All I can say is..... WOW!!!
Na Wahine O Ke Kai 2012
Friday 12 October 2012
Wednesday 3 October 2012
Home safe, sound and delayed....
My husband reminded me the other night that I failed to blog about my return to Canada and to discuss the experience while I was paddling the big waters of Hawaii.
So... needless to say, I've returned in one piece. No shark attacks (thank God!!), no broken bones and a minimal amount of self respect lost (primarily to do with the consumption of distilled grains...).
Coming back to Canada was a bit of a whirlwhind, and I always say that after any trip, take 1-2 days off to sit and reflect on the experience. Unfortunately, this time around, I didn't have that luxury. I was back at work the next day, followed by a house sale and move on the weekend..... and a hometown race to boot.
Since returning, I've paddled in three more races, and just came back from a grueling weekend of tryouts for the Canadian national women's premier dragonboat team. The women competing for seats in the boat are stronger this showing compared to previous years, so there is some stiff competition. My goal is to be one of the stronger contenders and make the team to compete at the World Championships in Hungary, 2013.
Here are some photos of the trip and the racing to cap things off...
Above: A photo of the mens half of the OPAdvantage crew, somewhere around the 3-4th leg of the 41 mile race.
Monday 13 August 2012
We survived!!
We had a few surprises starting out, and a few bumps and bruises (literally) along the way, but I couldn't have asked for a better outcome :)
The day started very early, and the ladies were getting used to the canvas, when we were called to get ready for the race. As I mentioned previously, the start involved our steers running from the beach into the boat. We were set up perfectly for the race though, as we were positioned at the very end of the line of boats making it easier to get away from the fray.
The ladies started out strong, and our first change went well, but we got a bit of a surprise eating into the support boat after the first change. Our support boat driver lost his ladder, meaning we had to pull the "beached whale" to get back into the boat, hoping that the props were not spinning. A few of us ended up with gashed shins and forearms, but, men dig scars right?? ;)
Meanwhile, the boys were having their own adventures during the first shift - as they huli'd (flipped their boat) about ten minutes in. Thankfully they were able to get back into the race quickly, but we lost about 5 or 6 positions in the race.
From there on out, the rest of the race literally flew by. The scenery was awesome to watch during the rest periods on the support boat, and each paddling shift seemed to get shorter and shorter.
In the end, it was the boys who were in the boat when they passed the two mile "no change" bouy so they took it home for us.
We finished sixth out of all the boats, with a time of 5 hours and 8 minutes.
All in all, I would do this over again in a heartbeat. It was such an adrenaline rush and such an awesome experience!!!
Here is a photo of the women starting the race, and a photo of my view of Waikiki Beach on my final night in paradise.
I leave for Canada at 8:30 pm tomorrow, and return to Ottawa at 6:30 pm on Tuesday. Work on Wednesday morning will e interesting.
Saturday 11 August 2012
NaPali challenge here we come!
It's 5:30 am and I'm up, getting some Kona coffee into my system and getting myself mentally prepared to race the 40 -ish miles from Hanalei to Waimea around Kauai island in a six man outrigger canoe.
If you had asked me five years ago if I ever saw this in my future, or any of my other recent paddling exploits, I would have said you were crazy. I have been introduced to new sports (sprint dragonboat and outrigger), introduced to new groups of people who have pushed me to push myself, and I have the good fortune that good marital/family support can encourage you to try new things. Three years of journey and I feel like its just the beginning.
I read a quote recently that seems fitting:
" I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be".
As an end note, wishing some great water and power to my friends racing in Calgary at the world outrigger sprints.
If you had asked me five years ago if I ever saw this in my future, or any of my other recent paddling exploits, I would have said you were crazy. I have been introduced to new sports (sprint dragonboat and outrigger), introduced to new groups of people who have pushed me to push myself, and I have the good fortune that good marital/family support can encourage you to try new things. Three years of journey and I feel like its just the beginning.
I read a quote recently that seems fitting:
" I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be".
As an end note, wishing some great water and power to my friends racing in Calgary at the world outrigger sprints.
Race day tomorrow
We scouted out the finish line today by car - which took most of the day unfortunately. It turns out they moved the finish an extra mile down the coast, which means the race is now over fourty miles. Should be interesting ;)
I'm getting a little nervous as this day is finally here - its no big secret that I'm scared of the sharks during the changes - so wish me luck :)
In terms of race plan, the ladies start with the Le Mans style start (running to the boat from the shore) and take the first 30 minute shift. The men are in the crash boat and give us a 15 minute head start before they are allowed to drive out of the bay to find us. The closer we are to the front of the pack, the better, as we won't get stuck in the wash of the other crash boats. From there, the race official will call a five minute window to change - the change must be completed with all paddlers in one boat or another within the five minutes or penalties are given out. The race keeps rotating between men and women until we hit one mile from finish. At that point, web if it's time for the thirty minute change, the crew in the boat has to finish the race.
Wish us luck, follow on our spot link if you wish :)
I will post our time and finish position web back at the house tomorrow.
Thursday 9 August 2012
Thursday = last practice before the race
Yesterday we had a 2 hour paddle/practice in the morning where we focused on working on deep water changes and catching/riding the surf.
Surf riding is a whole new experience for those of us from primarily flatwater experience, and it has it's challenges. You need to be able to get the boat to respond at the appropriate time so that you're actually paddling with the surf/swell and not against. Done right, you can actually expend a lot less energy keeping on the wave - this is a technique that will be good to use throughout the 60 km race in two days' time. Done wrong, you use a lot of energy for less gain - for long distance races, not the best situation to be in.
Here is a link to some video on doing changes in the OC6. I'm in the second seat up until the first change where you'll see me jump from the boat, and Emilie (one of my teammates with the Ottawa Galley Girls) get into my seat.
http://youtu.be/yxg3M5VpWds
In the afternoon, we hiked through some of the NaPali coastline. This area of the island is inaccessible by car (the trailhead starts where the road ends), so it's really quite rugged and pretty pristine. The hike also served as a "first look" at the type of scenary we will be following throughout the race. The trail wasn't your typical American hiking trail, so the going could get a bit interesting at times. All in, we hiked for about 13 kms, which pretty much wore us out.
Here are some photos along the way....
This morning, we had our last practice before the race on Saturday. Because we're going to be in a safety boat during our "breaks", we decided to see how well we fared paddling while using sea-sickness medications. Some people it didn't affect, while in my case, it was likely a combination of fatigue, lack of sleep and the medication, but I was pretty much useless this morning. Needless to say, I won't be taking that medication on the day of the race. If I get sea-sick during the breaks, I'll just have to deal with it.
Till next time!
Surf riding is a whole new experience for those of us from primarily flatwater experience, and it has it's challenges. You need to be able to get the boat to respond at the appropriate time so that you're actually paddling with the surf/swell and not against. Done right, you can actually expend a lot less energy keeping on the wave - this is a technique that will be good to use throughout the 60 km race in two days' time. Done wrong, you use a lot of energy for less gain - for long distance races, not the best situation to be in.
Here is a link to some video on doing changes in the OC6. I'm in the second seat up until the first change where you'll see me jump from the boat, and Emilie (one of my teammates with the Ottawa Galley Girls) get into my seat.
http://youtu.be/yxg3M5VpWds
In the afternoon, we hiked through some of the NaPali coastline. This area of the island is inaccessible by car (the trailhead starts where the road ends), so it's really quite rugged and pretty pristine. The hike also served as a "first look" at the type of scenary we will be following throughout the race. The trail wasn't your typical American hiking trail, so the going could get a bit interesting at times. All in, we hiked for about 13 kms, which pretty much wore us out.
Here are some photos along the way....
This morning, we had our last practice before the race on Saturday. Because we're going to be in a safety boat during our "breaks", we decided to see how well we fared paddling while using sea-sickness medications. Some people it didn't affect, while in my case, it was likely a combination of fatigue, lack of sleep and the medication, but I was pretty much useless this morning. Needless to say, I won't be taking that medication on the day of the race. If I get sea-sick during the breaks, I'll just have to deal with it.
Till next time!
Tuesday 7 August 2012
Practices are going well
Our crew paddled for the first time together yesterday.
We practiced full boat switches where all 6 paddlers jump out of the boat and the other 6 team mates waiting in the water pull themselves into the boat to take over. This will be a very important part of our race on Saturday as each crew (male and female) can only paddle for 30 minutes, and then they have to switch out otherwise we are given a time penalty.
The first few switches were ok, but they got considerably better toward the end of the morning practice. Our hawaiian steers-people are excited for the opportunity to race on Saturday and are looking forward to a decent performance from our crew.
We went for an ~2 hour paddle in the afternoon where we worked on pushing through the waves and catching some surf on the way in.
Here is a link to a video that I took from my waterproof camera that was strapped to the iaku of the boat (the "bars" which hold our ama (pontoon type portion of the boat). You can see up to seat 3 in the OC6 - unfortunately I couldn't get a decent angle for the remainder of the paddlers in the boat.
http://youtu.be/gir9jdG913o
In other updates, life in Hanalei is super relaxed both for the locals and the tourists. We have been hanging out between practices, enjoying the opportunity to take a bit of downtime - enjoying the beach, snoozing and catching up on some summer reading.
This place has been home to many movie sets including "The Descendents" and "Jurrasic Park". At every shot I see of the NaPali coastline, I think to myself whether this is where the helicopter flies into Jurrasic Park during the opening shots.
Tomorrow the plan is to go for a paddle in the morning, followed by a hike of the NaPali coastline in the afternoon. We've been told that the trail can be treacherous, approximately 2 feet wide on the side of a cliff that drops to the ocean. This should be interesting ;)
For the race, for anyone interested in following, we will have a SPOT GPS transmitter hooked up to our boat. You can follow the 40 mile race and see where we are on the course if you like. The race starts at 8am HST, which is about 6 hours behind Ottawa.
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0mvOaKZK0yyvWGcbfctv6pEiT5hgM19Qd
Hope everything and everyone back home is great - and I'll see you in a week!
Aloha!
We practiced full boat switches where all 6 paddlers jump out of the boat and the other 6 team mates waiting in the water pull themselves into the boat to take over. This will be a very important part of our race on Saturday as each crew (male and female) can only paddle for 30 minutes, and then they have to switch out otherwise we are given a time penalty.
The first few switches were ok, but they got considerably better toward the end of the morning practice. Our hawaiian steers-people are excited for the opportunity to race on Saturday and are looking forward to a decent performance from our crew.
We went for an ~2 hour paddle in the afternoon where we worked on pushing through the waves and catching some surf on the way in.
Here is a link to a video that I took from my waterproof camera that was strapped to the iaku of the boat (the "bars" which hold our ama (pontoon type portion of the boat). You can see up to seat 3 in the OC6 - unfortunately I couldn't get a decent angle for the remainder of the paddlers in the boat.
http://youtu.be/gir9jdG913o
In other updates, life in Hanalei is super relaxed both for the locals and the tourists. We have been hanging out between practices, enjoying the opportunity to take a bit of downtime - enjoying the beach, snoozing and catching up on some summer reading.
This place has been home to many movie sets including "The Descendents" and "Jurrasic Park". At every shot I see of the NaPali coastline, I think to myself whether this is where the helicopter flies into Jurrasic Park during the opening shots.
Tomorrow the plan is to go for a paddle in the morning, followed by a hike of the NaPali coastline in the afternoon. We've been told that the trail can be treacherous, approximately 2 feet wide on the side of a cliff that drops to the ocean. This should be interesting ;)
For the race, for anyone interested in following, we will have a SPOT GPS transmitter hooked up to our boat. You can follow the 40 mile race and see where we are on the course if you like. The race starts at 8am HST, which is about 6 hours behind Ottawa.
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0mvOaKZK0yyvWGcbfctv6pEiT5hgM19Qd
Hope everything and everyone back home is great - and I'll see you in a week!
Aloha!
Monday 6 August 2012
In Kauai
Kauai is a beautiful island, very different from Oahu (less touristy, more wild). Our first sights of Kauai were on the approach where we could see the NaPali coastline in the distance. The views remind me a bit of the Brazilian coastal rainforest.
We have two houses rented, both within spitting distance of the beach. We are living the life of luxury compared to our hotel in Honolulu!!
We will be paddling today with our full crew (finally) and practicing switches in the water for those who haven't yet had the chance.
Below is a picture from a lookout around Hanalei Bay.
Saturday 4 August 2012
Enjoying ourselves in Hawaii!
Well - everyone is having a terrific time in Hawaii!
On Thursday morning we went for a nice long paddle out of one of the local outrigger canoe clubs. Since it was my first time in real swells, it was quite the experience! The waves were coming over the bow of the boat and we were constantly having to bail - but it was worth it! Getting the feel of surfing the waves was pretty great - definitely nothing like flat water!
That afternoon we took a drive along the coast in a convertible Mustang we rented for the day. We took a hike through Diamond Head crater and up to the old fire tower. We then continued half way to the north shore and headed for home.
Yesterday was a 22 km paddle in the big waves - though we forgot our bailer and only realized when we were half swamped. That was fun.
Yesterday afternoon we took another drive but this time went up to the North shore - where all the big wave surfing is. These waves get up to 30 feet tall!
Last night was a bit of a gongshow after we got back - resulting in the consumption of an entire bottle of wine and lots of dancing. We met some Canadian army members, so that was nice to chat a bit. We haven't seen many English speaking tourists - so its a nice change :).
I missed practice this morning as a result of last nights festivities - I was pretty upset with myself about that but I also have to remind myself that I'm on vacation - not just training!!
Tomorrow we head for Kauai where two other paddlers from Canada will join us in the final prep for the race - it will be good to have the whole crew together.
Till next time - Aloha!
On Thursday morning we went for a nice long paddle out of one of the local outrigger canoe clubs. Since it was my first time in real swells, it was quite the experience! The waves were coming over the bow of the boat and we were constantly having to bail - but it was worth it! Getting the feel of surfing the waves was pretty great - definitely nothing like flat water!
That afternoon we took a drive along the coast in a convertible Mustang we rented for the day. We took a hike through Diamond Head crater and up to the old fire tower. We then continued half way to the north shore and headed for home.
Yesterday was a 22 km paddle in the big waves - though we forgot our bailer and only realized when we were half swamped. That was fun.
Yesterday afternoon we took another drive but this time went up to the North shore - where all the big wave surfing is. These waves get up to 30 feet tall!
Last night was a bit of a gongshow after we got back - resulting in the consumption of an entire bottle of wine and lots of dancing. We met some Canadian army members, so that was nice to chat a bit. We haven't seen many English speaking tourists - so its a nice change :).
I missed practice this morning as a result of last nights festivities - I was pretty upset with myself about that but I also have to remind myself that I'm on vacation - not just training!!
Tomorrow we head for Kauai where two other paddlers from Canada will join us in the final prep for the race - it will be good to have the whole crew together.
Till next time - Aloha!
Wednesday 1 August 2012
Made it to Honolulu
I have made it to paradise - safe and sound.
Unfortunately, my checked luggage didn't......
Which means that Emilie and I are without our paddles and I am currently without clothing (my carry on backpack was reserved for electronics). Thankfully I have understanding travel companions and will be doing some shopping later today before going out for our first OC paddle in the big water. Note to self : travel credit card and included insurance has already paid off.
Enough about that.
Hawaii, or rather, Honolulu, is spectacular. While we were approaching by air I caught a glimpse of one of the islands and thought to myself "what did I get myself into". From the air, the island looked MASSIVE - and I'm supposed to paddle around this? HA! No worries though - it should prove interesting :)
When I got off the plane I expected to be hit with a wall of humidity like China or Tampa - none of that though! It's humid but significantly less so than Ottawa - which is nice for a change!
One of the remarkable things about this place is the smell - everywhere you go it smells fantastic. There is none of that fishy, ocean smell - rather its a light floral fragrance that is not obnoxious or overwhelming. It's almost a blend of gardenia, hisbiscus, orchid and some other magical flower. This scent is definitely going to be imprinted in my scent memory - and will remind me of this trip for years to come.
Last night we went to this beach side restaurant that features a grill that allows you to cook your own food. It was literally open to the beach and you could walk down to the surf if you wanted - it felt so indulgent, and yet, so "right". That dinner, paired with the infamous "Tropical Itch" drink (complete with 6 shots of alcohol per serving and a back scratcher) made my introduction to Hawaii complete.
The rest of our crew is scheduled to arrive today so I have a feeling we will be revisiting that experience tonoight ;)
Till next time - Aloha!
Unfortunately, my checked luggage didn't......
Which means that Emilie and I are without our paddles and I am currently without clothing (my carry on backpack was reserved for electronics). Thankfully I have understanding travel companions and will be doing some shopping later today before going out for our first OC paddle in the big water. Note to self : travel credit card and included insurance has already paid off.
Enough about that.
Hawaii, or rather, Honolulu, is spectacular. While we were approaching by air I caught a glimpse of one of the islands and thought to myself "what did I get myself into". From the air, the island looked MASSIVE - and I'm supposed to paddle around this? HA! No worries though - it should prove interesting :)
When I got off the plane I expected to be hit with a wall of humidity like China or Tampa - none of that though! It's humid but significantly less so than Ottawa - which is nice for a change!
One of the remarkable things about this place is the smell - everywhere you go it smells fantastic. There is none of that fishy, ocean smell - rather its a light floral fragrance that is not obnoxious or overwhelming. It's almost a blend of gardenia, hisbiscus, orchid and some other magical flower. This scent is definitely going to be imprinted in my scent memory - and will remind me of this trip for years to come.
Last night we went to this beach side restaurant that features a grill that allows you to cook your own food. It was literally open to the beach and you could walk down to the surf if you wanted - it felt so indulgent, and yet, so "right". That dinner, paired with the infamous "Tropical Itch" drink (complete with 6 shots of alcohol per serving and a back scratcher) made my introduction to Hawaii complete.
The rest of our crew is scheduled to arrive today so I have a feeling we will be revisiting that experience tonoight ;)
Till next time - Aloha!
Sunday 29 July 2012
Second place in Canada!
Second best women's premiere crew in Canada.
With every dragonboat festival, there is always some element of drama. This weekend was no exception.
At the Canadian championships, you race the 200m, 500m and 2000m (on a 500m course with turns) distances; however, your final overall placement is based on a point system. The team who wins the final heat for each distance wins the most points and at the end of the competition, the points are tallied and the team with the most points gets the title of national champion.
We finished a strong second in both our 500m races - which put us in a good position for our 2000m race. Our 2000m race, however, left a few team members with a sour taste in our mouths. Our crew was penalized ten seconds for contacting another boat coming out of the turn - that penalty cost us another second place finish - which resulted in a fourth place finish for the 2K.
Going into the second day of the championships, we were standing in third place based on our points - we needed to pull up our game to make a comeback.
Comeback we did ....
One of our main "rival" teams, Montreal Elite (I say rival but really they are an inspirational group of female paddlers who routinely rank second in the WORLD) was gunning for us in the final 200m. But the Galley Girls have been getting stronger and have been focusing on podium finishes at big races - so we gave it our all. I think having them as our competition gave us the fuel to have one of our best ever races.
MTL elite beat us in the final 200m race by 0.3 seconds - on the outset, you're probably wondering why we are content (happy, really) with this - but this is the closest we have been to that crew. It's a step in the right direction which affirms that the hard work is paying off.
All in all - after the points were tallied, my crew finished with a respectable second place.
Very exciting :)
Now to concentrate on getting ready for my Hawaii race, my upcoming move and continued Team Canada tryouts.
Till next time!
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Getting prepped for some CRAZy weeks ahead!!
Well - I guess I can start by expressing how much I have missed keeping this blog alive. While I had only initially intended this blog to be a source of communication to loved ones and friends back home for the trials and tribulations of the world championships, 2011 - I have missed having this vessel of communication.
So - that all being said - next big things in my competitive life include the following.
T-1 day > tryouts for the Team Canada 2013 crew. This is a year long process, so likely more to hear on this ;)
T-2 days > Canadian National Dragonboat Championships at the Olympic basin in Montreal with my home team, The Galley Girls!!
T-5 days > jumping on a jet plane to race in Hawaii in the 2012 Na'Pali challenge. It's a 42 mile outrigger canoe race around Kauai island.
And to top it all off, I'm trying to get prepped to move my house (which is happening 4 days after my return from Hawaii). I'm a ball of nervous energy right now - which could translate into either a positive or negative outcome.
Here's hoping for the positive!!
Till next time!
So - that all being said - next big things in my competitive life include the following.
T-1 day > tryouts for the Team Canada 2013 crew. This is a year long process, so likely more to hear on this ;)
T-2 days > Canadian National Dragonboat Championships at the Olympic basin in Montreal with my home team, The Galley Girls!!
T-5 days > jumping on a jet plane to race in Hawaii in the 2012 Na'Pali challenge. It's a 42 mile outrigger canoe race around Kauai island.
And to top it all off, I'm trying to get prepped to move my house (which is happening 4 days after my return from Hawaii). I'm a ball of nervous energy right now - which could translate into either a positive or negative outcome.
Here's hoping for the positive!!
Till next time!
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