tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39206120575623550692024-03-08T11:39:54.879-08:00KmacsH2OFactorFor snow, water, or ice one factor is constant....H2O.
I have found fun, adventure, inspiration, passion, solace, new beginnings and friendship while skimming the surface of H2O on cross country skis, skates, in kayaks and canoes.
These posts are the never ending adventures brought on by the H20FACTOR and the pursuit of an Olympic dream.Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-27676103723421261532011-05-29T09:28:00.000-07:002011-05-29T09:40:47.295-07:00World Cup 2, 3You learn a lot about yourself on and off the water when you spend a few weeks racing against the best in the world. It was a great experience with a lot of highs and lows both parts will make Jen and I a better racing duo in the future. We started the world cup tour with a bang and ended it with a few tough days and a determination to go back to OKC and train even harder. Expanding upon our strengths and getting rid of our weaknesses turning them into strengths. <br />Medaling with Jen in the first race of our first world cup racing together and my first world cup in was amazing, we have been working very hard and we had a great result to show ourselves and others our progress. A medal shouldn't be the only thing to validate you but it sure as hell helped. <br />Well the cafe i am in in germany is closing so I will continue the story from over seas another time!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-79962414918674927882011-05-03T07:55:00.000-07:002011-05-03T08:04:06.376-07:00Training Hard and HarderOver the past week I have been introduced to what hard training really is. I always thought I knew what it was about, I was sure I was training as hard as possible.....there is another level... Jen and I are putting in 5-6hrs a day everyday except Sundays, running, kayaking, kayaking again and weights. I was positive we were going to fall over after last week and not get up. Come Monday we rallied and put in 22km in the morning, 4x2km in the afternoon followed by a 1200 rep weight work out 6 exercises 10 sets 20 reps!!!! Right now I am almost as mentally destroyed as I am physically, yet this is what I love doing and I want to be the best so here I am getting up for one more day or hell!<br />Jen and I leave for europe on the 14th first to the Czech then to Germany, I want to make sure I am in the best possible mental and physical condition I can be in before we go!<br />cheers<br />KKaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-41228921094225328672011-04-24T09:07:00.000-07:002011-04-24T09:15:25.442-07:00National Team Trials 2011Update from San Diego, <br />The racing was fast and furious in a massive cross wind but OKCHPT managed to pull through with 3 athletes named to the U23 team 1 athlete to the under16 squad and Jen and myself to the senior national team! I had a rough 500m but made it down the course with out flipping which was significantly better then last year, that afternoon Jen and I teamed up for the K2 500m and smoked the competition coming in a close second to Carrie Johnson and Maggie Hogan! I was very pleased with my 200m performance my time was slow for me but I pulled out to a close 3rd place best ever showing in a 200m and I beat out girls who I have never beaten before ! <br />Jen and I are really excited to head to europe for the world cups. Now that this first race is under my belt my nerves have calmed down significantly, I am learning that I need to work on my calm factor prior to races so I am not so hyped up on adrenaline for so long because to much adrenaline is detrimental to racing well!<br /><br />cheers<br />K <br />I will be make more frequent post and add pictures now that we are heading to europe!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-65781693199515160472011-02-11T18:45:00.000-08:002011-02-11T18:48:31.689-08:00Indoor kayak Challenge OKC<object width="480" height="296" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="cid=4104917&autoplay=false"/> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/> <param name="src" value="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/viewer.swf"/> <embed flashvars="cid=4104917&autoplay=false" width="480" height="296" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/viewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.ustream.tv/" style="padding: 2px 0px 4px; width: 400px; background: #ffffff; display: block; color: #000000; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Stream videos at Ustream</a>Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-83101976933935221592011-02-05T11:58:00.000-08:002011-02-05T12:10:37.804-08:00SnowOKC is about to enter its second week covered in snow and ice. Lets just say that it is rather inconvenient to train when the river has several inches of ice on it. The craziest things is that it was 70 degrees last weekend and we were out on the river paddling in T-shirts, then the very next day this! Everything in OKC has been shut down and I think we are still in a state of emergency, for us northerners we laugh at what people think is the end of the world out here. But the truth is that for the same weather its 10 x worse in OKC because the state doesn't have the equipment to clear the roads and to top it off no one knows how to drive, plus the buildings aren't insulated correctly so the pipes keep bursting!<br />Enough grousing training is going well I pulled a 1:51 on the erg today for 500m a little slow but faster then last year. The 200m that I pulled after was awful but i had bad technique because I was just focusing on going fast instead of the mechanics which is what you really need to do.<br />Next weekend is the Indoor Competition which should be fun!<br />Work and training are consuming my life but thats OK sorta the norm for me I guess but I am starting to enjoy my new job and I think its a great opportunity for me in the long term as well.<br />cheers<br />KKaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-66771205278397528562010-11-27T07:30:00.000-08:002010-11-27T07:30:13.143-08:00Jet-lagged and forgetful? It's no coincidence: Memory, learning problems persist long after periods of jet lag<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101124171538.htm?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4cf123fd5fe8575c,0">Jet-lagged and forgetful? It's no coincidence: Memory, learning problems persist long after periods of jet lag</a>Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-33365426455150779372010-11-25T10:03:00.000-08:002010-11-25T10:12:04.184-08:00ThanksgivingCold blustery New England weather jump started my brain as I walked out side this morning, the only thing was I am in OKC . Once my brain and body wrestled with the disconnect for a minute I was able to brave the cold to the gym with greater ease. I nailed the running workout, cleaned up, dropped Jen off at the airport and am now getting ready to go to Dylan's for my first thanksgiving turkey in 13yrs !!!!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-39163742304573760262010-11-14T09:33:00.000-08:002010-11-14T09:47:24.725-08:00Finshed TestingTesting week is finally over and I am exhausted, I feel like I shouldn't be because we really didn't do a whole lot of volume but I am still dead. It could be residual exhaustion from our month of crazy training we just finished. The endurance weights and max pull ups went well I improved on all of them which was heartening, I also improved on my running despite bad stomach cramps during the test. Note do not eat a snickers bar within 30min of strenuous exercise! We finished off the week with a 90min K2 steady state paddle, it felt good we had the right ration of speed:technical focus. People often think that technical focus means going really slow, it doesn't the boat speed and power need to be up so that your technique is correct, you cant go all out but the power application needs to be in the correct spot, the only difference is that you have a longer recovery phase between each stroke so you can keep it up.<br />On another note I have discovered a new cafe, Red Cup! I have decided I am moving in lol, it reminds me of Northampton and so many college cafes I have frequented in the past!<br />cheers<br />KKaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-77304696954816377752010-11-11T18:15:00.000-08:002010-11-11T18:18:22.001-08:00Testing Week<h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="UIIntentionalStory_Names" ft="{"type":"name"}"> </span><span class="UIStory_Message"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >6:33 pace for a 4km...now if I could bring it back to 6:00 and under like I could long ago I would be thrilled...hell I used to be able to jump over shit and go 6:00pace. Tomorrow we have max reps for 1min on bench press and bench pull with 30kg and max pull ups.<br /></span></span></h3>Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-37599844651549264472010-10-26T18:59:00.001-07:002010-10-26T18:59:33.263-07:00IMG_1977<div style="float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/50071973@N06/5116802994/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5116802994_1eaee5bcf2_t.jpg" alt="IMG_1977" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/50071973@N06/5116802994/">IMG_1977</a>,<br /> originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/50071973@N06/">Pete Smith1</a>.</span></div>K2 1000m Pan American Championships 2010<br clear="all" />Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-55582025438900053622010-10-23T12:54:00.000-07:002010-10-23T12:58:31.346-07:00LiftingWell fall is here and the strength training craziness has began. Gym 4 days a week, and resistance training 2-3x weekly leaves you pretty much toasted all the time. The first few days were killer but now my body has pushed through the miserable phase and is adapting nicely I think/hope. Speaking of which I am off to lift right now!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-78502581984644447962010-10-10T21:04:00.000-07:002010-10-10T21:06:06.476-07:00K2 1000m2010 Pan Am Championships 4th place K2 1000m just missed the podium grrrh...next time we will get it for sure!!!!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-63249637556868320312010-10-06T16:39:00.000-07:002010-10-06T16:49:49.063-07:00MexicoMiz Biz (Jen) and I made it to Mexico with only mild craziness which started off at the ticket counter.....Yep you guessed it our paddle bag (aka a plastic ski bag) was to blame apparently it was to large and did not fit inside the quota..... We proceeded to unpack it and lay our stuff out on the floor of the airport clothing paddles and gear, we then repacked it smaller. All the residual stuff which didn't fit was placed in our back packs or somehow attached to us. Next we proceeded to the check point Biz sailed on through while I set off a new machine they pulled out to detect explosives....that was me...I was then carted off to a closed glass room, patted down, scanned and then had my backpack checked. Once that was over we headed to the plane where I was rechecked!<br />Houston 2hrs later....the drug dog followed me down the ramp as we boarded the plane for Mexico. I though for sure I was never going to get there after that but....it turned out OK and I am now in Mexico City!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-87855156701007495052010-10-02T08:18:00.000-07:002010-10-02T08:31:28.460-07:00desk workI love desk work its awesome I am able to rest in between training sessions and still be productive throughout the day yeah!!!! And the best part is if I am over at the route 66 boathouse its peaceful and quiet......Anyway thats just a little aside into my day yesterday.....soon to be interrupted by 4 O'clock traffic at the downtown boathouse when I went to train, then work a dragonboating BBQ which was occurring simultaneously with a black tie wedding....talk about multitasking!<br /><br />Back to training.....<br />Miz Biz (Jen) and I have been spending as much time in the K2 as possible over the past few days to prep for Mexico City next week. Each time we go out we improve, the boat runs smoother and our times get faster, instant gratification a highly unusual thing for sport.<br />Shaun gave us the weekend off to recover for Pan Ams next week, I am honestly not sure what to do with myself during all this spare time, I am working a bit both days but on each end yikes. so far I am thanking of cleaning and laundry as two great options and then contemplating going ans spending some girl time with Biz window wishing at the mall( gasp).....Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-18154834723321464202010-09-27T19:28:00.000-07:002010-09-27T19:38:42.125-07:00Back in the USAAfter two long days of wet and wild racing in Spain, I am back in the USA.<br />The marathons went alright, the start of the K1 was awesome and Anne and I pulled it together for a strong finish after a bit of a rocky start in the K2.<br />I will fill in all the details once I have a a good nights sleep.<br />cheers<br />K<br /> a.k.a "captain"Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-30691766143595698562010-09-25T01:42:00.000-07:002010-09-25T01:44:05.406-07:00Warm upPre-race nerves are definitely present.....but I am excited...1hr to go time!!!!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-73168033102043831952010-09-24T02:13:00.001-07:002010-09-24T02:24:06.381-07:00Marathon Worlds 2010Chilling at a cafe next to the race course in Banyoles, Spain. The sun is shinning and the water is perfect. The race course is on a lake in the middle of the mountains in the bask region of Spain, 40km from the Pyrenees. Seriously what could be better !!!<br /><br />The past few days of training have gone well, a little bit of a rocky start the first day on the water but once the effects of the plane ride resided I felt great in the water in both the K1 and K2. I have kept training to a minimum this week with short shake down cruises mixed with portages and starts to maximize rest and recovery from a hard few weeks of prep leading up to the event.<br /><br />Denmark came to the USA's rescue by loading a K2 for us on there trailer at the last minute, team boats are a hot commodity at the worlds and both the US and Canada were without them at the start of the week. <br /><br />Internet is in and out here so cheers until the next signal comes through.Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-32294965327789505912010-09-05T07:31:00.000-07:002010-09-05T07:57:49.328-07:00Fall in OKC ......maybeA brisk 67 degrees at 8am, it must be fall in OKC ! It doesn't matter that the temperature shoots up to the mid 90's by the afternoon, I have decided fall is here. The cooler mornings make me think of New England even thought the temperature would constitute a warm summer day there, its all about the spreed from the AM to the PM. I love the Fall at home and miss it already.<br /><br />Training this week has been a bit of a challenge my body has a limited amount of energy. The work outs start great then I quickly fatigue after a few pieces, falling off the pace and onto my team mates wash, then after a few more I fall off the wash as well no matter how hard I try and hang on. I know that my fatigue will improve in the mean time its a challenge to remember that I have a limited reserve and can only do a few things everyday, ie a workout and 2hrs of work or 2 workouts and no work. If I over do it I have to go home and take a nap and keep a minimal level of activity ie. stay in bed for the rest of the day ggggrrrrrgh. <br />I am optimistic for next week, today is an off day for training so I can completely rest and I think I have built up my reserves in my body over the last week so I should be in a much better position to start my push to Marathon Worlds and then to Pan American Championships!<br />-KKaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-77940811007302475452010-08-31T14:41:00.000-07:002010-08-31T14:55:34.468-07:00HospitalLast week was one off those weeks....... It started off with me being run to the emergency room for severe stomach pain, I was admitted for 3days while the doctors decided if I they should cut me open and see what was wrong. I was improving on weds and released that afternoon. Thursday was the start of USACK Sprint Nationals and qualification for the Pan American Team which would start pre-olympic qualification in Oct. I managed to crawl out of bed for the race, sit in my boat, paddle to the 500m start, turn around and race back, I ended the semi finals with the 3rd fastest time of the day and in a good position for the finals that afternoon. I was honestly unsure if I was going to be able to make it down the race course again in the afternoon but I went home took a long nap and tried to relax before the finals. I had been unable to put much food in my stomach with out getting ill so at this point I had barely eaten in 4days and was extremely fatigued, so I was relying on my "muscle memory" to get me through the day. That afternoon I put my self in my boat made it to the start and raced. After all was said and done I managed to nab a 4th place and a birth on the Pan American Team, which will be competing at the Pan American Championships in Mexico City Oct 8-10.Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-88084097772394336282010-07-31T10:24:00.000-07:002010-07-31T10:34:13.477-07:00Summer DaysThe temperature is rising daily in OKC and our training is heating up in preparation for the 2010 US Canoe/kayak national championships which will be hosted by the Chesapeake Boathouse in OKC.<br />After getting back from a month of training and racing in the northeast, I felt like my body was done. Each practice was miserable and my boat speed was flat, I really couldn't understand what was happening with my body. After 2.5weeks of this my mental state was destroyed and I thought I would never go fast again, then we started doing faster shorter pieces at high intensity, and my body started responding and my boat speed shot up to the fastest I have ever been. This experience taught me the importance of training cycles and the use of different intensities and workout volume. I knew it intuitively but feeling the dramatic changes in my own body hit it home.Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-76627749329385116342010-07-04T16:30:00.000-07:002010-07-04T16:47:11.496-07:00LPI regattaWhat a great long weekend in Lake Placid!<br />Day 1<br />The lake Placid International regatta started off with a bang at 8am on Friday, first up was the senior women 500m heats. I had a solid race winning my heat which put me in the finals in a prime lane. A few hours later I raced to a close 3rd place finish in the SrWK1 500m final, next up was K2 we had a great 400m in the lead dropping to 4th after being caught off balance by the wind and needing to brace. At the end of the day Jen Burke, myself, Ann Blanchard and Beata Cseske teamed up for a K4 which place a close second to the Canadian team after a babble in the last 100m.<br />Day 2<br />200m's is an awful short race for a marathon paddler but I figured i would give it a shoot! I ended up just out of the medals in the K1 SrW 200m final by a few 100th of a sec!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-30595862052526922132010-06-20T17:49:00.000-07:002010-06-20T18:11:14.273-07:00Outdoor Nation Youth SummitI had the wonderful opportunity today to attend the Outdoor Nation Youth Summit in Central Park, NY. The event brought together youth from around the country to brainstorm ideas for engaging young people in the outdoors, healthy active living, and conservation. Members of Obamas cabinet attended OutdoorNation to bring back our top ideas to the president!<br />In a major effort to help bring some of our ideas/solutions to fruition the North Face and Camelbak have each announced major grant programs which individuals/organizations who have a program plan they think can engage youth with the outdoors should apply for @ www.explorefund.org.Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-15853185749678300732010-06-11T19:29:00.000-07:002010-06-11T19:34:36.877-07:00Olympic Day @ RiversportOKCOlympic day was awesome, lots of kids came out to try kayaking, rowing and other Olympic sports at the Chesapeake Boathouse today. This event helped to launch Ms Obamas Lets Move initiative in OKC. The US Secretary of Health, the Mayor of OKC and several Olympians came out to make it a special event for everyone!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-62790501416274749292010-02-19T17:39:00.000-08:002010-02-19T17:41:22.857-08:00Erg comp.Getting psyched for the erg competition, watching the Olympics and eating a great home cooked meal made by Maggie Hogan!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920612057562355069.post-74949602687082944702010-02-14T14:19:00.000-08:002010-02-14T14:26:14.754-08:00Back on the H2OYesterday I was back on the water for 10x500m. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid 40s so beautiful day for a workout. The intervals felt a lot better this week, I was focusing on a strong core and good leg drive. My times were slow but I feel I made progress on technique so eventually the speed will come. By focusing on core strength in the boat I realized how important it is to develop core stability off the water with physio ball workouts and balance drills, I knew this before but it really sunk in after this workout!Kaitlyn McElroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06963889267817807849noreply@blogger.com0