Race Reports for Hunting Island Adventure Biathlon

[1]

Race rating (4)

Comments: It was very windy and this made for some rugged kayaking conditions, not dangerous, just hard. I was 6 minutes faster this year and this was with a harder kayak segment. My run felt great and I wish I had worn a watch but everything was soaked and I didn't want salt water on my watch. Had a new spray skirt on board but didn't use it and I regret that since it would have kept water out of the cockpit. This was just what I needed to prepare me for Parris Is in 3 weeks. I rarely kayak, maybe twice a year but I find kayaking very much like cycling. It's about cadence and aerodynamics and power to weight ratio. Now I know it's also about hydrodynamics but for me it's mostly cadence and efficiently paddling. My little plastic recreation kayak puts me at a disadvantage but someday I'd like to race a carbon fiber or kevlar kayak. Kayaking is a sport where speed can be purchased, moreso than cycling. But like cycling a better engine still counts. I credit my better times to weight loss, aerobic

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[2]

Race rating (4)

Comments: I think one of the mistakes I made was not hydrating or using a gel while paddling. I usually rig my camelback to the boat with an extender tube but this year I carried a water bottle. Then I decided to wear the spray skirt and that limited the access to my water bottle. Then as it turns out the competition is so tight that no one is stopping to drink or suck down a gel so I just kept paddling. During transition I gulped a drink and a quick squeeze of Hammer Gel and that was it for the entire race. I definitely was feeling the effects by the end of the run.

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