Busy, busy, busy      There are some months in which I know exactly what I want to write about in this column, and I start writing several weeks before the column is due.  I have plenty of time to proofread, rewrite, and polish; the result is a cogent, eloquent, insightful piece.      This past month has been The Other Kind Of Month.      It seems that all of a sudden, every facet of my multi-faceted life is sitting up and screaming for my attention.  I make my living as a woodworker, and suddenly lots of people have decided they like my work and want me to make things for them.  I do a little math tutoring, and suddenly every kid I know has a test coming up.  As if that weren't enough, I've decided to buy a house, and am plowing through all the details that must be resolved between the contract date and the closing date.  All this is happening on top of my game of catch-up on the things I neglected during the summer, when I suffered a bout of mononucleosis and had a big tree fall on my house.      Why should you care?  No reason, I suppose.  But your reading this column does identify one common interest we have, and a question we all must deal with: How can we get our paddling in when life gets so insane?

Elmore's columns appear monthly at the Outdoors, Inc.,website: www.outdoorsinc.com

Don't get stressed out over your volume of paddling.  While some people thrive on getting to write down a certain number of minutes in the boat each week or each month, others are intimidated by time goals and may put so much pressure on themselves to meet a certain quota that they're no longer enjoying the process.  To this latter group, I say that quality is more important than time spent in the boat.  Because paddling is such a technical sport, even a brief, light paddling session can be quite valuable.  Even 45 minutes or less is enough time to practice balance and subtle stroke components.
     If you're looking to compete in paddlesports at a high level, then you'll probably have to do some higher training volume and intensity.  But on those really hectic days when you manage to get in "only" a half hour or so of paddling, don't worry--you have not wasted your time.

A training partner can be the best motivator there is.  I say "can be" because not just any paddler makes a good training partner.  A good training partner must be able to coordinate his schedule with yours on a long-term basis, and he should share your athletic goals.  The two of you should be similar in ability: neither should feel that he's slowing down to accommodate the other.  A good partnership includes some friendly competition, but there are days that should be set aside for recovery in addition to those days when you push the pace.  Good partners share both praise and constructive criticism of each other.
     This is one category in which I've been very fortunate.  I have one training partner I paddle with throughout the week, and several other people often join us on weekends.  Even on the days when I go to the river alone, just knowing that the other guys are getting their workouts in is a great motivator for me.

Simplify the logisitics as much as you can.  If there's a marina in your area that offers storage for kayaks and canoes, go for it.  Or look for a place within walking distance of your river or lake where you can keep a boat for a small fee, if not for free.  I've known slalom racers at the Nantahala River who would just stick their boats under one of the N.O.C. buildings between workouts, but the N.O.C. is a particularly paddler-friendly area and I would want greater security in most other places.
     Hefting your boat on and off your car every time you paddle is time-consuming, especially for drivers of trucks and vans, and if you can find a way to eliminate this problem, you'll maximize your time on the water, and also put less wear and tear on your boat.  It also gives you more transportation options: I often leave the car at home and ride my bike down to the marina in Memphis Harbor where my boat is stored.
     If you have no choice but to car-top it every day, look for ways to streamline the process.  Check out other paddlers' tie-down systems and choose one that's quick and easy for you.  Scout out your river or coastline for an easy access point, where you can park close to the water's edge.

Have a "cold weather" routine.  I'll probably write an entire column on cold-weather paddling later this winter, and I'll address some of the broader issues, like safety, at that time.  Here, I'll just make a few remarks about those things that can affect motivation now that some chilly days are upon us.
     If I'm dressed properly, I'm plenty warm while I'm out paddling, even when it's 20 degrees outside.  The bad part is standing on the dock before and after my workout, and so I try to minimize the time I spend there.
     Have a place to hang up your wet paddling clothes after you paddle, so that they'll be dry for the next session.  Standing out on an exposed dock with a sub-zero wind-chill factor is bad enough without having to slip into wet (frozen?) clothes as well.  Each day when I get home from paddling, I hang my clothes in my basement near the furnace.
     Try to find nearby parking, or (even better) a nearby building where you can change clothes.  I don't have a reliable building to use, so I just park my van as close by as I can, and make a mad dash for it as soon as my boat is put away.

Do something else…?  Now… what if none of the above suggestions works for you?  What if it's just too cold outside, or you're just too busy to get yourself and your boat down to the water?  Would it be so terrible to take some time off from paddling and do something else, such as a little running or weightlifting?
     The answer to that question depends largely on your situation.  If you've made the Olympic team and the Games are just weeks away, then running and lifting simply won't cut it--you need to be in your boat every day, polishing your technique to a spit-shine.  But most of us aren't in that situation.  In fact, the majority of us aren't even good enough to win rinky-dink races on any regular basis.  And so, we must face the fact that the best we can hope to do as athletes is make ourselves better a month or a year from now than we are right now.  Can a cross-training activity such as running or weightlifting advance us toward this goal?  Sure it can--just ask the formerly flabby, weak paddlers who transformed themselves into lean, toned paddlers with a simple three-times-a-week weight regimen.  A higher level of physical fitness enables one to execute good stroke form for longer periods of time, making the experience more efficient and enjoyable.  Of course, you will progress the fastest if you do your cross-training in addition to, rather than instead of, your paddling, but if you must be out of the boat for a while, it's a good alternative.
 

     When I go down to the river and get in my boat, it's MY time.  No matter how insane my life might be, all those concerns are put aside for the hour or 90 minutes I'm out gliding across the water.  Out on the river, it's just me and the fish and the birds.  No one can bother me--not my customers, not my creditors, not my family… no one.  That's why it's worth it to me to get at least a little bit of paddling in during those busy periods.  It's NOT a trivial, frivolous, selfish thing.  Often, it's salvation.  No matter how inconvenient it might seem on a busy day, I guarantee you won't regret spending a little time in your boat.