marathon training without a boat or an ergo or a gym

[lemming]

Help!

Just done my first hasler since my son was born in October. Pre children I could be found training 4 times a week but 2 children in 3 years has pretty much put paid to that amount of paddling. Since November I've been doing a lot of running - 5k 2 or 3 times a week because I can go out, run and be home in 30-40 mins. I get to see my boat once a week. Its half an hours drive away and half the time when I get there I end up coaching lightnings which is fun, but not really training.

I found my boat last week (first time I'd been in it since May) and raced a div 8 hasler today. I was pleasantly surprised at my fitness levels ( I got told off by a junior who was sorry but he couldn't have a conversation with me and paddle at that speed) but I have no muscles in my arms.

I'm looking for exercises to build appropriate muscles in my arms to supplement the running and accelerate my way back to faster paddling.

I don't have an ergo or access to a gym but I do have hand weights and resistance bands.

Which muscles should I be working and how?

[Eliza Dolittle]

build appropriate muscles in my arms

Debs, I am shocked! I am sure you tell all the Lightning paddlers that the power comes from the core and not the arms. :-)

You need to rebuild your six pack which will have been distorted beyond belief by pregnancy. If the budget will stretch to a Swiss ball (About a fiver from Argos) I suggest you get one of those. Some exercises are here
http://www.canoe-england.org.uk/media/pdf/CORE%20STABILITY%20AND%20SWISSBALL%20INTRO.pdf
http://www.canoe-england.org.uk/media/pdf/CORE%20STABILITY%20SWISS%20AND%20MEDICINE%20BALL%20EXERCISES%20FOR%20PADDLESPORT.pdf
http://www.canoe-england.org.uk/media/pdf/FUNCTIONAL%20STABILITY%20FOR%20PADDLESPORT.pdf

Kids are only small once so make the most of it and enjoy the milestones when they come. I took my youngest out in a Lightning for the first time yesterday and joked with another club member about how long it would be before he was beating me.

Liz

[kvin]

It's good to see that you're back racing - I saw your post and remembered back to doing DW in a k1 in 2007 (when you beat me!!). Currently feeling very nervous as about to start it again tomorrow in a C1. Would echo that you need to work on your "core", plus pull ups and press ups and side arm raises to keep those levers strong. Best of luck with Haslers, may see you again if you do any down south!

[lemming]

Thanks Liz, that's pretty much what Mr Lemming said - but without any useful urls! I shall go and explore. We do have a swiss ball; bought a couple for buoyancy in Catherine's open. (Obviously its her boat because we couldn't justify buying yet another boat for ourselves). Since they've not made it to the boat yet, I'll go and sit on one.

And Kvin, I was watching your DW performance on the internet, arguing with Mr Lemming about your boat. I kept trying to persuade him that you were doing C1; he refused to believe it 'cos C1s don't go that fast!! Well done.

I'll probably be back around watersides in 2014; I intend to do the DW again that year - inspired by Craig's 40 challanges in your 40th year. DW will be one of them; k2 straight through if I can find anyone daft enough to do it with me; otherwise a rather quicker k1 effort.

[kvin]

Well it wasn't down to me - if you look at the boat online you'll see. It's a wenonah J203 so is 18 feet long and all kevlar/carbon construction, only weights 11kg and runs like a k1 - and it's stable. The perfect c1 for DW, all I had to do was keep it going forward in a straight(ish) line. (as you can tell I think it's a wonderful thing!)

[lemming]

Thanks. Swiss ball found and exercises down loaded.

One other thing:

What's the muscle which keeps my arms high? Its not one I have judging by the photos from Gailey hasler the other week...

Will the pull ups, press ups and side arm raises fix that?