For the USA Paracanoe team, the Lake Placid International Regatta was the team trials for the 2013 International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg, Germany. The top paddler in each event classification will represent USA Paracanoe at the world championship. Para-Paddlers are classified into three categories; Leg-Trunk-Arm (LTA), Trunk-Arm (TA), or Arm (A). Para-paddlers either paddle a kayak or a outrigger canoe for a distance of 200m.
My classification is TA. For all intents and purposes, the fastest time for a LTA & TA paddler have about one second difference between them. So I am aiming for LTA times to push myself to be faster and meet a higher standard.
The Trip
We started our journey to Lake Placid, NY at 8:30 a.m. on July 1st and arrived 20+ hours later at 4:00 a.m. July 2nd. Aside from the yelping dog at 6:00 a.m., we all crashed until noon. Tuesday became more of a scouting day to check out our launch site and make plans for Wednesday's training camp. This is our humble stake out throughout the event:
Wednesday: Day 1 of Training Camp
We focused on starts, which was something I needed to practice as this was the 4th time I had been in my new Nelo Paracanoe K1(PK1). Allan from the Gig Harbor club was coaching us that day and had some positive feed back for me, which was great. He said I had a lot of power with about a 110 stroke cadence, which was evident when I checked my data on my Garmin and I had peaked at 10.7 mph on one of my starts (~30 m total). So I was very pleased with the results.
Of course, the 4th time in the PK1 meant I was bound to flip and I did during one of my starts. More impressively, especially to my fellow parapaddlers, I rolled her back upright only to flip again when I reached for my Carolina hat, priorities. This is what happens when you put a sea/whitewater paddler into a kayak.
Thursday: Day 2 of Training Camp
We did 5 x 100 m sprints after paddling the full length of the 1000 m course. I must say Mirror Lake, which main street Lake Placid borders, is the cleanest lake I have ever paddled. You could see the boulders 4 feet down as if they were on the surface, which is a far cry from Lake Crabtree that requires giving my PK1 a good cleaning after every paddle.
Friday: Day 3 of Training Camp
We did 3 x 100 m sprints down the lanes at about 80% effort, several sprint starts, and called it a day.
Race Day: July 6
I had a hard time getting to sleep Friday night, missing my family and visualizing my starts off and on all night. I was even dreaming about them. Saturday morning was no different, I was nervous and anxious about flipping on my first race. My first race was at 9:50, which may have been too much time to ponder...I just wanted get the first one over.
1st Race
At 9:30, I paddle out and check in with the start boat, which was followed by some warm up pacing to get the heart rate up. We are called to the race line, I am holding my PK1 center of the lane as a slight breeze nudges her to the left, draw stroke, draw stroke, announcer "lane 4 [me] move up", "lane 4 & 5 hold, lane 6 back", "hold your boats", "Ready, Set, horn blast", my heart is pumping, adrenaline flowing. I have a great start. I see no one in my peripheral vision, buoys are passing faster and faster. My boat begins to veer, I correct it, but I over compensate. I edge to correct her...it is working. Then, I have a mis-stroke and I feel the PK1 going over. I slap a low brace and recover, but I know that my race now is no longer about being the #1 TA, it is about finishing strong. I say a choice "word" and focus on recouping my speed and finishing my first race upright. I fumble a little at the 190m mark, perform a corrective stroke, and push my boat through the finish. First race complete and upright, though my emotions were flowing. This was not the race I wanted, but I completed it successfully in 1:00.49 (US Paracanoe National Standards). My big mistake would not reveal itself until my second race.
2nd Race
The nervousness is gone and now I am pumped. We are called to our lanes. I pace forward and backward to keep the heart pumping - announcer "paddlers to the line...Ready, Set, horn blast". I have another great start, but the kayak begins to veer, but I am able to edge her to correct her. The edging leads to a mis-stroke, so I pull on my foot to gain control. My foot floats from the foot board, and my grand mistake for both races is revealed: I forgot to strap my foot into the foot board to maximize my stability, power and control! At this point I want to finish the race upright, so I cruise to the finish the last 15 meters. I have accepted that my time for this race will be at least 1:10 to 1:15, but I was wrong, my time was 1:02.93.
My Reflection
Once the emotions subside and I receive reassurance from my coach and other parapaddlers, I realized that this was a good first race. Since this was my 7th time in my new K1, I did very well adjusting to a K1 less stable than the one I have been practicing in for the previous 3 months. My 2nd race, which I thought was terrible, was only a little more than 2 seconds slower than my first. So with more practice in my new K1, honing my outfitting, adapting rudder control (thanks to advice from my fellow parapaddler, Nick Miller), and remembering to strap that foot into the footboard or replacing it with a pull bar to ensure a solid grip; I should see times below 50 seconds within the next year.
The best result from the race was meeting my fellow parapaddlers: Greg, Ann, Nick, David, Megan, Kelly, and Bob, who have all overcome adversity to accomplish their goals. Moreover, my teammate, Carol Rogers, from Bridge II Sports Parakayak team made the national team heading to Duisburg, Germany.
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