On day 2 of the regatta I decided to enter the 500m races for some more race experience. This is not an Olympic distance and not one I normally race. I raced the heats and semi-finals to make my way into the final. Again there were only 3 Brits out of a team of 7 that made the final. Similar to the 1000m I had to rely on fitness to edge my way up the field after the start but this time there was a lot less track to recoup a deficit. I got out the blocks well and came through the field to place once again place 2nd behind Murray. All in all a pleasing weekend that has put fire in my belly to train my k1 (single kayak) hard and see what I can do in the larger international regattas in the summer.
Benjamin Franklin said, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. This mantra made me feel pretty nervous as I came into a weekend’s racing at the Sydney Olympic Regatta course very unprepared.
Usually before a race I ensure that my training has been tapered so that I am in optimum condition. I will have drilled my race plan many times by performing repeated dress rehearsals throughout the season. I will then visualise my plan in the week leading up to the race and run through a mental warm routine. Thus the race simply becomes just a matter of repeating something I have done many times before in training.
This time it was different! I had just completed a big block of training so, like the rest of the team; I was run down and tired. During our “winter training”, as crazy as it sounds, we do not try to go fast. We train to lay down lots of miles in the boat ensuring good fitness and technique before we start to bolt on speed coming into the season. As a result I had not tried to kayak at race intensity since the World Championships in August, last year.
As we flew to Sydney on the Monday I had to question my coach’s motives for entering me into a race I was not prepared for. He called it “adversity training”. This event was the 2nd part of the Australian Grand Prix series and part of their domestic selection process for international competitions so I knew they would be firing on all cylinders. The Kiwis had heard that the British team would be racing, as well as the best in Aus, and so came over for it too.
As we landed in Sydney my coach gave the team 3 days off to “let our hair down and recover from the training”. Again…this wasn’t exactly the best race preparation!
Friday was 1000m race day and consisted of heats, semi-finals and finals all about an hour apart. My heat was certainly a shock to the system but I managed to easily qualify for the semi-final. As luck would have it I drew the toughest semi-final, which included the current Olympic Champion, Ken Wallace. Only two people could qualify from each semi-final. Fortunately this turned out to include Ken and myself. The final consisted of three Brits, three Kiwis and three from Australia. Having done no speed work I knew my start would be my weakest area of the race but hoped that I could use my fitness to claw back at the field in the latter stages of the race.
This is exactly what happened and after a shaky start I managed to run a consistent race and claimed 2nd to Australia’s, Murray Stewart. I am pleased with this as it shows that the training I have done to date has put the fundamental parts in place and there is scope for improvement as we move into a training phase that includes more speed work.
Check out the race on YouTube or view it below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4lQVvGA4ws
On Sunday evening I returned to some very disappointing news back at our training camp base in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. One of the Italian Kayak team, who are staying in the apartments opposite us, had been sent home after doping equipment and testosterone had been found in his apartment that he shares with the rest of the team. I have raced him many times in previous years and shall be very disappointed if these claims are substantiated.
I am looking forward to coming home from Australia on the 12th February and hope to meet up with the staff at Huntswood’s Reading office on the 15th.
This week’s album on my iPod for training to is In Rainbows by Radiohead.
Follow me on Twitter: @Huntswoodpaul
To pledge your support for Paul in his quest to raise money for both Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Prince’s Charities, as well as follow his progress leading up to the Channel crossing in October 2011, please visit www.crosschannelchallenge.com
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