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
We train hard. We go to practice. We remain focused. We set goals. We work hard to achieve them. Yet inevitably there are things standing in our way, preventing us from improving at the rate we would like to. All too often, we focus on the things we think we need, rather than things we need to get rid of. Perhaps it’s time to take a look at things to eliminate in our life in order to see the improvements we so desperately desire. Here is a list of 10 things to
We all love pictures of ourselves paddling. A day or two after a race, most paddlers can likely be found scanning Facebook or Instagram for pictures of their team and hoping that they were captured in the awesome action shots. We are grateful for photographers like Ed Nguyen, Anne Zeng, Didi Fisher Weinreb, Jeff Holobushen, and many more who take fabulous pics at the regattas and share them online for us to see. And we all desperately hope there will be at least one epic shot where it looks like
Summer is almost here (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere!) and most of us are already out on the water, enjoying increasingly warmer practices. We’ve dusted off our gear and are repairing or replacing equipment. We’re looking for new and better items that will help make our time on the water and at regattas more enjoyable. I’ve made a short list of items I love and recommend for your summer wish list. These are things that I have recently discovered and fallen in love with, or I have used for years and cannot do
Recently, my team held time trials on an OC 2. We had to paddle 200 meters as fast as possible while someone else steered the 2-man outrigger canoe. 200 meters sounds like a short distance, but when you are pulling someone else’s weight, it feels more like a 2k. (Read more about OC time trials in a previous post) I stayed at the site after my own trial to cheer on my teammates and to catch up with them, as I’d been out of town for a while. While watching Jen, one of my teammates who
When it comes to paddling, we all have our shortcomings. Some are within our control, while others are not. And some transgressions have more detrimental effects than others. Here is a list of seven deadly sins that can really cause you harm in the long run: 1. Not Warming Up Properly Too many paddlers jump into a boat for a training session or even a race without a sufficient warmup. Dynamic stretching at least 15- 45 minutes before hitting the water is crucial to get your muscles well-lubricated and ready to
If you’re like me, you love the adventure of traveling. When I can combine both paddling and traveling, it’s like an added bonus. Some of my favorite paddling destinations have been places where I can enjoy the race venue, and then spend a little time afterwards exploring the area. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to so many wonderful locations that I might not otherwise have taken the time to check out. When I heard that there was a festival in Montana, I knew I wanted to learn more. Montana is the Rocky Mountain
A few weeks ago, I steered a race for my Florida-based team. It was a beautiful race venue, but that particular weekend there were several conditions which proved to make the steering challenging; the ever-changing winds, the tippy 10-man boats, and strong currents all played a factor in making the races more interesting, especially from a steer’s perspective. No one was immune to these elements and yes, there were a few incidents throughout the weekend. Steering mishaps during a race are indeed a steer’s worst nightmare. What inspired me to write this blog post was
Ever since you were young you’ve heard about the “F-word.” You were warned about it, became frustrated by it, tried it out, accused others of its misuse, and then eventually learned the extent of its power. It has upset you, disheartened you, maybe even harassed you. This may surprise you, but I’m talking about the word “fair.” Using the F-word in dragon boating gives some people an inordinate amount of pleasure but strikes absolute dread in others. Depending on the type of team you paddle on, your team might embrace its use or renounce it. Yet
Paddlechica and Texas Dragon Boat Association are teaming up to host a photo contest! We all have our favorite things about dragon boating. There is no doubt about it, it’s a great sport and we love it. Now it’s time to show off what you love about the sport: your team, the adrenaline rush of racing, your practice site, the camaraderie, your coach, the bling, the friendships, the travel. Whatever it is that keeps you coming back for more, share a photo of your idea of what epitomizes the spirit of dragon boating for a chance to
