Short run in the Speeder.

Pyranha Speeder talk again. This is going to become quite a dull blog soon because I plan on two short runs in the boat each week and one long run on the weekend. I am aware that my plans and my actions don’t often tie up but last night I was out in the boat and I am really looking forward to a Saturday long run from Shrewsbury to Telford.

Last nights run was a blast from Ironbridge up to Buildwas after work. I was on the water for about 50 minutes and I covered about 4 miles. (An average speed of 4.8mph). The run was spent mostly trying to tune my paddling technique, trying to work out what it was about my posture or paddling style that was causing the boat to veer. I didn’t get to the bottom of the problem as such but while I was concentrating on my stroke I was headed in the right direction and when I got distracted by something, (usually a swarm of flies. Oh how I had forgotten about the spring time swarms of flies that hover over the water at canoeist height.) I would start to veer all over the shop.

I was also trying to enact the correct technique for paddling at speed, upright paddle entry, twisting with the waist. All of this is something I have read online or watched on youtube and this is the first boat I am getting a chance to make it work for me. It would probably be more productive if I had my technique fine tuned by a club with instructors but I’m not a member of a club so the internet will be my tutor.

Long run on Saturday morning and I will get a better feel for how fast I could average over a longer distance. I might even start doing the calculations to work out what sort of time I would finish the DW if I was to take part at this moment in time.