A selfish moment...paddling with my son

It's been a long time since I paddled with my son. He was the first one who took the time all those years ago to work with me on the water. Teaching me about how not to flip (balance,) or how to sit so my back wouldn't hurt or my toes go to sleep.

Steven quit paddling after his heart was broken by an ankle injury just prior to Junior World Trials. He had been doing so well;  he was finally in a place where he felt that his hard work had finally compensated for all of the natural talent that he completely lacked.  I pretty much forced him to stay with it, to my regret, until finally his coach had him sit me down and tell me he hated it and was only doing what I wanted.

Steven couldn't get far enough away from that boathouse. For years he had nothing good to say about the club or anyone in it. I stopped asking him if he wanted to go for a paddle, he sold his boat, and I thought it was behind him forever.

Yesterday, my son asked me if I wanted to go out for a paddle with him! Of course I said yes.  I felt like I would cry as he climbed up to the top rack to pull down the dusty boat of an old friend, and screwed his paddle back together while trying to figure out how the twist should be.

Eventually we through our boats up on our shoulders and carried them down to the water's edge. The dock had been moved, so we climbed in from the shore and took off. I was proud and impressed as I watched my
wonderful son glide past me on the water. His balance is still good. 'Where do ya wanna go, Mom?" We decided to go under the bridge and turn in the opposite direction of the course. "Lots of boats out today, Mom. Let's go out toward the island." Of course, anywhere is fine with me. I'm just enjoying being out on the water with my wonderful son, and I'm enjoying doing this activity with him that we did so often so long ago. I smile just a little as I think back about the conversations we had about math, or girls, or his crappy car.  He has no idea how much I treasure this moment, and I'm not going to tell him.

Maybe later.

So, we have a date to paddle again Tuesday morning. It's early, so I'm thinking he may be out of it. We'll see. At least we had last evening.

TKM

the best laid plans...

Okay, it's been a couple of days. Things are crazy around here!! We've had two classes since my last post, so lots to catch up on.

Team boat night started out as expected. The water was a little choppy on the boathouse side Tuesday night, so I was glad to be getting out the big orange k-2's for the first half of class. Every time we have to lug those big old thing down to the docks, I ask myself why we don't yet have some sort of boat dolly or something to carry these down. Honestly, they're a little heavy for seniors. This has got to be a priority moving forward, as the program evolves into one where I actively seek out adults and para-athletes. It really needs to be user friendly, which would include a ladder for climbing out of the lake should that become necessary.

Ah, but where was I?  Okay. So, we partner up and head out for our paddle. I'm thinking at least it won't be too long since we have a commitment from the Masters group for some k-4 time later on.  As we push off of the dock, I remember how much I dislike these boats. They're really, really heavy, and they don't steer well. For me the biggest issue is the width. They are so wide that I have to change the way I am bringing my paddle down into the water, and it makes my shoulders feel tired.  My group is such a positive group, though, and before we know it we are out at the island. Time to take five and enjoy the shade as we dangle our feet into the water. As hot as it was that day, the water felt relatively cool. It was nice.

On the way back to the boathouse, everyone was really excited about the k-4. I have probably mentioned before that the k-4 is my favorite. It is also my favorite recruiting tool, because it allows me to show the potential. After a bit, we got back to the boathouse and put those boats away.

Hmm.  No Masters.

As it turns out, the Masters team lost track of time out on the water, so we took the opportunity to bring out the k-1's again and let everyone do what they wanted to do: Just spend more time on the water.  I'm proud of this group. They've been up for everything!!

TKM

Looking ahead to team boats!!

I always enjoy the third sesson of the Adult Learn to Kayak class. That's the night we get to try team boats. This is a really big selling point for the Master's program, and team boats are actually my favorite. Tomorrow is that day.

We will bust out the massive rec k-2's, which weigh about 70 pounds each, and take a little paddle out around the island around the bend from the boathouse, and then we'll meet up with the Master's squad. They are actually headed to Seattle for Nationals in a couple of weeks, so they're getting their team boats all set. I figure this is the perfect time to ask them to help me out.

The k-4 is a four-person kayak. Love the K-4!!  We have an old Kirton Commander, which is extremely stable, as far as sprint boats go. After we climb out of the k-2's, which cycle each one of my girls into the third seat for a go. The reason we put them in the third seat is because balance is less critical there, plus she will have someone behind her to coach her and others ahead of her to follow. Plus, she won't have to worry about steering. That's big!! Slowly they will paddle away from the dock, and turn out toward the water, then....go!!! Off for a sprint. This is a great time for the girls to be able to experience the speed and power of the boat without having to worry about balance. This is where they experience the "wow" factor! I try to put every student in this boat when possible, even the 75-yr olds. Even the older kids love it; the difference comes in when I ask if they wanna do it again. Generally the 65+ crowd loves it, but once is enough. I just love the big grins!


After the k-4 we'll all be climbing into a 10-seat dragon boat. This is a different technique than what they've been learning, so they'll all be surprised at how sore they'll be when we're out there. But, they'll have no choice but to paddle back in. Haha!!


It'll be a good class!!  Can't wait.


TKM

Seniors in kayaks....why not??

One of the things I enjoy the most about my job as Adult Kayak teacher is the child-like joy of those who are paddling for the first time in the 60's or above. It speaks to the fact that no matter what age we have acquired, there is still joy in learning something new.

Having taught folks from ages 8 to 80, I can honestly say that there are more similarities than there are differences.  I remember Mr Church, who took the class I believe 2 years ago. He was 73, and at one time had been a "real athlete" and had actually competed here at one time in the Tour De Georgia, a bike race across the state. It took a good chunk of time to get Mr Church into his big green rec kayak, because he had
one knee replacement and one that needed it, and he couldn't bend that leg at all. The boats that many of the seniors use are big and bulky; many of them have not been in the lake for 50 years, and they just feel better in the "barge-like" boats. One evening Mr Church tried to lift his leg up to put in into the cockpit, but he kicked the boat inside and stopped off of the dock into the lake. Panic ensued!!  Took us a couple of moments to calm him down and get him up onto the dock. But, he got right back in the boat and pushed off, and before I knew it the baptism jokes started.

I knew he would be okay.

Another session I really love with the "older kids" is when we get the opportunity to put them in  a k-4 with the high-performance guys. My student always sits third seat; this works best for balance reasons, but the athlete in fourth seat is able to coach them throughout the ride, and he is able to mirror what the two ahead of him is doing. It's a great recruitment tool, honestly. But more than that, it provides my seniors an experience unlike they've had in their long lives. There is always a little nervousness, but always big smiles afterwards. When I ask if they enjoyed it, the response is a resounding "yes!" When I ask if they want to do it again, the response is always "no!" Lol..

My current class have several senior ladies in it. I am really looking forward to Tuesday's class, the team boat class. We've already made arrangements to do the 10-man dragon boat and take out the Kirton k-4. This is a pretty gutsy group, so I'm hoping I can talk everyone into the k-4. They all took trainers out last night, and even with a good amount of wash, we only had one flip.

Wish me luck!!
TKM

Moms in kayaks = fun!

A new Adult Learn to Kayak class began last night at the club. Full class this time around, which is really lots of fun but frankly, also a lot of work. That's okay though! Every physical type of mom you could imagine. It took awhile, but we finally found boats for everyone and got the big, heavy rec boats hauled down to the docks.

The first few moments of the paddle are always a little hectic, when people are finding their water legs. Especially when the group is so relatively large. Basics come first; how to propel the boat, how to stop slowly, putting the brakes on quickly, turning, back-paddling, and the all-important skill of paddling into the wash when necessary.

I always start the class by having everyone paddle the rec boats approximately 1 kilometer down to the shore on the other end of the water on our boathouse side. It's a manageable paddle, all in the no-wake zone. I don't like to put them in choppy water at first. That will probably come Thursday night when we paddle up the course. At any rate, we paddle back to the boathouse, and then it's time to bust out the trainers. They are the intro racing boats, and really what we do at Lanier. On some levels, this is a feeder program for the masters program, but really it's a feeder program for a healthier life.

The trainers are somewhere around 20 years old. They are plastex boats which are in a sad state of disrepair. I am pretty sure that they don't even make the parts for these anymore. Unfortunate, really, because so many folks have started in those boats. Hundreds, at the very least.

But I digress. I love to put my students in these boats, because they have actual rudders and are a lot lighter than the rec boats, so they can move them more quickly and control them with relative ease. For most of my paddlers, with the exception of those with a lot of extra weight or a lot of extra years, once they get into the trainers they don't go back to the other boats. Before anyone is allowed on the water with these, however, I need to get into one and flip it so that they will know what to do in the event that they flip. This is kind of a selfish moment for me; I actually love to be in the lake. And, it's really important that they know what to do. After all, these are old fiberglass boats. When they flip, they take on lots of water. Once that cockpit is full, it's all but impossible to pull it back up. As I tell my students, I don't know when the next 50 years drought will be, but that's when we'll recover that boat.

I had 7 students try the trainers last night. No flips. Yes! Good for the confidence, and the majority of them had a new profile picture. One mom even got into the Dusen k-2 with one of our high performance athletes. They looked really good...until they flipped. But she's got real street cred with her 2 boys which are in the developmental program!!

So, Thursday night we'll get into the trainers and head up the course. We'll work more on using the legs to create twist and they'll be one step closer to being good paddlers. More importantly, they'll be moms in their 30's-60's who may have just become born-again athletes who will paddle for life.

TKM

Paracanoe is the next big wonderful.

I feel a little bit like I need to explain my absence. Well, I am a Penn State Alum, and had the opportunity to get back into town for a long weekend.  The Penn State family has been through a lot lately, as you may know. I say that to say this: It was a very emotionally raw weekend, but sometimes those are the times during which you can emerge with clarity. And I believe I have.

As you may know, I started out as the mom of a sprint kayaker. I worked my way through club positions, officiating, and middle school coach, until finally I landed where I believe I should be: Teaching adults of any age that they can learn how to paddle and how they can use it to improve the quality of their lives. I was recently asked if I would like to be the club's contact for paracanoe. At the time I wasn't really sure what it was, so I basically said "uh, ok."

But, holy cow, it's so cool!  Paracanoe is what it sounds like it would be. Canoe or kayak for a person with a physical challenge such as a disability. Although I don't really feel right about the word disability, because the things that I have seen people in wheelchairs, or with prosthetic arms, things like that do....I almost want to call them re-abilities. Except for that sounds really stupid. But you get my drift.

So, in the coming days I will be posting videos on my twitter feed, @thekayakmom, and maybe on here as well as soon as I can figure out exactly how that works.

Please join me on my journey. I want to help ALL adults learn how to paddle, to step out of their comfort zones. I want to show folks that you can be a "born-again athlete," and that even though you might be flabby and out of shape today, you're not destined to be that way. I want them to learn to drink from this veritable fountain of youth.

It's here for the taking...

Til the next time!!!
TKM

Just breathe....

I got off the water this morning as the masters group (LCKC's over-10's) was bringing their boats down onto the dock. They were off to do time trials, and asked me to come along. I declined, not because I don't want to see how fast I can go, but I'd already accomplished what I'd set out to do this morning.

Saturday mornings are wonderful. I like to get out on the water early, by maybe 7:30. I have the place to myself pretty much, because the bass boats and jet ski's and the like have to get through their "honey do" lists before they have permission to go out and play. The water was, and usually is at this time, like a sheet of glass. These are the times that I just go out and breathe.

I'm 50, and having been significantly overweight for such a long time, I've got stiff joints. My shoulders are not exempt from this, so when I paddle I can feel them for sure.  In karate, my instructor talks a lot about the importance of breathing correctly. She tells us to picture a baby sleeping, and notice how the stomach goes up and down. Expanding. This is how we are meant to breathe, and we often train ourselves to breathe incorrectly.

Paddling on a flat lake, by myself, in the morning, gives me the opportunity to breathe through my paddling. Let me tell you what I mean. Breathing in through my nose, I count up to four as I paddle, then breathe out through my nose as I count up to four again. I am expanding my diaphragm as I work, and increasing my ability to breathe deeply.

Here's the bonus: I focus on the counting and the breathing, and I have found that I can paddle much further without stopping because my shoulders are uncomfortable. This is a breakthrough!! I love it when I come in off the lake and I feel as though I have been enlightened.

Just breathing, coupled with focusing, can lead to enlightenment. It really is that easy.

TKM

My, how time flies...

A group of our athletes (Lanier Canoe and Kayak) have traveled north to the beautiful little nook of Lake Placid this week for a week of training and an international regatta. I just traveled over to the regatta website and was swept with how quickly time flies and the many changes that come in our lives in a relatively short period of time.

My son Steven paddled for roughly six years, and had lots of fun, good training, and made many good friends and memories. He always says the first trip we took to Lake Placid was the best trip he ever took as part of the team. That was 7 years ago, which is really hard to believe as I sit here this morning.

Steven was never really that good at racing....he just was never one of those "natural" athletes, the type who can do anything well. But he really enjoyed the other guys on the team. He got to train and compete at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, and he learned to play poker from the older guys who had actually been to the Olympics. It was really neat to see the relationships, and the thought of my little boy playing poker with these guys still makes me laugh. Lots of down time during those regattas.

Five years ago, Steven brought his ankle during an incident of horseplay at the boathouse. It was bad. It had to be screwed together.....it was devastating. To make a long story short, he was never able to get back to the level he had achieved. The mental part of it was something we just didn't know how to deal with. As a mom, it was difficult to watch. He had worked so hard...

I made him stay on the team for the better part of the year after that. I really regret that. He would go to early morning practice and sleep in his car. This wasn't a good time for us. It wasn't his fault though. I didn't want him to quit because of the good things it had done for him physically, but I'm here to tell you that you can't force a young man to train if he doesn't want to. I feel terrible looking back that I tried to force him to paddle.

Finally, his coach got him to come to me and tell me that I was making him do something for me, not for him.That was a tough moment, but I know that it had to be really, really difficult for him. We both cried, as I remember. It was then that I realized he really was done with it, and I needed to find a new relationship with the club.

So,  the Kayak Mom was born. And Steven? He is on to bigger and better things....