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Devizes to Westminster
2018/2019
Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.
Well done to everyone who took part in the Celtic Cup at the weekend!
This is an annual race that we run with Mount Kelly College on the Grand Western Canal. After they won the inaugural race last year, it was a fantastic achievement for our crews to bring home to the cup this year. Further congratulations to Ieuan for taking the fastest crew trophy two years in a row!
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As the Waterside Series approaches next weekend, I thought it would be valuable to confirm the arrangements that I have discussed already with most parents and crews.
All of the races finish in Newbury at the Waterside Centre (RG14 5AS) For Waterside A (13 miles, 21 portages), crews must be in Great Bedwyn (SN8 3PE) at 8am, when check-in opens. This is essential to ensure that the boat is organised and the paddlers are ready for the start at 9am. Waterside B (18 miles, 19 portages) starts and finishes in Newbury at the Waterside Centre (RG14 5AS). Start time is at 10am, with check-in opening at 9am, so this is when paddlers need to arrive. Waterside C (23 miles, 35 portages) starts at Pewsey (SN9 5NT). Paddlers need to be there 8am as check-in opens, and be ready to start racing for 9am. There is no parking in Pewsey Wharf, but you will be directed to park in St Francis' School opposite. Waterside D (34 miles, 35 portages) runs from Devizes Wharf (SN10 1EB) and is the full extent of Day 1 of DW (plus another half a mile!). There is a very early start to allow the race to finish at a decent time, so crews must be in the Wharf for 6am, ready for a 7am start. It is very much advised to book accommodation for Waterside C, D and the night before DW; this makes it a more relaxed experience for both supporters and paddlers who will feel much fresher having stayed in the area locally the night before. http://www.watersideseries.org.uk/documents/SupportCrew-Etiquette.pdf - This document is very important reading for supporters and will give you lots of helpful advice, along with ways that we can help the race run better by reducing congestion and keeping portages clearer for racers. Any questions feel free to get in touch - Mr Gilbert Let's start with hydration. Ideally, you need to be consuming 1 litre of fluid per hour you are working. However, just turning up to your 6-8 hour Waterside D race with a few massive bottles of water isn't going to help that, nor drinking loads and loads and loads the night before. You need to arrive hydrated and then use a specialist drinking system to ensure that you can keep drinking throughout the race with the least disruption possible to your paddling. There are two main options, and with slight variations too.
Camelbaks are a popular choice and it has some real advantages over other systems - mainly that it allows you to carry lots of water without feeling the real weight of it, as it's spread across your back in a small pack that can fit on the outside of your buoyancy aid (some companies make a system that can attach to a buoyancy aid and reduces the straps that can make them complicated). However, these can be difficult to refill as they are often hard to screw on properly under high pressured situations, and changing hydration packs in the rucksack can be fiddly too. The other option is to use a bottle with a long straw mounted in front of you on your chest. These hold about 500ml of liquid, but due to their cheap nature, you can buy several and change them regularly throughout the races. Your support crew can refill them as you are going along. These can either be mounted in a material pouch that attaches to the buoyancy aid, or via a long rubber necklace that goes around the neck (my preference). Fluid-wise, water is a perfectly realistic option, however if you find that you begin to cramp up towards the end of a race, this can often be caused by a lack of electrolytes due to dehydration. I've done races with water and felt like I've drunk plenty but have still had these cramp issues. Adding a simple electrolyte tablet that dissolves into the drink is a very easy way of increasing your electrolyte consumption, or even just a small sprinkling of salt in a few drinks can make a big difference. This is an advantage of the small bottles as you can have a range of flavoured tablets that can allow you to change what flavour your drink is so you are less likely to be bored of it - which in turn will encourage you to drink it more! High5 are a company that sells these tablets at good prices that work well on DW and Watersides. My personal preference is Precison Hydration, as they have different levels of Sodium in different tablets so I will 'preload' with sodium and water the night before and an hour before my race to ensure I'm fully hydrated before I get on the water. Food is equally, if not more important. You will be burning between 600-1000 carlories per hour whilst you are racing. So even if you consumed this exactly over the course of the race, you would just break even, and not lose any weight. You need to be regularly consuming food that is high calorie with a range of fast and slow release. Bananas, flapjacks and tiny sandwiches are slow release and will give you energy over a long time. Jelly babies and energy gels will give you a quick burst of energy when you feel low or tired or just need a bit of a boost. Avoid carrying any food with you and leave it all with your support team except a few gels that you could gaffa tape to the deck just in front of your cockpit so you can access them easily when you're paddling or not seeing your support crew for a while. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/high5-zero-electrolyte-drink-20-tabs/ http://www.wiggle.co.uk/high5-energy-gel-sachets-20-x-38g/ https://www.precisionhydration.com/pages/why-personalise-your-hydration-strategy (Go through the sweat test on the last one, really useful and individualized). |
Mrs Reade
This blog is a record of Launceston College DW training and gives useful information out to the students and support crews. Archives
November 2018
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