So here we go - Bonne Annee

No paddling both paddlers are busy in the Alps, although I could have done with the Condor on some of our pistes which had puddles today!

The exercise regime has not stopped, it's all latex straps and cords just the way I like it! After poo pooing them I then proceeded to fail after 40 stretches causing Mrs A to laugh....

Anyway from tomorrow I will be sans alcohol and the serious stuff starts....

Paddling in a Winter Wonderland!

GRRRRRRR.

The planned Reading to Marlow run was aborted on account of the roads being too dangerous for the support crew to pick us up. Undettered the two of us set off from the club heading upstream to Pangbourne.

Snow was being swept off the fields into our faces and despite gloves our right hands were frozen due to the prevailing wind, we pushed on and portaged early at Mapledurham lock, dog walkers looking on incredulously at the the loons in the river.

We had taken precautions we had a full change of clothes in the boat in the event of misshaps and the temperature had risen above freezing.

The next pound was straightforward and we pushed on past Pangbourne to Beale Park where we turned for the downstream leg.

Matt was suffering badly owing to an imbalance in the boat, I leaned to the left to compensate and things eased a bit, balance is key, Matt admitted he could not carry on with the pain he was feeling, I stopped whacking him with the paddle at this point and tipping snow down his neck........

We took a few points away from the session, notably don't let the pain build up and get absolutely square in the boat after each portage.

The landscape was stunning lots of wildfowl were moving and the snow covered fields were a sight to behold, life's good,

I see no ships

We aborted our launch this morning with conditions as they were; a heavy mist, in the dark and fast stream with the temperature just above freezing we decided to take the safe route and went back inside the club and had a one hour session on the Ergos.

We're back in the groove (not the river)

We decided to do an early start in the dark and take the newly altered boat up to Pangbourne and back.

The river was flowing extremely fast, so it was difficult to get much power into each stroke in the fast stream, we certainly had a few wobbles and with safety in mind came ashore well below Mapldurham Lock and portaged with a run of a few hundred meters through the fields and through the lock.

The pound above the lock was much smoother, fast flowing still but much less turbulent, agoin thinking about our new shiny boat and our own mortality we did not turn around the bridge supports as earlier sessions, we turned below the bridge and a good job too, we must have been swept some 150 to 200 meters down stream by the time we turned the boat across the river.

We started to pull harder and the boat was absolutely flying downstream.

Below Mapledurham Lock the put in was problematic with the turblent water from teh weir pool psuhing the boat towards the bankside tree overhangs, Matt navigated us out and we pushed on.

We finished in 1:46 barely a minute over our record, however it had taken us 1:10 to go upstream and just 36 minutes to get back! From the Garmin our top speed home was almost 11 miles per hour and all that with Lee's heart rate barely touching 140bpm..........

The boat is great!!

First outing

Beside a very fast flowing Thames we tenatively put the boat into the water in the early hours today, after adjusting the seats, we inched her away from the bank with Matt in the front steering.

The wobbles started and we determined the our feet were well above the footplate heights which caused a push problem for Lee and Matt was almost unable to steer, after a few hundred yards we decided to turn her round and get back to the club for a think.

Back in the supports in the club the footplates were much lower than almost any other boat in the club.

We racked her away and did a session on the ergos instead.

Later this morning Matt returned the boat to Marsport who removed the plates and re-bonded them at the correct height ready for us to try again.

She has arrived - NEW BOAT

Matt after what seemed like an enternity collected the new boat from Marsport on Saturday. Unfortunately with Lee in Wales he will need to wait before the first launch, but she is a beaty.

We have not picked a name for her, Connie the Condor is a bit naff so if any of you have any thoughts please let us know.

We can only get faster now!

Paddle like an Egyptian

Back on the paddle machines early this morning, the river is still flowing at a rate of knots so erring on the side of safety we set off on a land based pyramid session on the indoor ergometers as follows:

1 minute off 1 minute on
1 off 2 on
1 off 3 on

etc. up to 1 off 8 on the back down again.

Results: 7 blisters...............

Matt has a new heart rate monitor and whilst the athletes cooled down afterwards, Lee's HR fell slight faster than Matt's and doctors out there might like to tell us why?

Matt muttered something about fitness..............but hey this is a two man effort there is no "I" in "TEAM"