Racing a race

Sub 30 minute 5 mile mean a sub 6 minutes mile.  Sound easy enough.    That mean 4 mile after the first may have to be sub 6minute mile for me to come in at 30 minutes.  I finished at 30 minutes 23 second, my personal best for a 3 miler.  I have a chance to see if I can do it on my second club point race, the NYRR Portugal Day 5miler (aka Father Day 5milers) Harder in practice because it take me at least 1 miles before I can settle into my race pace.   It help that I started out stronger then I expected, a 6.3 pace on the first mile and manage to get to 6 minutes miles by the second mile.  I was able to get 5.40  for a couple of downhill stretch without losing any speed on the uphill.  The last 1 mile was hard going.   It take all my mental tricks to pickup speed for the last 600 meters to the finish line.   It was perfect morning for a quick 5 milers, temperature in the low 60's with a slight breeze.  

Over Schedules Saturday.

Posted on 06/28 Backdate to event date.

I signed up to lead an open paddle, and do a kayak quickstart class at Sebago's Brooklyn clubhouse.  In my mine, both item on the agenda for the day should be easy enough.  I forget I have not lead a trip since early last summer, and have not teach kayaking class since last Summer, and never did quickstart before.   But how hard can it be right.   Wrong on both count.  

I forget how chaotic it is at an public open paddle.  The last open paddle I lead was the beginning of last summer, and on that one there were only one or two off the street public guests.   I forget how much confusion there is when trying to get more then 15 never been on the water people on the water.   I did not have control of the situation from the get go.   Dot and Walter was there so I have to compete with their leadership of the group.   I get so confuse that I forget to get everyone set up in the boat, adjust foot braces, get them fitted in their kayaks etc.   So most of the people are new no one complain until we started to launch.   After a couple of minutes of confusion we get everything sorted out and one our way.    The usually larcenies of new paddlers complains on the paddle but no one capsized.   I have everyone gather up and rested a couple of time on the paddle.   It is frustrating for those who learn faster and want to go further but  I want everyone together.   I teach the more able paddlers refine strokes techniques while we wait for the slower paddlers to catch up and rest.  Elly my assistant for the trip was very helpful in keeping the slow paddlers from falling too far behind.  

I turned us back a bit earlier then I could have just to give everyone enough time to leisurely paddle back to the dock before 12PM.   We end up getting back a bit before noon.  The kayaks were all washed and return to their storage racks, and other equipment hang out to dry before in short order.    Now I have 2 hours to wait the Quickstart class I am teaching at 2PM.

After eating my lunch of take out Jamaican Ox tail stew I take the time to talk to Walter.  Walter is our Sea Kayak Chair and the wizard of Kayak Quickstart class.  He and Tony must have teach dozen of Quickstart classes last summer.   We discuss what the class material, material to cover and the timing of each part of the class.   I have a general idea of what I want to cover and how much time is need for each but finding a nature progression from one subject or skills to another.   Since this is a Quickstart class, a 3 hours class according to the ACA course description, it is hard to cut back on material to fit in the time.   I can teach each of the stroke for an hours but I get least 7 odd skills to introduce.  One of that hour is take up by on land lecture. 

I hate on land lecture.  I am the worst at speaking to a group of people. Luckily for me there were only 3 students so I can forgo a formal lecture instead go for discussion format.   EG  is my assistant for the class. She was great at give me hint as to the subject to be cover, fill in the material I forget to discuss, and lead in new subjects.   I started off with kayaks and paddles term and terminology with flash card. I have to learn how to properly us flash card as a teaching aid. We were slightly late in getting onto the water but not by much.  Walter and Dotty with two Sebago members that want to be certify to use club's boats and equipment accompany us out on the water but split up to do their things while we stay on the other side of the bridge and go over the basic stroke.

It was very windy when we get on the water.  I have to be mindful of where we were paying blow as I demonstrate and as the students practice the skills.   We went over the forward sweep strokes and practice it for a bit before going under the bridge and out into the bay.   The water is a bit choppy but manageable.  I would rate the condition a level 3 class condition, 1/2 to 1 foot wave, 15-20 mph wind.  Perfect kayaking condition but not so much for teaching preview of basic kayaking stroke.   Our three students were not intimidated by the condition thought.  They head into the waves like a pro.

The biggest problem with teaching in Jamaica Bay is trying to speak over the plane flying overhead.  I keep on having to stop speaking and wait till the airplane over head pass by.  

A couple of more skills were demonstrated and practice on.  The class end up being 5 hours instead of the schedule 3 hours but I have blast teaching it, and my three students seem to enjoy learning and playing on the water. I did a rescue demonstration, EG was rescuer and i was the rescuee in a t/x rescue.  We paddled back with Walter and his little group.  Tony have a small BBQ of burger and hot dogs for us when we get back.   I end up only getting hot dog since I was busy making sure everything is square away.   I did not leave the club till 6 PM.   It as a 8AM to 6PM day at the club.  I have not put this kind of time in at the Brooklyn clubhouse in awhile. I should find time to do it more often. 

 

Getting Back on the Water.

The tent platform project is getting expensive and frustrating.   It is not turning out the way I want it, and I am no making progress.  Actually this weekend the project take a step backward when I destroy my new refrigerator.  I arrived on Saturday night to a open refrigerator and food missing.  A raccoon have getting into my food stash.  I decided as I stay up way pass my bed time listening to the neighbor loud talking and laughter anyway to instead a latch on the fridge.  I savaged a locking latch from another fridge that I can use.  I know I was in trouble when I hear hissing sound of gas escaping and loud grunching sound of ice breaking.  I try to think fast, unplugging the frige and  plug the hole cause by the screws but it was too late.  The next morning I open to fridge to see everything melting.  I am back to square one, finding a new fridge.  My asked Beth who offer my an old fridge previously if her offer is still good. I am going over to have a look at her fridge on Wednesday.  I can't afford another fridge even at a low price of another $150 if I can find it.  I just need a fucking fridge.

I decided to put aside the tent platform head ache and just enjoy being around the camp.  Since Stevie is not the center of the day social activities anymore I am a bit at lost.  I manage to get breakfast and lunch from my take home dinner on Saturday night, and grill some chicken and collar green with bacons for dinner on Sunday. I don't have anything for breakfast on Monday.  I wake up too late to catch breakfast with Stevie or Pete. Just as well, I am out of money.

I went out on the water, enjoy hanging out with the kids, and actually start a fire at my fire pit, a fire pit that need extensive reworking.