Fundamentals of Peak Performance: Testing

Jim Terrell's "Flume" Testing Grounds

How are you going to measure your improvement? By establishing a baseline of your performance and then testing against it throughout your training. There are various ways one can go about this. I'm going to assume you aren't going to use a heart rate monitor to test your lactate threshold or a GPS to measure distance or speed. What I'm instead going to suggest you do is measure your distance over a specific period of time. I'm going to suggest seeing how far you can paddle in calm conditions for 30 minutes, after an adequate warm-up. This isn't as simple as going all out right at the start. You'll need to pace yourself in order to finish strong. You want to paddle in that space where you feel lactic acid in your muscles, but your body is able to manage it. On the RPE scale, somewhere between 14-17. Calm conditions mean no wind and little to no tidal currents. Once you know how far you can paddle in 30 minutes, you can test yourself throughout your training season under the same conditions and compare your distances, as well as how you feel while paddling. Of course, another test would be to paddle a specific distance and see how your timing improves with training. But it's a little more difficult to know the precise distance you're paddling with any accuracy, at least without a GPS system.

Next: Periodization & Training Phases

Remember Last December?

We just saw a couple of inches of snow in Olympia. Followed by a day of steady wind and rain. So far this month, we've had some really wet ones. All of this cold, wet weather got me thinking about last December. Remember? 21 dry days. No rain until the 25th of December. Only ten days with any real wind. Clear skies. It was like Halcyon Days went all month long. Now the Solstice is just days away and I fear we won't even see the Halcyon Days I look forward to every December. Halcyon Days? These were days of calm weather, usually beginning before and coinciding with the Winter Solstice. Kingfishers (genus Halcyon) were believed to calm the seas with their wings while brooding their eggs on the beach. Where are they - we need them!

Fundamentals of Peak Performance: Reported Perceived Exertion

The Borg Reported Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale is tool that allows athletes, regardless of their discipline, to repeatedly measure and report their efforts and intensity. As your fitness level improves, your experience with this scale may change over time. The scale goes to 20 instead of 10 because those numbers are intended to be multiplied by a factor of 10. This should then provide you with a rough estimate of your heart rate. For example, if you are paddling hard, beginning to feel lactic acid in your muscles, you may describe this as a 15 or 16, which would correspond to a heart rate of 150-160bpm. RPE is subjective, but over time, you will learn your body and how it feels when subjected to differing intensities.

Next: Performance Testing

Knots to Know: Bowline

I believe that if you're going to spend time on the water, you really should have some basic knot tying skills. You never know when it'll come in handy. Even though there are plenty of folks that still know how to tie knots, it feels like a lost art. Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources for knot tying, many on the internet. A favorite of mine is Animated Knots by Grog. In my opinion, this site couldn't make knot tying any clearer or easier. 

I'm going to refer to this site from time to time, and the first knot I'll recommend is the Bowline. The bowline is great for forming a loop that can then be used to secure a line to something else. I'd also recommend the water bowline (an extra loop makes it more secure) and the running bowline. 

Pick up a 3 foot piece of nautical or climbing rope and have fun learning a few knots!

Fundamentals of Peak Performance: Assessment

You have your goals. They are specific, attainable, and honest. And speaking of honest, it's time to look at your abilities with respect to performance. This is where you can recognize your assets and develop your weaknesses. Look at these different factors and try to realistically assess and catalog your abilities.

Physical:

There are three basic abilities you rely on as a paddler: strength, endurance, and technique skills. Everything else is built on this framework. Strength is your ability to generate force by propelling you and your body along the water. Endurance is your ability to do so for a long period of time. Technique is your ability to perform the most efficient movements possible.

You want to grade yourself on your strength, endurance, and technique. If you feel yourself lacking, that's okay - commitment can go far with paddling and training. 

Mental:

Consider your confidence, attitude, ability to overcome adversity, focus, visualization, and motivation. These all play a role in training and peak performance.

Additional factors:

Additional factors include your experience and comfort on the water in various conditions, social support of friends and family, tendency to overtrain, adequate recovery, injuries, and nutrition. 

Training factors:
There are a few additional factors that relate directly to training. For examply, the amount of time you'll have available to devote to training and how often. What about your age, i.e. the amount of time it takes to recover from a serious workout. And finally, take your paddling and training experience into account. If you've been training and racing for several years, your body will be better suited to training than if it was the first month on a paddleboard (but don't let that discourage you!)

You know your goals. Hopefully you'll be able to develop some training objectives based on your assessment of strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if you paddle all day long, but lack good paddling technique, then you know you'll need to spend additional time and focus on your technique.

Next: Reported Percieved Exertion

Cold Weather Paddling

You must really love it to paddle out in this mess!

Friends and acquaintances who know I paddle will sometimes ask me if I paddle year round. When I reply yes, they ask how I tolerate the cold? My answer is often 'the same way any other outdoor athlete  does.' Because of the elements, I'll often shorten my paddle outings, especially when going out alone. Long exposure to cold temperatures can impair your physical and mental abilities, so it's smart to be careful and err on the side of safety. Remember that wet exposed skin will feel much colder than if it was dry. And a breeze or wind will only compound that experience. So if it's drizzling or raining, wear a hat and something that will help keep you dry and if the wind is blowing try to wear something that will cut the wind.

I prefer to avoid my wetsuit unless rougher conditions warrant it. For me, paddling in a full wetsuit is akin to paddling in a sweatsuit (the old fashioned weight-loss suits from the 80's). So on calm days when I won't be out for very long or paddle very far from my launch point, I'll often layer with athletic clothing. What and how much I wear really depends on the ambient temperature. I tend to prefer to start out feeling a little chilled because the effort of paddling generates a considerable amount of heat.

I've also found that wearing your PFD with help insulate your core and help keep you warmer all over. By not having to focus on keeping your core warm, your vessels and capillaries won't need to contract, which will keep your extremities warmer. And winter, with typically rougher conditions, is just a smart time to wear it anyway.

Fortunately, for days when conditions are less desirable, there is now a growing variety of SUP-specific wetsuits. They're designed to stretch and allow the movement of paddling and best of all, there are tops and bottoms. I think that having a separate wetsuit top and bottom allows better movement than a one piece suit. I think the only time I'll wear a full wetsuit again is when I'm playing in the ocean.

I prefer to paddle barefoot, but there's a time of the year when this just isn't possible. I've found that wearing wool socks inside of my booties helps keep my feet considerably warmer for a longer period of time, even when they're wet. I prefer DeFeet's Woolie Boolies. I've had several pairs for years and they barely show any sign of wear.

I also wear gloves in cooler temperatures. I often find myself taking them off halfway through a paddle, but they are good to start out with. When it's really cool, I'll bring my paddle inside the night before I go out - a cold paddle shaft can really chill your hands, especially if you don't wear gloves.

A winter hat is a great idea, again at least to start out with. You can always take it off and stuff it inside of your PFD.

Remember, know the conditions and respect the weather. Paddle conservatively in inclement weather. I hope this helps you better enjoy stand up paddling during the cooler winter months. I'll see you out there.

Fundamentals of Peak Performance: Goals

Imagine next summer. What are the things you'd like to accomplish as a paddleboarder? Does it involve racing, fitness, or adventure? Would you like to place higher in a specific race or race series? Would you like to be able to paddle further, faster? Or maybe you'd like to circumnavigate an island. Whatever it could be, you need to figure that out for yourself. You can have more than one goal. Just like you may paddle in more than one race. Figure out what it really is that you want to ask of yourself and your training. Be honest and be specific. If you aren't invested in it, you probably won't want to do it. 

Once you have your list, look through those goals. Some may overlap. When it comes to a timeframe, you may be able to train to hold onto peak fitness of several weeks at most. This could be a specific race you'd like to compete in. Divide your goals into primary, secondary, and tertiary goals. Primary goals are the ones you want to take very seriously. Secondary goals, a little less so - they could lead up to your primary goals. Third tier goals are those that you aren't very attached to. If they happen great, but otherwise, they're just along for the ride.

Now you have your goals. Stack them up and look at the calendar. From here, you can backtrack with your training plan so you know how you'll want to train and when.

Next: Assessing your strengths and weaknesses

Fundamentals of Peak Performance: An Overview

It's the 'off-season.' I remember hearing someone suggest that there is no off-season. And in a sense, they're right. The off-season, as paddlers know it, is now. With the rain coming down in buckets, it's just not the ideal time to be putting in hours on your board. Whether you are a competitive paddler, a fitness enthusiast, or an adventurer (or all three), there is likely a peak to your paddling season, and that peak arrives during the summer. 

Periodization & Training - if only it were this easy

But just because the weather is rough and the days are short doesn't mean you can't be working towards realizing your potential when that peak of your season arrives. If paddling is something you love to do, then working towards that time of year when you can get out almost every day and stay out until 9 or 10PM isn't going to be a bad thing.

What you need is a plan. Something to direct your focus with precision, something that will enable you to actualize the benefits of your hard work and dedication. With this series, 'Fundamentals of Peak Performance,' I intend to outline and explain many of the principles used in endurance racing, principles that translate directly to paddling conditioning and fitness. 

There are several different approaches I take when developing one's fitness. One relies on steady progression and allows you to enjoy its benefits for an extended period of time. This is the one that I'm going to focus on. In this series, I'm going to walk you through the various phases of endurance training: preparation, base, strength & power, and peaking. There are other key topics in peak performance that warrrant discussion and some of those will include training intensity, rest and recovery, perceived effort, and performance testing.

Though this information will be generalized, I hope it will help clear the air surrounding training and periodization. Whether you find a coach or create your own plan, just know that having a training plan is far more focused than 'just going out and paddling hard.' Though it's the off-season, now is the time to start planning for sucess during the 2013 season. Remember: An individualized training plan will allow you to develop your weaknesses while capitalizing on your strengths. 

Being Seen - Nightlights Redux

Back when the days were much longer, I wrote a post about the benefits of the Knog Frog Strobe silicon lights, and though they were created for cyclists, they are also ideal for paddling. Well now that we are closing in on the shortest days of the year I thought I'd mention them again. Recently out paddling early one morning in the fog, I decided that being seen isn't just an option, it's a necessity. These lights are affordable, water resistent, easy to affix to the shaft of your paddle, and eye catching.

Surf Scoters have Returned

While out yesterday I saw the first large flocks of surf scoters on the water this year. This is the time of year when they start to appear, lingering until spring when they return to reaches farther north. I can remember paddling with a naturalist last year and seeing more than 500 scoters just off of Squaxin Island. I've been told by some long time birders that many years ago there used to be numbers of scoters that would dwarf that account.

Surf Scoters are large ducks that breed in Canada and Alaska but over-winter on our coastlines, among other places. They'll often form large flocks and tend to take off together when spooked. Males are all black, females brownish, except forwhite patches on the their nape and forehead. They also have an oversized orange bill. They dive for food, typically crustaceans and mollusks.Adult scoters of this species dive for crustaceans and mollusks.

According to Wikipedia, "In November, 2007, an oil spill in San Francisco harbour oiled and killed thousands of birds including many Surf Scoters. About 40 per cent of the birds affected were from this species. Scientists said that while the species is not endangered it has declined 50 to 70 per cent over the past 40 years and this spill could decrease populations since most of the affected birds are healthy adults."  

For me, accidents like this are just one more of many reasons to rethink the Enbridge Gateway oil pipelines from Alberta to western British Columbia. In case you haven't heard about plans to pipe oil to either northern B.C. (and shipped through some very precarious passages) or to Vancouver, check out these links...because in the end, we're all connected: Living Seas, Pipe Up Against Enbridge, OilSandTruth

South Sound Paddles: Big Fishtrap

A really pleasant paddle from Boston Harbor is a round trip to Big Fishtrap. Along the way you'll pass by Zangle Cove, as well as Squaxin and Harstine Islands to the west. This is a relatively easy and enjoyable paddle, so long as you note both the tidal and weather conditions before you go. A lot of water moves through Dana Passage and its currents can be some of the most intense in the South Sound. And tidal currents contrary to the wind can really steepen those wind waves, creating a really exciting situation. One can witness tidal rapids, whirlpools, and upwellings even on days with only moderate tidal swings. Fortunately, there are a lot of little back eddies along the shoreline that will allow you to sneak past swifter currents, should you find yourself in such a situation. Following the shoreline will reveal plenty of oyster and geoduck aquaculture, and within Big Fishtrap itself, there is an abundant heron rookery.

Round trip to Big Fishtrap with a return via Zangle Cove =
4.5 nm

Looking North to Dana Passage from Jeal Point

Zangle Cove from Dover Point

You'll see oyster and geoduck aquaculture along the way

Along the way - Little Fishtrap 

Brisco Point on Harstine Island

From Big Fishtrap, looking to Harstine Island

Big Fishtrap

Aerial View of Big Fishtrap

Ear Buds

 One of the joys of paddling are the sounds you hear while on the water. The sound of tidal currents, your paddle in the water, seals, and waterfowl are all sensory experiences worthy of one's attention. Listening to your paddle stroke can help you improve it. Listening for boats can potentially save your life. And I know for some purists (this was even a topic of discussion by the editor in a recent issue of Sea Kayaker magazine) that even the idea of listening to anything other that the natural world is blasphemy. 

But sometimes, my interest in paddling is more aligned with a 'work out'. For me, paddling is 'water therapy'. Sometimes, I want to drift, explore, and expand my experience. Other times, I want something more disciplined and energetically-focused. It's times like these when I'm more likely to plug in the earbuds and listen to music. And I'm very particular about what I like to listen to. Arcade Fire, the Flaming Lips, and Sigur Ros are some bands that come to mind. I love their ethereal sound, their tempo changes and find my cadence matching their rhythms. I feel I can paddle a little harder for a little longer. I never have the volume up so high I wouldn't hear the splash of a seal or the roar of a boat. But sometimes it's enjoyable to have a soundtrack to my paddling life. I'm already thinking about tomorrow,  sunshine, Dana Passage, and Sigur Ros.

Downwinding Time

I'd offer a screen grab of the Swantown weather station,
but the wind  knocked it out!

With the wind blowing so strongly from the south, this would be a great time to throw on a wetsuit and fly from Olympia to Boston Harbor on fast moving downwinder. But sadly, I've had a cold hanging on since I got back from my trip to the East Coast and need to conserve my Chi. Kindly, I was reminded that there will be other storms and other opportunities.

South Sound Paddles: the Olympia Shoal

About halfway between the northern entrance to Budd Inlet and its southern terminus lies the Olympia Shoal. If you've ever referenced a tide guide for Budd Inlet, you've undoubtedly seen a reference point for the Olympia Shoal. The shoal is a shallow area that pushes the channel towards the western shore near Butler and Little Tyee Coves near channel marker number 4. Hilariously, the South Sound Sailing Society recognizes "those intrepid sailors who have located this feature without, or despite of, navigational aids and local knowledge" with membership into the Order of the Olympia Shoal. For paddlers, it's a beautiful destination in a round trip that covers the westside log boom, Butler Cove, and Priest Point Park on the return. In all, it's just under 5 nm - not too bad for covering most of the southern half of Budd Inlet.

The Award for the Order of the Olympia Shoal

The Hazard at the Olympia Shoal

A circuitous route around the lower half of Budd Inlet

Homework; Pt. 2 - One Arm Rows

Keeping with the theme of off-season conditioning, here is another exercise I include in my repetoire - one-armed resistance rows while standing on the bosu ball. Forcing yourself to balance on the bosu mimics standing on a board. Reaching with your arms, shoulders, lats, and hips allows you to extend your reach and at the same time develop power in the positive phase of the movement. If you don't have a bosu available, you can use an Indo board, perform the exercise standing on one leg, or just row with both feet on the ground. I like to use the resistance band because I can set it up anywhere and perform a high number of repetitions per side.

Back Home

Well I'm back after a short but busy trip to the East Coast. And now that I'm back, refreshed with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the Northwest, I'm looking forward to my return to the sea. And fortunately, though it may get chilly and darkness comes an hour earlier, the weather for at least the remainder of this week agrees with me. I'll be out there...

What's Your 'Next?'

It doesn't matter if it's a 5K run, a half marathon, a century (100 mile) bike ride, or a 20 mile paddle. It's good to set goals. And it's good to dream big. Big goals push us to do more, they encourage us to accomplish that which we may have once thought impossible. Because your last 'next' is a building block for your 'next, next.' Having goals and dreams drives us to become more than we thought we could be. It doesn't matter what that first goal was, maybe it was stepping foot in a gym or going for a run, because it's a start. The start of something more. I remember the first time I crossed the 'wide' channel of Budd Inlet standing up. My second time paddleboarding in the Sound, on a borrowed windsurfing board, I didn't know if it'd even be possible. But it was. And now I sprint across that channel on a regular basis, each time trying to break my previous personal record. We all have personal goals, we just need to make sure they're realistic and attainable, or at the least, create actionable steps to get us closer to those goals. Me, I still hold a light for a paddle along the length of the Puget Sound. And I want to introduce as many people as I can to the wonder and beauty that is the Salish Sea. What's your "Next?"

Quick Workout Routes - Follow the Markers

With our days getting shorter and windows of decent weather becoming less frequent, I often find I just want a simple workout that I can do in less than an hour. By knowing the distance and repeating the route, I can compete with myself for time. One route I like to follow is along the channel and hazard markers north from Swantown Marina and back. I through in a little zigzag from Priest Point to the old floating log on the return for a little extra time too. It's just over two and half miles of paddling and depending on your goals and tempo, can be a 35-55 minute workout. Perfect for those days when you spot a little break in the clouds on the double doplar radar.

The Route in a Clockwise Fashion

Looking North with the Arc of Markers

Nearing the Turn Around Point

The Turn Around Point and Towards Priest Point

Impressive Ship, Still Proppant Cargo

A few posts ago, I wrote about the Port of Olympia receiving cargo from China that is destined for fracking in other places in the country. Well, it wasn't a one time incident. The Star Kilimanjaro is here, unloading more ceramic proppants. Sure it's bringing two day shifts to the Port, but again I ask, does our community want to participate in the potential enviromental disasters of other communities?

M/V Star Kilimanjaro

Someone Finally Turned Off the Faucet

We went from an amazingly dry extended summer to a drenched fall overnight. It's as if someone turned on a faucet and forgot to shut it off. Okay, maybe it hasn't been that bad, but after the summer we had, if feels like it. That's why it's so nice to be able to sneak out on a paddle with dry skies whenever you can.

Fall Colors at the Marina

Changing Leaves and Gray Skies - Fall in the Northwest

An Abundance of Jellyfish Remain -
this island stretched for fifty feet or more!

An Incredibly Dense Mat of Jellies

Homework, Pt. 1

Now that the rainy season has returned to the Pacific Northwest, it's time to start thinking about indoor conditioning for paddling.  I want to start introducing you to some SUP-specific movements you can do without a lot of equipment on those days when the weather takes a turn for the worse. 

The first two are both very similar movements and engage the shoulders, chest, and lats. Imagine the movement of your top hand as you complete a forward paddle stroke. Both of these movements simulate that. And the pulling of your lower hand as you paddle; these movements complement that as well. These two movements are essentially reverse pullovers. 

Exercise Number One: Position your hips and torso on the Fitball. Keep your core engaged. Start with a good stretch and reach. Pull your upper body through your arms while using your shoulders, chest, and lats. Return to the start by extending back on the ball. Eventually try to build exposiveness on the positive, return part of the movement.  3 sets of 10 - 15 repetitions.

To Start - Pull the Body Through

Finish - Return to Start

Exercise Number Two: On your knees, with your core engaged, slowly roll outward with the handwheel. Roll only as far as in comfortable. As you build strength you can extend further. Use your core, lats, and shoulders to return to the start. Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions.

Start - Keep the Core Engaged

Middle of Movement - Use Slow Control,  Extend Only as far as Comfortable

To Finish - Engage Core, Lats, and Shoulders and  Return to Start of Movement

Rowing and Stand Up Paddling

After talking with some local rowers, we came to the conclusion that stand up paddling is the perfect complement to the art of rowing. Using movements that complement  rowing, build balance, strengthen and stretch the hips, and the ability to work out when the weather and seas are rough are all reasons why cross training with a paddleboard is great for rowers. It seems that men in particular have a difficult time using their hips to 'roll' their shell over broadside wind waves and boat wake, and by forcing them to loosen their hips, paddleboarding in particular, helps them when in their rowing shell. Rowing is considered one of the best all around sports and activities, and with so many similar movements, stand up paddleboarding has to be a close second. Depending on your workout, both can require aerobic and anaerobic endurance, power, and balance, all while on the water. So for those of you who crew or enjoy sculling, when the weather is rough, I'd suggest going for a paddle while standing up. I promise it's better than looking at a wall while rowing on the Ergo. You'll just have to get used to not having to continually look over your shoulder. 

Baselines & Outliers

Because I hold a Master's degree in Clinical Nutrition, I hear it all the time. "You'd hate to hear what I ate yesterday." I may as well be a priest holding confessional. I find myself reassuring folks all the time,  it's not what you you every once in a while, it's what you do most of the time. I'm talking about your baseline - what you typically do 90% of the time. Do you typically eat well, get enough sleep, exercise regularly? If so, then that extra piece of dessert, late bedtime, or missed workout isn't going to be the end of you. I encourage folks to think of it in this way. Try not to hold yourself to an impossible ideal, just try to support your life's goals and values 90% of the time. Set and maintain your baseline in a way that feels in line with your lifestyle and values. Then the outliers won't seem so out of control. It's when the outliers become the norm that trouble begins to surface. And most of us know and recognize it too. Think of yourself as a high performance machine that needs high octance fuel and a lot of care and maintenance. You can get away with a little neglect now and then, or run some low-grade fuel, but if you try to do that all the time, your engine will start to sputter and stall. And you don't want that. Most of us know what we need to do to take good care of ourselves, whether as athletes or not, it's just taking the time and care to ensure that we do it.

Why Not an Omnium Race?

In the world of stand up paddleboard racing, there are sprint, circuit, and long distance races. Each requires a different set of strengths and skills. Sprints require raw power, circuit races demand paddling skill, while distance races necessitate both aerobic and anaerobic endurance. So I've been wondering, hasn't there been a race weekend that involves all three? A race series that awards points based on race placing and acknowledges the 'best' overall paddlers.

Sprint and circuit racing are both incredibly spectator friendly and would fare well in a waterfront-based city, perhaps one with a marina. I've never organized a race, but now that I think of it, Olympia seems like the perfect place for an omnium weekend. Between Portland and Seattle, two stand up racing hotbeds, and right off of I-5, maybe there is room for an omnium.

200m or 500m Race

Circuit Race

Distance Race

Omnium Potential?