Uphill

[Six Feet and Glassy]

Had one of those increasingly rare free mornings today.  The winds looked ripe for a downwinder.  But no one else could go.  So...remembering a story about Dave Kalama paddling upwind to train, I decided to do a little 6-mile loop in Kaneohe Bay; kind of a reverse "C", then straight back.  With the tradewinds,  I figured the first four miles would be quartering-, up-, and side-winds, then the last two a nice downwind finish.

OY VEY!!!  

Two hours and forty five minutes later,  I finished.

OY VEY!!!

Lots of whitecaps.  Even some occasional "streaking".  WTH?!?!?  Windchop looked like 6-8 feet apart, 1-2 feet high. Going over the papas (shallow little "islands" of coral/sand),  I could see that my "speed" was equivalent to those strongmen constests when they pull airplanes.  My new planing Foote Maliko 14' was trying, but she is just not meant for these conditions.  Maybe no standup is made for these conditions.  To minimize pounding/pitching, I found myself standing on the front of the deckpad.  This also helped keep me pointed upwind, although the fin/tail was partially in the air.  Any moving back and I was broaching (sp?) or getting turned downwind.  I also had to keep tacking so I wouldn't be directly into the wind/chop; adding to the distance.  Constantly having to adjust course to stay upwind, while fighting to stay standing, is EXHAUSTING.

I blocked out the cramping in my back and told myself, "I am Dave Kalama.  Breathe.".  

The cramping didn't stop, but I had a good laugh at myself.  

I made it to the "top" in two hours.  I did stop for water in the shelter of Coconut Island and at the "top" near the marine base entrance.  But that's an average speed of about two miles per hour.  Hah!!!

I learned today that reaching fully and keeping your tempo up are tantamount;  otherwise you start going backwards.  If anyone has tips for going upwind,  I'd sure appreciate hearing them!

I've heard it said that "Pain is just weakness leaving the body."  I have a void where all that weakness was.  And I'm filling it with beer.  

GOOD TRAINING!!!

(and Yes,  I had some coconut water after!)

[SEA]

Ken

   I tried this style of paddling two weeks ago. IT WORKS !!!  Into the wind is so easy this way. Your back needs to get used to it but it is something you can mix in with other techniques to give your body a rest.  The picture says it all, this way of paddling into the wind bent down and choking down on your paddle is incredibly efficient into the wind. Try it !!

[pdxmike]

SEA--I've been trying it after seeing Conner Baxter at the Hood River race, not necessarily to see how it works upwind, but to try to figure out what the possible benefit could be to paddling like that.  You're right--your resistance into the wind just drops dramatically, and you can really bear down with the lower hand gripping so close to the water.  You're right about your back needing to get used to it too.   

The photo you posted (from Hood River) is interesting too.  The guy behind Conner (don't know who it is) had just beautiful, powerful, classic form--if my stroke looked anywhere close to his I would be thrilled.  Yet he couldn't keep up with Conner and his idiosyncratic stroke.

[SoCalSupper]

that photo makes my lumbars weep!

[Six Feet and Glassy]

Howzit Scotty! 

Hah!  I DID try it the last time I went (before the epic one above) and couldn't believe how fast I went!  I think the speed comes mostly from the added power of gripping closer to the blade.  It was so easy, I felt like I wasn't "grabbing" the water well, but I could see that I was going fast.

But like you said, being hunched over and squatting is hard on the back and legs.  This isn't something you could use for extended periods.  It was also hard for me keeping the paddle oriented correctly.  Since you only have the round shaft in both hands (no handle), keeping the paddle straight is harder.  And it took me a while to find the right position while switching sides.  But I guess that would come with practice.

I could definitely see using it like Conner Baxter did in that video:  At the start of a race - for a short burst - just to get away from the pack.   Or for a sprint finish.

[pdxmike]

I had a taste of that uphill feeling on the return leg of the Hood River race:

[Six Feet and Glassy]

Hah!  Awwwsum photoshop work there, pdxmike!   

This must be fate.  I've been thinking of going shorter with my paddle since my epic the other day.  I took my surf paddle, which is shorter, because I figured i'd be spending more time going upwind and a shorter paddle would be better.  But I also noticed that the power it provided seemed to help me catch the micro bumps on the short downwind section.  It's no secret that Oahu doesn't have Maliko-sized bumps (well, nowhere really does, right?) and wind.

So I cut one of my distance paddles down, a little longer than halfway between my current distance and surf lengths.

We'll see...   I really wanna try it out, but there be surf now!   

[stoneaxe]

My absolute favorite workout is an upwind/downwind run. I'm not looking to go fast on the upwind portion, just keep a steady pace. I get some music going in my head that matches the tempo of the chop/waves and then time my strokes to the chop. i usually do loops, 1/2 mile or mile out into the wind and then turn and cruise back on the swells....rinse and repeat until your arms are falling off.

[PonoBill]

I've heard it said that "Pain is just weakness leaving the body."  I have a void where all that weakness was.  

What Kalama says is even scarier. He just looks straight at you and says "that's just a feeling".

Ah yes. The feeling that I'm not going to be able to lay down for five nights because my body cramps up when I do.