Thursday, February 24, 2011

Missouri River 340 (ultra marathon) equipment list

Again, I am going to deviate from the simple FAQs and answer a specific question.  That question is, what was the equipment you used for the MR340?  To answer that question, you can find a checklist below of the equipment we brought for the race.  Keep in mind that the equipment was based on a fully supported team with the expectation of attempting to obtain a top 10 finish.  As you can see, the list is broken down as to what each member of the LHP team is going to bring.  We felt that this was a good way distribute responsibility in our team of 5.
Admittedly, this list is very exhaustve and takes into account many emergency situations that never happened.  Our motto was the Boy Scout motto, be prepared!  Believe me, that is good advice.

Please know that this list is just what we used.  Each team has a different take on what they think is necessary.  Plan accordingly to your team's needs as it may be different.  Hopefully though, you can use our list as a baseline for assistance.

*Please note that we have used this list for other ultra marathons with support rules similar to the MR340.  In my opinion, we were well prepared for each race when we brought these items.  If you have questions about the specific items and what they were used for, please ask.


MISSOURI RIVER 340 GEAR CHECK LIST

Wally’s List
q       Drinking systems
q       Laminated map cards
q       Navigation lights and batteries
q       Head/spot light and batteries
q       Glow sticks
q       4 Space blankets
q       Weather radio
q       Canoe repair kit
q       Spot GPS
q       Missouri map
q       Energy/electrolyte drink mix
q       Power Gel
q       Chafing ointment
q       Los Humungos outfits
q       Los Humungos shirts
q       Travel storage containers
q       Cytomax??
q       Personal gear

Nick’s List
q       Boost
q       5 Hour Energy
q       Beef jerky
q       Power Gel
q       Breakfast sandwiches
q       Wet wipes and A & D Ointment
q       Toilet paper
q       Black bag
q       Personal gear

Anita’s List
q       Cookies
q       Food
q       Stickers
q       Gatorade- G2
q       Tent and ground cloth
q       2 sleeping bags and pillows
q       Stove, fuel, lighter and cook kit
q       Sun screen
q       Moleskin
q       Extra film can
q       Chapstick
q       Imodium and prunes
q       Batteries- 12 double As
q       Phone and jack
q       Baby powder
q       4 bandanas
q       Camera
q       2 shopping bags
q       2 fleeces
q       Guide booklets
q       Personal gear

Belem’s List
q       Motrin, NoDoz, Pepto Bismol, Tums and Visine
q       Antiseptic ointment and bandages  
q       Bug repellent
q       Phone and jack
q       Computer for networking
q       2 air mattresses
q       Reflector tape
q       Personal gear

George’s List
q       Spot light and battery charger
q       2 ice chests
q       Square water tray for van
q       2 water containers
q       2 alarm clocks
q       2 walky-talkies
q       Male urine bottles
q       Umbrella
q       Extra duct tap
q       Personal gear

First Aid Kit
q       Band-aids
q       Antiseptic ointment
q       Motrin
q       Molskin
q       Visine
q       Antacid (pink Pepto)
q       NoDoz
q       Electrolyte tablets
q       Salt tablets
q       2 bandanas
q       Whistle
q       Small jackknife
 

I hear the term K1, K2, C1, and C2. What does it mean?

K1, K2, K4, C1, C2, C4, C6, OC1, OC2, OC6...

The letter indicates what kind of boat it is and the number is how many paddlers the boat is made for.
K = Kayak
C = Canoe
OC = Outrigger Canoe

C1 = Solo Canoe
C2 = Tandem Canoe
C4 = Four Paddler Canoe
C6 = Six Paddler Canoe

K1 = Solo Kayak
K2 = Tandem Kayak
K4 = Four Paddler Kayak

OC1 = Solo Outrigger Canoe
OC2 = Tandem Outrigger Canoe
OC6 = Six Paddler Outrigger

See how this works?

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Is that a kayak or a canoe?

 


I am always supprised how many times I am asked this question.  My first reaction is to say, "why that is a silly question, how can you not tell?"  Fortunately, before I say those words, I engage my brain (sometimes - ha ha)  and step back for a moment and remember what I am paddling.  Often what I paddle does not resemble a canoe in canoe's traditional sense or even a kayak.  So I have to remember why one type of boat is considered a canoe and one type of boat considered a kayak.  It is with this in mind this  
in mind that I answer the question.


The top picture is me training in a USCA spec style racing canoe (picture taken by Rich Hodgkins).  The above picture is an overhead profile view of a canoe with the same specs (J203 from wenonah.com).   Since it looks very different from what is considered a "traditional" looking canoe, it can be confusing.


CANOE
Generally, a canoe is considered a boat with an open hull (see the above picture).  A canoe is most often paddled with a single bladed paddle and does not have a rudder.  Remember I said these are generalizations, more on that later. 

Wenonah Minnesota II

V1 tandem USCA racing canoe

KAYAK
On the othe hand, a kayak is a type of boat that has a closed hull.  Generally a kayak is paddled with a double bladed paddle.  Sometimes a kayak has a rudder, sometimes a kayak does not.

ICF spec racing kayak, Legacy KL by Epic (epickayaks.com)
QCC, Q700X (QCCkayaks.com)
Current Designs Unity Tandem Kayak (cdkayak.com)

As you can see the main difference is the hull being closed on a kayak and not being closed on a canoe.

**A surfski is most often considered within kayak classes (surfskis will be a future blog post topic)

HYBRID

There are some boats out there that are hybrids of both a kayak and a canoe.  These are the exceptions to the "generalizations."  On the racing scene, many of the unlimited boats fall into tis category.  They are canoes with rudders, canoes with some decking, and canoes with some decking and rudders.  These boats are often paddled with both single bladed (canoe)paddles and double bladed (kayak) paddles.  For the most part, while they are hybrid in nature, most often they are called canoes.  These hybrid canoes are popular in ultra marathons.

A Sawyer Loon

A "Safari" style unlimited hybrid canoe

Another "Safari" style unlimited solo
A 3 person unlimited canoe with a rudder (note the deck is fabric and not part of the hull)



Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Some Ultra Marathon tips (part 1)

*I can not recomend using a nutritional suppliment like Boost, Ensure, Slimfast, Spiz, ect. enough.  There are a lot of them out there.  My favorites are Boost and Ensure.  Boost and Ensure seem to be the most economical in terms of bang for your buck.  Nutritional Suppliments seem to go down when it is hard to eat anything else.  If nothing else, you should carry them as a just in case thing.

* If you use Boost for the above reasons. Take off the seal under the cap before the race.  They are hard to take off during the race.

*Hand held microwave Campbell's chicken noodle soup is an awsome way to get both calories and salt.  Also, they are easy to cary and easy to eat during a race.  This fact is true if you are supported or unsupported.

*Bring either saltines or oyster crackers for the race.  In terms of an epic failure of your body rejecting all food, saltines and/or oyster crackers are the best baseline food of trying to at least get something digested.

*At night, if you eat apples, it will help keep you awake.  My doctor told me this one.   I do not know why it works, but it does work.

*If you can get it, a meal from McDonalds during a hard part of a race (example-morning of day 2) can sometimes go down better than any other food.

What should I eat for a canoe race?

I am going to jump forward a bit in regards to the info that I have been posting on this blog.  My idea was to start very simple and then work toward more complicated things later.  Well, that is still my plan, but I have had a couple of requests on blog subjects recently.  Rather than ignore those, I thought I would just simply address them as they are asked.  In the mean time when I have no questions asked from others, I will just continue to answer some FAQs that are asked of me.

One question that some one asked me recently is what should I eat for canoe race?

I will take on this question with three types of races in mind.  A race between 1 to 3 hours, a race from 3 to 8 hours, and a race over 8 hours. 

A 1 to 3 hour race:
Generally, I do not eat during a race that is 1 to 3 hours.  During the race, I carry gel packs such as Hammer Gel, or Power Gel and use them about once every hour, or if I am feeling a bit fatigued.  As with all races, it is important that you eat right prior to the race and that is the key to eating for a 1 to 3 hour race.  I eat tons of carbs the night before a race.  The day of the race, I eat a light breakfast with some protien.  Since races are generally in the morning, usually your body does not break down your breakfast into energy prior to the race.  I breakfast in the morning helps, but should not be relied on to give you the energy you need for a race.  In an emergency, a nutritional drink such as Ensure, Boost, or Slimfast can be drank.  The nutrients in those drinks are more easily absorbed by your body and can be more easily turned into energy if your body needs it.

A 3 to 8 hour race:
As I said before, eating before the race is very important.  I will not get into that too much here as there are a lot of very good articles on the internet that cover the subject of the proper things to eat before an athletic event.  Check out ones that cover what to eat before a marathon or a triathlon.  I like those best.  Before the race I carb up eating loads of carbs one to two days before the race.  I know that there are other techniques out there in terms of what to eat, but carbo loading is what I do.  Before the race, I make sure that I eat a good breakfast with fruit and protien.  Oranges are a good food to eat because it provides your body with sugars that can be broken down and used as quick fuel.  Also, I make sure that I drink one or perhaps two Boosts.  During the race, it is very important to make sure that your body is well fueled.  Otherwise you will bonk.  If the race is closer to 3 or 4 hours, you can rely more solely on power gels.  If the race is longer than 4 hours, it is important that you make sure that your body has the fuel necessary to finish the race.  Also, you need to make sure that your body is spending the least amount of energy possible on breaking down food.  You want your body to spend its energy on racing.  Generally, in a 3 to 8 hour race, I will try to start eating at about hour 2 or 3.  In addition to my fluids and gels (which I try to eat about every hour or hour and a half), I generally will eat 5 things.  I like to eat oranges, apples, bananas, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and Boost/Ensure.  I eat these things because generally, they provide the nutrients you need during the race, they are quick to eat, and they go down easy.  Generally the Boost/Ensure is the staple of the group and I try to make sure I get one down every one to two hours.  Oranges and bananas are easy to stuff in your mouth and they slide down easy.  PB&H sandwiches give me a little variety and a bit of a boost at times.  Oh and one last LHP tip here on this, if you do not like the fruits above, or if you want to take an additional fruit that goes down quick as a pick me up.  Try the fruit drinks made for babys.  They are easier for your body to process and usually go down quick and easy.  My favorite is pear.  :-)

A race over 8 hours
A race over 8 hours is where things get a bit more complicated.  Generally in a race your body will burn more calories than it you can consume and process.  With this inmind, that is what makes a longer race more tricky.  You have to keep your body running as long as possible without falling to far into a calorie deficit and thus bonking.  The longer the race, the harder this is to do.  Here is what I try to do to put my body in the best position in terms of caloric energy before a race over 8 hours.  The week before the race, I EAT EAT EAT!  Specifically, beginning 3 days before the race, I try to eat a balanced diet with a ton of carbs.  My carbo load increases until the night before the race.  The day of the race, I try to eat a hardy breakfast with a large amount of protien.  I throw some Boost/Ensure into the system too.  When the race starts, I start eating about an hour into the race.  I do this even if I am not hungry.  In my opinion, this is one of the most important things I do in an ultra marathon.  You need to provide fuel that is going to keep your body going.  In my opinion, the earlier you do it, the better.  I really do not have a firm nutritional basis for what I do when I start eating in an ultra, my main goal is to provide my body with fuel.  At the beginning of the race, it is easier as your body is not as fatigued.  I eat my staple I talked about in the 3 to 8 hour races.  In addition, I throw in other things such as power bars, trail mix, m&ms, jerkey, and chicken noodle soup.  The longer and harder the race is, the harder it is to continue to eat.  When it gets hard to eat, I will eat whatever my body will accept (I will not go into what my body does when it is rejected-you can use your imagination).  Things that work best are bananas, Boost/Ensure, chicken noodle soup, oranges, apples, and baby juices.  Apples are great in an ultra, but I will get more specific on that in a later blog post.  Just get down what ever you can.  In my opinion, the Boost/Ensure is very important because it provides your body with quick calories that are easy to break down and chicken noodle soup is also important because it helps your body replenish salt that it has lost.  Both Boost/Ensure and chicken noodle soup always seem like they can go down OK, even in the worst of conditions.  One other important note, do not rely on gel packs for sustained energy.  You can use them for an energy boost, but do not rely on them for sustained energy.  If used as your main source of energy, gel packs will work for a while, but ultimately, the energy provided by them will not be sustained and you will go into a caloric energy deficit.  They are like fools gold.  Be especially careful of this, because it is easy to rely on gel packs when your body starts rejecting food.  At first it seems OK, but it will end up hurting you in the long run  *The most critical thing to remember is to eat eat eat, both before and during an ultra race.  Not eating well for an ultra will hinder your efforts every time.*   

Please note, that there are many different strategies out there in terms of eating and racing.  The above is just my thoughts on the subject gained through years of racing and practical experience.  Every year I learn more and more on this subject.

sorry about not posting for a while

I had trouble with my password, so I have not been able to log on for a while.  Sorry about that.  On with the blog.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

What is the difference between a "spec" boat and an "unlimited" boat?

Most races have rules that set out limitations on the design of a boat hull in regards to each class.  These classes are sometimes referred to as "Spec" classes due to the fact that the boats used in the classes have to comply with specific design rule requirements.   The boats designed for these classes are sometimes referred to as "spec" boats.  The purpose of having specific hull design requirements for classes is to minimize the boat as a factor that would cause one paddler to win out over another paddler during the race.  The thought process behind creating classes like this is that the emphasis of competition should be centered on the paddler without giving too much of an advantage by allowing a competitor to use a superior designed boat. 

Also, many races have a class that is called the unlimited class.  This class is for paddlers that do not wish to be bound by any rules that limit the hull design or the style of paddles they use in  the boats they race.  For these folks, the design of the canoe is as much a part of the competition as the athlete who paddles the canoe.  Accordingly, the types of boats that are designed with this philosophy in mind are called "unlimited" boats.  The boats are generally designed without the boundries of any specific rules.  Further, both single bladed canoe paddles and double bladed kayak paddles are used to propel unlimited racing canoes.  Often the promoters of a race that includes unlimited canoes will only break down the classes by the number of paddlers in the canoe and/or by the paddler's gender.  

Another thing to note on the above is that sometimes a boat is built to be used with certain rules ("specs") in mind, but a race does not have a class set up for the specs of that boat.  Most of the times when this happens, the boat will be placed in the unlimited class even though the boat was built with certain class specifications in mind.  A good example of this is the ICF sit and switch C2 design.  While this boat was made with certain hull specifications in mind, most races do not have an ICF C2 class.  As a result, ICF C2 most often is included in the unlimited class.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

You mean that canoe racing is not the same all over the world?

No, it is not. 

Interestingly, throughout most of the world when canoe racing is referred to, the type of racing they are talking about is what we may consider high kneel sprint racing.  In the olympics, there are canoe racing events, but those events are for high kneelers.  Here is a picture of the type of paddling I am referring to:

(these images are from http://www.justcanoeit.com/)


The traditional type of canoe racing that we know here in North America is often referred to throughout the rest of the world  as "sit and switch" style canoe racing or "Canadian style" canoe racing.

(Picture from wikipedia.org)

Is USACK the same thing as the USCA?

No. the United States Canoe Association (USCA) and USA Canoe and Kayak (USACK) are two different paddling orginazations.  I have to admit that I am not very familiar with USACK, but I know the organization has been the springboard for many great international and Olympic competitors in paddlesports.  From my understanding, the organization focuses more on "Olympic style" paddlesports. 

Here is a  link to USACK's website:  http://usack.org/

Do you have to have a boat that fits within a USCA class to compete in a race?

No, you do not have to have a USCA "spec" canoe to race in most canoe races.  While many races structure classes around the USCA specs, most races include many other classes.  In fact, in ultra marathon canoe racing, a non USCA class called the unlimited class is one of the most popular.  Again, just to be sure, it is always a good idea to talk to the race promoter before the race if you have any questions.

Here are five examples of class structure in five of the nation's most popular races:
The Des Plaines River Marathon: http://www.canoemarathon.com/Classes.cfm
The Tour du Teche: http://techeproject.com/tour-du-teche/teams.html
The Texas Water Safari: http://www.texaswatersafari.org/specs.aspx?display=0
The Run of the Charles: http://www.crwa.org/rotc/2010/Official%20Rules.pdf
The General Clinton: http://www.canoeregatta.org/PDF/pg_2_official_race_rules.pdf

As you can see, they are all different and they all do not exactly adhere to the USCA classes. 

What is the United States Canoe Association (USCA)?

The United States Canoe Association (USCA) is an organization that was established in 1968 to encourage the growth of paddling as a recognized competitive sport and beneficial recreation.  In doing such, the USCA has established a formalized a set of rules that serve as guidelines to govern marathon canoe racing. These guidelines serve as the class structure in many marathon canoe races.  The rules also include the establishment of kayak classes as well as canoe classes.  Further, the USCA hosts a national championship each year and holds paddle safety and traning seminars as well as adaptive paddling and youth events.  More information can be found on the USCA at their website here:  http://www.uscanoe.com/

More information about the class system the USCA can be found in the USCA competition rules on pages 6-11:  http://www.uscanoe.com/Content%20Images%20and%20Docs/Documents/2010_USCA_Competition_Rules%20(current).pdf

The USCA has a great informational print magazine called Canoe News.  Subscription to the magazine comes with your membership in the USCA.  Information about joining the USCA can be found on the USCA's website.  If you decide to join, it would be most appreciated if you note that I was the one who told you about the USCA (they keep track of this).

Lastly, and I almost forgot about this, but it is important, the USCA provides race insurance for most of the canoe races out there as well as insurance many canoe clubs.  This is a sometimes forgotten, yet very important.  Information about USCA insurance can be found here:   http://www.uscanoe.com/Events_Sanctioning_and_Insuran_C42.cfm

Does the canoe racing calendar include kayak races?

It has been my experience that most races include classes for both canoes and kayaks.  Of course contacting the race promoter before the race is always a good thing to do if you have any questions.

How do I find canoe races by where I live?

The United States Canoe Association has put together a "Worldwide Paddling Calendar."  This is a great resource online for both race participants and race promoters to get information about a race.  There is no cost to posting a race if you are a promoter and as a racer, you can search many different regions on any date if you are a paddler.  Here is the link to the site:

http://www.uscanoe.com/EventsSearchRegions.cfm

This is not an exhaustive of each and every event out there, but at the present time, it is the best there is.  I would encourage racers and race promoters to use it.  The more the site is used, the better it will be for everyone.

What is marathon canoe racing?

I like the Minnesota Canoe Racing Association's answer to this question:

Marathon canoe racing is a sit down style of paddling over a distance that varies from a few miles to over 100+ miles in one day including multi-day races. Some of these races may include some portages. The races can be held on lakes and rivers. The rivers are mostly calm but they can have some rapids of moderate difficulty with clear passage that may require some maneuvering. The larger races may have several classes whereas the smaller races there may be only a couple classes. These classes can be based on age and sex of the paddlers and the type of canoe.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Why do some canoe paddles have a bent shaft?

As you reach your canoe paddle out at the beginning of your stroke, picture where your paddle goes into the water as the beginning of an arc.  The end of that arc is where you take your paddle out of the water.  At the beginning of that arc, the pressure you put on that paddle through your stroke actually pulls the canoe up and out of the water as you propel the canoe forward.  Toward the end of the stroke, as you are pulling and arcing your paddle behind you up and out of the water, the pressure you put on the paddle pulls the canoe down into the water.  Accordingly theory says and practice shows that the most efficient part of your stroke is the part that is in front of you at the beginning of the arc when you are pulling the canoe up and out of the water. 

The purpose of the bent shaft paddle is to create a little more distance at the beginning of the paddle stroke's arc by angling the blade out further .  Also, the bent shaft gives your stroke a longer period of time that your paddle is the most perpendicular to the water during each paddle stoke.  Both of these things increase the efficiency of the stroke through the use of a bent shaft paddle.

How do I determine paddle length with a bent shaft canoe paddle?

There are many ways that people use to determine this.  I remember when I was in Boy Scouts and I was told that the best way to do this was to find a paddle that fit perfectly between the ground and your arm pit.  When I went to buy my first "expensive paddle," the salesman corrected me when he saw me measuring out my $200.00 paddle this way.  Since I bought that paddle, there have been a few different techniques used on paddle measurement, and the paddle stroke has evolved.  Bottom line, it is a personal fit.  Two years ago, I changed to a shorter paddle based off of a style of paddlestroke that was taught to me.  The stroke has been successful for me, so I will share the technique that I was told to measure paddles based on this technique.  This advice comes from Marc Gillispie through the New York Marathon Canoe Racing Association.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE CORRECT PADDLE LENGTH?
It depends on your seat height, whether you are paddling a C-1 or C-2, what your torso height is, how long your arms are. The best way to discover the appropriate length is to sit in a canoe, back straight, lean forward slightly, fully immerse the blade, have your lower hand just above the gunwale and your upper hand just at the top of your head. There it is. I usually recommend a 2" difference between C-1 and C-2.
Marc Gillespie and Matt Streib
That is Marc in the bow and Matt Strieb in the stern.  They are showing where your hands should be when making the measurement.  On a side note, Matt was the salesman who sold me my first "expensive paddle"
:-)

Bloggo Premiro

One of my New Year's resolutions was to start a blog.  Strange, yeah I know, but for some reason, I thought it may be fun.  I am attempting to embrace more and more of this digital age and I thought that blogging about something I enjoy may be fun.  That is where canoes, kayaks, paddling and all things paddlesports come in.  As you may or may not know I am a rabid paddlesports maniac.  Further, I love to talk about paddlesports.  Accordingly, I thought that a paddlesports blog would be a natural fit. 

Here is my plan on the blog.  I would like to focus on some of the FAQ that came to my mind when I first started marathon canoe racing.  Many of my friends in paddlesports now me through canoe racing, so thought this would be a good start.  From there, who knows.  Also, if you have any questions for me or the bog, or about canoeing, please do not hesitate to shoot them my way.