World Cup 2, 3

You 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.
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.
Well the cafe i am in in germany is closing so I will continue the story from over seas another time!

Training Hard and Harder

Over 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!
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!
cheers
K

National Team Trials 2011

Update from San Diego,
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 !
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!

cheers
K
I will be make more frequent post and add pictures now that we are heading to europe!

Indoor kayak Challenge OKC

Stream videos at Ustream

Snow

OKC 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!
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.
Next weekend is the Indoor Competition which should be fun!
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.
cheers
K

Jet-lagged and forgetful? It's no coincidence: Memory, learning problems persist long after periods of jet lag

Jet-lagged and forgetful? It's no coincidence: Memory, learning problems persist long after periods of jet lag

Thanksgiving

Cold 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 !!!!