This past Sunday was my last big/heavy workout in the gym for the next couple weeks. I won’t bore you with the details of my massive workout routine that included at least 6 sets each of squats, tricep pulldowns, incline flyes, reverse flyes and dumbbell pullovers, but I will tell you that this week is now focused on light cardio and plenty of rest in preparation of my first kayak race of the year, the Nelson Downriver Race on the Tye River this coming Saturday, May 7.
The following Saturday, May 14, I’ll be racing on the Rivanna River in my local kayak race, and then the following weekend I’ll be riding my bike for The Storming of Thunder Ridge ride. Lastly, I’ll be paddling an ultra marathon kayak race in the James River Rundown on June 11-12. I’ll be in the 100-mile elite division. Come join me on one of these adventures!
It has been raining a lot this week in Central Virginia, which is good because we’ve had a very dry Spring up to this point, but now I’m somewhat worried that we might get too much rain and the race on Saturday will be cancelled due to high water like it was in 2014.
Tonight was a rest night and last night was a night of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on the homemade kayak ergometer in my basement.
I did three all-out sprints of 1 mile each with a few minutes of recovery in between.
I hope to get on the bike at least twice this week for a minimum of 10 miles each time, but short of that I’ll be in the gym either doing the Concept II rower for cardio or, heaven forbid, a treadmill or elliptical machine.
I know cardio is important, but lifting heavy stuff in the gym just seems like more fun if it isn’t cardio in an actual kayak or on a bike.
Come join me during the next three weekends.
Dave The Kayaker | The new home of West Side Boat Shop kayaks 