As a paddler in South Florida, I thought I was in heaven because I could paddle year-round. From January through December, we were out on the water. As awesome as it is to be able to paddle every day, I have since learned that this is not necessarily optimum for overall muscle development or paddling performance. Instead, it often causes injury and/or paddler burnout. But at the time, I thought that I had it made because I could be out on the water all the time. Last fall I attended one of
I have been pondering motivation quite a bit lately and contemplating its effect on us as paddlers. Some days I feel like I am much more motivated than other days in the gym, paddle pool, or even out on the water. Each of my teammates seems to have a different level of motivation as well, but more importantly it appears that each has a different source for his or her motivation. So, I started wondering: what exactly is motivation? And what motivates us? In basic terms, motivation is the desire to do things, and in
Whether you are back on the water in the southern hemisphere, hitting the paddle pool in the northern hemisphere, or still paddling in the balmy temperatures of the waters near the equator, you need the relentless focus and concentration to get the most out of your training and help you to finish in front. But how can you develop that mental focus to give you the edge needed to compete at a higher level? Mindfulness is a useful tool in dragon boating that can improve your performance in many ways. Definitions of mindfulness certainly
It’s that time of year again. The holidays are upon us. If you are a paddler, you would likely prefer a new paddle over a new sweater. It’s not always easy for your family to understand this, and most of the time they have no idea where to find the things you’d like most. So, once again I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite things for paddling, along with links to direct your gift-givers to where they can purchase them. You can pass this list on to your
Fundraising. One of the least exciting aspects of being on a dragon boat team, yet arguably one of the most important components of the club. Unless your team is sponsored by a large company or benefactor, you are constantly searching for ways to raise money in order to keep your boat afloat, so-to-speak. Most clubs finance the majority of their organization with membership dues, but typically this does not fully cover the cost of all the team’s necessities such as boat maintenance or rental, dock rental, boat storage, insurance, race entry fees,
As paddlers, we love to compete, but we also love to have a good time. In case you are looking for some last-minute costume ideas for your dragon boat team, I’ve gathered some fun paddling photos to inspire and entertain you. Kudos to the teams who have the creativity to put together such impressive costumes to paddle in. Personally, my favorite is Noah’s Ark, where each row of paddlers is a pair of animals and the drummer is Noah. Happy Halloween! The superhero theme: The viking theme: The animal theme (including
Do you ever wish you could go back in time and start your dragon boating career over again? Or that you could at least go back and give yourself some advice along the way? When I think back to my first day on the dragon boat, I recall exactly how I felt. The team I joined did an on-water warmup that lasted exactly two and a half minutes. I thought I was going to die. My arms were killing me (because let’s face it, almost no one knows how to
So, you’ve found yourself wonderfully addicted to dragon boating. Welcome to the club. It’s an excellent group made up of athletic, competitive individuals who enjoy the challenge of a sport that takes weeks to learn and years to master. No matter where you are in your paddling career, you can benefit from these helpful reminders of ways to take care of your paddling obsession. 1) Do Your Homework Thought you outgrew homework when you graduated? Not so. Learning is a lifelong process. We don’t grow if we aren’t learning and this couldn’t be
Have you considered attending a dragon boat camp, but are unsure of whether you are up to the challenge of 5-6 straight days of paddling? Have you wondered what is involved in a camp that is so singularly focused on paddling? Have you inquired about a camp, but are nervous not knowing anyone who might attend? In this post, I’ve outlined a typical week at one of the camps I coached at last year in order to give you an idea what a dragon boat camp is all about. Keep in mind that all camps have
Watching the high level of competition at the Olympics last month started me thinking about how the athletes prepare for their respective events. Not physically, but mentally. The competitors have an amazing ability to focus amidst all the chaos of the crowd and other distractions. What do their coaches tell them right before they go out to the starting block, the ring, the court, on the water, or wherever they will compete? What do they hold in their minds as they go into battle? At our races, Chris L., one of the more experienced
