Kayak Training Guide

Tim Dwyer’s Secrets To Staying Ahead

In 2015, as part of Team Kettlebottom, the 4 person relay winning team, my kayak leg was about 20 minutes faster than the next competitor for several reasons.

I expect that significant time gap to shrink as people learn how to paddle better, use the right gear and paddle fast boats. Most people paddle kayaks that are too short, too wide, too heavy and too slow to be either enjoyable or competitive. Paddling fast on the ocean is an awesome workout and addictive.

Here are some of my secrets of staying ahead:

1) my Epic V10 surfski kayak was the lightest, longest and fastest in the fleet

2) I use an ultralight Epic wing paddle

3) I practiced paddling the course in all conditions and was ready for wind and waves

4) I do about 15 surfski races from March through November and am race hardened

5) I get some coaching from paddlers better than me

6) I maintain a combination of strength training, cardio fitness and paddling year round

7) my forward stroke technique is efficient and practiced

8) my boat fits just right to take full musculoskeletal advantage

Train with Tim Dwyer & shave minutes off your kayak time!

For an introduction to some of these principles and to see what go fast surfski kayaks and gear look like, sign up for a 2 hour Intro to Fast Paddling which will be held on Sunday, June 4, at 10:00 by the Kings Park boat ramp in Newport.

Cost is $25 per person. Contact Tim at [email protected] to reserve a spot.

If you have one bring your own boat, paddle and PFD so we can talk about your gear how to get set up optimally. If you don’t you can still look at what others are using and learn a lot about gear.

Small group or private instruction/coaching available.

Q&A with Mike Giles, 2016 Kayak Leg Winner

How did you train for the kayak leg of Race the State last year?
I live in Cape Town and here, we are lucky. Surf skiing/paddling is still a growing sport and easily done. Credit goes to guys like Billy Harker,  who have pushed the sport to make it fun and exciting for all levels in not only Cape Town, but throughout the coastal regions. During the summer months, there are evening races on Tues, Wed, Thursday, Friday evenings and weekends are series races. That gets you out the water and having fun. If you manage 2-3 of those that’s enough training.

Would you do anything differently this year to be more prepared?
For sure. The course last year was great. It included a portage and then an uphill finish. Being able to transition quickly from paddling into running would save time. So definitely worth spending  time practicing the portage in/out and then incorporate a sick hill run at the end of the paddle.

Any cross-training recommendations for on land?
Although paddling is a cardio sport, it helps to do other cross-training. I try cycle, swim and run. Saying that, it is important to know your body’s neutral position to preserve posture. Having the correct posture and engaging the correct muscles helps with performance and injury prevention. Try mix up training with Pilates, Yoga or Gyro tonic. Newport has all of the above.

How was the kayak course last year?
The course was great and weather near perfect. I can imagine if the wind blows, it will be more challenging with a side swell.

Anything particular or unusual about the course that is important for competitors to note?
Like any endurance event, it is easy to go hard too early. Save something for after the portage and for the final hill run finish. The hill, although only a few 100 m, is challenging. Remember to have fun!

Cycling Training Guide

Tips for crushing the bike leg of Race the State from Terry Halpin, bike course record holder at 1 hr 10 min 33 sec!

What do you think of the course?
The bike course is good; it has quite a bit of terrain to it – 900ft of elevation, I think. The hardest part about it is not to go too hard on the first hill.  Once you cross Post Road (aka Route 1), it’s pretty much “game on” all the way to the finish.

It’s a beautifully scenic, rural course…going by the lake is especially nice. It’s a rolling hills course, which, for me, is pretty good. Maybe some people don’t enjoy that as much as I do. You have to maintain a pretty steady power output, and keep going along.

The roads are in good condition mostly, [it’s] a little rough going over Chase Hill Road so you need to be mindful of that because you’re going quite quick going down the hill. But all in all it’s a very nice, scenic race.

Anything on the course competitors should be aware of?
If you do a reconnaissance mission on  the course, some of the hard turns become part of your memory and you’re able to anticipate them instead of being surprised. Generally speaking, the traffic was quite light, and I didn’t have any problems with that.

How do you prepare for the race?
The two years I’ve done it, I managed to recon the course a couple of times each year. I feel like its very important to know where the turns are and where you can accelerate and make the most of your available energy before you try to accelerate too quickly in an area where you’re going to have to slow down or turn. I can’t say enough how important it is to recon.

The ride is only 29 miles, so for my recon I went out and back from the URI Bay Campus. It’s pretty critical, [the recon] will show you the steepness of the first hill, and force you to figure out how to manage your time going up that—it’s not where you’re going to win the race, but you can certainly lose it there.

How many miles are you riding a week?
150-180 miles a week, mostly by myself. 2-3 days I’ll ride with a group, but mostly by myself.

Any advice for first timers?
The best thing you can do is try to find an aerodynamic position on the bike that you’re comfortable in. I rode a standard road bike, but made adjustments to the position and added a set of aero bars for a bit of aerodynamic performance and it seemed to work well for me.

Anything you do to keep yourself motivated during long rides?
Dream of what might have been… No, just kidding.

For the race, it’s important to prepare for conditions of the day, as not being prepared will affect your motivation. If it’s dry and hot, bring enough water. I’d probably something to eat, maybe, 2/3 a way during the leg. I don’t, personally, have issues staying motivated for 30 miles, that’s less than a standard day on the bike, for me!

Any suggestions for someone who doesn’t have enough time to do many long rides during a week?
Anything that gets you time in the saddle. If you can increase your endurance, that is probably the best method of training. One is interval training, high intensity for short bursts, both increasing the intensity and lengths of the bursts over the course of a long period of time so your body because more in tune to running at threshold. Try and ride the mileage. If you can ride 2 hours on a stationary bike, if the weather’s not good, or you don’t have enough time to get outside when it’s light, that should get you through.

And last but not least, enjoy it, have fun!