Crash!

Just as the head-cold was coming to an end, I've picked up another injury. Trying to get fit is an un-healthy business.

On Saturday, four of the team made it down to Glentress mountain biking centre near Peedles for a day out. More of a "bonding" exercise than hard training. Whizzing down the red run was fun, but I quickly realsied my MTB handling skills aren't what they were. Perhaps there's only so much room in my brain, and since it's full of kayak technique, the mountain bike skills have been squeezed out.

The sharp turns are nicely banked, but the ground was frozen solid. Part way around my rear wheel caught a rock and skipped off the slope, sending me tumbling. I thought I'd sustained just a few cuts and bruises, although the one below my hip stung like crazy. When I finished the ride I discovered blood from the big graze on my hip soaked through my shorts and tights, so when I tried to peel them they stuck to the wound. Ugh.

The best part of the day was meeting Joe Faulkner. Joe trains adventure racers on the fells above his lake District home, and we've signed up for his course next month. http://www.JoeFaulkner.com

Joe was interested in our team and drove up to meet us and pass on some information about the Hebridean Challenge. He'd competed in the solo section last year. We were fascinated to study the maps and photos he'd saved from the event.

Perhaps surprisingly, Joe reckons we ought to be able finish the event provided we continue to train with our present level of committment. This may just be good sports psychology on his part, but it cheered me up!

However, not having been able to train for almost three weeks has been a real frustration. My leg is healing fast, I've a training session booked for 8am on Friday, and we hope to spend much of this weekend kayaking. I hope there are no more interuptions.

Sniff n' Snivel

That dunk in the sea left me with a stinking cold. So no training for me last week or this. Is that flab I can see returning?

The cold is definitely lasting longer than usual. Perhaps it's just the nature of this particular bug, which some folk at work say lasts 4 weeks (arrgghh)! Or could it be somehow linked to the training? I doubt I'll ever know.

Whatever happens, I'll be with the rest of the team at Glentress on Saturday where Joe Faulkner is coming to meet us for the first time. he trains adventure racers, and we're hoping he'll be able to pass some of his wisdom on to us.

Kayak and (accidental) swim training

Liz and I had decided to spend Saturday kayaking. The original idea had been to put into Loch Linnhe and explore around Kingairloch, but there was no wind and the water was so flat that we decided to look for some lumpy stuff.

So we went to Ardnamurchan.

We have to practice controlling our boats in surf. Not whizzing down the face of the waves, leaning back with full stern rudder (although that would be fun!) but timing our landings and launching on surf beaches.

We'd previously admired the beaches of Sanna Bay, but after driving there we discovered we couldn't get the car near enough to the sea to launch without a LONG carry. So we drove around to Portuairk, launched, and paddled the short distance over to Sanna Bay.

There were only quite small waves on the beach, so after messing about for a while, we paddled further out to sea, crossed the bay a couple of times, then headed around to take a look at Sanna Point. The swell, wind and topography created some curious paddling conditions which were rather challenging.

I've recently bought a new camera (Canon EOS 300D), so I scrambled onto a skerry, hauled my boat up and fixed a 300m lens onto the body before shooting a few frames of Liz. Looking at them now, the water does seem rather rough!
http://www.SimonWillis.co.uk and click What's New

After eating lunch, we paddled out still further. On the way back we went looking to play in some of the white water. This was my un-doing.

I suddenly found myself on my side, with the high brace almost working... but not quite! Then I was underwater. Instinctively, I got out, and Liz towed me away from the surf before doing an X-rescue.

I was angry that I hadn't even attempted to roll, so back in calm of Portuairk, I deliberately up-ended to practice my roll. The first time I discovered that the bouancy of the BA moved me around the cockpit, so driving up my knee as part of the hip "flick", simply pushed off the spraydeck ! I was swimming again.

The second time I was more prepared, and .... almost made it. This really is something I/we need to practice in sea conditions. I reckon a dry suit could be called for.

It was a great day, if somehwat chilly, and I now have a stinking cold. But it was well worth it. Let me know what you think of the photos - there's a contact button below them.