Training for longer races/paddles without neglecting the family

[bretrwarner]

I was hoping the wealth of knowledge out there could help me put together a training schedule. I signed up for the distance race at the Race the Lake of the Sky in late June, and ideally would like to keep up the longer paddles/races.  Having not raced longer than 8 miles before though I am not sure of the best way to get ready, especially with work and family also being factors. I teach high school so work is only an issue until late May, but tips on staying in summer shape once the school year starts again would be cool too, especially with the 100 mile paddle in socal being an eventual goal. Just maybe not this year.

Thanks,
Bret

[hbsteve]

Find some workouts that you enjoy (?) off the water.  Are there any stairs  that you can climb.  Something that you can do even 10 or 15 minutes at a time helps.  Yes, it's not ideal.  But those few minutes are a lot better than nothing.
As mentioned elsewhere in the last few days, work on your balance.

[headmount]

Find some workouts that you enjoy (?) off the water.  Are there any stairs  that you can climb.  Something that you can do even 10 or 15 minutes at a time helps.  Yes, it's not ideal.  But those few minutes are a lot better than nothing.
As mentioned elsewhere in the last few days, work on your balance.

Better than nothing is so true.  We have had some stay inside weather for a bit and when I went out for a run two days ago, I felt like a spaz.  Even little lay offs can be erosive, especially as you age.

[SaMoSUP]

That 14 mile race in Tahoe can be tricky if you're not used to the altitude. I'd get some high altitude workouts in as well, not necessarily SUP, to see how your body works under those conditions.

[addapost]

I tend to be a broken record when it comes to these things but I am a huge fan of high intensity interval training (HIIT) using some form of resistance exercise. Also called cardio-vascular strength training. The kind of shape you can get yourself into (BOTH muscular strength and cardio vascular) is incredible. Look it up, google it, there are lots of great vids and info out there. Better yet, find a qualified personal trainer and pay him or her for a few sessions to get your feet under you and get you going. You can use any type of strength/resistance exercises you want, body weight calisthenics, free weights, kettlebells, machines, resistance bands, trx suspension, etc. but basically you do fast paced circuits of heavy resistance exercises, with very little rest in between sets, for between 30 minutes and an hour. A common mistake is to go too easy, use too light resistance or rest too long between sets. For full effect, you should be pretty close to puking the whole hour. Sounds fun, I know! BUT, for a time investment of 4-5 hours a week, there is nothing that will get you in better shape. The efficiency is unbelievable. Good luck.

[bretrwarner]

Several things I would not have thought about.
Balance, interval and altitude were all further back in my mind then they should have been.
Thanks again

[Bulky]

Great thread.  I'm always interested to hear what suggestions people have because I've got work and four kids with lots of activities and one with pretty significant health needs.  I've landed on AM workouts because after work things get too crazy with practice pickups, etc.  Not to mention, there's always a thing or two that delays my departure from the office so that workout time gets so cut back that it's easier to just chuck it and go home.

I'm sure there's a lot of specific training I could be doing (weights, etc), but I just go paddle.  I've come to realize that an important part of my recreation is the actual activity I'm doing.  I can get exercise on the elliptical so I get the physical benefit but nothing mental.  I need to be on the water.  Even doing some workout that would improve my paddling isn't a priority--I'm not trying to do this professionally.  I enjoy it.

I live 5min away from the put-in spot so hopefully you've got something nearby.  Every morning if I can.  I've gotten to a place in life where I don't sleep that late--start stirring at 4:30am.  Up before 5am, sit for a bit of devotional reading and coffee, give my son his rounds of medication and get him ready for the day and then I'm off to the water before 6am.  I can usually get in an hour and be at my desk by 7:30/8am. (but I'm the boss with more flexibility than a school teacher would have.)

Getting a workout in means preparation the night before--the board's on the car with a can of water for me to rinse off (in the winter I fill it in the AM so I can have hot water).  Work clothes are packed and ready.  Leaving even a little detail like this for the AM leaves an opening to skip the workout.

I can usually get in at least 4 mi and on days where I've got a little extra time, as much as 6.  If weekends allow, I'll try to get in 10mi (but kid fun often makes weekends more busy than the weekdays).  I'm not maintaining an active race schedule--hopefully that will come at a later stage in life--but I'll do a couple and I am easily in the best shape I've ever been. 

You've already gotten the best advice from previous posters.  Even if it's just a little bit, go and do something.  I remember reading that on some list of training secrets of really fit people.  Most everyone of them said they'd do something even if they only had 15min--which previously would have meant not working out. 

Go for it!

[breakbad]

This: http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=19911.0

Tabata, HIIT stuff. Go

[PonoBill]

I like the P90X stuff, especially the new 30 minute version which is essentially HIIT-style. I find when I do workouts by myself that I tend to wander and don't work that hard. Just be sure to resist all the other crap they try to sell you and don't accept any "free trial" stuff like shake mix or supplements. My wife does the workouts with resistance bands, I use free weights and a pullup bar. We do it together. It's not a huge leg workout, but you don't really need that for your goal. You can work it at the level you choose and ramp up. A thirty minute P90X will leave you drenched with sweat, with that sweet soreness that says you did something good.

[Off-Shore]

With a young family myself I know where you are time wise. The simplest most effective short term work out I have done is one I learnt from a friend who has paddled M2O multiple times. 25 burpees in sets of 5 followed by a 2 mile (3.2km) run and then 25 more burpees... Do 5 days a week. Best shape to I've been in ever. No equipment needed.

http://youtu.be/c_Dq_NCzj8M

[PDLSFR]

I've faced this dilemma the past 2 years training for the Cape Cod Bay Challenge and my answer, just try early morning workouts and paddling sessions. Make sure you make every free minute count when it comes to quality time with family. Plan fun things to do together that you can look forward to and make sure that your giving them extra attention whenever possible. It's a balancing act, but you still need "your time" and as long as they know your doing this not only for fun but to stay in shape, which means a healthier you, and that benefits them in the long run.

Like Bill said, P90X is great and only takes an hour or less a day, fit than in with your running and paddling and quality family time and your golden !!

[SpecialK]

Here is my take on the issue from last year's experience:

https://showerboyproductions.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/how-to-paddle-a-long-way/

(This is the kind of stuff you think about when you're on the water alone for 4 hours)

[CascadeSup]

^^^  loved this, great writing.  Everyone should read this.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

What I do as a teacher is try to fit basically a one-hour workout into my afternoon. It might be some time at Planet Fitness in the winter. As soon as the damn weather permits (any day now!) I'll have a board permanently on top of my car. I've timed a couple of good runs, each depending on how much time I've slotted to the workout. If time is short, I can do a quick run with workouts on the board. Try stretches, push-ups, sit-ups, planking and such on your board to make it more intense. I also try going at a faster cadence than normal if the workout will be short, or I focus on certain parts of my stroke. That makes the workout more vigorous.

I think it's cool to keep the board on top of the car. Your students will get interested.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[natas585]

Keep it simple.  Lots of ways to get it done.  Since it's my day job to get athletes better and performing optimally I'll share a few quick suggestions.  Strength is very important and tends to get pushed to the side in favor of more oxidative type workouts. The athlete than can hold a better position (form) longer can be more efficient at the skill longer.  What that means is they will  be able to practice good skill longer and more often and they will be also able to perform that skill longer and go faster/longer in a more efficient manner in a stressed situation/race. All of those things will bring about improvements in performance.  When you fatigue your form degrades and your efficiency goes down.  Remember these are things that can bring about the most improvement with the least amount of time invested.  There are many ways to increase performance this is just one.  For paddling I would recommend doing more interval work to improve your conditioning and skills.  Short, med, long intervals. Always check your progress with time trials, either shorter races or pick a distance and test it every other week.  I do for myself 2 mile time trials. I do that because I don't want to crush myself and the only time I train more than 3 miles ever is if I need to check my race hydration/nutrition schedule.  Simple not necessarily easy.  Yes this is akin to HITT style training. I can fit all my gym workouts into 30 minutes or less, usually 15-20mins.  My paddles are 12 mins to 35 mins of workout time not counting warm up and cool down.  Shoot for 3-4 paddles and 3-4 gym workouts per week for a maximum total of 4 hours of training.  Most busy people can squeeze that in to a week.  Granted more time may equal more benefits but most of the improvement can come from this amount if done consistantly and smart.  Do that by focusing on things in this order of importance: sleep, nutrition, training.  In your training in this order: skill, intensity, volume.  Good luck and have fun experimenting.