My girlfriend and I just paddled our first race in our new Stingray 2. Lots of fun, and that's really our main concern. It was a nine mile race on a tidal river, out and back. More headwind than tailwind. We averaged around 5.2 mph. We're both 49, and we were happy with our results. I'm curious though, what speeds do better paddlers run? I'm OK to find out that we're just not that fast. We do a lot of cycling and runing as well, so we never really focus on one sport, but hopefully we'll improve. Thanks for any input.
Submitted by wallace on Tue, 06/16/2009 - 10:45am
Looking at the Olukai results, the top 10 guys were all better than 8.6mph, and that was on a flat, dead day with minimal push.
#1 Tue, 06/16/2009 - 11:23am
Thanks. I guess there's no way to sugarcoat that. There's always shuffleboard.
#2 Tue, 06/16/2009 - 11:38am
it would be difficult to determine what speeds "better" paddlers run since the tide level, current, course (twist and turns vs. straightaways), congestion and obstacles, wind conditions, temperature, debris on the water etc. for that given race, all would affect the race conditions and speed that the racers are running on the day.
How did other competitors fare in the race? In your division? I think your best gauge of your performance would be in reference to others who competed with you on that day. IMHO :)
Congratulations on your first race!
#3 Tue, 06/16/2009 - 11:44am
Hey, all the fast guys and gurlz spent plenty time as slow guys and gurlz. Practice might not make perfect, but it does make you faster.
#4 Tue, 06/16/2009 - 11:49am
Wallace,
Don't beat yourself up if you're using a GPS. There's a ton of stuff happening that won't show up. Tide, current, wind, waves - none of that is reflected in your GPS. Focus more on how hard you're working.
A heart-rate monitor is best, though maybe a bit too geeky for some. Put the heart rate monitor on your wife. It's much easier to blame your partner in an OC-2 if you're not fast. At least that's what my wife does.....
#5 Tue, 06/16/2009 - 2:59pm
pick up the results of someone in your division. chose someone who show up to every race and keep track of his times and check them against yours...
#6 Tue, 06/16/2009 - 3:38pm
WALLACE, don't be discouraged. The Olukai Race is not really a good example of what you should expect. Obviously there had to be other factors at play, wind, current, inaccurate distance measurement, or a combination of such factors. For example, the 2008 - IVF World Sprint Championships were held in a small freshwater lake, Natoma, the site of the Olympic Trials, the site of the World Outrigger Sprints on two occasions, and most recently the site of the National Intercollegiate Rowing Championships, the first time in it's 107 year history that it has been held on the West Coast. The facility provides a nearly ideal environment, where there is typically negligible wind and/or current, and the distances are measured accurately. At the 2008 Worlds, Danny Ching made three in competition runs over the 500 meter course, at an average speed 8 mph. Obviously Danny was going full gas over the 500meter course; so with that in mind, his realistic race speed over a distance of say 8 miles, would likely be in the neighborhood of 7-7.5 mph under these conditions. The Tahitian V1 sprint winner, Dubois, had a time of 2:10, with an average speed of 8.6 mph. To understand just how extreme Dubois' effort, I would refer you to the following video on Rambo's site. Imagine Dubois trying to maintain that effort for 8 miles. One soon realizes it is not possible without the aid of wind or current.
http://rambos-locker.blogspot.com/2008/08/v1-world-sprint-champion-in-sl...
On the crucible that is the freshwater of Lake Natoma (I get over there quite often), the average club paddler is usually 5-6 mph on an OC1. The Average Joe will work hard to keep the average speed above 6 mph for say 8 miles. On average, the OC2s typically obtain a higher speed. All else being equal, the average mixed crew is likely in the range of 5.8 - 6.8. Really good mixed and men's tandem teams can keep it between 7-8 mph.
So, don't be discouraged. No, it is likely you will never have the speed of an elite paddler, and 5 mph is a bit on the slow side; however, if you are just starting out, I believe you will find that your speed will improve dramatically over time. Keep paddling.
#7 Wed, 06/17/2009 - 5:39am
Wallace,
So many positives from your search for speed, and all of the advice was right on. Congratulations on new tandem, first race, and still being together after the first race (gold medal). Comparing other times, and using the HR monitor will enhance your performance. Your girlfriend may be into the total calories burned, and you can track your effort.
Using your HR monitor and the GPS will improve your training and speed--however, there is the key: more quality time on the water will show up in races. If both of you have the same goal, Keep working together and the results will soon follow.
#8 Thu, 06/18/2009 - 12:23pm