This was my first full year training in a location that actually has seasons and, therefore, a true training cycle. I’m sure that sounds funny to most of you, but I began my paddling career in Miami. It’s a place where there are essentially two seasons: “really hot” and “even hotter”. There, we spent the whole year on the water and never thought twice about it. Now that I am living in a city with actual seasons which limit our on-water time, I see how beneficial it is to
In the middle of a recent training session I started thinking about how many parts of my body were hurting. I let my mind wander and it became my worst enemy. I started questioning why in the heck I put myself through the hour-long torture session we affectionately call “training,” especially at 5:45 in the morning. My mind started to take over and sadly I willingly let it. The truth is, paddling is a mental game. Obviously technique is important, and you can’t neglect the physical strength and proficiency needed
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
