Category: Board


Another Success – Getting Closer – Starting To Enjoy Myself Again

Filed Under: Board, Race Plan
Nov.05, 2010

This Mornings Coastalwatch Forecast

Woke this morning feeling much better, still coughing up a little bit of residual flem, but thats about it. Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up 100% fit and healthy, it will be so nice getting to that start line completely healthy so I know whatever happens in the race, it is just me giving it my best on the day.

Looking at the swell predictions again, it actually looks pretty similar today to what is expected race day. With this in mind, I headed down to Currumbin at the same “tide time” that I expect to go through on Sunday. The idea with this was twofold.

First, given the events of the week, I wanted to spend a bit of time watching what the water was doing, and then practising my water entry at this transition. Once I get past this break, I am 100% confident I will get through the race.  Second, I wanted a confidence booster. I wanted to see and feel the process of going through this break in similar conditions to Sunday, knowing I will be healthier then anyway.

The good news is that the session was great. I found the rip, pulled through out the back no problems. I did it twice then headed down the beach for some popping and rolling practise – I wasn’t getting any where I was, to be honest, it was too easy. So I got my visualisation material, I got my confidence boost and I got some good practise also down the beach, where conditions were a bit more critical.

So assuming the conditions do not deteriorate dramatically between now and Sunday (which they shouldn’t – all predictions correct) I am going to have a good race.

Coming back, with this confidence booster along with the fact that now that the anti-biotics have by and large left my system, my frame of mind is 150% better too. I am actually looking forward to the race again and for the first time since the lead in really started, I am enjoying the build up.

I’m relaxed and happy :)

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Rescue Board Paddling – Learning To Pop!

Filed Under: Board
Oct.10, 2010

Now I am getting stuck into board paddling with a vengeance, I am re-learning all the skills I sort of knew, but never really mastered.

Popping is a surf skill I spent an hour on today – just trying to master the timing. The point with this is getting out the back, past the breakers, on days when the waves are getting sizey. Getting this right could be absolutely crucial on the day. Considering I have hardly done any board training, apart from the last few weeks, and I get to the board leg after swimming 3.5 kms, if there is any size to the swell it could be challenging getting out the back and on course to Burleigh. Getting the popping technique down pat is going to be a big part of it. The idea being if I can pop consistently, then I can hold position in the water while a set runs past, after which I can zip out the back before the next set arrives.

Thats the theory anyway :)

I’ll also need to work on rolling at some stage for the bigger waves. At the moment I’m rolling off ok, I am too slow getting back on the board though. Time!

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The Battle On The Rescue Board Begins

Filed Under: Board
Oct.02, 2010

Well, due to the way board paddling and surfing tends to wreak havoc on my neck, causing continual stiffness and the occasional melt-down which stops me training for months at a time, I really have not done a whole lot of board training up to this point. Looking at my times though at our Coolangatta Gold course weekend training session a few weeks back and given I am getting 2 chiropractic adjustments a week, it is time to really get stuck into it.

The last few board sessions have illustrated clearly to me that I have conditioning work to do as well as skills to acquire. The gaps in my craftsmanship are:

  • Conditioning – I tend to have 2 – 3 seconds break every 10 – 20 strokes. Stuart showed me the other day that each of these breaks costs me 1 – 2 board lengths. There is 5 – 10 minutes saved by cutting them out.
  • Knee paddling – this is where the speed is. I still am quite uncoordinated on my knees, continually falling off. Getting balance and confidence here will help pick up speed over the 5.5km course and get me through the break.
  • Popping over white water – I need to improve my timing here, to ensure I can get past the break.
  • Stroke power – I need to work my stroke in the water, ensuring I am moving the board, not just going through the motions. I tend to get to a comfortable pace then stop paddling hard and just “tread water”

4 – 5 sessions a week. Here we come!

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Half The Coolangatta Gold For Training

Filed Under: Board, Run, Swim, Training
Sep.11, 2010

Today we did half the Gold as a training run. The weather was great, there was a slight sweep going from south to north and the swell was only half a metre or so. Perfect conditions, gees I hope it is like this on the day.

  • We started at Nth Coolangatta and did the 3.5km swim. I completed this in 1 hour 11.
  • Next, the 4km run from Bilinga to Currumbin, complete in 15:51. Excellent
  • Followed by the 5.5km board paddle to Burleigh – 1 hour 15… disastrous, but not unexpected, I have done no training on the board (the other guys in the group came in around 45 minutes)
  • Finishing with the long run, which was untimed. I cruised about 6kms and then pulled up with some shin soreness. Not too concerned with that, I know I have the run covered following July’s half marathon.

All in all, this left me feeling quite positive, especially following last Thursdays issues. All my times on the day (assuming a reasonable surf ski leg) would ha got me through the cutoff times, as compared with last year’s event, which was run in similar conditions. The only real concern I can see is the swim time which was done fresh (on the day I’ll have already been on the ski for 2 hours). But this is negated by the board, I know I can get some good time back there with some intensive training. I can hardly balance on my knees at the moment ha ha.

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New Paddle Board and Paddle Board Training Route

Filed Under: Board
Apr.18, 2010

My Paddle Board

On Saturday I finally scrounged enough money to buy my paddle board. I got it second hand from one of the guys at the club, it cost me $350. I have since then learned two things. Firstly, balancing on your knees is not as simple as it looks. Secondly, surf skills are once again, something that requires experience to acquire.

I managed to set up a reasonable sized paddling course for myself in the creek on Saturday. From my place, paddle out to the netted off swimming area at the caravan park. There is a yellow pole there on the northern side of the nets which you run the board around. Then paddle across the river to the norther beach, run around the pole to the west of the boat ramp and paddle back home. It is a fair distance, not sure how far, I am going to have to work out a way to measure distance on the creek soon.

My stats for this paddle were:

  • Time: 56 minutes 48 seconds
  • 589 KCal
  • Max Heart Rate: 159
  • Average Heart Rate: 132

I will build a table to record this benchmark and track progress on my board training page

We also had the Mermaid Beach club championships this weekend (well the water events anyway…) and as it was just our club, it was pretty low key, relaxed and just a lot of fun. I went in everything. I got absolutely smashed on a big wave coming in on the ski, its was about 3 – 4′. And I could not get out past the break on the paddle board. I cannot get to my knees in the surf yet which means I could not sprint when I needed to to take the gaps when they opened up. This is great, it gives me a really good base to look back and see how far I have come a bit later.

Anyway, its good to be able to make a start on the paddle board. Short term now, I have the Byron Bay ocean swim coming up and then the half Marathon in July. Lots of endurance training required over winter.

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