Hi Everyone!
Thanks for stopping by. The best way to read this is to start with the BOTTOM post ("Why a blog?") and work your way back up.
I have an online photo album with all my shots HERE. There's one album dedicated to my Arizona adventures, so look for that. (FYI, I haven't organized the album yet - that's next on my list.) I'm also working on uploading a few short videos which I took with my camera (don't worry, Jennifer - I didn't upload ALL of them!) ... I'll post a link when it's ready.
So sit back, enjoy and thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment or email me (theycallmesash@yahoo.ca) and tell me what you think!
Later, gators.
- Lisa
- New Westminster, BC, Canada
- Me in a nutshell: High school teacher who has recently developed a passion for running. I'm a dragonboat racer and coach. I've lost 50 lbs on Weight Watchers and am working on losing the rest! Slowly but surely ...
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Arizona Dragon Boat Festival - Day 2
Well - another day is racing done and I am going home tomorrow. I could happily stay for another month and am not looking forward to the rain and cold weather that awaits me in Vancouver!
Our first race this morning was at 9:42 but they (ahem, KERRY...) marshalled us really early and some of our team wasn't there yet.
I'm already nervous enough as we have something to prove after all the shinanigans on the water yesterday. They made it just on time and we were out on the water.
Having studied the race grid last night, I knew that it should be easy to take a 1st in the semi-final - but you just never know! Our best time yesterday was 2:17 and we were aiming to shave 5 seconds off that time by the end of the day. We had Calvin, the steersperson from our 3rd race steering again - we really liked him and were grateful to have him back. Our start wasn't quite up to par but we pulled it up at about 175m and took an easy first place. We finished in 2:16 while 2nd place finished in 2:31, 3rd on 2:37 and 4th in 2:56.
Our second race of the day - the Finals - were scheduled for 1:12 but we were called to marshall at 11:30! We knew that the gold medal was well within our reach but were careful not to get cocky about it. Besides, it's all about the process - right, Jackie?
We had a long wait on the start line but the water marshalls & the starter kept us under the bridge where it was much cooler. Our final race was strong and when we crossed the finish line Jackie had a huge smile on her face. Our time was 2:13.18 - so not quite the 5 seconds we'd hoped to beat yesterday's time by, but it will do! 2nd place was 2:33, 3rd was 2:40 and 4th was 3:01. We got the Gold and celebrated with some Beer & Schmirnoff Ice, hidden not-so-subtly in blue party cups!
It was hot today - about 27 degrees and there is very little shade, but I'm not complaining!!!
What a great week I've had. I've made some AWESOME friends and may be able to race with some of them at future festivals. I will definitely be back for the 2nd Annual "Paddle the Desert" Water's Edge camp in 2008!!
Our very own Jar-Jar Binks!
Our first race this morning was at 9:42 but they (ahem, KERRY...) marshalled us really early and some of our team wasn't there yet.
I'm already nervous enough as we have something to prove after all the shinanigans on the water yesterday. They made it just on time and we were out on the water.
Having studied the race grid last night, I knew that it should be easy to take a 1st in the semi-final - but you just never know! Our best time yesterday was 2:17 and we were aiming to shave 5 seconds off that time by the end of the day. We had Calvin, the steersperson from our 3rd race steering again - we really liked him and were grateful to have him back. Our start wasn't quite up to par but we pulled it up at about 175m and took an easy first place. We finished in 2:16 while 2nd place finished in 2:31, 3rd on 2:37 and 4th in 2:56.
Our second race of the day - the Finals - were scheduled for 1:12 but we were called to marshall at 11:30! We knew that the gold medal was well within our reach but were careful not to get cocky about it. Besides, it's all about the process - right, Jackie?
We had a long wait on the start line but the water marshalls & the starter kept us under the bridge where it was much cooler. Our final race was strong and when we crossed the finish line Jackie had a huge smile on her face. Our time was 2:13.18 - so not quite the 5 seconds we'd hoped to beat yesterday's time by, but it will do! 2nd place was 2:33, 3rd was 2:40 and 4th was 3:01. We got the Gold and celebrated with some Beer & Schmirnoff Ice, hidden not-so-subtly in blue party cups!
It was hot today - about 27 degrees and there is very little shade, but I'm not complaining!!!
What a great week I've had. I've made some AWESOME friends and may be able to race with some of them at future festivals. I will definitely be back for the 2nd Annual "Paddle the Desert" Water's Edge camp in 2008!!
Our very own Jar-Jar Binks!
Arizona Dragon Boat Festival - Day 1
The weather today was PERFECT for racing - it was about 25 for most of the day. Plenty warm for tank tops and shorts but not so hot that you are constantly looking for shade (like it was Sunday & Monday at about 35 degrees.) Going into this festival, I had high hopes. It's a small event (only about 40 teams compared to Vancouver's 180+) and a lot of the local teams have only paddled a few times together. Also new for me is racing in Seat One. I am not used to stroking a boat but am really excited about all the work I've been doing there this week. I also typically paddle on the left - this week I've done most of the work on the right. Jackie (my primary coach for the camp) is drumming for us, the rest of the time she's in charge of water refs, marshalling, results, etc.
We had a decent first race, finishing in 2:17 (for those of you who don't know, our races are 500 meters.) Not where we wanted to be, but it was okay. The boats were not at the same level - the first boat (San Diego, who would later get the fastest time of the festival) finished in 2:08 and the 3rd boat finished in 2:48. This is a HUGE difference.
The boat was VERY tippy - they're brand new boats will very thin steering oars and our steersperson was clearly not prepared to handle it. We hadn't had any problem throughout the camp with this tippy business! I was nervous that we were actually going to end up in the water. Valerie & I were already sitting hip-to-hip in the cramped 1st seat ... and with all the rocking I was practically in her lap until the race start.
In our second race, things got, um, interesting. Lane 2 came into our lane (I think - I heard the chase boat telling them to move back into their lane) so we had to veer to the left. Then there was a huge overcompensation and we veered strongly to the right. Then to the left. Then I heard "Hold the boat!" Our steersperson had fallen into the water. Apparently, she tried to get back in but couldn't, so Jackie went to the back and took over. The fire & rescue boat came over and pulled the steersperson out of the water, leaving a huge wake for us which came flooding into the boat. Once Jackie was at the helm, we got going again and finished the race. Our time for this race was 3:12. Bleh. CLEARLY not the result we'd been hoping for.
Advancements are based on our accumulated times - so this put us into the "C Division" semi-finals. We were definitely capable of being ranked higher, but there's nothing we can do about it so you just put it behind you and race even better the next time. "That's the breaks," as my Dad would say.
Our final race of the day was a 250 meter sprint (which has nothing to do with advancement.) We had a new steersperson - yay Calvin from Calgary - and somehow our boat was much less tippy. Thank goodness!! We had a great start and finished in 1:06. I'll take it.
The best outcome we could now strive for is a Gold Medal in our division ... but hey, a Gold is a Gold and it looks just as great hanging around your neck!
Some other random photos from the day:
I think I got a bit sunburned ...
Friday ... not much to tell
Friday was our free day. Some of the camp members participated in some outrigger races, but I'd chosen to enjoy a day off. I went down and watched them for a while, took a few photos and enjoyed the view. Then I caught the #72 bus Southbound and headed for my Weight Watchers meeting.
I was excited to go to the meeting because I wanted to stock up on some of the products that aren't available in Canada. I'd been eating as well as possible on vacation and was fairly confident that I'd dropped the weight I'd gained the week before - and I did! I lost 5.4 lbs!!!!!!!!! Who loses weight on a vacation????? Maybe I should take them more often :-)
After the meeting and the 1 mile walk back to the bus stop, where I encountered a bunch of lemon trees.
Then, I headed back to the hotel where I stayed for most of the day. I had dinner and then went to the gym, but other than that it was a rest day in the true sense of the word!
Yay for rest days!!
I was excited to go to the meeting because I wanted to stock up on some of the products that aren't available in Canada. I'd been eating as well as possible on vacation and was fairly confident that I'd dropped the weight I'd gained the week before - and I did! I lost 5.4 lbs!!!!!!!!! Who loses weight on a vacation????? Maybe I should take them more often :-)
After the meeting and the 1 mile walk back to the bus stop, where I encountered a bunch of lemon trees.
Then, I headed back to the hotel where I stayed for most of the day. I had dinner and then went to the gym, but other than that it was a rest day in the true sense of the word!
Yay for rest days!!
Day 5 - last day of camp
Day 5, already. Last day of the camp & it was POURING RAIN. I got to the marina for the morning practice and we almost couldn't go out because there was a thunder & lightning storm at the lake. Fortunately, it moved out relatively quickly and we were able to have our practice, only going out 30 min late. Our guest coach this morning was Andrea and although we'd planned to work on the transition, we spent most of the time on starts. It was a very productive practice and I think it really helped the boat. I don't know about everyone else, but I felt like it was the best session we had all week.
Valerie & I were both quite apprehensive about paddling in stroke seat so I know that we were both grateful for the extra work on starts & rate. At one point, Andrea came to paddle in stroke to help us slow the rate down and I was in awe of how she paddles. Andrea looks effortless when she paddles - and yet she moves that water with tremendous power and precision. I was able to see EXACTLY what she had been talking about in her coaching. I can't replicate it ... yet ... but I'll work on it!
After our water session, we had a Core class at the gym. I decided not to go, even though I knew it would give me a great workout and some exercises I could take home with me. At this point, I am sooooooo sore. My back is throbbing, my shoulders are aching, my butt is chafed, my arms are chafed, and the last thing I needed was to make my body hurt even more! The guys from my team were sweating when I got the gym an hour later and said that it was a great class.
Kamini gave a motivational talk after the Core class. I would have called it an inspirational talk, but regardless of what you want to call it, I thought it was tremendous. She is so humble about her incredible accomplishments. One of the images I'll take away from her talk and remember more than the details is rolling the pebble up of a long, steady incline. Kamini said that it's not about moving boulders over steep hills, but pushing that pebble up slow & steady. Sometimes it will roll back a bit, but as long as you keep your eye on the prize and think in small steps you'll get to your goal.
Kamini's stories about making it to 2 Olympic games and about training alone in the cold winter waters of False Creek were inspiring. I left that talk wanting to step up and compete at a higher level. This caused a bit of inner turmoil for me since I've decided to focus on my running goals this year, letting dragonboat take a back seat. I don't regret this choice (I'm currently in the last half of a 10K clinic and start training for a Half Marathon this June) - but it tugged at my heartstrings and really made me think. I love this sport. I love the team work. I love the friends that I make, the community that surrounds me and the triumph of racing my best race. I know, though, that there is only so much time in a day and I can't do it all.
After a "downer" lunch (I was still feeling pretty torn up about not racing this year) I headed back to the marina. The weather had cleared up while we were listening to Kamini's talk and the sun was shining again on my walk back to the hotel. As soon as I got to the marina, however, the skies opened and it started to rain. It didn't just rain - it poured! I started to wonder if I was back in Vancouver! The lightning and thunder were back as well, with a vengeance. We took refuge in the rowing locker but decided to call it a day an hour later when lightning struck the ground less than 500m from where we were standing. I've never HEARD lightning before - and I won't mind if I never hear it again.
I walked back to the hotel, got into dry clothes and had a nap. Then the Mana Wahine girls came to pick me up (thanks, ladies!) and we went to Macayo's, a Mexican restaurant just off of Trendy Mill Avenue on the West side of the ASU campus. We weren't impressed with the restaurant or the service they provided, but we had a blast partying it up together. The rain was still falling and the patio was beginning to flood, but hey - we're from Vancouver and we can handle it!!
Here are a few photos from that evening - the rest are in my online album.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Day 4
7:30 a.m. start at the marina again. Jason led us through some good stretching exercises - I'm not a big stretcher, but my aching muscles were begging for some TLC.
We started to put our race together this morning. It was all about starts. Valerie & I are now stroke partners (eek!) so we are trying to figure out how to work together. It's not hard - we recognized each other's strengths & weaknesses pretty quickly. Valerie likes to speed up the rate while I don't hinge forward far enough. As long as we keep each other in check, we're pretty good together, I think.
The first 6 strokes are all about finding that heavy water and pulling the paddle toward you. You've got to get that boat moving off the start. We did a half, 3/4, full, full, full, full. I'm used to doing half, half, 3/4, 3/4, full, full so this was new. I liked it better, though. We worked a lot on body positioning - making sure that we didn't pull back past 5 degrees and hinging forward enough to get a full reach (strokes 3 onward) without side collapse. Strokes 4, 5 and 6 should be used to transition into the next series, which are the "up" strokes. They should be at full extension and full rotatation with complete hinging - but should be a bit shorter than regular strokes. This will allow for the water to start moving past the boat a bit quicker. We're trying to remember to get a great, strong catch. Stroke 4 should be at full reach & rotation but ending at mid-thigh. Stroke 5 should be similar, but ending just in front of mid-thigh. Stroke 6 should end at the knee as will all subsequent up strokes. We did a lot of work on the first 6 during this session.
We quickly got the boats out of the water and headed for the gym, where Usana (a Pure Fitness instructor) taught a yoga class. I've never done yoga before, so it was a new experience for me. I didn't particularly like it as we were doing it, but it sure felt good afterward. My muscles needed to be stretched. I'm not terribly skilled at this yoga business - I have definitely added it to my "to do" list.
Then the girls gave me a ride back down to the marina where 5 of us did an Open Forum session with Andrea. I thought I was doing a session at the gym so I hadn't put sunscreen on that morning - and I ended up getting my first (and only) sunburn of the week. Oh well, it wasn't bad and it didn't last more than a day. Elly asked about safety in the boat, minimum number of paddlers, etc. and it was a good reminder for me. Andrea won't take a group out without 14 paddlers, which is certainly different than what my teams have done. The last time I went out with the Drunk'n Dragons, I was the 10th - and last - person. I asked Andrea for some suggestions on how to get my junior boat to understand the power required for racing. I don't think they will really get it until they've raced (naturally), but I'd like to find a way to get them closer before race day. I think I will try the catch drills and shorter interval drills - calling 80, 90, 100 in 10 or 15 stroke intervals instead of 30 second or 1 minute intervals. We'll see what happens.
Then we got the afternoon off!! I went shopping - took the bus to the Scottsdale Fashion Square. We went through Old Town Scottsdale, which looks quite trendy. On the corner of Scottsdale Rd & Camelback Rd (just in front of the mall) there were some skinheads holding banners saying "White Pride Worldwide."
I felt very offended by this. I was also quite surprised by how many people were honking in support as they passed by. It bothered me, more than anything else I saw or experienced on this trip. I crossed the street on the other side and backtracked when I was a comfortable distance away. When I left the mall, they were still there - and so were the police. They were just sitting back and watching, but were clearly prepared to jump in if necessary. I've noticed that there's a big police presence in Tempe & Scottsdale, which makes me feel quite safe.
I had 3 goals at the mall. I wanted to shop at Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Lucy (similar to Lululemon but a bit less yoga and a bit more casual/functional.) It didn't take me long to find all 3 stores and it took even less time for me to spend a truckload of money. I got some great stuff, though, and it felt awesome to be shopping at the regular stores and having the regular clothes fit me! I didn't bother shopping in the rest of the mall, because I'd already spent enough money and I'm not a huge shopper.
While walking back down Scottsdale Road, a huge wind picked up and I experienced the closest thing to a sandstorm I've ever seen. I can only imagine what might happen in the open desert.
We started to put our race together this morning. It was all about starts. Valerie & I are now stroke partners (eek!) so we are trying to figure out how to work together. It's not hard - we recognized each other's strengths & weaknesses pretty quickly. Valerie likes to speed up the rate while I don't hinge forward far enough. As long as we keep each other in check, we're pretty good together, I think.
The first 6 strokes are all about finding that heavy water and pulling the paddle toward you. You've got to get that boat moving off the start. We did a half, 3/4, full, full, full, full. I'm used to doing half, half, 3/4, 3/4, full, full so this was new. I liked it better, though. We worked a lot on body positioning - making sure that we didn't pull back past 5 degrees and hinging forward enough to get a full reach (strokes 3 onward) without side collapse. Strokes 4, 5 and 6 should be used to transition into the next series, which are the "up" strokes. They should be at full extension and full rotatation with complete hinging - but should be a bit shorter than regular strokes. This will allow for the water to start moving past the boat a bit quicker. We're trying to remember to get a great, strong catch. Stroke 4 should be at full reach & rotation but ending at mid-thigh. Stroke 5 should be similar, but ending just in front of mid-thigh. Stroke 6 should end at the knee as will all subsequent up strokes. We did a lot of work on the first 6 during this session.
We quickly got the boats out of the water and headed for the gym, where Usana (a Pure Fitness instructor) taught a yoga class. I've never done yoga before, so it was a new experience for me. I didn't particularly like it as we were doing it, but it sure felt good afterward. My muscles needed to be stretched. I'm not terribly skilled at this yoga business - I have definitely added it to my "to do" list.
Then the girls gave me a ride back down to the marina where 5 of us did an Open Forum session with Andrea. I thought I was doing a session at the gym so I hadn't put sunscreen on that morning - and I ended up getting my first (and only) sunburn of the week. Oh well, it wasn't bad and it didn't last more than a day. Elly asked about safety in the boat, minimum number of paddlers, etc. and it was a good reminder for me. Andrea won't take a group out without 14 paddlers, which is certainly different than what my teams have done. The last time I went out with the Drunk'n Dragons, I was the 10th - and last - person. I asked Andrea for some suggestions on how to get my junior boat to understand the power required for racing. I don't think they will really get it until they've raced (naturally), but I'd like to find a way to get them closer before race day. I think I will try the catch drills and shorter interval drills - calling 80, 90, 100 in 10 or 15 stroke intervals instead of 30 second or 1 minute intervals. We'll see what happens.
Then we got the afternoon off!! I went shopping - took the bus to the Scottsdale Fashion Square. We went through Old Town Scottsdale, which looks quite trendy. On the corner of Scottsdale Rd & Camelback Rd (just in front of the mall) there were some skinheads holding banners saying "White Pride Worldwide."
I felt very offended by this. I was also quite surprised by how many people were honking in support as they passed by. It bothered me, more than anything else I saw or experienced on this trip. I crossed the street on the other side and backtracked when I was a comfortable distance away. When I left the mall, they were still there - and so were the police. They were just sitting back and watching, but were clearly prepared to jump in if necessary. I've noticed that there's a big police presence in Tempe & Scottsdale, which makes me feel quite safe.
I had 3 goals at the mall. I wanted to shop at Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Lucy (similar to Lululemon but a bit less yoga and a bit more casual/functional.) It didn't take me long to find all 3 stores and it took even less time for me to spend a truckload of money. I got some great stuff, though, and it felt awesome to be shopping at the regular stores and having the regular clothes fit me! I didn't bother shopping in the rest of the mall, because I'd already spent enough money and I'm not a huge shopper.
While walking back down Scottsdale Road, a huge wind picked up and I experienced the closest thing to a sandstorm I've ever seen. I can only imagine what might happen in the open desert.
Day 3
Another morning session on the water with Jackie. I wish my every day life were like this. I could get up for a warm sunny paddle every morning - it sure beats getting up and walking in the rain to go to school.
By this point, my team is getting some really great chemistry. We are made up of 3 big groups: paddlers from the Nanaimo team "Blu b y" (who happen to know my cousins Greg & Denise - small world); 4 crazy women from a new women's team in Cultus Lake (these women are nuts, I love it); and a group from the Portland-based team "Wasabi." I'm really starting to feel like I've made some good friends.
We worked more on individual technique refinement and balanced out the pain by working both sides. (Really, everything just hurt more...) We worked on push/pull drills, reinforced the catch concept which would be reinforced by Jason in the afternoon, did quite a few drills and went for a few longer pieces. It was quite a bit cooler - probably mid-70's - but still shorts & tank top weather!
And then, the torture ... VIDEO CRITIQUE!!
We met at the marina and walked together to the Ops Center (which is essentially the tourism info centre for the Tempe Town Lake area.) We really felt like we were "Paddling the Desert" then because we had to walk through a bunch of sand to get there.
There's nothing like watching yourself on video and having someone critique you frame by frame. It's particularly humbling when you think you've really mastered some of the technique you've been working on - only to have visual proof that you haven't! Jackie was very kind, though - lots of positive feedback and constructive criticism. I'm completely open to hearing & seeing what I'm doing wrong. Why else would I be at this camp?
Some notes from her critique:
*I have a good open angle waterside between my arm and my side. This allows for good rotation and reach (when I do it right) - but I have to maintain it through the pull & exit.
*I am still collapsing on my reach. This is obvious by the fact that as I begin to pull, I sit up. I should be hinging back to 5 degrees while maintaining a "tight tight tight" core.
*My shoulders are fairly level. This means that I am not over-rotating and I am starting to successfully apply a straight hinge. When the top shoulder is higher than the outside shoulder, you're a "stacker."
We went through every person and I learned a lot by listening to Jackie's critiques of them. It was also fun to try to predict what she'd say by watching for the strengths & weaknesses of each paddler. This is good practice for me as a coach.
After lunch, we headed back to the marina for a water session with Jason. Now, before I go on, let me just tell you about Jason. This man has the body of a Greek God. Oh, and he's an Olympic kayaker, too. Jason's primary job is to work on catch with us - such an important thing in dragonboat racing. We did some great drills. Not easy mind you, but we got a great workout. I think a few of us really started to understand the concept of connection with the water, and importance of following proper technique through the entire stroke. If you don't set up properly, you're not going to get great catch. If you don't get the catch, your pull isn't going to be good. If you don't have a good pull, your exit will be sloppy. If your exit is sloppy, you won't be able to set up properly, and so on.
I had a particularly exciting evening. Kat & Jackie invited me back to the coaches' condo for a BBQ. I must admit that I felt pretty special. (They probably just felt sorry for me being all by my lonesome in the hotel...) Leah Nagano (Alcan race registrar) and Greg Lam (Alcan race director) & his wife Louise gave me a ride there & back. Jackie is a great cook - she BBQ'd steak, ribs and asperagus. Kamini made some awesome garlic bread and we also had salad, chips, and drinks. I tried to take it all in, listening to their chit chat about what was going on at the camp. It was particularly nice to talk with Andrea & Kamini. They are both very inspiring. Andrea coaches False Creek Women, a team I dream about competing with one day. Kamini is a 2-time Olympic kayaker who coaches the False Creek Men and the mixed team. She is so humble about all her accomplishments, but it's clear that she's dedicated her life to pursuing her dreams and doing whatever work needs to be done to get there. I admire her for that. I was very lucky to have spent the evening with them.
By this point, my team is getting some really great chemistry. We are made up of 3 big groups: paddlers from the Nanaimo team "Blu b y" (who happen to know my cousins Greg & Denise - small world); 4 crazy women from a new women's team in Cultus Lake (these women are nuts, I love it); and a group from the Portland-based team "Wasabi." I'm really starting to feel like I've made some good friends.
We worked more on individual technique refinement and balanced out the pain by working both sides. (Really, everything just hurt more...) We worked on push/pull drills, reinforced the catch concept which would be reinforced by Jason in the afternoon, did quite a few drills and went for a few longer pieces. It was quite a bit cooler - probably mid-70's - but still shorts & tank top weather!
And then, the torture ... VIDEO CRITIQUE!!
We met at the marina and walked together to the Ops Center (which is essentially the tourism info centre for the Tempe Town Lake area.) We really felt like we were "Paddling the Desert" then because we had to walk through a bunch of sand to get there.
There's nothing like watching yourself on video and having someone critique you frame by frame. It's particularly humbling when you think you've really mastered some of the technique you've been working on - only to have visual proof that you haven't! Jackie was very kind, though - lots of positive feedback and constructive criticism. I'm completely open to hearing & seeing what I'm doing wrong. Why else would I be at this camp?
Some notes from her critique:
*I have a good open angle waterside between my arm and my side. This allows for good rotation and reach (when I do it right) - but I have to maintain it through the pull & exit.
*I am still collapsing on my reach. This is obvious by the fact that as I begin to pull, I sit up. I should be hinging back to 5 degrees while maintaining a "tight tight tight" core.
*My shoulders are fairly level. This means that I am not over-rotating and I am starting to successfully apply a straight hinge. When the top shoulder is higher than the outside shoulder, you're a "stacker."
We went through every person and I learned a lot by listening to Jackie's critiques of them. It was also fun to try to predict what she'd say by watching for the strengths & weaknesses of each paddler. This is good practice for me as a coach.
After lunch, we headed back to the marina for a water session with Jason. Now, before I go on, let me just tell you about Jason. This man has the body of a Greek God. Oh, and he's an Olympic kayaker, too. Jason's primary job is to work on catch with us - such an important thing in dragonboat racing. We did some great drills. Not easy mind you, but we got a great workout. I think a few of us really started to understand the concept of connection with the water, and importance of following proper technique through the entire stroke. If you don't set up properly, you're not going to get great catch. If you don't get the catch, your pull isn't going to be good. If you don't have a good pull, your exit will be sloppy. If your exit is sloppy, you won't be able to set up properly, and so on.
I had a particularly exciting evening. Kat & Jackie invited me back to the coaches' condo for a BBQ. I must admit that I felt pretty special. (They probably just felt sorry for me being all by my lonesome in the hotel...) Leah Nagano (Alcan race registrar) and Greg Lam (Alcan race director) & his wife Louise gave me a ride there & back. Jackie is a great cook - she BBQ'd steak, ribs and asperagus. Kamini made some awesome garlic bread and we also had salad, chips, and drinks. I tried to take it all in, listening to their chit chat about what was going on at the camp. It was particularly nice to talk with Andrea & Kamini. They are both very inspiring. Andrea coaches False Creek Women, a team I dream about competing with one day. Kamini is a 2-time Olympic kayaker who coaches the False Creek Men and the mixed team. She is so humble about all her accomplishments, but it's clear that she's dedicated her life to pursuing her dreams and doing whatever work needs to be done to get there. I admire her for that. I was very lucky to have spent the evening with them.
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