Races

2008 Summer Mini Marathon Series
All will be from the club starting around 7pm, something like 4 of the 6 races will count, full details will follow.

Date	Miles	Portages	Notes
May-15	3	2
Jun-05	4	4	See picture gallery here
Jul-03	6	6	See picture gallery here
Aug-07	4	0	2 times the "home" reach
Aug-28	4	4
Sep-18	2	0	Sprint

Diary Date: HHCC Hasler Race 21st September 2008 - keep it free we need your help!

See the club handicap listing here.

Devizes Westminster & Build-up Races 2008
Two crews are doing the DW, as senior dobles in the non-stop race (the longest non-stop canoe race in the world) John Huston and Robin Oakley in one and Erika™ Henson and Camilla Lennon in the other. John Benett, Bob Pearce, Chris Marshall, Shirine Voller Al(UnC) Farrance, Chris Preston oan family are provig the support. Go HHCC!

Waterside A	27th January	Great Bedwyn to Newbury Results and pictures here	13.5 miles	21 portages
Waterside B	10th February	Newbury to Aldermaston & Back Results and pictures here	17.5 miles	19 portages
Thameside 2	17th February	Reading to Marlow	19 miles	8 portages
Waterside C	24th February	Pewsey to Newbury	23 miles	35 portages
RCC Marathon	2nd March	Runnymede to Teddington	23 miles	35 portages
Waterside D	9th March	Devizes to Newbury	34 miles	35 portages

Devises Westminster 2008 125 mile marathon 21st - 24th March
Erika™ and Camilla reached Westminster as Big Ben struck 10. Just under 30 hours (29hrs 43 mins) in bitter sub zero winds and snow. Awesome achievement - congratulations! See press release here and Hemel Today report
The boys retired after Robin suffered a leg cramp, not experienced in training, and simply couldn't go on. It was minus 2 degrees and two swims contributed to it too. Over half the fleet retired.
Two club crews entered the non-stop K2 class (the longest non-stop canoe race in the world) there were 131 entries in this class. See Telegraph preview here and Sunday Times report here. The crews were Erika™ and Camilla in a club discovery, and John H and Robin in Slashers kirton sprint boat. Support from Chris Marshall, Shirine Voller, John Bennett, Bob Pearce, Al (UnC) Farrance, Chris Preston and Graham Crabtree, Tacha Lennon, with her chap; Carter and friend Karen Hanson as well as Claire and Katie Houston and Ross.
Also see the Devises Westminster Canoe Race website

HHCC Hasler Series Race Day Nov 2007 - see the gallery here.

Training Notes from Chris Preston
The best way to attack the race is to do a map recce on multimap or similar. from there you can see that Waterside A race has a couple of locks that are close together and from there you can decide on how to run the locks. The other thing thing closer to the day is the weather. There is a webbased weather report for the area and then you decide how the wind is going to affect your run. As you have a start window of a couple of hours you can decide to go off immediately and get to Newbury before the wind gets up or wait until later if the wind is going to push you along .

On the first few races everyone tries to start very early and there is an almighty scrum so being stable in a wash is a good thing. If you can sit on a wash for as much of the race as possible then you will knock minutes off your time.

Last year the best training I did was 40seconds sprints at elmbridge with 40secs rest, done a dozen or so times. To build up strength get a bungee cord and wrap it aound the hull of your boat. This gives extra resistance and when you take it off you go faster. I use golf air balls as well on the bungee which increases the resistance and therefore your strength.

This is great because the races are a collection on sprints: you sprint off the line and then get onto someone's wash. Then you relax and reach as long as possible. Then you get out and sprint run around the lock and sprint once you are back in the water. The rest is down to how much calories you can get down your neck.

Last year I worked out the number of calories required based on marathon running energy requirement. Every hour I took on a litre of lucozade sport drink and two energy gels taped to the bottom. As each refuel point john held open the string of the plastic bag, I ran past putting my head through the string and didn't stop. This was excellent and I am sure that it contributed to the win. Obviously for K2 you need twice the support. One key point is to avoid cramps you need electrolytes (salts) in the drink and lucozade sport helped here.

A word on clothes - My rule of thumb is that if the temp is below 10'C wear two thermals, if over wear one. If wet wear a wetproof gillet thing. If really icy then you need to get a pair of hoggies - paddles mitts and marsport sell some with a wire around the cuff to allow easy access. But in all honesty if you relax your fingers the blood flows as long as your thermal shirt is long enough to cover the wrists.

A good hat helps.

Do lots of pull ups - it gives you a broad back and then you go for longer.

If I can think of anything else I will let you know. It is basically down to training lots regularly.

Sorry that I have a circuits class to take on club nights so I will be training during lunch breaks at the club.

I will certainly be driving and we will need to have a shuttle run organised between us all.

Kind regards - get training
Chris

Future dates

Royal CC Hasler Marathon	LSE	15 Jun 2008
Royal CC Paddling Challenge	LSE	28 Jun 2008
Cheshire Ring	NW	28-29 Jun 2008
HHCC Hasler Marathon	E	21 Sept 2008
Stour Descent	SW	30 Nov 2008
Frank Luzmore K2	LSE	4 Jan 2009
Waterside A	S	15 Feb 2009
Thameside 1	S	22 Feb 2009
Waterside B	S	1 Mar 2009
Thameside 2	S	8 Mar 2009
Waterside C	S	15 Mar 2009
Royal CC K1/K2	LSE	22 Mar 2009
Waterside D	S	29 Mar 2009
Devizes to Westminster	National	10-13 Apr 2009

Please note: The links go to specofic race pages or to the Canoe Club who organise the event if no specific page ia available.

Summer Marathon Handicap Series 2007
Was won by Bob Pearce, with John Houston second and Robin Oakley third.