Marathon Racing
Marathon racing is a perfect way to become a better racer. It's Tough! It's usually HOT and LONG, a tough condition to endure. On the other hand, much like running a marathon, very rewarding...when you're finished! The boats used are sprint style kayaks, the only difference being the rudder-system. You will need to outfit your "flatie-boat" with an over-the-stern rudder system. This is a must, as one of the rules of marathon racing is that there are "mandatory" portages. Usually two of them! Typical under-the-stern rudders are history in no time flat when you are scrambling up and down a riverbank. A reliable drinking-system that can be worn on the body makes a lot of sense due to the portages as well. I do not consider myself an expert in the world of marathon racing, however I can tell you that some serious research into the drinking system is worthwhile. Be warned, some marathons can be 2-1/2 hours…some can be four hour plus events! Gotta love it; gotta want it. That's a long time to be in the saddle! Regarding the paddle, I would use a wing to race a marathon. For first hand info, I believe Susan Starbird (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address))
would be happy to share her experience at the World Champs last year.
Question: What effect does paddle length have on the forward stroke? How do you determine what is the optimum length for you?
WOW!, how can two little sentences make my head begin to reel! These are very difficult questions to do justice to.
Answer: Regarding paddle length and how it affects the forward stroke…if a paddle is too long, (which I see happening a lot in my clinics) it's very difficult for the paddler to get a "vertical" stroke. Simply due to the physics involved, the only way to get a powerful, vertical blade face would be to bury the paddle too deeply in the water. The other extreme I see with a paddle that is too long is that the stroke becomes a "sweep-ish stroke" vs. a power stroke. For a paddler to handle a "stick" that's too long means he/she must begin the stroke too far away from the side (gunwale) of the boat. The problem is that the blade face just keeps on cruising "outward" throughout the power phase exerting more of a "turning" force on the boat than a "forward" force. Conversely, if a paddle is too short, so will be the stroke! With a paddle that is too short, we tend to use a higher stroke rate, because it's easier to do so. The problem is that the "catch phase" is not a long as it can be, thereby reducing the amount of "stroke-length". Remember that every centimeter…or even millimeter of "extra stroke-length" is what we are striving for. In many instances the boat speed will actually be higher with a lower stroke rate using proper stroke mechanics. Even if boat speed remained equal, certainly the energy output of your body is much greater if you are flailing across the water at 120/strokes per minute, as opposed to being "Long & Strong".
Okay, now for the TOUGH ONE! "What is the optimum paddle length for me"? Jeezz, a question that is asked all the time and quite rightfully so. I wish I had the definitive answer for this one. In my opinion, there is no "clean" answer to this question because we are all different people, with different shapes, who want to do different things. I usually answer this question in the following manner: “My name is Brent Reitz. I race kayaks. I am five foot, nine inches tall, and weigh around 160 pounds. I am of a fairly average build, no extra long torsos or arms that have a tendency to throw "the standards" off. I use a 216 cm Epic "Junior-model" wing as my paddle of preference. When I paddle with a standard-type blade, I use a 220 cm paddle.”
I also use an Epic Length Loc "Mid-model" for two reasons. The breakdown ability is nice for travel & for use as a "spare" for safety. The other reason is the ability to adjust the blade-length for the conditions of thewater. If there is steep wind chop, I'll usually go down to 214 cm. If not, I'll usually never go higher than 216 with a wing. I adjust to a shorter paddle for the wind-chop, as I know the wave will be stopping me and I will need greater "acceleration" power. The acceleration power comes with the ability to achieve a high stroke rate in "bursts" of speed and power. The shorter the paddle, the easier these stroke rate "bursts" can be achieved. I adjust to a longer blade if the race (or trip) will be long, or if the water is fairly flat. The reason is Stroke Rate again. If the trip / race will be a long one, I will be going at a slower stroke rate. This allows me the increased efficiency of a long and relaxed stroke. The need for acceleration is not required, or at least not as great. Having said that…what have I really said? I guess I am just throwing out some guidelines to put in your database as you go out to buy your new "stick".
Here are some other tips:
1) If you are buying a wing, be sure you are going shorter than the size you use for a traditional paddle.
2) Also, if you are buying a wing, look at Blade-face surface area. Be careful to avoid blade shapes that are too large. The large blade face is for sprint racing…not what most of us are doing. They´re more about lots of power over short distances, not for us!
For a traditional blade, I usually stand on the dock and place the paddle vertically in front of me. I then reach up to the tip of the blade. If I can barely wrap my middle finger over the top of the blade at the first digit, it's the size I like (220 cm). You can try this too, but this really does not work for the super tall or very short folks out there. I suggest (at the risk of getting a lot of FLACK!) never using anything over a 225 cm for the tallest paddler, with the low end for a sea-kayaker being somewhere around 205 - 210 cm. The days of the gnarly Popeye-looking dudes bragging about what "manly-men" they are for dragging 240's or 250's thru the water are gone! It's all about efficiency. Yes, strength is a benefit, but not nearly all of it. The only time anything longer than 225 makes sense to me, is when you are paddling a very WIDE boat, like a double or sit-on-top and you need to reach across the gunwales just to get the blade in the water. To close on this subject, as you can see, most of my comments are based on "experience not science". I am sure there are studies on this sort of thing…somewhere. Perhaps the USACK could shed more light? I also know that Greg Barton's web site at http://www.epickayaks.com has some sort of formula you may want to check out. My suggestion is to DEMO paddles, lots of paddles. Then settle on something that "feels" right.
