Weekly News and Updates: May 28- June 3, 2007

June 1, 2007

Lifesavers Practice #7- A Review

Despite the outcome of the practice, I still think we had a productive evening. As we progressed through the workout, the boat improved. This means we learned fairly quickly from the mistakes we made early on, which, in my opinion, is a good thing. I hope, if anything, we got a little fire in our bellies going to help push us to work hard and continue to improve.

I think more importantly than anything, we will work on technique next week. The better we paddle, the faster we will go. I can work you guys to death with hard practices, but it will only make us more fit and not necessarily faster in the long run. Paddling well is key to the boat going fast and feeling good.

I have also thought about our start. It doesn't get us off the line fast enough. I'm proposing this instead:

- 3 long, deep strokes to get the boat moving and off the line.
- 5 shorter, faster strokes.
- 15 sprint
- 5 transition.

In total, it will add 3 strokes to the start we have been using. We'll try it out and see if it helps.

I am also going to toy with the order. I will come up with the pairings for next week. Tuesday will be experimental. If it works, we'll stick with it. If not, I will make the necessary changes for Thursday's practice.

Have a good weekend everyone.

May 30, 2007

Lifesavers Practice #6- A Review

Finally we got to those 25os last night! The boat was very solid, in stroke and the technique looked good. Good job. We even got to chatting quite a bit in the boat, even without Sham there! :-)

Heading into the Lachine festival, things are looking good. We need to keep working on a strong catch and keeping the stroke rate up for the shorter distances.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get photos of you guys last night. I'll try my best for Thursday if the weather permits.

Please check back on the blog tomorrow for the practice. Remember, the practices are now found in the "On-Water Training" section.

Stormriders Practice #5- A Review

Excellent work last night everyone. I was pleasantly surprised by how well everyone was paddling. The whole group paddled together and worked hard through a tough workout. Technically, everyone is doing much better than before.

Look how happy everyone was, despite the grueling practice!

But, as you can see from the photo below, there weren't many of us last night! The Lachine festival is in just 10 days. Let's go for a big turnout next week. So far, things are looking good. Let's keep up the progress. Don't forget that next week we have practices Tuesday AND Thursday.

For more photos from last night's practice, please see the Photos section.

Finally, congratulations to Mark. We heard your second child arrived over the weekend. From the entire team, I hope everyone is happy and healthy.

May 29, 2007

This section will now be reserved for news and updates. All practices can now be found in the 'On-Water Training' section. Please consult the link for past and upcoming practices.

Thanks.

Cette section est maintenant réserve pour toutes les nouvelles concernant votre équipe. Pour les pratiques, s’il vous plait regardez dans la section « On-Water Training »

Merci.

Weekly News and Update: May 21-27, 2007

Lifesavers Practice #5- A Review

The numbers were scarce this eveening, but we still managed to have a productive session on the water. 8 brave participants listened to me rant on about technique and then took each other on for a few vicious rounds of tug-of-war.

Technically, everyone made some big improvements tonight. For the newer people, the gains were significant and the fine tuning for the veterans is coming along nicely.


Please remember, if you haven't already given me your t-shirt size, to e-mail me and let me know by tomorrow (Friday). I need to put in the order so they come in time.

See you all Tuesday.




May 24, 2007

Lifesavers Practice #5

As I mentioned below, we will be doing 250's tonight. This is what the practice looks like:

- technical review (10 minutes)
- 2x2 paddling
- timing drills (hit and glide, possibly a short pyramid with strokes.)
- 2-3 practice starts
- 5x 250m at RACE PACE. They will most likely all be with starts and I am hoping the Lachine competitive crew joins us for this workout.


Here are a few administrative things, to help Sham out:
- we need to recruit some more men to the team (we are lacking a few!)
- everyone needs give me a t-shirt size by tonight if they haven't already. I am putting the order in for the t-shirts tomorrow and we need numbers to make sure everything arrives on time.
- payment: please bring Sham any money that is still owed as soon as possible.


It's beautiful out everyone, let's shoot for a great turnout! See you all tonight.

May 23, 2007

Lifesavers Practice #4- A Review

Another solid practice, everyone. I still can't figure out how we spent so long on the water and the best part came in the last 2 minutes with your energetic pick-up! I hope the practice achieved its objective, that is, some technical focus with a bit of work at race pace.

Technically, again, we are making improvements. The next time we have a nice, calm night we will work on technique again. Don't forget, anyone who needs any extra pointers, don't be afraid to ask. I don't mind spending a few minutes on the dock after practice.

For the t-shirts, if you didn't write down your size last night, please e-mail me or let me know at Thursday's practice. We have to order by Friday to ensure they arrive before the Lachine festival.

Again, good work and see you all Thursday.

Stormriders Practice #4- A Review

Good work last night everyone. I hope everyone was tired! The boat was running very smoothly through the 250's which means for the most part, everyone was in stroke. Next practice we will go back to some technical fundamentals and keep working at race pace a bit to prepare for Lachine.

In terms of technique, everyone has improved significantly. But, there are still some points that need perfecting. If anyone needs a few extra pointers, please arrive a few minutes early and we can do some work on the dock.

Remember, please e-mail me your t-shirt sizes. We want to get the order in by this Friday to make sure everything arrives in time for the Lachine festival.

So, good work and I hope my poor French didn't confuse things! See you all next week.

May 21, 2007

I hope everyone, from all the teams, had a nice long weekend and are ready to get back into paddling this week. The Lachine festival is less than 3 weeks away, so it's time to get things moving! The weather this week looks great, so no excuse not to make it to practice!

Stormriders Practice #4

We will continue to work on technique, but the intervals are getting tougher this week. This is the practice:

- technical review (10-15 minutes)
- 2x2 paddling
- 5 x 250m at race pace (intervals 1, 3, 5 without start, 2 and 4 with start.)

Tomorrow night I will have the sample t-shirts and will bring them to practice. Please try to arrive by 6:40pm so we can try everything on BEFORE going on the water. I have another crew at 8pm and won't be able to do anything after our practice is over.

Thanks and see you at practice!

Lifesavers Practice #4

We have a little more time on the water before the Lachine festival, but I want to start working on some harder intervals. We will be doing the same practice as the Stormriders on Thursday evening to get used to the race distances.

Practice #4 is the following:

- technical review (10-15 minutes)
- 2x2 paddling
- 2 x (3', 1' , 3', 1') with 1' rest between pieces and 5' between sets. The 3' pieces will be at a long, steady pace. The 1' pieces will be at race pace.

Concerning the t-shirts, we will try on the samples AFTER practice. I will be on the water until 8pm with the Stormriders.

Thanks and see you all at practice!

Weekly News and Update- May 14-20, 2007

May 16, 2007

Stormriders Practice #3- A Review

Last night's practice was very productive. Technically, we made some key improvements. I thought running through the boat individually helped break things down a bit more.

Is everyone sore this morning? I was glad to see so many tired faces when we got off the water last night.

Next week we will be getting into some race distance pieces to begin preparation for the Lachine festival. I hope to see everyone there.

Oh, by the way, if you see Ben and Jacinthe booting around in their Mini Cooper, be careful! I've seen Ben's moves on the track! :-)

À la semaine prochaine.

Lifesavers Practice #3- A Review

Excellent work last night everyone. I'm impressed with the effort level, speed and overall technique from last night's interval practice.

It looks like we are in for a real treat in the weather tomorrow. Please come to the club at the regular time. If it is that bad that we can't go out, I will run a circuit or something inside. It's nearly the end of May, where is this weather coming from?!

Again, nice work and see you all tomorrow.

May 14, 2007

Lifesavers Practice #3

Lifesavers: Here's your practice for tomorrow night.

- technical review
- 2x2 paddling
- (3', 30", 2', 30", 1', 30", 1', 30", 2', 30", 3')---- Long pieces have 2' rest each, sprints have 1' rest.
- starts (if time permits.)

I hope to see lots of people tomorrow night! 12 people last Thursday was awfully lonely.

We should have samples of the t-shirts tomorrow night, both men's and women's, for everyone to try.

A reminder, if you haven't brought in your medical forms and waivers, please do tomorrow night! See you all then.

Stormriders Practice #3

Stormriders: Here's your practice for tomorrow night.

- technical review
- 2x2 paddling
- (3', 30", 2', 30", 1', 30", 1', 30", 2', 30", 3')---- Long pieces have 2' rest each, sprints have 1' rest.
- starts (if time permits.)

We should have samples of the t-shirts tomorrow night, both men's and women's, for everyone to try.

I hope to see a big turnout again. So far, attendance has been great.

See you all tomorrow.

Weekly News and Updates: May 7- 13, 2007

May 11, 2007

Lifesavers Practice #2- A Review

We were small in numbers and short on time, but again, a productive practice. Technically, we are building on what was learned last year and making improvements. The timing is also getting much better.

I'm glad to see most of the new people back in the boat again last night. We didn't scare you off dragon boat, so that's great!

We also escaped any rain or thunderstorm, an added bonus.

Keep talking to your friends and try to recruit a few more people for the boat. Remember, next week there will be other crews out with us, so it won't feel so lonely. It will be a couple weeks before they join us for practice as they will have to go over the basics and get back into things like any other boat.

See you all Tuesday. Have a good weekend.

May 9, 2007

Lifesavers Practice #1- A review

Lifesavers: great to see the returning veterans and new faces last night. The practice was very productive and it's always nice to see the group paddling well right off the start. For the newcomers, nice work picking up the technique quickly. If you ever feel lost and you find that I'm rattling off about technique, the veterans are great examples if you're looking for technical pointers.

I hope to see everyone tomorrow night. Please remember to bring back your medical and registration forms if you didn't give them back to me last night.

Tomorrow's practice looks like this:

- 15 minutes technique (individual if the water is calm, group if not.)
- 2x2 paddling
- intervals- (3',1', 3', 1') and (2', 1', 2', 1') all hit and glide. Equal rest.
- starts

Stormriders Practice #2- A review

Stormriders: a big improvement from last week! Nice work. I hope everyone's shoulders felt better this morning than they did last week. The timing was much better. We will continue to work on the hit and glide drills.

Regarding the t-shirt, I really like the logo. Great work, Cimon.

À la semaine prochaine tout le monde.

May 7, 2007

Stormriders Practice #2

Everyone, please arrive by 6:40pm to fill out the registration forms. They are printed and waiting at the club this time, I promise! It turns out the problem was with Bureau en Gros, not me! Also, please bring back the medical forms, filled out with all the important information.

I'm happy with our turnout from last week. I hope to see everyone and more tomorrow night!

T-Shirts: How's the logo coming along? We should put the order in soon. Mark, can you confirm the number of T-Shirts we will be ordering? The Lachine logo will NOT be going on the t-shirts. This may make some people happy! Since we are a racing club, if we count dragon boat as part of the club's competitive program, we have to register everyone with the sprint racing association and it costs $15 per person. For a logo, that's too much. So, you guys are free to design what you wish!

For practice #2, I have a workout planned for you. Here it is:
- 10-15 minutes technique and timing drills. (Focus on the reach, the catch and the exit.)
- 2x2 paddling
- hit and glide
- Introduction to Intervals: (1', 2', 3', 2', 3', 2', 1') with equal rest. All will be done hit and glide.
- Starts: Review of first 5 strokes. Introduction of next 15 sprint strokes and the transition to race pace.

I hope to see EVERYONE out. Don't forget, the Lachine festival is in just one month!

Parking passes will be available for everyone tomorrow night. These are good to keep for the summer. I'd like to collect them at the end of the year so we can reuse them again next season. They are only valid in our parking lot. Please don't try to use them elsewhere in Lachine! You could get a ticket and they are expensive! Come see me before practice to get your passes. Also,

Any questions or comments, e-mail me or leave comments.

Lifesavers Practice #1

Since I will be on the water from 7-8pm, the parking passes will be pinned up on the bulletin board inside the club. You will see them. I have the complete set now. Everyone who is driving is welcome to a pass. BUT, please carpool if you can! You'll help with the congestion of the parking lot and the environment!

Also, because I will be on the water, I will hand out all the registration and medical forms to be signed and completed AFTER practice. Please have a your medicare card handy to fill out the necessary information.

Lachine veterans, please show the new people around the club. Paddles are in the same place as always and the life jackets too. Washrooms are downstairs, change rooms on the second floor.

T-Shirts: I need to confirm the number we will be ordering very soon. We also need to confirm the colour. The Lachine name and logo can no longer be part of the T-Shirt. Read above in my Stormriders post for the reasoning.

Your practice:

- 15-20 minutes technique and timing drills. (Focus on the reach, the catch and the exit.)
- 2x2 paddling
- hit and glide
- stroke pyramid (10, 20, 30, 40, 30, 20, 10 strokes) 30", 1', 1:30', 2' Rest between intervals.
- Introduction to starts
- if time permits, we'll get some harder intervals going, but it will most likely be part of Thursday's practice instead.

Any questions or comments? E-mail me or post a comment.

Bateau Compétitif- Lachine

Information générale- 2008

• 28 pratiques
• Début 13 mai, fin 14 août 2008
• 2 fois par semaines, une heure par pratique
• Location du bateau, équipements, stationnement, salle de bain, vestiaire et entraîneur inclus dans le prix total.
• Entraîneurs expérimentés ayant compétitionnés et entraînés au niveau provincial, canadien et international.

Compétitif

• Mardi et jeudi de 20h à 21h
• Pour les personnes visant la compétition et les entraînements plus exigeants.
• On porte l’emphase sur la technique, de longs segments pour débuter suivi par des entraînements de vitesse à haute intensité pour la compétition.
• Deux compétitions sont possibles: Le festival de Lachine le 14 juin ainsi que le festival international de dragon boat de Montréal au basin olympique le 26 juillet. Les deux compétitions ne sont pas obligatoires.
• Prix : 140$
  

Bateau Récréatif- Lachine

Bateau Récréatif- Lachine- Photos- 29 mai 2007












Information générale

• 28 pratiques
• Début 13 mai, fin 14 août 2008
• 2 fois par semaines, une heure par pratique
• Location du bateau, équipements, stationnement, salle de bain, vestiaire et entraîneur inclus dans le prix total.
• Entraîneurs expérimentés ayant compétitionnés et entraînés au niveau provincial, canadien et international.

Récréatif

• Mardi et Jeudi de 19h à 20h ainsi que Lundi et Mercredi de 19h à 20h. (2e bateau)
• Pour débutants ou simplement pour les personnes recherchant un entraînement agréable en groupe.
• On porte l’emphase sur la technique au départ, puis ce sera suivi de pratiques structurées cardiovasculaires.
• Prix : 140$ par personne.

Weekly News and Updates (April 29-May 6, 2007)

Flying Dragons First Practice

May 2, 2007

Update: (May 2, 2007) After a chilly hour on the water last night, the Flying Dragons successfully completed their first practice. Although many members were veterans from last year, the newcomers stepped up their efforts and picked up the basics very quickly. Bravo tout le monde.

After practice, the group decided on a new name. The Flying Dragons are no more. CMC Electronics will now be known as the Stormriders. Also, the team picked their t-shirt for the season. It seems that no one wanted to go for last year's bright orange but rather black and white will be the new team colours.

Again, good job everyone. À la semaine prochaine.

May 1, 2007

The docks will be in the water today. Flying Dragons, please arrive 15 minutes early to fill out registration and medical forms. Parking passes will be available. Please come see me inside the club to pick one up. Until more passes are printed, I will need to get them back after each practice. Thanks and see you tonight.

Also, please dress warm. The water is still fairly cold. Long sleeves, even if the air is warm, are strongly recommended.

Paddles

Anyone interested in ordering an Apex paddle should let me know by May 3, 2007. They are a fibreglass/plastic mix. Most of you either had the chance to try one or see one at the basin last year. They are $70 each and will be available the week of May 7th. Please e-mail me directly.

Comment se rendre // How to Find Us

Comment se rendre

De Montréal : De l’autoroute 20, sortir à la 32e avenue, lachine. Aux lumières à gauche sur la 32e avenue, sous l’autoroute. Descendre jusqu’à la rue Victoria et tourner à gauche. À la 25e avenue, tourner à droite. Au boulevard Saint- Joseph, tourner à gauche (Bord de l’eau). Le club est situé au coin du boulevard Saint-Joseph et de la 21e avenue.

De l’ouest de l’île ou de l’autoroute 13 : Sortir à la 32e avenue, lachine. Continuer tout droit sur la 32e avenue. À partir de la rue Victoria, suivez les indications ci-haut.


For those of you who are looking for directions to the club, here's the simplest way from Autoroute 20.

From Montreal: From the 20, exit 32e Avenue Lachine. Turn left onto 32e Avenue. Continue straight until the road ends(through a few sets of lights, past a few plazas.) Turn left on Victoria. Continue through a few stop signs. Turn right on 25e Avenue. Continue over the hill down to the lakeshore. Turn left on boulevard St. Joseph. At 21e Avenue, the club will be on your right hand side. Turn into parking lot.

From the West Island or Autoroute 13: From the 20, exit 32e Avenue Lachine. Turn right onto 32e Avenue. The directions above will guide you the rest of the way.

If anyone is coming from the Pont Mercier, please follow the directions above "From Montreal" or contact me for directions along the lakeshore.

En Français

Pour les informations en français, consulter les liens sur le site. Si vous avez besoin plus d’information, n’hésitez pas de contacter le club au (514) 634-4402 ou d’envoyer un message par courriel.

Lifesavers 2007

Lifesavers Practice #1

Since I will be on the water from 7-8pm, the parking passes will be pinned up on the bulletin board inside the club. You will see them. I have the complete set now. Everyone who is driving is welcome to a pass. BUT, please carpool if you can! You'll help with the congestion of the parking lot and the environment!

Also, because I will be on the water, I will hand out all the registration and medical forms to be signed and completed AFTER practice. Please have a your medicare card handy to fill out the necessary information.

Lachine veterans, please show the new people around the club. Paddles are in the same place as always and the life jackets too. Washrooms are downstairs, change rooms on the second floor.

T-Shirts: I need to confirm the number we will be ordering very soon. We also need to confirm the colour. The Lachine name and logo can no longer be part of the T-Shirt. Read above in my Stormriders post for the reasoning.

Your practice:

- 15-20 minutes technique and timing drills. (Focus on the reach, the catch and the exit.)
- 2x2 paddling
- hit and glide
- stroke pyramid (10, 20, 30, 40, 30, 20, 10 strokes) 30", 1', 1:30', 2' Rest between intervals.
- Introduction to starts
- if time permits, we'll get some harder intervals going, but it will most likely be part of Thursday's practice instead.

Any questions or comments? E-mail me or post a comment.


T-Shirts

Here is this year's team t-shirt. We will be putting the Lachine logo (see upper left corner of site.) on the front, left breast side and the team name on the back. Hopefully Sham will be able to get the Lifesavers logo from last year's designer and we'll add that somewhere too. I will do my best to have samples for the first practice. There is a men's and women's model. We will try to have a few sizes for people to try.

Is everyone alright with the colour and model? I know Richard suggested a few different options, but the price difference is rather significant. Also, I'd like to get all the teams wearing the same shirt, but different colours, if possible.

Any feedback is welcome in the comments section.


2007 Training Schedule:
Location: Lachine Racing Canoe Club

1. Tuesday May 8, 2007—8-9pm
2. Thursday May 10, 2007—8-9pm
3. Tuesday May 15, 2007—8-9pm
4. Thursday May 17, 2007—8-9pm
5. Tuesday May 22, 2007—8-9pm
6. Thursday May 24, 2007—8-9pm
7. Tuesday May 29, 2007—8-9pm
8. Thursday May 31, 2007—8-9pm
9. Tuesday June 5, 2007—8-9pm
10. Thursday June 7, 2007—8-9pm
11. Tuesday June 12, 2007—8-9pm
12. Thursday June 14, 2007—8-9pm
13. Tuesday June 19, 2007—8-9pm
14. Thursday June 21, 2007—8-9pm (To be determined—potential holiday.)
15. Tuesday June 26, 2007—8-9pm (To be determined—potential holiday.)
16. Thursday June 28, 2007—8-9pm
17. Tuesday July 3, 2007—8-9pm
18. Thursday July 5, 2007—8-9pm
19. Tuesday July 10, 2007—8-9pm
20. Thursday July 12, 2007—8-9pm
21. Tuesday July 17, 2007—8-9pm
22. Thursday July 19, 2007—8-9pm
23. Tuesday July 24, 2007—8-9pm
24. Thursday July 26, 2007—8-9pm

Total practices: 23 (Either June 21 or June 26 will be a holiday.)


Competition Schedule

1. Lachine Festival- Saturday June 9, 2007- Location: Lachine Racing Canoe Club- Lachine, QC
2. Montreal International Dragon Boat Festival- Saturday July 28, 2007 and Sunday July 29, 2007- Location: Olympic Basin- Ile Ste-Helene- Montreal, QC

Stormriders 2007

May 7, 2007

Stormriders Practice #2

Everyone, please arrive by 6:40pm to fill out the registration forms. They are printed and waiting at the club this time, I promise! It turns out the problem was with Bureau en Gros, not me! Also, please bring back the medical forms, filled out with all the important information.

I'm happy with our turnout from last week. I hope to see everyone and more tomorrow night!

T-Shirts: How's the logo coming along? We should put the order in soon. Mark, can you confirm the number of T-Shirts we will be ordering? The Lachine logo will NOT be going on the t-shirts. This may make some people happy! Since we are a racing club, if we count dragon boat as part of the club's competitive program, we have to register everyone with the sprint racing association and it costs $15 per person. For a logo, that's too much. So, you guys are free to design what you wish!

For practice #2, I have a workout planned for you. Here it is:
- 10-15 minutes technique and timing drills. (Focus on the reach, the catch and the exit.)
- 2x2 paddling
- hit and glide
- Introduction to Intervals: (1', 2', 3', 2', 3', 2', 1') with equal rest. All will be done hit and glide.
- Starts: Review of first 5 strokes. Introduction of next 15 sprint strokes and the transition to race pace.

I hope to see EVERYONE out. Don't forget, the Lachine festival is in just one month!

Parking passes will be available for everyone tomorrow night. These are good to keep for the summer. I'd like to collect them at the end of the year so we can reuse them again next season. They are only valid in our parking lot. Please don't try to use them elsewhere in Lachine! You could get a ticket and they are expensive! Come see me before practice to get your passes. Also,

Any questions or comments, e-mail me or leave comments.

T-Shirts

I hope everyone has been successful in checking out the t-shirt I proposed to Mark. Please choose a colour and let me know as soon as possible. We would like to get the order in quickly to ensure they are ready for the first competition.

Also, let me know about the team name, any logos and sizes. I will bring a sample to the club tonight for practice so people can see the material. There are men's and women's models available too. Those samples should be coming soon.

Feel free to leave comments with your ideas.

2007 Training Schedule:
Location: Lachine Racing Canoe Club

1. Tuesday May 1, 2007—7-8pm
2. Tuesday May 8, 2007—7-8pm
3. Tuesday May 15, 2007—7-8pm
4. Tuesday May 22, 2007—7-8pm
5. Tuesday May 29, 2007—7-8pm
6. Tuesday June 5, 2007—7-8pm
7. Thursday June 7, 2007—7-8pm
8. Tuesday June 12, 2007—7-8pm
9. Tuesday June 19, 2007—7-8pm
10. Tuesday June 26, 2007—7-8pm
11. Tuesday July 3, 2007—7-8pm
12. Tuesday July 10, 2007—7-8pm
13. Tuesday July 17, 2007—7-8pm
14. Thursday July 19, 2007—7-8pm
15. Tuesday July 24, 2007—7-8pm
16. Thursday July 26, 2007—7-8pm

Total practices: 16


Competition Schedule

1. Lachine Festival- Saturday June 9, 2007- Location: Lachine Racing Canoe Club- Lachine, QC
2. Montreal International Dragon Boat Festival- Saturday July 28, 2007 and Sunday July 29, 2007- Location: Olympic Basin- Ile Ste-Helene- Montreal, QC

Photos

Action Sport- Montreal Festival 2007












Stormriders- Montreal Festival 2007



Stormriders- Lachine Festival 2007












29 mai 2007- Bateau Récréatif






Practice: May 29, 2007

Stormriders Photos








Lifesavers Photos: Practice May 24, 2007





Flying Dragons- Montreal Dragon Boat Festival 2006




For Lifesavers Montreal International Dragon Boat Festival 2006 Photos, click here.

On-Water Training

Lifesavers Practice #18:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 4 x 600m (various intensities) 3-4'R

NOTE: This is last Thursday's practice that we were unable to do.

Stormriders Practice #13:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 4 x 600m (various intensities) 3-4'R

NOTE: This is last Thursday's practice that we were unable to do.

Stormriders Practice #12:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 4 x 600m (various intensities) 3-4'R

Lifesavers Practice #17:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 4 x 600m (various intensities) 3-4'R

Lifesavers Practice #16:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 5 x 400m (various intensities) 3-4'R

Stormriders Practice #11:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 5 x 400m (various intensities) 3-4'R

Lifesavers Practice #15:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 6 x 300m @ 500m RACE PACE with 3-4'R

Lifesavers Practice #14:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 5 x 3' (20" @ 100%, 1' @90%, 20"@100%, 1'@90%, 20"@90%) 3-4'R

Stormriders Practice #10:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 5 x 3' (20" @ 100%, 1' @90%, 20"@100%, 1'@90%, 20"@90%) 3-4'R

Lifesavers Practice #13:
- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 5x 500m (#1 @80% with start, half-way pick-up, finish; #2 first 250m at race pace, last 250m @80%; #3 @ RACE PACE; #4 with start, half-way pick-up, finish- rest @ 70%; #5 RACE PACE) All 500s have 4'R

Lifesavers Practice #12:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 6x 200m 3-4'R

Stormriders Practice #9:

- technique (10-15 minutes)
- 5x 500m (#1 @80% with start, half-way pick-up, finish; #2 first 250m at race pace, last 250m @80%; #3 @ RACE PACE; #4 with start, half-way pick-up, finish- rest @ 70%; #5 RACE PACE) All 500s have 4'R

Lifesavers Practice #11:

-technique 10- 20 minutes (review of catch and dropping the body weight on the paddle.)
- 2x (100m, 250m, 500m, 250m, 100m) 5'R (Rest 1', 2', 3', 2', 1')

Lifesavers Practice #10:

-technique 10-20 minutes (review of catch and dropping the body weight on the paddle.)
- 4 x 500m (broken up)

Stormriders Practice #8:

-technique 10--20 minutes (review of catch and dropping the body weight on the paddle.)
- 4 x 500m (broken up)

Lifesavers Practice #9:

-technique (20-30 minutes- on dock and in boat. Establish rhythmic stroke.)
- 4-6 x (4x45" hard/15" easy paddling) 3' Rest (45" are hard but we will put an emphasis on the rhythm. We are going for a long, powerful, rhythmic stroke.)

***We are going to try do get this practice done tonight (June 14, 2007). Practice #8 had to be changed because we didn't have enough people.***

Lifesavers Practice #8:

-technique (20-30 minutes- on dock and in boat. Establish rhythmic stroke.)
- 4-6 x (4x45" hard/15" easy paddling) 3' Rest (45" are hard but we will put an emphasis on the rhythm. We are going for a long, powerful, rhythmic stroke.)

Stormriders Practice #7:

- technique (20 minutes- on dock and in boat)
- 4-6 x (4x45" hard/15" easy paddling) 3' Rest (45" are hard, but we want to work on the rhythm we started to establish last week. We are going for a long, powerful, rhythmic stroke.)

Stormriders Practice #6:

- technical review (15-30 minutes)
- 3 x 200m RACE PACE
- starts


Lifesavers Practice #7:

- technical review (15-30 minutes)
- 3 x 200m RACE PACE
- starts

Lifesavers Practice #7:

- technical review (10 minutes)
- 2x2 paddling
- sprint pyramid: 2x (100m, 200m, 300m, 200m, 100m) 1-2 minutes rest between pieces. 5'R between sets.


Lifesavers Practice #6:

- technical review (10 minutes)
- 2x2 paddling
- timing drills (hit and glide, possibly a short pyramid with strokes.)
- 2-3 practice starts
- 5x 250m at RACE PACE. They will most likely all be with starts and I am hoping the Lachine competitive crew joins us for this workout.

Stormriders Practice #5:

- technical review (10 minutes)
- 2x2 paddling
- sprint pyramid: 2x (100m, 200m, 300m, 200m, 100m) 1-2 minutes rest between pieces. 5'R between sets.
- starts

Lifesavers Practice #5:

As a result of the low attendance ( 8 people!!!), this practice focused on individual technique. Thanks to those who showed up.

Lifesavers Practice #4

- technical review (10-15 minutes)
- 2x2 paddling
- 2 x (3', 1' , 3', 1') with 1' rest between pieces and 5' between sets. The 3' pieces will be at a long, steady pace. The 1' pieces will be at race pace.


Stormriders Practice #4:

- technical review (10-15 minutes)
- 2x2 paddling
- 5 x 250m at race pace (intervals 1, 3, 5 without start, 2 and 4 with start.)

Lifesavers Practice #3:

- technical review
- 2x2 paddling
- (3', 30", 2', 30", 1', 30", 1', 30", 2', 30", 3')---- Long pieces have 2' rest each, sprints have 1' rest.
- starts (if time permits.)

Stormriders Practice #3

- technical review
- 2x2 paddling
- (3', 30", 2', 30", 1', 30", 1', 30", 2', 30", 3')---- Long pieces have 2' rest each, sprints have 1' rest.
- starts (if time permits.)

Lifesavers Practice #2:

- 15 minutes technique (individual if the water is calm, group if not.)
- 2x2 paddling
- intervals- (3',1', 3', 1') and (2', 1', 2', 1') all hit and glide. Equal rest.
- starts

Stormriders Practice #2:

I have a workout planned for you. Here it is:
- 10-15 minutes technique and timing drills. (Focus on the reach, the catch and the exit.)
- 2x2 paddling
- hit and glide
- Introduction to Intervals: (1', 2', 3', 2', 3', 2', 1') with equal rest. All will be done hit and glide.
- Starts: Review of first 5 strokes. Introduction of next 15 sprint strokes and the transition to race pace.

Lifesavers Practice #1:

- 15-20 minutes technique and timing drills. (Focus on the reach, the catch and the exit.)
- 2x2 paddling
- hit and glide
- stroke pyramid (10, 20, 30, 40, 30, 20, 10 strokes) 30", 1', 1:30', 2' Rest between intervals.
- Introduction to starts
- if time permits, we'll get some harder intervals going, but it will most likely be part of Thursday's practice instead.


For the first week, the focus will be entirely technical.

Remember a few things from last year:

- 20 little girls paddling together could beat 20 strong men who can't stay in stroke.
- You don't pull with your arms! They merely attach the paddle to your body.

Practice #1:

- 10-20 minutes of technique (individually and group.)
- paddling 2 x 2 (remember this one?!)
- hit and glide drills.
- Stroke Pyramid (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10.)

Off-Water Training

For those of you interested in doing something in between practices, I would recommend a little light weight training and some running, cycling or roller blading.

If anyone is interested in some program ideas, please contact me directly.