After several sessions in the gym this week and running our attention turned back to the river this weekend.
Marsport had loaned us a new Condor K2 in bright red! the construction was heavier than ours but we felt that would add to the training effect.....
Saturday we took the red arrow up river to Mapledurham and back doing a couple of loops of the islands below Caversham Bridge, we had a pretty good run and were pleased with the session.
Sunday morning we had elected to do a section of the canal from Colthorpe to the Thames and heading back up to the club. As we approached Colthorpe Matt's car indicated we were still at -5 C and after finding the canal access through an industrial estate found the canal frozen over, the water bailiff arrived and suggested we head downstream at least a mile or so to leave the ice behind.
We eventually reached our usual launch site at Aldermaston and launched there, barely had we passed the first lock the fun started with teh ice which was almost blocking the canal, with care we broke our way around the edge and made the next lock, beneath this lock however we found ourselves stuck fast, we left the boat by scrambling over a frozen reed bed and eventually hauled the boat ashore and we jogged downstream until the next lock. This pattern carried on for a couple of locks.
As our wake reached the bank in places you could hear the ice cracking alongside the banks of the canal.
Eventually after the M4 bridge we hit a larger section of ice having just passed some DW lookalikes heading upstream, we were cutting the corner as the rounded the bend but Matt soon had the boat back on our side of the road!
We finished what was a very difficult haul upstream section on the Thames in just over 2hours and 10 minutes, which we did not consider too bad as we had been hauling ourselves along the bank through the ice.
One week today as I type we will have finished our first proper race the Waterside 1 race, report to follow.
Simon Jeffs has come up trumps again with the loan of more kit for the race some twenty odd drinking bottles and other must have gadgets. Debbie was with me this afternoon and we now have a full set of OS maps for the course length.
Our devoted support crew are off on Tuesday to drive the length of the canal to see it for themselves for the first time.
We are hoping that our boat is back in time repaired for the weekend.
Sunday 31 January 2010
Sunday 24 January 2010
Breaking plates
First run out since the repair this week, Matt and I were planning a run down to Sonning Lock and then return to the club.
We made incredible speed down stream although the boat was quite unstable at times as the river was flowing as fast as we have seen it, we were speeding past joggers on the bank. At times the boat was grabbed by eddies and currents slewing it around in the stream.
We made a long slow turn just above Sonning Lock, then headed back upstream the stream was now dead against us and making any sort of progress was difficult, there were sections in the Dreadnought Reach where Matt moved the boat into the stream and we momentarily stopped paddling to keep our balance which resulted in us being pushed immediately downstream!
Then came the sickening feeling that the rear foot plate had come adrift!
We had a long portage at Reading lock and then hauled ourselves along the Caversham reach to the club, once the boat was in the rack it was clear that whilst the new repair was ok the sliding footplate mechanism had broken away from the fiberglass support brackets. We were both extremely dissappointed to say the least.
Lee took the boat back to Marsport who are doing their best to get the boat repaired and back to us by the weekend.
We had 9.2 mph averages downstream max speed 10.8 mph upstream thes speeds were halved.
Saturday night was spent planning the support for he upcoming support races and the DW itself.
Sunday morning Matt and Lee in the absence of a working boat did a 1.5 hour pyramid session on the ergo.
So whilst the fitness is improving we both miss time on the water.
We made incredible speed down stream although the boat was quite unstable at times as the river was flowing as fast as we have seen it, we were speeding past joggers on the bank. At times the boat was grabbed by eddies and currents slewing it around in the stream.
We made a long slow turn just above Sonning Lock, then headed back upstream the stream was now dead against us and making any sort of progress was difficult, there were sections in the Dreadnought Reach where Matt moved the boat into the stream and we momentarily stopped paddling to keep our balance which resulted in us being pushed immediately downstream!
Then came the sickening feeling that the rear foot plate had come adrift!
We had a long portage at Reading lock and then hauled ourselves along the Caversham reach to the club, once the boat was in the rack it was clear that whilst the new repair was ok the sliding footplate mechanism had broken away from the fiberglass support brackets. We were both extremely dissappointed to say the least.
Lee took the boat back to Marsport who are doing their best to get the boat repaired and back to us by the weekend.
We had 9.2 mph averages downstream max speed 10.8 mph upstream thes speeds were halved.
Saturday night was spent planning the support for he upcoming support races and the DW itself.
Sunday morning Matt and Lee in the absence of a working boat did a 1.5 hour pyramid session on the ergo.
So whilst the fitness is improving we both miss time on the water.
Friday 22 January 2010
She's back in the rack
Thanks to Matt's endeavours this week, the broken footplate mounts have been repaired at a local boat yard and the front plate mounts beefed up too. The boat is now back in the rack at the club ready for the weekend.
Opportunities to spot TWO MEN IN A BOAT this coming weekend:
Saturday a.m. 08:00 Reading Canoe Club to Sonning Lock return
Saturday evening Support crew meeting in Caversham, setting the plan
Sunday a.m. 08:00 RCC to Marlow on way (down!)
Probably a stop in at Marsport too to pick up some more kit and discuss the spares kit which we will need for the race.
Opportunities to spot TWO MEN IN A BOAT this coming weekend:
Saturday a.m. 08:00 Reading Canoe Club to Sonning Lock return
Saturday evening Support crew meeting in Caversham, setting the plan
Sunday a.m. 08:00 RCC to Marlow on way (down!)
Probably a stop in at Marsport too to pick up some more kit and discuss the spares kit which we will need for the race.
Tuesday 19 January 2010
Circuits & Pyramids
Monday night was circuit night at the Club, led by Brian, following a routine on sequential pieces of apparatus / stations of 40 seconds on 20 seconds off/change for half an hour, then 30 on 30 off for 20 minutes then 30 change 30 for 10 minutes then weights up for some of the same. Matt was doing really well on the pull ups, like the original ape man swinging on the bars, he is now up to 10 or so pull ups, I cannot do one yet or my excuse is that my personal trainer advises against them.
We used all the weights in the gym and there were four core exercise stations (swiss ball, medicine ball, large free weight (10kg) for twists etc. and lunges)
Tuesday morning early we were back on the ergos for a pyramid session of over 1 hour, sweating profusely by the end but at least now the heart rate drops faster than previously which a good sign unless it hits zero.........
Note to Lee remember to pack a full work outfit for post exercise, as temporarily he joined 42 Commando today!!!
Beating the streets tomorrow, back to running, snow permitting.
Matt has taken the boat off to a specialist repairers / boatyard to get the footplate brackets bonded back into the hull so hopefully we will be waterborne again by the weekend.
Our support crews are showing signs of life too as they wake from their winter hibernation......
We used all the weights in the gym and there were four core exercise stations (swiss ball, medicine ball, large free weight (10kg) for twists etc. and lunges)
Tuesday morning early we were back on the ergos for a pyramid session of over 1 hour, sweating profusely by the end but at least now the heart rate drops faster than previously which a good sign unless it hits zero.........
Note to Lee remember to pack a full work outfit for post exercise, as temporarily he joined 42 Commando today!!!
Beating the streets tomorrow, back to running, snow permitting.
Matt has taken the boat off to a specialist repairers / boatyard to get the footplate brackets bonded back into the hull so hopefully we will be waterborne again by the weekend.
Our support crews are showing signs of life too as they wake from their winter hibernation......
Monday 18 January 2010
CREW Number 302
This is our allocated crew number for the race, a quick check on google does not spring up any superstitious hocus pocus!
However there are a few coincidences:
Crew 302 in 2009 DW race were called Matthew and Daniel, one of whom was a Royal Marine, Lee's Dad served in the Royal Marines and Lee's sons are called Matthew and Daniel, of course not forgetting this years boat crew 302 will also have a Matthew paddling it!
However there are a few coincidences:
Crew 302 in 2009 DW race were called Matthew and Daniel, one of whom was a Royal Marine, Lee's Dad served in the Royal Marines and Lee's sons are called Matthew and Daniel, of course not forgetting this years boat crew 302 will also have a Matthew paddling it!
Sunday 17 January 2010
Help For Heroes - Newsletter
In case we needed reminding why we are pushing ourselves as I was applying savlon to my bleeding hands and other areas not mentionable on a public domain. An e-mail came in from our chosen charity Help For Heroes, you can read it here:
http://sendgold.icuk.eu/display.php?M=53216&C=7c971e59be45bbc025d41099ecff2bc3&S=164&L=3&N=99
http://sendgold.icuk.eu/display.php?M=53216&C=7c971e59be45bbc025d41099ecff2bc3&S=164&L=3&N=99
Downhill all the way Wallingford to Reading Canoe Club
We were kindly offered a lift up to Wallingford for the start of a downstream descent to Reading Canoe Club, we put in just above the medieval arched bridge at Wallingford to be warned by Paul and Tamsin, "make sure you get through the bridge arch and we'll see you on the other side", we made it through and waited for the other three crews to paddle down to us.
Tamsin and Paul thought we would be faster than the rest of the group but the junior crews looked good and as they caught up with us they edged ahead, I stretched the stroke rate a bit and we caught and passed the leading boat and then it was us and the rowers alone all the way to Cleve Lock.
No issues downstream apart from some turbulent stretches, then as we were approaching the portage at Goring Lock I left the boat a meter or so out from the bank and we rolled out of the boat as we tried to move the boat in to the bank. We recovered and had some difficulty emptying the water. There were a few parents who were following the group down and one or two cameras, we will have to see what emerges!!
The river was very fast below Goring Lock, half way down past Beale Park I sensed the boat was less stable although the river was very smooth and wide at this point. At the end of the Whitchurch Lock portage Matt announced that his rear footplate had come off completely, this breakage would be a disaster in the DW and probably race over. We carried on down to Mapledurham and after a very long run through the fields to avoid a difficult put in below the lock pushed on towards the club and home.
The section below Mapledurham around the islands is very fast flowing and the GPS trace showed we hit 11.1 mph on this stretch a boat record! despite no footplate in the back. An uneventful run followed apart from massive waves put up by a motor boat near the fisheries, this sort of practice is what we need for the Tideway in any case.
We finished the 16 miles in 2:02:31 at an average speed of 7.8 mph, compared to earlier traces my average heart rate was up at 147 throughout indicating we were putting in a bit of effort today.
The damage to the boat is concening not least because we do not want to be without it for training and the first Waterside race three weeks today, over to MARSPORT.............
That's all folks, Monday is a weight training session at the club and Tuesday a technique session with Nick Daniels on the Ergo machines, no peace for the wicked!
No issues downstream apart from some turbulent stretches, then as we were approaching the portage at Goring Lock I left the boat a meter or so out from the bank and we rolled out of the boat as we tried to move the boat in to the bank. We recovered and had some difficulty emptying the water. There were a few parents who were following the group down and one or two cameras, we will have to see what emerges!!
The section below Mapledurham around the islands is very fast flowing and the GPS trace showed we hit 11.1 mph on this stretch a boat record! despite no footplate in the back. An uneventful run followed apart from massive waves put up by a motor boat near the fisheries, this sort of practice is what we need for the Tideway in any case.
We finished the 16 miles in 2:02:31 at an average speed of 7.8 mph, compared to earlier traces my average heart rate was up at 147 throughout indicating we were putting in a bit of effort today.
The damage to the boat is concening not least because we do not want to be without it for training and the first Waterside race three weeks today, over to MARSPORT.............
That's all folks, Monday is a weight training session at the club and Tuesday a technique session with Nick Daniels on the Ergo machines, no peace for the wicked!
Saturday 16 January 2010
He lost his bottle - Mapledurham Circuit
After much adjustment with the tape measure out in the boat bay we set the Condor up for Lee in the front. The first few hundred meters we were very unstable indeed then after the fisheries island upstream Matt slapped the water and said that he was losing his bottle! Thankfully it was just his drinking bottle and we carried on upstream following an two rowing fours just ahead of us.
We finally got into a steady rhythm and pulled on against the current, there were large waves in places where the wind was whipping up the wake from the rowers coaching boats. We had a good turn at the island below Mapledurham, by good we mean a nice tight arc and kept away from the far bank keeping the K2 mid stream and we banged away back to the club.
Once we had finished the piece and stopped the clock at the club we carried on downstream and practised a few portages, running the boat along the tow path, the only hazard being the ice on the tow paths and the piles of dog doos left by the melting snow.
The temperature was well up from last week anyway and we are going to have a good think about boat positions for the DW over the coming weeks, with Matt just under 12 stone and Lee some 2 1/2 stone heavier.
All set now for a longer downstream run in the morning.
We finally got into a steady rhythm and pulled on against the current, there were large waves in places where the wind was whipping up the wake from the rowers coaching boats. We had a good turn at the island below Mapledurham, by good we mean a nice tight arc and kept away from the far bank keeping the K2 mid stream and we banged away back to the club.
Once we had finished the piece and stopped the clock at the club we carried on downstream and practised a few portages, running the boat along the tow path, the only hazard being the ice on the tow paths and the piles of dog doos left by the melting snow.
The temperature was well up from last week anyway and we are going to have a good think about boat positions for the DW over the coming weeks, with Matt just under 12 stone and Lee some 2 1/2 stone heavier.
All set now for a longer downstream run in the morning.
Friday 15 January 2010
Get behind the boys - Outlook for the weekend
We are working on some ideas to publicise our endeavour as we would like to exceed our target for the Help For heores charity, any followers feel free to let us know what you would like to see here also any ideas for fund raising greatfully received.
I saw a guy in the paper is getting almost 30,000 followers to his blog which is a transcript of his sleep talking meanderings, some quite raunchy, well here goes from last night at 01:30:
"paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, that's it Matt were catching them................"
Weekend options to view the Two Men in a Boat Duo:
07:45 Saturday Reading Canoe Club - Mapledurham circuits
07:00 Saturday possibly Wallington upriver to RCC or RCC down to Marlow 16 or 18 miles
If you feel like coming out to support that would be great.
I saw a guy in the paper is getting almost 30,000 followers to his blog which is a transcript of his sleep talking meanderings, some quite raunchy, well here goes from last night at 01:30:
"paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, that's it Matt were catching them................"
Weekend options to view the Two Men in a Boat Duo:
07:45 Saturday Reading Canoe Club - Mapledurham circuits
07:00 Saturday possibly Wallington upriver to RCC or RCC down to Marlow 16 or 18 miles
If you feel like coming out to support that would be great.
Hello to a new follower!
Great to see someone else has joined the blog to keep big Gavin from Suffolk company!
Sunday 10 January 2010
It's snow fun anymore
After a quick dash over to Matt's in the snow we got launched, well Matt prepared the boat whilst Lee faffed around with his kit before climbing into the rear cockpit.
We set off to reach Pangbourne, and return. The temperature was a few degrees warmer than yesterday and there was no ice forming on the boat or us! Lee was using poggies vs. gloves which are wind proof nylon bags which fit onto the paddle into which you place your bare hands and therefore still retain the feel of the paddle.
We elected to do the long portage at Mapledurham lock as the lock cut was iced over and the weir pool was still turbulent below the lock.
The 300 odd metre run in the snow was amusing, after running the lock we put back in toward the end of the pontoon as the upstream lock cut was heavily iced over too. Lee got in first taking a mass of snow into the cockpit as he slid off the side into the boat.
Upstream the Pangbourne pound was quite high, holding more water than we had experinced before, we made short work of the run to the bridge and were quickly turning for the return leg.
After Mapledurham lock downstream we met with the club paddlers who were looping the island, although they were in front of us we kept pace with the good club paddlers in K2s which was pleasing although they turned back upstream so we did not have chance to race back so raced on ourselves instead.
We were pleased with the time of 01:48:43 at an average speed of 6.3 mph which is a whole 0.1 mph faster than our previous best, our max speed was 9.2 mph on the return leg and we burnt almost 1,000 calories. We were pleased with the time as we felt that we were not pushing too hard and the freezing conditions were against us.
Lee is off to sunnier climes for a few days with work leaving Matt to his own devices at the club.
We are now focussed on our first Waterside Race, Waterside A on Sunday 7th February so just three weekends to practise.....
We set off to reach Pangbourne, and return. The temperature was a few degrees warmer than yesterday and there was no ice forming on the boat or us! Lee was using poggies vs. gloves which are wind proof nylon bags which fit onto the paddle into which you place your bare hands and therefore still retain the feel of the paddle.
We elected to do the long portage at Mapledurham lock as the lock cut was iced over and the weir pool was still turbulent below the lock.
The 300 odd metre run in the snow was amusing, after running the lock we put back in toward the end of the pontoon as the upstream lock cut was heavily iced over too. Lee got in first taking a mass of snow into the cockpit as he slid off the side into the boat.
Upstream the Pangbourne pound was quite high, holding more water than we had experinced before, we made short work of the run to the bridge and were quickly turning for the return leg.
After Mapledurham lock downstream we met with the club paddlers who were looping the island, although they were in front of us we kept pace with the good club paddlers in K2s which was pleasing although they turned back upstream so we did not have chance to race back so raced on ourselves instead.
We were pleased with the time of 01:48:43 at an average speed of 6.3 mph which is a whole 0.1 mph faster than our previous best, our max speed was 9.2 mph on the return leg and we burnt almost 1,000 calories. We were pleased with the time as we felt that we were not pushing too hard and the freezing conditions were against us.
Lee is off to sunnier climes for a few days with work leaving Matt to his own devices at the club.
We are now focussed on our first Waterside Race, Waterside A on Sunday 7th February so just three weekends to practise.....
Saturday 9 January 2010
Icebergs and Ducks
Should have been the only things in the river today.
An adventurous first outing in the snow following our return from holiday. We elected to do the Mapledurham circuit this morning on account of the freezing temperatures. After pushing off within minutes ice was forming on the paddle shafts and top side of the Condor deck, Matt's lifejacket back was a block of ice, my hands were like ice despite the neoprene gloves.
We pushed on up to Mapledurham and back to the club, the strap on my Garmin broke so no data on the run.
Back at the club the main Saturday group were preparing to go out, in the boat bay we spent time chipping the ice off the boat, racked it up and headed back up to Matt's for a coffee.
We need to keep practicing despite the conditions, in 2008 the Easter weekend was notable because of snow, so we need to expect all weathers............
It's good to be back! Despite the frost bite (my fingers are still tingling from yesterday typing Sunday p.m.)
An adventurous first outing in the snow following our return from holiday. We elected to do the Mapledurham circuit this morning on account of the freezing temperatures. After pushing off within minutes ice was forming on the paddle shafts and top side of the Condor deck, Matt's lifejacket back was a block of ice, my hands were like ice despite the neoprene gloves.
We pushed on up to Mapledurham and back to the club, the strap on my Garmin broke so no data on the run.
Back at the club the main Saturday group were preparing to go out, in the boat bay we spent time chipping the ice off the boat, racked it up and headed back up to Matt's for a coffee.
We need to keep practicing despite the conditions, in 2008 the Easter weekend was notable because of snow, so we need to expect all weathers............
It's good to be back! Despite the frost bite (my fingers are still tingling from yesterday typing Sunday p.m.)
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