ideas for flat water sessions

[lemming]

Help!

I'm coaching a sqad of marathon paddlers ranging from lightnings to div 6, from novices to paddlers with quite a lot of experience and I'm looking for ideas training sessions.

I have 500m of canal with good visibility to play with and I'm largely coaching from the bank at the moment (at 4 1/2 months pregnant, I can just about keep up with the lightnings but it tends to break me for the next 24 hours...)
When I have enough div 6s I can send them off to do something different but I'm not prepared to send a single junior off on their own so I'm looking for stuff that can be done over slightly different distances, at different speeds and with more reps to entertain and push those who need it whilst allowing a simplified version for the lightnings.

I'm desperately trying to remember the sessions I did when I started training, given that I stopped training properly a couple of years ago.

In my ideas store I have:
500m loops at various stroke rates (ideally 60, 70, 80 max spm)
stroke matching to build power
pyramids - tried 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500m at 6 minute intervals the other day but broke most of them so I'll try it with 8 minutes next time.
? x1k time trials for lightnings 2k tt for others

I have the junior development squad traiing preogramme and I've seen those for Southampton and Norwich but I'm really struggling to reduce them down to a scale that my lot can cope with.

Anybody got any training plans for novices?

[banburypaddler]

I've PMd you.

[alexpethybridge]

Hi

I don't want to be rude but could you PM me with the same details as well please? I've recently become the Competition Secretary for Reading University Canoe Club and I want to get myself and other members into more marathon boating, we have some people willing to coach us but the more information I have the better.

Thank you

Alex

[michielv]

Hi,

Basically the same request here too! Yesterday I gave our latest asset to the club (well, I hope) his first kayaking lesson and I hope he will join us. Although I know a thing or two about training it's best to have some alternatives because I think 13 year olds will get bored with the same training routine every week.

Thanks in advance and cheers,

Michiel

[Hengle]

For my two pennith
The Southampton program is for our adult training group and as you say does not equate to the junior to make any sense.

I dont know what Dom will have sent you but hopefully it will have a paddlepower base. If I was organising sessions for lightnings in an hour on the water I would be looking for 20 - 30 mins of skills eg getting in and out races, sitting on the wash draw stroke circle races etc and then 30 mins of 'working' with the kind of program that you are suggesting but focusing on relay races, leapfrog and stroke based efforts (or races to places) I have found time a difficult concept to get juniors to work for. looking to avoid efforts that are in the 40 to 120 second area as that is not part of the LTDP pathway and they will not have the engery pathways for it yet. But above all its a fun social experience and racing to see who can find the most feathers or complete the treasure hunt may have just the same effect.

For the slightly older group Slightly less skills but more focus on the development of skill in the huffy puffy section of the session. similar racing program but the 200 / 500m becomes a option in training. Some of the cross stream races may help here if you have the water space.

Hope that helps and Dom please can I have a copy of what you have sent out as well? or am I the competition!
James

[banburypaddler]

James, the stuff I sent Deb was suitable for mixed abilities and ages, rather than just for juniors, but there are plenty of paddlepower based training games that we use, too. A good game for lightnings is to have one tennis ball between two. One throws the ball and both race after it. firt one to the ball gets next throw. Or work as a tey

Draw stroke races. Double points if the blade of your paddle stays below the surface.

Rubber duck races. coach throws a load of rubber ducks into the water, 100m or so from paddlers. Paddlers race up, collect a rubber duck, then paddle backward to where they started from.

Paddle as hard as you can, then see if you can stand up in the boat. Bonus points if you can sit down again without falling out.

I've also had some very short canoe paddles made - 80 and 90cm. Use these with lightnings - or any K1s, for race games. It means the paddlers really have to get an efficient catch. Then introduce edging...

Canoe orienteering and scavenger hunts are a couple of other good ones.

[banburypaddler]

James, Michiel, Alex, you've got mail.

[kamala]

banburypaddler,
could I be cheeky and ask for a copy too?
Not to ask under false pretences, I'm not a coach but a paddler without a coach so the more ideas I can acquire the better. And I'll happily pass any suggestions on to any of my clubmates who want to improve themselves too.
Thanks.

[lemming]

Thanks for all of the ideas guys. Maybe session planning for race training should make a coach update session sometime? or an evening workshop? There seems to be a lot people wanting help on this one! Better plan tomorrows session...