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
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