fitness paddling

2008 Wyoming Outback Challenge on North Platte River

The second Wyoming Outback Challenge on the North Platte River organized by Canoe Colorado took place on May 25 during Memorial Day weekend. The race starts at Hot Springs in Saratoga and runs 44 miles down the river across a quite remote area to Fort Steele (I-80 boat ramp).

The river was big this year with the flow between 7000 and 8000 cfs at Dugway (just below the race finish). The weather was surprisingly good considering gusty winds, rain and snow showers a day before the race and not very encouraging forecast for the entire weekend.

Tommy Yonley on Training for a Marathon River Race

racing, Texas Water Safari / By Marek

There are several 30-50 mile river marathons in 2008 race calendar, e.g., Wyoming Outback Challenge on the North Platte River, Phatwater Kayak Challenge on the Mississippi River or an informal marathon on the South Platte. I hope that 50 and 35 mile races on the Kansas River will be added soon. Even the 9 mile …

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14 Tips on Kayak Forward Stroke Dynamics by Mark Zollitsch

racing, training / By Marek

Canoe and kayak stroke are almost identical except the upper paddle blade is sawn off and you return on the same side rather than alternating sides every stroke. 1. You have to start by thinking of the paddle stroke force as the sum of a linked sequence of movements, just like a baseball pitch, ie. …

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How to Choose a Boat for an Ultra Marathon Race? The Case of Missouri River 340

boats & gear, racing / By Marek

Is it possible to use some sort of objective analysis to choose a boat for a long, long paddlle race? Let’s try to review my paddling fleet from a perspective of 340 mile Missouri River Race from Kansas City to St Charles. 340 miles long non-stop race, no portages, several checkpoints every 50 miles or …

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West Hansen: 13 Tips on Training for Endurance Paddling Races

gallery, racing, training / By Marek

This is a second post from the How to Train for Ultra Marathon Paddle Racing series. After training tips from Carter Johnson my next guest is West Hansen, a competitive racer from Austin, Texas. See his racing bio below for his paddling accomplishments and racing plans for 2007.

Climbing Snowdrifts on the South Platte River with Thunderbolt Kayak

boats & gear / By Marek

Snow is disappearing in Colorado, but you still need 4WD to reach the South Platte River shore at Evans Riverside Park. I shot this picture with Pentax Optio W10 when climbing with Thunderbolt-X kayak through snowdrifts on the tall river bank. It was after a short paddle above Evans. I have not paddled for more …

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