Final Olympic Selection

The Pan American championships and final Olympic Qualifier are in the bag and it was an intense three days of racing. I was successful in earning my fifth Olympic birth but in retrospect going to selection directly from a training camp in Beijing might not have been the best idea I have ever had. The amount of travel and the intensity of training in Beijing made being race ready very difficult.

Still I was able to have solid runs and had a very consistent weekend. I was very impressed with the level of paddling displayed by the other Canadians, I did not expect that level of competition and I think it bodes well for the future of slalom in Canada. The days where I could arrive as I did this year without having done any race specific lactic work or really any speed work to speak of are long gone. The level has risen to the point where the Canadian National team trials are a formidable event that must be taken as seriously as any other major competition. This is a big step for our program.

Now it is time to buckle down and focus on getting into that ever important race shape, converting all of the technical work into a fit and fast racing mode. May will be spent working hard on strength, speed and the lactic system before heading back to Beijing at the end of the month for a technical camp. I am looking forward to sharpening the tip of the sword and seeing just how fast I can push the new model.

Pan Am Championships

After a very intense week in China on the Olympic course I find myself once again in Charlotte North Carolina for the Pan American Championships and final Olympic Qualifier. The time on the course in Beijing definitely set me up well for the difficult conditions here on the Charlotte course, the river in Beijing is a monster and everything here feels a little bit more manageable. I am looking forward to the events.

Renowned Irish film maker Eoin R Speilberg produced a short video of me from our February training camp which you can find at this link. It will give you an idea of the difficulty here on the course in Charlotte.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7z0xQST8tA

Racing

Our most recent camp in Charlotte North Carolina ended with an international competition with athletes from Canada, the USA, Europe and South America. As always the course was challenging and there were many spills and thrills.

 

I was happy with my competition considering our priority is still squarely set on training. The volume was quite intense with all of our paddling sessions for the two week period being out on the whitewater. The gym work also compounded the stress on our bodies and by the time the race came around we were dragging our feet a little bit.

 

I have been struggling with my first runs in the early races this year so I wanted to be sure that I was as precise as possible and attack the first run. I have been working very hard with my coach Han Bijnen to create a solid platform to race from and while it was a little mechanical I was happy that I was able to execute the model quite well. I finished the first run in first place, right where I need to be.

 

Second runs saw the wind pick up a little and the fatigue set in as well. Still I had a solid run with one mistake near the bottom, good enough to take first place, my first win of the season. You can check out video of my first run at the following link:

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1431817087735249090

 

Now it is a little time at home before heading to Beijing for a camp on the Olympic course before returning to Charlotte NC for the Pan Am championships at the end of April. I will be putting my head down and working hard to get some intense training done and in the bank for later in the year.

 

NEW BOATS

I have just received a new boat from Galasport and I am amazed at how identical the cut is. I measured it against my other new boat that arrived in November and most of the measurements are identical and those that are different are only out by 1mm. I am curious to get them both out on the water and see how they feel, it will be hard to decide which one to leave in Beijing without really having time to test them both. It’s a good position to be in to have two great new boats to choose from.

Home

Home again, for a night or two at least. Australia was a great camp despite the unseasonably cold and rainy weather and I feel like the work I did with Han was extremely valuable. Everything feels like it is moving in the right direction. Next up is a camp in Charlotte and then off to Beijing for a camp before returning to Charlotte for the final Olympic selection event and the Pan Am championships. Those frequent flyer miles just keep on piling up.

World Series Race #1

2008 has started in earnest with the qualifier for the first World Series event in the bag. In the men’s kayak class 110 competitors started the race with no fewer than 5 past and present world champions and the reigning Olympic champion as well. It is by far the best World Series start line to date.

 

My day started with a solid run marred by one bad split section and a touch. I felt good during warm up despite the early 8:17 am start time but was not quite on my A game. Fabien Doerfler of Germany led the first runs and I was quite happy to have most of my splits on pace with his.

 

Second runs I was much more within myself and tried to go for controlled precision and had one of those effortless runs. There were a few places I probably should have pressed a little bit harder but I wanted to test the waters on my pacing model and stuck to my plan. I managed to move up to 7^th place for the day and my time was good enough for one of the fastest on the day, in fact if you double my second run time it would have won the competition by over 1.5 seconds. Not a bad start.

 

Tomorrow is the semi final and the A and B final so it will be a full day of racing. I am curious to see how things will shake out.

Where is the sun?

While I must admit it is better for training, coming all this way for cloudy weather is not really the point. Still it is good to be training down here again with lots of really fast paddlers from all over the world. With the World Series starting here in only a couple of weeks it will be fun to get back into the competitive groove.

 

The course here which was used for the 2000 Olympic Games has been modified significantly taking advantage of the design features which allow for the obstacles to be moved quite easily. The course has significantly more texture in what I assume is an attempt to emulate the conditions in Beijing. Having spent so much time here it will be good to have a slightly different environment to paddle on.

Race 1

Last night was race one of the double header and it was held under the lights. The spectators were treated to fires lit on the river bank and John Hastings rocking the PA, it was a great atmosphere.

The first run was tough for me, I had some trouble adjusting to the lighting and my depth perception was a little out of whack. My second run was much better and I was able to move into second place. It was a surprisingly international field with paddlers from Canada, USA, Ireland, Great Britain, Chile etc.

Today is race number two and I am looking forward to some natural lighting.

All is well, its summer here!

It seems that I have no long lasting effects from the car accident and training has been going very well. Today the temperature has gone past 25 degrees C and its still not even noon. Life out on the water is a lot of fun when its this warm in December.

Car Accident

Our first day on the course went by fairly well with the time spent acclimatizing to the river and the conditions. With the course only being on from 12pm to 5pm, the time between sessions is not ideal.

 

The excitement of the day came after dinner when on the way home we were hit by a driver who didn’t see us, wrecking both cars and shaking up everyone involved. The Toyota Prius we were driving did not deploy the air bags which is a little bit scary but thankfully everyone is okay if quite sore. I was in the back seat and didn’t actually see it coming and was lucky to be leaning to the side so I did not hit my head, Jim was not so lucky and took a pretty solid nock. I am curious to see how my body feels in the morning.

 

Back in the USA

Today is the start of another two week camp here in Charlotte. After the snow we had in Canada I am looking forward to warmer temperatures and some good training.

 

I will keep you posted and hopefully post a few pics as well.

Gold Medal Plates

What an amazing evening. Gold Medal Plates has become the must attend Olympic fund raiser and the sold out event in Vancouver surely demonstrated why that is the case. Twelve of Vancouver's best Chefs squared off against each other and the result was tasty indeed . The true winners of the evening however had to be Olympic athletes as the proceeds raised go to the Olympic Excellence fund which aids Olympians across the country in there preparation for upcoming Games. I was inspired by the enthusiasm in the room and had the opportunity to mingle with old friends and make some great new ones as well. I can't wait for next years event.

Daylight savings?

It is getting harder and harder to do the number of workouts in a day that my schedule calls for and still have enough light to see what you are doing. As the light faded during my workout yesterday afternoon I started to have to guess where the rocks and waves were. When I looked up after one run down the top section I noticed the coach having to use the LCD screen on the video camera to light up his clipboard so he could see the times that he was writing down. That definitely made me wonder if being out on a whitewater river at that time of day really made sense. Maybe being able to see where you are going is over rated anyway, I will let you know.

Back in the swing of things

Home again after a great camp in Beijing. It was nice to get on the course for a couple of weeks and not have to worry about volume accumulation. The course has changed a little bit since the pre Olympic race in august and will likely stay in flux until June some time. I was amazed at how very little changes to the configuration of the obstacles really changed the flow dynamics. With the river being so challenging it is difficult to get used to a certain section and then have it changed from the morning to afternoon workout. Hopefully things wont change too often out there.

My legs are finally starting to recover from the riding in Beijing. Foreigners are not able to easily rent cars so we were left with either paying through the nose for a shuttle to the course or riding a bike back and forth a few times a day. With a bike costing only around 20 Euro's the choice was clear. We encountered some bewildered locals as we rode by every day.

It was strange to be the lone Canadian at the camp in Beijing, and while it would have been nice to have team support there I think the work that Eoin and I did with Jim Jayes was extremely productive.

Now it is back to the grind stone, lots of volume in the gym and on the different energy systems on both white water and on flat water. Hopefully the weather will hold here until travel starts again in December to Charlotte and OZ in January and February.

World Championships

Another World Championships has come and gone and this one did not disappoint. Unfortunately the organization was what we all expected here in Brazil and the weather opened up with a torrential down poor but in the end the racing by the medal winners was intense and inspiring.

 

The qualifier was very interesting for me as I went out on my first run and left my brain in the start gate. After dipsydoodling my way down the course and accumulating six seconds in penalties I found myself in 52^nd position. As only 40 boats qualify for the semi final I had my work cut out for me on second runs. My coach Jim Jayes reminded me that I had been in this same position before and we went to work to craft a better second run. Strangely I was quite confident heading into my second run and while still staying in the middle of the gates and not risking anything I was able to put down a top ten run and qualify. I almost threw it away at the finish line though when I caught a boil and went too far to the right and had to stop dead to avoid a pile of rocks, I lost over two seconds and in retrospect should have just paddled over the rocks.

 

I felt good for the first run of the final, the course looked good and I was feeling confident after my second run in the qualifier. Unfortunately I had to start early because of my trouble in qualifying and that meant I didn’t get to see how fast some of the flush gates were running. Coupled with the fact that I was in the Semi final alone and had to be somewhat conservative to ensure that I qualified a nation spot for Canada for next years Olympic Games. The run went fairly smoothly although I lost some time in gate six and in gate nine. In gate 19 the wind blew the pole into my arm and that touch was the kicker. Even with the conservative paddling I would have been just outside of the final in 11^th place but the penalty dropped me down to 20^th. At the moment it looks like I qualified the last nation spot available at these world championships so at least that goal has been achieved.

 

Looking forward I am off to China in October to train on the Olympic Venue, it looks like I will be making the trip alone as no team staff are going to support me there. I had a lot of fun on the Beijing course and it will be a great opportunity to spend a few weeks dialing in some Olympic specific technique.

 

While this season wasn’t quite what I wanted with the food poisoning at the world cup and not making the final for the world championships, there were still some highlights. Finishing 6^th in the overall for the World Series which was held on water more like the Olympic Venue than the World Cup and 5^th at the Pre Olympics definitely instills some confidence that with the right type of preparation for next year, anything is possible.

A little late, sorry!

Here I am in Brazil writing a blog about the trip to China. It felt a bit like a mad rush getting home from China and preparing for the biggest event of the year down here in Brazil, but more about that in the next post.


China was a fun and successful tour and while I was happy with my top five result I still felt like I left quite a bit out there on the course. A four second surf in the hydraulic mid way down the course definitely cost me a medal but all in all the race was a good indication that things are moving in the right direction.


Our time in China was not just about the river, we had the chance to get out and about town and thanks to the Canadian Olympic Committee we were able to see some very cool sites in style. It is very difficult to rent a car in China so were reliant on buses and taxis, below is our crew heading into town to visit the silk market and pick up some made to measure suits that we all had purchased. I was happy to be on the bus as traffic is intense and full contact and the street signs are impossible to read as they are in Chinese characters.

We also had the chance to visit the Great Wall. This was an inspiring trip that started with a bus ride, followed by a trip up to the wall on an old ski lift. The wall is amazing as it snakes through the country side, to think when it was made and the overall size of it boggles the mind.

We spent about an hour up on the wall trying to get as far along it as we could. It was very hot and the group was a sweaty mess when we decided we had gone as far as we dared for a rest day. Looking on along the wall we hadn't even made a dent. The trip down was on a metal toboggan ride and was done at much higher speeds then were recommended, putting Olympic athletes on something like that is probably asking for trouble.

The course itself is state of the art and impressively ready to go. In past Games the venue has been under construction until almost the day of the official competition and to have the venue for Beijing finished is a testament to the seriousness of China's will to host the best games ever. I was very happy with the course and while it needs some tweaking it is fun, continuous and difficult. I will enjoy spending time on it over the next year.

We share our venue with the Rowing lake and Sprint facility and everything is very green and quite nicely set up. The buildings are well appointed and offer boat storage, change rooms and team areas for rest and video analysis. The competition was also well attended by local crowds that clapped very politely for the paddlers as they made their runs. It reminded me of a golf tournament with a subdued golf clap.

Typically at the Olympic Games there are lots of rules, regulations and security. This event was no exception as it was the official pre Olympic event. I was not surprised to see high security check points and accreditation's for everyone entering the venue. I was surprised though at some of the directions and requirements inside of the venue, including an area specifically designated for "Kissing and Crying", I didn't get a chance to use this area but I will be there quite a bit over the next year so you never know.


The flight home was comfortable and non eventful. The airport in Beijing was another story though. We were ushered through by officials and did not have to wait in any lines, but I met one woman returning to Canada that had to wait for almost four hours in various lines to navigate the airport to get to the departure gate.


We have several training windows between now and the Games and I am looking forward to both learning more about the course, and learning more about Beijing and the Chinese people.

China

We are not in Kansas anymore Toto!

The flight over was uneventful and almost comfortable as a few of us were upgraded to the new Air Canada "pod" business class. Isolated in your own little pod with a TV and a seat that goes flat to form a bed the eleven hour flight literally flew by. To Air Canada's credit they made no fuss over our equipment and we had all of our boats arrive safe and sound.

The drive to the course and our hotel was only a short distance on brand new multi lane divided hi way but for some reason our bus driver stuck to a 60 km/hr speed limit and it took forever. Our venue is next to the rowing venue and we share the same entrance gate, the Junior Rowing world championships are on as an Olympic test event and there is a definite Olympic feel to the place with security screening and lots of walking.

We were all very anxious to see the whitewater venue and it didn't disappoint. I was very surprised to see that our venue is practically fully complete and ready to go. In the past we have trained in a construction zone right up to the last minute and to have the site ready a year out is impressive.

The course itself is a gem, fast, steep and continuous, it is a real test of paddling skill and concentration. We have had six sessions out there and it has been a lot of fun, if a little tiring. The drops are big but manageable and this course is one of only three in the world that turns clockwise, something you don't really notice on the water but an interesting side note. I will post some pictures of the course and the venue in the next few days.

Today we are going to the Great Wall, I am very curious to see this wonder of the world and my body is welcoming the rest day.

Pieces of the Puzzle

Performance not only requires having all of the pieces of the puzzle, but also putting all of the pieces into place at the right moment. In the semi final in Tacen I had the pieces but after hitting my stern in the top drop and almost missing the first upstream I was reminded that having the pieces counts for nothing if you cannot use them properly.

 

Now we are in Augsburg getting ready for the last world cup of the season and it feels like summer has left us and a good Chilliwack winter has replaced it. My week will be spent dialing in the quirks of the course here and trying to find a solution to my inconsistency of late. Right from the start the focus was on the world championships in September but now there isn’t much else left.

 

One stroke at a time!

Tacen Qualification

A beautiful day in Slovenjia welcomed us to the river today for the qualification event at the second stop of the world cup circuit. I had a good week of training recovering from the food poisoning of last weekend. The week started well with a good day of training with the team head coach Michal and the other mens kayaks. I also worked one on one with Jim Jayes working on the missing pieces in the puzzle that have been nagging me of late. Heavy rains on Wednesday raised the water levels on Thursday cancelling training for the day and providing higher than normal water levels for the training slots on Friday. The increased flow made for a fun last day before the competition but unfortunately a return to normal flows for the race means quirky surges and the need for complete focus and the willingness to work hard.

 

I had a good night last night which was welcome after last weekends antics and left for the river in good spirits and feeling refreshed. Demos showed a fair but tricky course and I was excited to get my turn out there. Warm up went well and I spent a lot of time mentally rehearsing the course and patterning the pacing model that I would need to paddle the way I want to paddle from now on.

 

My run started a little rough as I was slightly off line going down the very large first drop on the course, I was slightly low heading into gate two which was the first upstream. Fortunately I had done my homework and I was quickly back online and had a very solid and comfortable run. I crossed the line in first place by more than two seconds and was only beaten in the end by Peter Kauzer who was the last paddler to come down the river.

 

I must say that it felt very good to have a run go well after so many runs that have not gone to plan lately. I was able to stick to my race plan and pacing model and to be rewarded is a great boost to my confidence in what I have been working on of late. There is a long way to go this year with the World Championships being the focus and this run was a great step in a positive direction.

 

My second run started extremely well, I fixed my mistake in the first drop and was quickly into gate two, unfortunately I was caught off guard by the surge in gate three and was surfed across the river having to react quickly and sprint back to make gate four. This cost me in excess of six seconds and left me very cautious the rest of the way down the course. With the strength of my first run I was still able to qualify in 23^rd place and with the exception of gate four the rest of the run was very solid.

 

Scott Parsons of the US won the qualifier with a very fast second run over home town favorite Peter Kauzer. The course map for tomorrows final looks very difficult and the stage is set for a very exciting race.

Rough Day

It would be easy to blame today on the food poisoning, and to be honest I am really not sure how much that played in today’s result, but the reality is I raced incredibly poorly, again. I watched John Hastings narrowly miss the final with a blazingly fast run finishing in 11^th place, a personal best for him. This was a clear indication to me of where I should be finishing and has inspired me to work hard to return to form.

 

I have come to the realization that I have been working on trying to become a paddler that isn’t me, and that I need to return to the strengths that allowed me to deliver good solid and consistent performances when it counted most. Somewhere in trying to modify my technique I have lost myself and my confidence. Re-building will be a challenge but with Beijing only a year away the time to start getting back on track is right now.