 to 12km (50mins to 1hr )
DAY 3 (Changing intensity)
10 mins easy warm up
4 huts on 8 huts off for 10mins
4 huts on 6 huts off for 10mins
5 mins easy
4 huts on 4 huts off for 10mins
6 huts on 12 huts off twice
10 mins easy warm down.
The object of this type of training is to slowly develop some change of speed throughout the duration of the session, teaching your body to react or change pace; therefore improve your racing skills during competition;
eg getting a good start, chasing someone in front, keeping in front of your competition, going with someone who has paddled up next to you.