As we prepare for the One Drop Caicos Adventure in June 2017, we are doing a ton of training. These training diaries are stories from the field and things I have learned from my time in training.
Yesterday marked a huge moment in training for a trip like the One Drop Caicos Adventure. It was my last and longest paddle until I take off.
Training for a trip like this usually takes six or more months and starts with shorter training sessions in each discipline. My paddle started at 90 minutes back in January.
As the months go by those workouts get longer and longer. Yesterday’s paddle was nearly 4 hours.
After this week I have two weeks of reduced training and giving my body a chance to rest and get ready for four days or grueling adventure. And, thank God, I feel like I finally got my diabetes procedures figured out for the paddle.
I always start with a test an hour before a paddle. That way if I am too high or too low, I have time to get it under control before I get on the water. I was a little high at 238. After learning from my last paddle, I corrected the full amount and drove to the lagoon.
This was what we call a shake down cruise. That means I tried out all of my gear the way I would in Turks and Caicos. I must have looked a little crazy paddling around with a full set of gear on the front of my board while paddling around a lagoon that is not even a mile long.
But I needed to make sure the new tie down straps I just installed would hold and that I could adjust my stance to balance out the weight.
Every ninety minutes, I stopped to get a small snack of about 15 grams of carbs. I was hovering around 150 so I didn’t bolus for the food. No one wants to fight a low while on a long paddle.
I also sipped on some grape Gu Roctane Energy Drink Mix during the paddle and the balance was working out perfectly.
Even though the diabetes part of my paddle was on point, the whole paddle was
just a little lonely and sad. Maybe I’m just a wimp when it comes to the weather, but it was dreary and overcast, cold and windy.
And being out alone on the water for four hours can make even the toughest of people a little weak in spirit.
All I could do was remind myself of the sundrenched, crystal-clear waters that we will be paddling over for two amazing days and be grateful that I won’t be taking on this trip alone.
There is nothing better than a few friends to cheer you up when you get to that low point during a long trip.
With that last long workout done, all that is left is to get to packing and make sure I don’t let the nerves get to be in the coming weeks. SaveSaveSave