The Water Comes Up…The Water Comes Down
Wednesday night, June 2nd, six days ‘til the World Championship classic. It’s time to back off the hard training, and begin to rest. I still have several lines on the river to figure out, so I’ll have to be smart about how I space my training runs to ensure that I learn what I need to without exhausting myself doing runs. The river level continues to change; on Monday it went up near flood level and trees were washing downriver. We paddled the classic course Monday afternoon, in case the river didn’t drop for the race, but one run was enough on a course that was beginning to have that flooded river feeling.
Other teams have begun to arrive. The British came in over the weekend, and today we shared the river with the Germans, Dutch, Swiss, and Australians. It was a day of drama. We saw six swims, two badly damaged boats (one didn’t get pulled out of the river for almost 2 kilometers), and one lost paddle. Yet no one was hurt, and everyone seems willing to jump back into the boat and go for it again. After my paddle broke and I swam last week, I knew I had to jump back on the water. It’s not really bravery or bravado, but that you know the sooner you get back in the boat the better off you’ll be. When you know you have to race a course and you have just had trouble, one of the best things you can do is paddle it again. Wildwater demands that you learn flexibility and resilience.
Tonight marks the end of hard training, and a chance to relax and sleep in more than usual tomorrow. I’ll run by the post office (only open in the morning), look in at the bakery, and maybe drive shuttle for a few people. Sort is a beautiful little town.
June 5, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Can’t wait to be there! I hope you can rest well in the next few days, and that the arrival of the rest of the team isn’t too stressful.
June 6, 2010 at 8:48 pm
You and Jennie sleeping in – I can see the pigs flying over Spain now….