The last week has been a blur. In one part of my life, I coach a group of young athletes in the sport of flatwater sprint canoe and kayak racing. During the local school break window, I took several of these athletes to visit another club in Georgia - Lanier Canoe Kayak Club. LCKC has epitomized a lot of what I like about this sport for young athletes. Lots of young people doing something outdoors and as a group, without having to have a specific talent/skill/strength level to enjoy the sport.
We drove 20 hours pretty much straight through, trading drivers often and stopping as needed for food, gas (lots of gas) and nature. The last time I did this, the athletes were a year older on average, and seemed to be more 'seasoned' as travelers. We'd stop for gas, they'd pile out, check straps on the trailer, hit the bathroom, grab food, and be curled up asleep again before the tank filled. Not this time. I'd be tanked, straps checked myself, and have been to the bathroom by the time they got out of the truck. OK, maybe not really, but it seemed like it.
The week started out with a clear blue day, a bit of paddling, and dinner with our incredible host families. And went straight downhill from there. Rain, rain, cool, wind, and cold water set the stage for the first couple of days. We did paddle every single day, did strength training, and even a little mall ratting (the kids, not me!). But it was pretty miserable being out in 45 degree mist and light rain - especially in a low stability boat. We did get some good, even hard workouts, and started seeing personalities and abilities emerge. Over the course of 5 days, I got to see a lot of good things about each athlete, and especially got to see a lot of improvement on some. One of the athletes had never really sat in any kind of ICF kayak before this week, and over 7 days made incredible jumps in stability and power.
The last couple of days were great. The weather was beautiful, and while we had some hard sessions, we also had some unexpected things. Low point - they managed to flip the 'unflippable' C4, much to the delight of the LCKC athletes, and the embarrassment of the two great sports who agreed to teach them high kneel in the C4. Great fun, cool water, and a lot of laughter *after* the fact.
On Friday, I felt like they'd done a *lot* of really good work, overcome some trials, and needed a really positive last full day. So when they got back from lunch, they met the K4 for the first time. For those not familiar, a K4 is 35 feet long, about 20" wide, and with an elite team can pull a water skier! In short, fast and sleek. They managed to all get in without swimming, so off they went. 8K later, and they were singing, chattering, and generally enjoying being out there. And then just for pure fun, we went out on SUPs for the first time as well. All in all, a good end to the week. Except...
There was this race that they were supposed to do, and nobody was really thrilled about paddling 10K in a K1 (on their first week all season). So we talked about it, and they agreed that the K4 might be possible. It was. They finished ahead of all the experienced K2s, and had a ball. Medals, pictures, lots of smiles and a 20 hour ride home. Great week.
My eternal thanks to the staff, coaches and especially parents and hosts who put us up down in Gainesville. You made a good trip into a memory!
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