Here is a summary of my paddling, training, racing and lifestyle changing activities in 2011:
Paddling
I paddled and trained on the South Platte River in winter and then on my local lakes in northern Colorado: Horsetooth Reservoir, Boyd Lake, Lonetree, Boedecker and Beaver Pond.
Racing
No ultra marathon races in 2011. I couldn’t participate in the Missouri River 340 Race postponed till October. I paddled only in the 10 mile Colorado River Race in Glenwood Canyon dominated by stand-up paddlers. For me, it was a very intense workout in my Sea Wind canoe.
Packrafting
I started packrafting with Alpacka Yukon packraft. After initial testing on Riverbend Ponds I did a few trips on the South Platte. I use inline skates or bike for a road shuttle.
JKK Supernova
In October I started to paddle JKK Supernova, multisport sea kayak, which I bought from Jeremy Rodgers. Supernova is a strong candidate for my self supported 2012 MR340 Race if I manage to make a seat more comfortable.
Cross Training
Inline skating and biking. I have several loops mostly on biking trails in Fort Collins (10-15 miles for skates and 15-25 mile for my hybrid road bike). I also like the Poudre River Trail starting at a new trail head at River Bluffs between Timnath and Windsor. I started to ride a bike on the Centennial Road – just to look at conditions of the Horsetooth Reservoir.
Hiking
I am hiking mostly in winter with trekking poles and a backpack full of camera gear. The Horsetooth Rock is my favorite target. I just like to look at Fort Collins from above after sunset.
Kettlebell
I started weight training with kettlebells and I love it. My main goal is to develop more muscles to burn fat, but it should be beneficial for paddling as well. I used to work with kettlebells during my college years in 1970s, but I started with a book to refresh my memory: The Ultimate Kettlebells Workbook. There are many resources online. I like instructional videos by Steve Cotter. Currently, I have two Cap Bartell kettlebells: 35 and 50 lb. I need more iron!
GoPro Hero
New shooting angles including bird’s eye view with GoPro HD Hero camera using a telescoping mast mounted on a deck with suction cup from Sticky Pod. Time lapse still pictures, no video yet.
Diet
I am drastically changing my diet adapting a lot from Paleo Diet for Athletes and other sources. More protein, less carbs and timing carbs consumption with exercise. Much more vegetables. I replaced my morning cereal breakfast by a smoothie of almond milk with whey protein, raw eggs or egg whites, blueberries or other berries with addition of chia seeds, hemp seeds or some nuts. I lost 20lb in the second half of 2011. I still need to make my boats lighter for racing!
Trigger Point Therapy
The most important development in 2011. During recent years I suffered from chronic pains in my elbows (tennis elbow, golf elbow), probably, more related to my computer work than paddling. Finally, I found a solution: trigger point therapy – massaging trigger points in my forearms with a tennis ball against a wall. It worked for my elbows. It worked also for an Achilles tendon pain. There are many books on this subject. I am using The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief. I am also adding a foam roller to my workouts.
Now, what to do in 2012?