Cheshire Ring 2011

[ringmaster]

Ha...! Plans suddenly changed with the postponement of DoubleIronman to 2012.....( The Brutal....North Wales)
So this gives me 9 weeks to train for the 'ring.....yeeeha! Suddenly looking forward to this again; I seem to have forgotten how miserable the race was last year...I really suffered the last 4-5 hours, lots and lots of short paddling bursts with lots and lots of rolling around on the canal bank suggesting we all go home and go to sleep.... It was not fun.
Have definately got a different mental approach this year...possibly due to the very short amount of time I have before the race; very positive tho about how to deal with the massive lows I had last year....race diet was pretty dire last year also; got a plan to deal with that.
New boat is on order with Kirton.....thanks to a very generous sponsor.
When I first did it in 2003.....I paddled a carbon kevlar Tor....fairly light, but very importantly dead stable.
Last year I paddled a carbon kevlar Teknic.....this was not good; when knackered and struggling to maintain good form , had a struggle to stay upright....
Now have decided on a Typhoon....same construction, and with a hi-back seat , this should offer a good compromise for the speed-comfort equation.
Hopefully next couple of weeks should see it in my greasy little paddling claws and with many hours under its belt b4 the 'ring.
Anyone else coming to play at the end of June....? It really is a very friendly event....not easy....but get a team together and steam around relay style , be good to attract some more paddlers.
And as for you K1 marathon'ers....come and have a go at the full distance....brilliantly satisfying the day after in the pub!!!!!!!!
Cheers.................jules

[GrahamC]

I'm hoping to give it another go - aim is simply to get under 24 hours this time. Last time I was slow at night and also stopped for photos with sponsors for 30+ mins; this year its just for me. I've done lots of fast night paddling over th ewinter and have a new lighter boat too - almost 4 kg lighter, but support crew is very limited (basically a few real stops and an emergency collection service) so maybe I have to carry more and pick up water at BW taps and also lay some stashes - this will slow me down.

Despite being possibly the slowest k1 all the way in the history of the race I really enjoyed it last year and would definitely encourage others to have a go. I would like to have a go at K2, but there is a slim possibility that I may have to be elsewhere on the day and I wouldn't want to let anyone down. Last year technique and nutrition were the problems, technique is getting better but nutrition is still an issue, especially at above the 8 to 10 hour mark - I think I may have to factor in a proper meal. I ended last year on a series of very sharp sugar spikes, mainly from flat coke - this year I don't want to go through that horrible experience.

Graham

[mike rogers]

Guys, I completed DW this year in a time of 2355hrs in the senior doubles. I would love to have a crack at the Cheshire Ring but my usual K2 partner cannot make it. Does anyone know of someone wanting to do this event all the way around in a K2?

Mick rogers
07717 201082