Kayak Europe 2000
Overview: I am a Kiwi Paddler who spends the New Zealand winter in Europe training and competing in Kayak events. I competed in the World Marathon Cup in Germany, Hungarian Marathon Champs, missed the 2nd World Cup as I was in hospital. Went to Czech Republic and was able to train with the Argentine Olympic Team for 3 weeks [which was the highlight of this campaign], did a Quadathlon and finally the Tour-de-Gudenaa 120km 2 day event in Denmark. Have a read and see what happened in my Kayak Europe 2000 campaign...
After sleeping about half the flight, I arrived in Munich ready to go. Helga, who is the person who is helping me whilst I am here was waiting for me at the airport. As I did not have to wait for my kayak I came through to meet her reasonable fast. Apart from a quick inspection from customs, all was well. Helga, who had finished work at 0600 and was ready to sleep the rest of the day… We went back to her apartment, which is located in a suburb called Schwabing.
As she drifted off to sleep, I unpacked a few things before
heading to the Munich Olympic Regatta course. Here is where I will be based for
the next 5 weeks to train my little heart out. Today, the 1st of May
2000 was a public holiday for the Germans. When I arrived at the regatta course,
I have to pass through security to allow me to get to MTV Munchen. That’s the
kayak club that I train at… Once there, I realized that I would not be
training much today as the whole complex was filled with people…
I found club members who were most helpful and were able to
point me in the direction of Karl Kaiser, who is the boss at the club. [I think
he is anyway]. He gave me the most important key and exchanged a few words. My
German is not very good hence communication is done mostly in English. I
understand a bit of German however cannot as yet string words together.
After rollerblading around the regatta course I felt
decidedly tired and made tracks back to the apartment.
The day was drawing to an end and I now needed sleep…
The next day, I left to look at cars, go to the regatta
course and do some training…
Although feeling jetlagged I knew I had to sort out a
few things like getting transport. I need a vehicle as I cannot borrow Helgas’
car for 4 months… This is my 3rd season in Europe, training and
kayak racing the European summer away…
By the Friday of the 1st week I had organized a
car. A few weeks before I arrived, Helga spotted a car that I might like. It was
in my price bracket hence I went to look at it. Upon seeing it, I knew I wanted
the car as long as it was mechanically ok. It was so now I had a vehicle.
Friday morning was spent driving to Frankfurt, to pick up my
kayak… I had ordered the kayak from Willy
Neumann, I met him in 1998 and has helped me time and time again. Once I was
there I would spend the rest of the day trying to sort out the kayaks set-up. I
had to put in another footrest with a pump. By the end of the day I had a
footrest however it needed more work. I would need to complete it after the
weekend. That evening was spent on the porch enjoying a BBQ and catching up with
Willy.
Saturday [6/5] morning I was off to Wurzburg, my first regatta of the season. I arrived there to find out that I was to compete in the 200, 500, 1000mtrs & 10k races. The 500 & 10k were on the Saturday and the 1000 & 200 was on the Sunday. Sprinting is not my best kind of racing however I enjoy the racing as it helps me prepare for my starts for my specialist event, the marathon. 1st up was the 500mtrs, I went as I expected finishing 6th. I cracked my footrest on the race. I did not have time or the equipment to fix it so after a few adjustment I was off to compete in the 10k race. The start was delayed however once the gun went we were off and racing. I was in the front pack until I was spun at the 4km mark and then spent the next 4km playing catch up which I did. Once I caught the front pack I sat there and tried to recover however nearing the finish line the sprints started and I could not respond and ended up crossing the line in 5th place.
What you see heading to the finish line at the Wurzburg regatta
Sunday started with the 1000mtrs that I crossed in 6th
place. I then decided to go for a run, running is one of the things I do when I
need to do some thinking and I needed to do some. An hour and a half later I
returned feeling tired but good. Resting for the next 2hrs or so, got me into
the mood for the 200mtr race which was delayed again but over in about 40sec
once I started… Not sure where I finished in that race but I was not 1st
neither last… The rest of the day spent driving back to Munich.
The weekend as a whole went well except for blisters on
my feet. These were caused by my pull-bar that is attached to my footrest.
Monday [8/5], I headed to OBI, where I was to get materials
to sort out my footrest. This is where I needed Helga as she can speak the
lingo. I got what I needed but paid about 3 times the price that I think I
should of… You get that and I could do nothing… The next couple of days were
spent making and testing footrests that are now completed. All I need now is the
blisters to heal and I will be ok.
Outside the repairs stuff, I had organized my training
schedule. Mark Sutherland
assists me in the programming, suggesting ways of training and a much needed
other perspective.
By Wednesday [10/5], I finally felt my jet lag was over and
had an awesome training day. My training usually starts about 0830 and ends
around 1800. Each session takes anywhere from 45mins to 3hrs. Between each
session I make sure I have at least 1hr before starting the next. The way my
program is designed, I can decide at what time I do each session hence can fit a
gym session early morning and paddle in the afternoon or the other way around.
You must remember, that for the next 4 months or so, all I have to do is train
and race hence I do not have to fit training around my work.
Friday [12/5], just a 750km drive to Neubrandenburg to
compete in the German Marathon Champs. An 8hr drive later we arrived, both Helga
and I tired from the drive. After putting up the tent and a quick bite to end we
headed off to the team leaders meeting. Upon arriving, I met Willy Neumann and
he took us to the organizer to confirm our entry. Somewhere, somehow, my entry
was not received and was told that I could not race. I was not happy and asked
why I could not race since I was here. For this organizer, his no meant no…
Later that evening I spoke to MTV and asked if they had any joy on entering me
but to no avail. Being tired did not help my mood and Helga sensed this and went
for a walk. I was asleep when she returned and I woke up the following morning
feeling cold. Not because I was not allowed to race but it was about 4 degrees C
overnight.
Saturday [13/5], race morning and I went to the organizer
again and spoke with him. He told me that he could do nothing [which is a load
of crap] and I could not start. After breakfast, I got my kayak ready to paddle
and decided that I was going to be at the start and see… I knew I was not
racing however wanted to know how fast off the line I was hence I did my warm up
and went to the start. The organizer saw me however did nothing. As the gun went
off so did I. I stayed clear of the actual race however was able to measure my
performance and was happy with that. I followed the lead pack into the portage
area, happy with my portage I was then left to warm down. I got off the water
and then packed up my gear… I watch the finish of the K1 mens race and then
drove back to Munich. I wanted to race however was not able. The weekend was not
a waste of time as I did get to check out my start and portage areas of my race
plus allowing a couple of days for my blisters to heal. It was an expensive
exercise but what is done is done… Next time I need to make my intentions
clearer. I do not blame anybody but myself for not racing…
The next week was spent training in Munich. Usually I drive to the regatta centre and from there I train. Generally on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I do weights, rollerblade and a water session. On Tuesday and Thursdays I do two water session and a run session. Each week I would paddle around 150km ranging from a 3hr long paddle to lactate and start sessions... Most sessions I record my heart rate and then download the files to my PC.
I
had no schedule racing the weekend after the German Champs so I made plans to
pick up my K2 from Czech Republic and also confirm my accommodation. On Saturday
[20/5] Helga and I started to head to the Czech. I dropped Helga off at her
sisters place and I continued to Racice to confirm my accommodation and then
Prague. Once in Prague I met up with friends and who were at an aerobic
conference. I was persuaded to do an aerobic class or should I say a spinning
class... The spinning class is done on stationary bikes and well... the idea is
to follow the instructor. I managed to finish the class ok but knew I had a good
workout. Later in the evening the group went out to dinner and I was then designated
driver
Doing the spinning class...
The following day I dropped my friends back at the aerobic conference, did another class and then went into the centre of Prague to have lunch with another friend. whilst in the centre, I found out that the Prague Marathon was on... so off we went to look at the people finishing their 42.195km run. I saw a Czech marathon kayaker finishing the run and said a quick hi and will see him again at the World Cup in Dillingen. For the rest of the day it was sightseeing and then out to dinner with friends.
On Monday, [22/5] I went to pick up the K2. I basically spent the day at the kayak factory, helping to put the finishing touches on the K2. I also was able to put in the kayak pump and make alterations to footrests etc whilst there. Making the alterations or customising the kayak to my and my K2 partner [Andrew Newick] is a must as this help us make the kayak go faster... By the time I left the factory, I was running a bit late [about 5hrs] and still had to pick up Helga from her parents place. Lucky for me it was on the way back to Munich. When I got there I had a quick dinner and then Helga and I made tracks back to Munich...
The rest of the week was back in training mode, preparing for my sprint regatta in Colburg. I phoned the organiser to confirm that I would be able to start and then on Saturday morning I headed off...
Saturday [27/5]; Arriving just after 1pm, I said hi to the others from MTV Munchen before putting up my tent. Once the tent was up, all I had to do is rest until I had to compete in the 10k race which started just after 5pm. The course was a 2 and a half laps. Just before I started I was told that the laps were short which meant each leg was not 2km but more like 1.6k. On the start line was 10 other competitors comprising of two sections. I did not know who were from which group but once the gun went, I did not care. By the first turn the group was down to 6, by the 2nd turn down to 4. The leads were not hard but at the same time I knew that the other competitors were sprinters hence I would have to pick up the pace and try and drop them or else I may not be able to out sprint them at the finish. On the 3rd turn I was able to get inside the other kayaks and myself and another made a small break. As we slowed the pace down I turned and saw that somebody was trying to get back onto our wash so I put in a burner and he never made it. So going into the last turn, it was a 2 person race. I knew that this guy was a sprinter and was in the former East German kayak team so heading to the finish line we battled the lead each putting in our burners. With 200mtrs to go our last burner went to the finish line with me following him over the line. My time was just under 38mins which means it was more like 8km than 10km. Well you get that. I was happy with my paddle.
On the last lap & at last finished
Sunday [28/5]; I had 2 race today, a 500mtr in the morning and a 250mtr in the afternoon. I would of had a couple more however my speed of the line was a bit slow to say the least. Threes session a week I train with others from MTV Munchen to help improve my starts and up to 1000mtrs times however although I have improved my starts etc, I am still no match for the sprinters [yet].
Monday [29/5]; I put the car for a service today, I was running rough by the time I got back to Munich yesterday. Also my K2 partner, Andrew Newick, arrived today. With him waiting for me outside the airport wondering if I would ever turn up... The day was spent catching up with the gossip and we had a gym workout. We decided not to get into the K2 today as the cold wind, rain and then hail we thought "better not". I did keep him awake for the day and let him drift off to sleep about 7pm.
With only 4 days to go before our World Cup races, me in the K1 on the Saturday and then the K2 on the Sunday, we spent Tuesday setting up the K2 and a ride around Munich centre... Wednesday [31/5] was a day at the regatta centre training, resting and then training again.
Thursday [1/6] was a drive to Dillingen and a short water session.
Friday [2/6] was boat control, opening ceremony followed by the team leader meeting.
The 1st World Marathon Cup 2000 in Dillingen Germany
Me [Nic] on my 2nd portage & Andrew's race [in white]
Andrew decided that he was going to race 27km. It was over the same course that I competed over but he only had to do 3 laps & 2 portages. This was the 1st time Andrew was in a K1 since he arrived here in Europe. From the start he was in the 1st pack which by the 2nd portage the pack was down to 3 persons. This group stayed together until the finished with Andrew coming in 3rd.
Sunday [4/6]: A cooler day than Saturday but still warm. Start time for the K2 men's was 1pm. We were on the water about 15mins before the start for warm up. Everything felt good, the K2 was gliding through the water and we felt good. As we started we got a bit of difficult water however continued our effort. After the 1st 100mtrs were got clear water and was able to power up 100%. This went on for about 1km. We ended up in the 2nd bunch however by the 1st turn the bunch broken down. Racing yesterday had taken our edge off however we needed to be pushed and this race we were. Once we were settled in another bunch the pace slowed to a sustainable level. By the 1st portage we had picked up 2 other K2's and then just after the portage another. Our group consisted of 6 K2's. About 200mtrs in front of us was another group which we tried to catch however when others in the group are not prepared to help we decided not to tired ourselves completely. In the end our group did not catch the group in front and after the 2nd portage the bigger groups got smaller. Our 3rd portage was not great as we had trouble getting to the side of the river. We were dropped at this stage and tried to catch up the group however we were too tired. So the last lap we paddled by ourselves and as a result the pace slowed. We crossed the finish line in 24th place.
The start of the K2 mens race
After the race Andrew and I discussed overall how the weekend went. Overall we were pleased with our efforts [even though our federation might not be]. Our plan now is to race more, hopefully starting with a race in Tyn in 2 weeks, followed by the Hungarian Marathon Nationals on the 1st [K1] & 2nd [K2] of July. The week following is the Barvian Sprint Champs & the week after that the 2nd World Cup in Stockton. We have also decided to compete in only the K2 men's division.
So from here we will go into the Czech Republic and do some more training...
River Labe, Dobrin Czech Republic
21 June 2000: Well, I am here in Dobrin Czech Republic. I have been here for 2 weeks now. Training has been going well. Last Friday I picked up Andrew who went to Romana for a few days sight seeing. On the Saturday morning we left Prague to drive down to a town called "Tyn". We were to race in K1's and when we arrived we found out the start time was going to be 1pm. After a walk around town we headed back to the kayak club and went to the briefing. We were allowed to race however we had to start 5 minutes in front of the main pack. The reason for this was the race was selections for the World Marathon Champs and they did not want us to affect the results. The K2's started 5 minutes in front of us. Once we started our 2 person race Andrew and I started to do 5min leads until the group behind us caught us. It was a 3 lap course with 3 portages. A distance of 32km approx. We were caught at the start of the 2nd lap which was when it was planned. From there we joined the group and helped them by letting them stay on our wash so they can rest. Last year I had raced both these guys... Going into the 2nd portage we were all together however after the portage Andrew dropped off the pack then withdrawing after he completed the 2nd lap. I continued with the other 2 until the last portage where I dropped off the pace. It was only about 2 kms to go and the reason I dropped off was so they could race each other without me affecting them. In the end I finished about a minute behind them. I achieved what I wanted to today. In the end we probably did affect the result more by starting 5 minutes in front as we were fresher when they caught us hence was able to do longer leads. All in all it was a high intensity training day rather than a race.
So now for the next 2 weeks Andrew and I are training on the river "Labe". We train both in the K1 and K2 so we can prepare for the Hungarian Champs in the beginning of next month. We try not to train in the middle of the day due to the heat however we have planned to do a couple of session as we will be racing in this heat. [+30 C]
[3/7] The 4 & 1/2 hour drive to Gyor from Prague was done on the Thursday prior to the Hungarian Champs. we had no problems at any of the boarders, probably because New Zealanders now do not need a visa to enter Hungary... Once in Gyor, we went to the campsite and then into town for a late lunch before heading to the kayak club to enquire about starting and also if it was ok to camp where i had done so last year. All was ok and off we went to set up camp. Only a few people were around that evening. Andrew and I went into town for another bit to eat and then back to the tent for a nights sleep. I was feeling tired from the drive and had a bit of a sore throat...
Awakening mid Friday morning to a fine summers day in Gyor and with breakfast over and done with we decided to get in the K1's and check out the course. It was the same as last year so I was able to show Andrew it well. For the rest of the day I rested and read... my throat was worse... by the evening I was feeling sick and went to bed early.
Turning right under the fountain into a side river. The side river narrow as...
Saturday, K1 race... start time 10am. I was woken up at 7am by my alarm and Andrew got up and I went back to sleep. I was sick and felt like I had no energy... Eventually I did get up and went to the briefing, picked up our race numbers and got ready to race. I was fooling myself with the belief that I was ready to race... my body said otherwise.
As the start gun went off... so we all did... Although I was not in the lead group I was very happy with my start. I was in a good pack, which included Andrew and that's when the coughing fits started... I had to back off at which time I was dropped... [I hate that]. I ended up being caught by a guy who I raced with last year. We paddled together until the 1st portage and I was able to drop him and catch up to a group of 3 paddlers. I was not feeling too well and made a decision to withdraw from the race. Andrew also withdrew and we ended up watching. I do not like not finishing races that I start. As I reflected on the race I should not of started as I was not up to it but I came a long way to race my head was telling me.... I wear a heart rate monitor when I race and download it to my PC afterwards to help analyse my race. The clear thing that it showed was my HR was a lot higher than it should of been. Over 120bpm before I even got started. I need to be more careful about my racing... I sometimes think about my sponsors... "What do you mean you did not finish..." As long as it is not a regular occurrence I should be ok.
After another early night for me, I woke up feeling much better. My cold was in my chest but was breathing better. Andrew knew I was sick by how I talked. The K2 start time was at 9am.
Off we went, and after the 1st 2km the pace settled down. Again in the 2nd group and that really consisted of all the K2's in the race. We both were feeling a bit flat, that was until the portage, we had an awesome portage and was able to close the gap of a couple of kayaks in front and that when we started to wind up. Upon catching them we sat on the back to rest a bit, drink some fluids and see where we were at. The pace slowed and Andrew and I were both wanting to go however we waited until we got into the main flow of the river and upped the pace again with the intention to hurt/tire the others in our group and too catch another 2 kayak about 600mtrs in front. Coming up to the 2nd portage we just caught the other 2 kayaks. We were the last into the portage but was 2nd on the water. As our group reformed we found that no-one else in the group wanted to lead hard so Andrew and I sat at the back taking another rest and discussing what we have to do. We knew that if it came to a sprint finish our maximum speed would be slower than the others... As the pace slowed I also started to cramp, firstly in my forearms, then shoulder followed by my right leg. I told Andrew this and we took up the lead again in the hope that the cramp would go away which it did not so we backed off... Then for the next minute no one in the group wanted to take up the lead again so we were all just looking at each other when all of a sudden we were racing again.
Straight up about 3km and back to the finish...
A K2 was in full speed and lucky for us we were in front of them when they started... For the next 5 minutes we were just hanging onto their wash and going into the final bottom turn the pace eased a fraction. This outburst meant the loss of 2 K2's from the pack [good for Andrew and I] and now it was a race between ourselves and this other speed freak K2. Sharing leads into the last portage was the plan. My cramp vanished once the pace was increased so I was pleased about that... From the previous portages we knew that we were faster than the other K2. On the get out both K2's got water in them and both needed to be emptied which was done at speed. Andrew and I lead into the water and made a small break that was taken away from us after one of their burns. We had to figure out how to drop them and going into the final turn we tried another big grind, they dropped further back on our wash and was having difficulty staying their [so they told us afterwards] however we could not drop them. As the finish line was closing in on us, we saw another kayak about 500mtrs in front of us... Making another effort, [for me my arms burning telling me to stop however having Andrew saying unprintable words at me [or maybe to himself]] the effort continued. Closing to the finish line the other K2 put in their too familiar burn and took up the lead and crossed the finish line a few seconds in front. Shaking hands afterwards and allowing time to settle our lungs we slowly made our way to the side. It took us 2hrs and 35minutes to cover the 3 lap 36km course. I was tired and my body sore. Andrew was in a similar state to me however missed out on the blistered feet and cut hand from the paddle.
So that was the weekend in Hungary. The chest cold is still with me, this Monday. Next year I would like to make it back to Hungary to compete once again, give it another shot... I think the reason I got the chest cold was by doing to many lactate sessions the week before. I need to learn from that and make sure it doesn't happen again. So today I am back in Prague, planning to leave for Germany on Wednesday to a town called Pressig then to another weekend of racing... The Barvian Sprint Championships. Andrew and I will compete in the K2 10 000mtrs, K1 & K2 200, 500 & 1000mtrs.
[16/7] What
a last couple of weeks. After we left Prague we went to Pressig. I had not
trained for 3 days, as I was getting rid of the chest cold. By the time we got
to the Barvian Sprint Champs I was feeling ok however by the end of the weekend
things were on the change. Andrew and I had 2 K1 races on the Friday, 200 &
500 and on the Saturday was K2 200, 500 and 10k. It was raining most of Friday
night and Saturday and I was feeling not sick but down. The main race that we
were concentrating on was the 10km that started at just after 3pm. Our start was
good and we were in the lead pack until we got turned. We tried to get back to
the lead however I had no energy to get back. By the 4km mark I was tired and
had no energy so I stopped. Andrew was annoyed however he knew I was
"sick". When we got out of the water I went to withdraw from all my
Sunday races. I knew I needed to see a doctor however was not in a position get
to one.
Sunday morning we pack up and left to had towards Stockton UK for the 2nd World Cup. On the drive towards the ferry I was having trouble... I had to make a decision about how I felt and decided it was not good. Instead of crossing the channel we drove back to Munich. Once we got back I headed to the hospital to be checked out. I had a lump on my butt area and was given some cream to put on it and come back in the morning. So on Wednesday morning I arrived back at the hospital and ended up not leaving until Friday morning. I had to have an abscess removed... If I left it longer it could of cause me some problems and probably would of had a bad World Cup race.
After having the surgery
So now it’s Sunday and the K2 World Cup race is on and I am in Munich. I have to take a few weeks off training as I now have an open wound that needs to heal. That means that for the rest of the month I will do next to nothing whilst Andrew has gone sightseeing, as he has no more races here in Europe. At the end of the month I will decide what I will do. I might go back to New Zealand early however if all goes well in my recovery I might be able to compete in 2 more races that are at the end of August beginning of September. Not the best last couple of weeks however am not going to dwell on that.
[2/8] Been back in the kayak now for the past 5 days and I have decided that I will be able to salvage this years trip and will stay on. I am nearly fully recovered however still have to be careful not to get an infection. I have travelled back to the Czech Republic and will train here for the next couple of weeks. My last 2 races are the South German Marathon Champs on the 26/8 and finally the Tour-de-Gudena in Denmark on the 9-10/9. Andrew has gone back to New Zealand now so I will only compete in the K1 races. Whilst I was unable to train I did manage to do a few days sightseeing, I went through "Dachau Concentration Camp" that was interesting, and a friend visited me here in Czech so we went to Prague and did the "tourist things". This coming weekend is the Czech Sprint champs in Racice and I will be there watching the racing... Not much else to write this time so...
[27/8] For the past 3 weeks I have had the pleasure [or is it pain] to train with the Argentine Olympic Team in Racice. They invited me to train with them half way through one of my session however I decided to join them as an opportunity like this does not happen often. The 1st week training with them I was struggling through each session. Their coaches, Miguel Sanchez & Ruben Munoz help me with my technique and as a result helped me improve my times up to 1k. At one control we had a 500mtr time check and I for the 1st time recorded a 1'57 for the distance. This time was 7 seconds faster than my time at the NZ nationals 18 months ago. The benefits of having a coach next to you when training is invaluable however as I am here in Europe I do not have the opportunity to bring my coach and other support persons. The budget does not allow these things...
Ruben Munoz & Miguel Sanchez
The Argentine Olympic team paddlers consisted of 3 persons, Javier Correa who will paddle the K1 500mtr & 1000mtr in Sydney and Abelardo Sztrum & Fernando Redondo who will compete in the K2 500mtr & 1000mtr races. Throughout each session I usually did my reps with Javier as he was in the K1. By the end of the 3 weeks I was faster, which will help me with my starts, and very tired. I wish them well in Sydney and hope their dreams & goals come true...
Javier Correa, me [Nic Riosa], Fernando Redondo & Abelardo Sztrum
I departed Racice on the 23/8 to Munich, where I was to then go to Lampertheim for my marathon race. Upon arriving in Munich I made a couple of phone calls to try and organise a lift however was informed that the race was cancelled. I was not too happy with this as I was looking forward to racing. I looked at my options and knew there was a quadathlon in Sedlcany Czech Republic. I have been in contact with the organiser, Vaclav Marek since I competed in the event last year so I sent an email asking if it was OK to start and he replied that it was. So on the 24th I drove back to Racice choosing to leave some gear in Munich. On the Friday [25/8] I headed to Sedlcany for the race the following day.
The Quadathlon in Sedlcany is also the World Championships in Middle distance. The race distances were 2.5km swim, 10km kayak, 50km cycle and 10km run. As you may realise I do not train for swimming, cycling or running so it was going to be a hard day... and it was. I had the 10th fastest kayak time last year and wanted to improve on the position this year. I picked up my bike from the Vaclav on Friday, checked it & went for a 20min ride, I was ready to race.
The lake for the swim & kayak. 4 finishers of the race...
Race morning [26/8] was a clear and getting hotter by the hour. After sorting my gear out for each transition I was ready to race and waited for the start. As I do not have a wetsuit I choose to swim & race in my one-piece outfit. I did the swim in about 42mins feeling ok. When I got into the kayak I felt strong and finished that in a time of 50 odd minutes. It was the 2nd fastest time of the day and I was pleased with that. Getting on the bike I knew I was going to be a while and 1hr and 53mins later I finish with only the run to go. I thought the cycle hurt but the run was worse. With cramp setting in I struggled the 1st lap and managed a quicker 2nd but still only did a 56min run split. My total time was 4hr 26min approx, about 3 mins slower than last year. The race took a lot out of me, I was going to push myself in this race and knew I was going to be sore today [the day after]. From Sedlcany I head back to Racice for a week before heading towards Denmark for the Tour-de-Gudenaa. Before leaving Munich I sent an email to confirm my entry etc and all is well for my last race in Europe 2000.
[14/9] I spent the week after the Quadathlon recovering with little maximal training as I was tired. On Wednesday the [6/8] I started the 1150km drive to Silkeborg Denmark. I stopped about half way between Berlin and Hamburg where I spent the night in the car. The following morning I continued driving to Silkeborg. Upon arriving around 2pm I found the Silkeborg kayak club where I meet a few guys I knew from the world Cups... I went for a paddle that helped me relax and loosen up from the drive. I was able to sleep at the kayak club for the night so spent the rest of the day dossing, eating and meeting up with the British Kayak team who were staying in a hostel down the road.
Friday, the day before the racing started, I paddled with the British team and did there session. I felt good afterwards and was looking forward to the race. In the evening I went to the registration place and found out that I had no support crew no buoyancy aid and basically was on my own... I went back to the Kayak club and was able to borrow one and then went to the hostel and asked the Dutch team if the can carry my kayak to the start and some gear for me. With that arranged it was time to get something to eat and then have a good nights sleep.
Saturday, race morning was spent like usual preparing food and drink for the race. I based myself at the hostel as this was where I was to start and finish the day.
The Tour-de-Gudenaa is a 2 day race covering a distance of 120km's in 5 stages. Two stages were held on the 1st day, stage 1, from Skanderborg to Ry covering 30km's and then a 30 minute rest before stage 2 from Ry to Silkeborg covering 17km's.
One day 2, the last 3 stages are done. Stage 3, 33km from Silkeborg to Tange, 40 minute rest, then Stage 4, 24km from Tange to Langa, rest 20 minutes and finally stage 5, 16km from Langa to Randers.
The K1 men's class started at 12.15, and from the start I was able to get into the front bunch. I was pleased as that means the training I did in Racice with the Argentines have paid off. Whilst doing a lead I started heading in the wrong direction and before I knew it a split had occurred and I was left behind. Coming into the only portage of the race I was around a minute of the lead however the gap widened once I got onto the Mosso lake. The wind was blowing directly in front and the waves were breaking over my cock-pit. After about 2km's on the lake I had to empty out and then hugged the shore line so I get across with out sinking. My pump was working overtime and by the time I crossed the 10km lake I was lying in 5th position. Jort Muller from the Dutch team was just ahead of me and when I caught him I saw that him kayak was full of water. He told me that the other 3 were well in front of us and that he had to empty out. He had to stop and empty out whilst I continues catching the slowing K2 paddlers. On arriving at Ry I had put on a 2 minute gap between me and the 5th place guy. I was not feeling to well at the rest and after the 30 minute break I was back in the kayak and heading to Silkeborg. As soon as I started this section I was cramping all over however just continue paddling the best I could. I was able to catch a few K2's and sat on their wave for a while however once we got onto the Birkso lake the wave was no help. The head wind had pick up and it was hard going. After crossing the lake I saw a couple of K1's gaining on me. I finished in front of them by about a minute or so however was tired as... I finished in 4th position after day 1 and slowly went back to the Hostel, showered and then went for dinner. Sleep followed soon after dinner. For the Friday and Saturday night I was sleeping in a school where most competitors stay. One of the guys who was staying in my room offered to help me during the next day as he knew that I had no support.
Sunday morning, I was awake at 4am and was having breakfast by 5.30am. The start of day 2 was 7.50am. Probably like most competitors, I was feeling sore but able to paddle. I had a few blisters from the day prior however was able to tape them.
Day 2 lead group, I am in the 4th kayak, 3rd person
The start was like day 1 whereas we all started in a group again. Again I managed the front bunch and stayed there for about 12km. By this stage we were racing in a channel and catching up slower paddlers from earlier starts. By the 20km mark I was not feeling good and by the time we got onto another lake, this time very shallow I was going down fast. Basically I lost the plot and was suffering real bad. When groups past me I was not able to get on a wave, the final km's of the stage was bad for me and I lost a lot of time. Eventually, when I did finish the stage, I was buggered and as I left the water I could hardly walk. This is where the now support crew came into play and carried my kayak, gave me food, soup and other energy drinks like coca-cola... At one point I was considering to withdraw from the race however after about 10 minutes off the water I started to feel better. Stage 4 was on fast flowing water and I knew if I wanted to stay in the top 10, I had to get it together. As I started my right hand was in a lot of pain due to blister's but the pain subsided after a few minutes. The rest did me good and I was back paddling hard out. I started to catch up both K1's and K2's and as I did I had a minute or so rest on their wave and was off again. When I caught up to #12, Theis Larsen we started to work together, we then caught Dutch paddler, Bob Weppner who joined our group. soon we caught up to another Dutch paddler Jort Muller who started the stage around 4 minutes ahead of me. Jort was unable to catch our wave and dropped back. By the end of the stage our group was 4 and was catching paddlers like Bernt Leeck from Berlin who passed me at the later stages of stage 3. Heading into the final stage, we were told that it would take us about 1hr 5 minutes to complete. I had in mind more like a 1.02... As the 4 of us started, I went out the hardest and the group was down to 3 again. Throughout the stage we were catching paddlers some staying with us for a while most not. With a km to go, I was leading however Bob took up the lead and the final sprint started, with Bob crossing first followed by Theis and me.
Me getting ready for stage 4. Bernt going hard & the Dutch team after the race.
I finished overall in 6th position with a time of 9hr 10min 14sec. Stage 3 was my worst stage however all in all had a good race. I would like to do the race again however will have to have a proper support crew. Again, as I travel mostly alone, it is difficult to get a crew so I am grateful for the help I got from other teams. For the record, Bob finished the race in 7th place, Jort in 9th, Theis in 10th, Rens another Dutch paddler in 11th and Bernt from Berlin in 13th position.
This was my last race in Europe 2000 and am now looking forward to heading back to New Zealand to start my campaign for 2001. I hope you have enjoyed reading my journal. I am only one of many sports people out there in the world doing what we have to do, trying to get that little bit closer to our goal. I am planning a 2001 campaign so drop by again and see what's up.
All I say: LOOK TO THE FUTURE, SET NO LIMITS
NIC