DW 2012 starts tomorrow
I'm not racing this year, I'm one of the volunteers
I do hope to be racing next year though
This is my last post for 2012, good luck to everyone taking part
Tom
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Game on
235 days to go
Today I joined a gym and started a positive move towards the DW
Let's see how we go!
Today I joined a gym and started a positive move towards the DW
Let's see how we go!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Cheshire Ring 2011
My day started early on Saturday the 25th June 2011. I got my taxi to Heathrow at 06:30 and my flight left prompt at 07:55- unusual for Heathrow. I arrived 15 mins early!
Mark collected me from Manchester airport. The start was difficult to find but we got there and met Michael. Graeme had already started on the first section.
The race was billed as:
The toughest UK flat water race?
I get sceptical with claims like that, it all seemed very civilised. There were no public school children parents telling everyone to get out of their wat because Tarquin & Rupert are more important!
Graeme
My first section was through Manchester city centre. It started with a long portage because of building works on the canal. I had several portages where the canal goes under the city. My orifactory senses were given the delights of gentlemen participating in the consumption of Tennants Super and it's results!
Some of these portages were more difficult than any portage on the DW but I survived. I pushed on through the city where I paddled along with a lady. This was good because the lack of other boats meant gauging progress was difficult. We went past Old Trafford and through Sale where Graeme took over from me.
Mark
My next section was more difficult than my first. At first I was blasted by the heat from the sun and then there were several high and exposed sections with that joyous headwind that everyone was commenting on. I wasn't too pleased with my progress on this section. On the next section a communication breakdown meant we lost mark and 10 mins time. Lessons to be learnt!
My next section was at night. This was the most difficult so far for me. Along the road the street lights were of some use, however, there were several factories with spotlights that blinded. As I got further out into the countryside and got my night vision it was easier. But this didn't last long as various bouts of light pollution destroyed it and as I came to a bridge right after a supernova I was right against the grass.
I got a little sleep through the night, in reality it was less than an hour. My final section was 11 miles from the end. There were no portages but two low bridges. I left the same time as another K1 but got a better start and because I was gunning for a Banbury K1 that I started to make ground on but then started to pull away I paddled to exhaustion. I really did feel sick at the end of this stage but gained 5 mins over 5km on the K1 that left the same time as me.
Michael took the penultimate section, caught and passed the Banbury K1. He put in another excellent section and gained us so much time. The final section was down to Graeme to keep the lead Michael had given us and not lose time.
He didn't just do this, he did it admirably!
Our original projected time was 22hr. Our final time was 21hr 24 mins. I was so pleased with this. Personally I thought I had lost us a lot of time over night but to come in so much under the target I am really pleased with.
The Cheshire ring differs from the DW in that I was a paddler, support crew and driver! In a lot of ways I agree with them that this is the toughest flatwater race. DW has never hurt me this much! There was a small field of less than 20 boats, I now understand why. The spirit between teams was different to DW too. It was friendlier but still competitive. Well done to everyone who took part.
I really have to thank the organisers and my team for pulling me along for a hard but great race!
Tom
Thursday, June 23, 2011
K1 or C1
Few things happening this week
I've ordered my C1, J203, but still haven't decided which I'll DW
In the club 5km time trial I took 1m 36s off my PB and, for the first time wasn't passed by anyone!
And after my first Div 6 K2 race I'm being demoted, therefore Southern Region will have to create Div 10 just for me! I find that funny
Tom
I've ordered my C1, J203, but still haven't decided which I'll DW
In the club 5km time trial I took 1m 36s off my PB and, for the first time wasn't passed by anyone!
And after my first Div 6 K2 race I'm being demoted, therefore Southern Region will have to create Div 10 just for me! I find that funny
Tom
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Hasler
Today I raced by bi-annual Hasler race, well ~I think it's about every two years-ishs
This was my first race where I was racing up to div 6 and it's 4 or 5 years since I've raced K2 in a Hasler race. I think this was ny first Hasler race with portages, Hasler finals don't count because I said so!
Today was the Oxford Hasher organised by Falcon Canoe Club.
Chris was fine at the start, I wasn't! My head wasn't together and I couldn't do anything right, this is probably the worst start I've ever had in any race. I didn't get my head together until the first turn and then replaced broken head with slidijng around in my seat, mostly to the left. The Kirton Mirage is a stable boat, Chris's paddling was spot on- all the problems encountered today were in my head or just through bad paddling!
Anyway, enough negativity! this was my first div 6 race, therefore, a div 6 PB. I didn't cause us to swim and we finished so got some points for the club!
Many, many thanks to Chris for enduring me for 8 miles!
However, It still hasn't done anything for me deciding on K1 or C1 for DW 2012
Tom
This was my first race where I was racing up to div 6 and it's 4 or 5 years since I've raced K2 in a Hasler race. I think this was ny first Hasler race with portages, Hasler finals don't count because I said so!
Today was the Oxford Hasher organised by Falcon Canoe Club.
Chris was fine at the start, I wasn't! My head wasn't together and I couldn't do anything right, this is probably the worst start I've ever had in any race. I didn't get my head together until the first turn and then replaced broken head with slidijng around in my seat, mostly to the left. The Kirton Mirage is a stable boat, Chris's paddling was spot on- all the problems encountered today were in my head or just through bad paddling!
Anyway, enough negativity! this was my first div 6 race, therefore, a div 6 PB. I didn't cause us to swim and we finished so got some points for the club!
Many, many thanks to Chris for enduring me for 8 miles!
However, It still hasn't done anything for me deciding on K1 or C1 for DW 2012
Tom
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Shepperton 10k
For those of you who have intimate knowledge of the DW from the portage put in at Shepperton to Sunbury Rollers is 3 miles, 5km. I never know that at all, I know very few distances as there is only one target. However, when I mapped it on Google maps it was almost 5km.
View Shepperton 10km in a larger map
The first problem I had was actually finding Shepperton Lock, I know it very well from the river but was useless at finding it on road this afternoon.
When I arrived at Shepperton I was confornted wit another problem- my GPS wasn't charged! No worries, I was there to paddle not to quantify distances.
On the way down to Sunbury there was not really much flow and, as it was overcast, not many other river users. Just a few narrowboats, cruisers, Elmbridge paddlers and a few rowers.
When I arrived at Sunbury Rollers I portaged and found that the width of the rollers is less than 5.2m!
On the return leg the absence of current was welcome but it had started to drizzle a little and there was a bit of a head wind. These were ot a problem and I finished in about 1h 10m - 1h 15m with the lack of proper timing! I'm happy with that as that's a projection of 25hr DW. We'll see when I eventually do K1!
Tom
View Shepperton 10km in a larger map
The first problem I had was actually finding Shepperton Lock, I know it very well from the river but was useless at finding it on road this afternoon.
When I arrived at Shepperton I was confornted wit another problem- my GPS wasn't charged! No worries, I was there to paddle not to quantify distances.
On the way down to Sunbury there was not really much flow and, as it was overcast, not many other river users. Just a few narrowboats, cruisers, Elmbridge paddlers and a few rowers.
When I arrived at Sunbury Rollers I portaged and found that the width of the rollers is less than 5.2m!
On the return leg the absence of current was welcome but it had started to drizzle a little and there was a bit of a head wind. These were ot a problem and I finished in about 1h 10m - 1h 15m with the lack of proper timing! I'm happy with that as that's a projection of 25hr DW. We'll see when I eventually do K1!
Tom
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