The past few days the onshore wind has been blowing in Plett. Unfortunately a SE means only one thing… Blue Bottles.
(A 3-year-old child of a friend had a perfect name for them: “Sting Bottles”!)
The one really good thing about the onshore wind is that it makes for super fun paddling conditions!
We paddled a super out and back with the wind paddle this arvo, I will post the footage soon. Here is the photo sequence of me managing to (unknowingly) fling one particularly long bugger over my head, and snag it on my ear, and then wrap it around my paddle and arm!
Getting it off is a tricky business. You don’t want to touch the blue string as it will burn you! You have to at some point, and balancing a tiny surf ski in the wind with no hands on your paddle is a sport within itself!
Hooked it on the left with my hair…
Now flicked it over my head and snagged on my ear!
Now the really tricky part, getting it off my paddle without getting stung again, and taking a swim in the deep blue sea!
All’s well that ends well!
I find the best treatment for Blue Bottle stings is ice!
“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself”.
How fast did 2011 pass you by? I can honestly say that this world we live in, has definitely increased its rotational speed over the years! Life is so busy these days, trying to fit in training, travelling, work, friendships, relationships, and family can really prove to be a challenge. So much so that I think we sometimes forget the reason why we even do things!
I am not one for New Year’s Resolutions, as I feel that every minute that passes is an opportunity to have a fresh start. As they say, if you are not making mistakes, you are not doing anything! However, my opening quote is a goodie! Instead of always trying to find who you are, how about becoming who you would like to be. Make sense? Set out those ideals of the type of person you would like to be, the goals you would like to achieve, how you would like to live, and go for it! Create yourself this 2012!
Usually at the end of the year I do a race highlights photo blog of the past year, so here is a belated attempt:
Winning the Perth Doctor Surf Ski race
Winning the Nelson Mandela Bay Ski Classic 3rd in a row
On my way to a win in the Plett Easter Games Ski Race
Won my first Swartlands River Marathon and SA River Championships
Winning the Durban World Cup
Won my first Berg. What an epic/long race!!
Won the US Champs
I got to visit Colorado after the US Champs race. I went on same amazing trail runs (altitude is hectic!) and SUP’d down the Colorado river, went on a rafting trip, experienced the best of the micro-breweries on offer, and even got to go to a Demolition Derby!
Then I picked up some wrist tendonitis and spent a frustrating (and expensive) few months going to physio, specialists and running!! At least my running as improved!
Fortunately I had done enough to win the OceanPaddler World Series for 2011!!
Besides the injury it has been a super year, and having the time off has been great, and has allowed me to focus on some other aspects of my life.
The running has also been good, and I haven’t had such a long paddling break in 8 years. 2012 was supposed to start with the Dusi, paddling with my Fish partner Robyn Kime but unfortunately that hasn’t worked out due to some conflicts with sponsors and unreasonable rules layed out.
So onwards and upwards, time to get back into my surf ski and do some amazing downwinds. 2012 is going to be great, and I am hoping for some new experiences, new races and new places!
Thanks to all my sponsors and dream givers for your support in 2011, Nelo Surf Ski’s, Knysna Racing Paddles and Kayaks, PVM Nutritional Sciences, Rudy Project Sunglasses, Thule, Garmin, New Balance Jeep Apparel. I am looking forward to a super 2012!
I mentioned in my last post that “The symptoms of my injury, and the warning signs were there ages ago. I chose to ignore them..” Let me elaborate. My symptoms early on (and hence warning signs) were exceptionally tight pectoral and anterior neck muscles (chest and the front of my neck), a bit of shoulder pain, and a burning pain across the back of my neck.
I stretched my chest and neck, saw the chiropractor to have my neck adjusted, and stopped during a lot of my long sessions to stretch. So “ignoring” was maybe a strong word. I didn’t ignore them, I just treated them. The symptoms. And they subsided. Slightly.
Besides all my athletes, I also coach myself, and I have found that my performance has improved since I took on “HeadCoach” position. No one knows your body like you do. I get as much input from other professionals as possible, but on the whole, I design my programs and sessions. And I think it works. Except when it comes to over-training and injuries. It’s really hard to tell when you have done too much, or need a change, or need to STOP. You sometimes need an objective view for this.
Back to treating the symptoms. Training for Berg and doing many 2-4 hour paddles, the neck pain would start after about an hour of paddling and only feel better when I stopped and stretched it. When I did more quality work, harder intervals and such, its presence was happily missed. The main difference between my cruise mode and speed mode is my technique. I feel that my technique is better when I sprint, and therefore my posture in the boat is too.
All paddlers are guilty of this, when at cruising speed, to slouch a bit, head leaning forward, and shoulders rounded. Stop, sit up, and open up that chest. Changing your technique when you paddle, and holding a better posture will make huge differences to your overall chances of picking up an injury, and, in the long run, make you go faster!
Don’t forget about your posture when sitting at your desk, texting/bbm’ing on your phone, watching TV and driving. It all counts!
I am spending a lot of time working on some basic movement skills, because imagine how strong my specialised skills are going to be, once my basics are at optimal again! I am also spending some time on increasing my shoulder mobility and stability.
I am very excited about 2012, and the very cool opportunities it has in store.
