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This training series focuses on short-term gain for a specific event. In the 4-6 weeks prior to an event, you can only impact so much. Course knowledge, a bit of technique, improving short-burst power, and race length familiarity comprise the main areas you can impact fast. I also share some common sense tips that many people just don’t think of that catch up with them on race day. In this article, I’ll introduce the elements and give you some tools to set up a training calendar. In the next week, I’ll cover more information on most of these elements.
1. What training should you be doing?
- Learn the course inside and out- Where do you start? Where do you stop? The better you know all the lines the better you will perform. Get on the course as much as you can. For the weekend warrior, that may be only once or twice a week leading up to the race, so make the most of your time out there and get to know it well. (more on this later)
- Train for power – you can impact power even with just a month before the competition. Schedule 2 – 3 power sessions a week. I like 10 sec – 30 sec. x 5 – 10 reps x 3 sets. Give yourself good rest between sets. (more on this later)
- Train for race length – If you are shooting for 5 or 7 minutes as your race time do 2 race length workouts a week. 3 x 5-7 mins is a common race length workout.
- Add in core body workouts and yoga most days. A strong core is fast and looks sexy.
- Schedule rest days – 1 – 2 a week. Go with how your body feels, remembering that almost everyone over-trains.
- Longer gentler paddles are great for stretching out a sore body during this type of training.
- Work on your forward stroke! (check extra credit below)
- Know your boat well – The more you paddle in the boat you are going to compete in the better your performance will be.
- Now make a calendar and do the work!
2. Make a Calendar of your training. Consider these tips and the other clutter of your life as you lay out the time you have between now and the event. When will you do sprints, power, course runs, rest days, visualizations? When will you run, lift weights, stretch, yoga, etc. Schedule it out and make the time. In a lot of ways, this is the hardest part to me. If I have committed to making a calendar of my training sessions, I am much more likely to do the work.
3. Can you visualize the course? The more of the course you can visualize the better you will know the course…duh. The other cool part of visualization is that you are getting more practice time on the course (mental practice time) which can come in handy if you are a weekend warrior who is only going to be able to get on the course a limited amount. I try to visualize the course while I am doing my flatwater race-length workouts.
4. Plan your race day ahead of time so you don’t have that stress on you just before the race. Where will you stay? What boat will you be paddling? (does the color match your helmet?) What gear will you wear? (And while I’m at it, follow the number one rule of kayaking, “Never separate from your gear!”) When, where, and what will you eat? What time will you show up at the takeout? Where will you have dry clothes, food, beverages during race day? Planning these basics out prevents you from wasting energy on race day running around like a chicken trying to figure it all.
5. Be careful of hand and forearm stress during this short intense training run. Most people tend to overdo it and end up with tendonitis or other injuries that limit their ability to train and race. Take time off or train in ways that don’t stress the tired joints and muscles. Running, lifting, etc… will keep your progression moving forward. They don’t keep that close-knit connection to the kayak but they build your overall strength.
Extra Credit: Check out this forward stroke video. I really like it for several reasons. It clearly shows the body rotation and emphasizes the catch of the stroke as you put it in the water, as well as a short stroke, and a clean recovery. Some aspects don’t apply to a whitewater paddler because of the different paddle shape and flat water, but if you can incorporate some of this into your stroke you will only be a more powerful and efficient paddler.