Ouch

Looks like I may be out of my boat for a week or so until I can bend my knee again. My mountain bike threw me off, and joint met rock with my whole body weight flying behind it. I am grateful my wrists and shoulders weren't involved. My body heals fast, I just need to give it the time and rest to let it do its thing.

I have a lot of momentum in my training right now. At this point, the 5 month off-season feels like a big window of possibility. I am sure I will be singing a slightly different tune when it is below freezing and my gear is still wet from the night before. Then I will rely on my commitment to my sport, whether or not I am feeling motivated. But right now I am really feeling motivation -- a strong, irresistible drive to get in my boat and feel powerful.

Slalom Worlds wrapped up this weekend in Brazil: http://cbca.org.br/foz2007/english/index.php

I had a fun week following paddlers' blogs and live results online throughout the semifinals and finals. This is a difficult sport to follow in the US -- but live results and finally knowing more about individual athletes has captivated my interest.

I never posted this picture, and I love it. On the way to a workout a few weeks ago, I stopped to fill up with gas. There was a dinosaur. So I put my camera on autotimer and set it on my trunk, and chased the big green lizard down.

Last Ditch Slalom Results

Look at that posture! I think this is the first picture of me
in a race where I am leaning forward aggressively.

Last race of the year. I have been racing for 5 months now, and I got in a C1 for the first time only 4 months ago. I did 5 races this summer, and trained on the water for over 100 hours. My first season has come to a close.

I came to the Wolf River wanting tangible proof of my progress. I wanted to win, but more importantly, I wanted to feel like I am becoming an athlete again.

The race went well. There were no magic moments -- no runs where suddenly I could access my full potential and nailed every move. But I'm not sure I want that kind of progress. I am getting better, slowly, and there is plenty of room to grow. I can feel potential, buzzing below the surface. I want it, badly. But there aren't any shortcuts.

I won C1W and K1W rec. It felt good to beat women who'd be beating me all summer. I actually raced. And I renewed my drive and motivation for a long fall and winter's worth of training.

Most importantly, I took home a golden cow! This is the Buttercup Slalom Series, after all. I had a great time at all of the races in this series this summer. I met wonderful, supportive, and hilarious people. I borrowed C1s, K1s, C2s, and open canoes to race in. I made great friends who I will miss this winter.

carbon fiber boat repair, take one

Over labor day weekend, my boat finally got a repair job more permanent than duct tape. I learned how to use resin, carbon fiber, and kevlar cloth to patch the cracks and rebuild the bow and stern.

Check out last 11 pictures in this set:

Boat Damage & Repair

Finally, I can paddle in the Mississippi without worrying that an alligator gar (this one was pulled out of the mighty miss' in 1910) will come rip off my duct tap patch causing my boat to sink in a matter of minutes.

Excitement from the repair work gave me the momentum to redo my outfitting. New knee and ankle pads were put in to give me some more squish and grip. To get my weight forward, I added a back pad. The new foam hip pads are not quite big enough, but provide much better contact with the boat. I used contact cement to anchor this all in. After ambitiously lowering my pedestal another 1", my boat looks ready to go. We'll have to see if my ankles can handle all this.

All done! For now, anyway... I am starting to realize that boat repair is never done when you own a composite boat.

and the skies open up...

I haven't stared at a gauge this much since last winter, and this time my staring actually seems to be working. It's been bottomed out all summer -- our one local whitewater gem is rain fed and shrinks to a trickle during the dry summer months. But with more ran in the forecast, the Saint may actually hit boatable levels this weekend! Which is killing me. I work all day, every single day, until I leave town on Wednesday night. I want nothing more than to get back on the Saint right now. With all our new hires and training needs this fall, my job is not flexible. Frustrating.

Click here for a live gauge of the Saint's level. Boatable aka "zero inches" is usually around 3 feet on this gauge. Click here for precip tables.

Now you know what I stare at all day.

Of course the Wolf, where I will be next weekend, is staying low. Its gauge is online here. The upper midwest has been getting buckets of rain this month, but it hasn't quite been far north enough to hit the Wolf.