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!