20.5km after my 4-days sabattical

Paddled the exact same route as last Friday (no whitecaps today though.)  I didn't train for four days in a row.  I spend time with dad on father's day (Sunday,) then I trained with my CLG group from Monday to Wednesday.  I couldn't launch when I got back to Tai Tan after CLG, due to unbelievably crazy low tide (new moon.)

Which means I should be fully recovered, right?  But no!  I was a mess, a symphony of pain.  I launched in the evening (to avoid the brazen sun) and felt very tired and lethargic.  My lower back ached, one of my toes is inflamed, my butt also started to get really sore after the first 15km (no padding on the hard seat this time -- I lost my foam!! *cries.*), to alleviate the pressure on my butt, I gave up pushing with my feet, which means I had to brace my thighs against the cockpit, and my legs started getting cramps after locking my legs in the thigh-braces for so long.  I noticed I paddled very slowly in the last 4 km, though that's mostly to avoid aggravating the pain in my butt.

Hate to admit it, but I think I got a bit chewed up at CLG practice.  I had two humpback-whale sized patients (both boys are well over 200lbs); Michael told me to "work on endurance and power by rescuing both of them at the same time" -- so I ended up with close to 500lbs load on my stern and bow decks, and they thought it would be funny to wiggle around while I was paddling.  It was all I could do to not capsize; I could hardly plant my blades down.  In fact, even as I sculled for my life, and leaned my body all the way to the port side, I still couldn't correct the starboard tilt of the kayak.

Then I decided to practice rolling with a heavy, leaky CLG boat.  I did okay, at least on the right hand side, but my back is still killing me right now.  I don't think my body is made to roll for three days in a row.  

1536  Launch (Sze Tei) 

1558  Nam Fung Kok

1638  Bluff Head

1706  Chek Chau NE

1736  Kung Chau East

1800  Grass Island South

1834   Landing (Sze Tei)

Again, I paddled well over 8km/hr in the first hr, but slowed down significantly afterwards.  Tsk tsk, need to drill on endurance...

Very anxious about trailwalker training this Saturday; section 3 is supposed to be "very difficult," took me long enough to recover my "morale" after section 7 & 8...

evening trip: 20.5km from Fred's

Decided to launch after all - no rest for the wicked!

Fred's 0km 1635

Sze Tei (the rock outside Tai Tan) 1639

Nam Fung Kok 3.4km 1701

Ocean Point 5.3km 1714

Bluff Head 8.5km 1740 (following sea/starboard side wind up to this point) 

Chek Chau NE 11.5km  1812  (strong head wind heading towards CC)

Kung Chau 14.13km   1847 (even stronger port wind with long whitecaps)

Ko Lau Wan 17km  1917 (same as above)

* * * headed towards Nam Fung Wan until I couldn't see the WS Pier light to make sure I stay well away from the ferry lanes, because it was getting dark.)  

Sze Tei 20km  1946  (following sea up till NFW, then flat water towards Sze Tei.)

Fred's 20.5

The whitecaps East of Chek Chau took me by surprise; my seahorse took in quite a bit of water, I'm not sure what the observatory is playing at, but the wind certainly didn't feel like a BF 2 (and the whitecaps agreed with me!)

Got stopped by the police patrol boat just before I reached Nam Fung Kok, they questioned me for a bit (are you alone?  are you really paddling alone?  Where are you going?  When are you coming back...) and then let me go.  

Managed over 8km/hr in the first hr due to a mild, following sea.  Then struggled against the head wind -- what with the choppy waves, I started zoning out.  No point thinking about posture and movement efficiency, I just had to react to each wave, one at a time.  

Got quite nervous, because I didn't expect the sea to be choppy.  I launched without a PFD (not even in the boat!), paddle float, drinking water, and spraydeck; I wasn't sure whether Dennis got my message for safe-call either (he didn't.  Duh!) It was also very very foggy (especially towards the north)... I kept thinking I should turn around, but at the same time I also felt I need to push myself to learn to handle the unexpected.

Glad I finished the trip, but need to commit to pack better next time. (had trouble getting the head light out of the dry box, didn't use it at all in the end.  So it's like I didn't pack it in the first place.)  Also need to confirm safety calls before I launch.

Oh ya. My new year resolution, to "never land in the dark again," ha!  so much for that.  I suppose I could modify it into never "accidentally" land in the dark again, ever.

shek Mun training Day 4 (21k)

Didn't windsurf, wind too mild, would end up pumping on the sail all day.

So I went to Shek Mun to train instead, and I'm glad I did.  Had curry for lunch in the Thai place near Sai Kung Pier first, then bused to Shek Mun (ho hum...)  

As soon as I got there, I spend 30+ minutes on the stepping machine, got my heart rate up to 172, then drank a lot of water.  Maybe I drank too much?  Or I ate too much at lunch?  I ended up feeling really sick and puked.

tried to get back onto the stepping machine, but was feeling too sick to go on.  Studied for a while (JLPT), puked some more, then did what I could on the weight sets.  After stretching, I felt much better, but decided not to push my luck (or stomach, for that matter), and went down to the water where I always feel more at home. 

I think I performed well today.  At least, I did much better than my previous attempt at Shek Mun:

Launch (pontoon) 1420 

--> mucked around for a bit, needed to rearrange the styrofoam, cos I could hardly stuff my legs into the cockpit.

-500 mark   1434

3ooo mark  1504

-500 mark   1529

3ooo mark  1559

-500 mark   1624

3ooo mark  1657

-500 mark   1721

pontoon       1733 (had to dodge a few row-boats)

heart rate at 116bpm

21km/167mins = 7.5km/hr

For some reasons I felt very uncomfortable while moving downstream.  When I paddled against headwind up the river, every paddle stroke felt solid; I could tell whether I was rotating my torso by gaging how much power I had to exert with my arms.  But when I moved down stream with the wind, (I felt as though I was being sun-dried alive, and) I felt as though I was just going through the motion.  When I planted my blade and rotated my torso, it felt as though the water gave me nothing back to grab.  In terms of speed I was moving faster than upstream, but I just felt as though I wasn't moving efficiently, like my body was rotating and moving in vain.

was tired after I rounded the 3000 mark for the 3rd time, and my speed also dropped significantly, so obviously I need to work on endurance.  I know I still haven't fully recovered from the 60k (SMB) trip, and I also lifted weight today, but I think it's encouraging that my body can recover while I continue to paddle 20+k on a daily basis.

KAT with Fan Goh (WSWSC, 21.5km)

 Took the seahorse out to paddle a KAT with Fan Goh, Cho Kau, Ka Bo, Stella, Ah Ho, and a young man (forgot his name.)  The trip went surprisingly smoothly.  

Stretched for about an hour before I get down to the water, also did one set of twenty sit ups, and rolled around a bit on the pontoon (aikido ukemi forward rolls).  I think the stretching did me much good.

I was still a little sore, but was able to perform more or less normally.  Was slightly behind Ka Bo and Cho-Kau, but didn't feel like racing ahead to catch up, so I paddled at my own pace.  Found the entire trip rather easy and comfortable.  I even beat Ka Bo as we crossed the Tolo Channel, because we were paddling with the wind/current behind us.

Fan Goh and Cho Kau both said I rotate too far back ... actually, at first Fan Goh said I wasn't rotating, so I went out of my way to rotate, and duh, they said I overdid it.  My head also tend to follow my body when I rotate, which means my boat wiggle around a lot.

Really need to learn to navigate; kept getting blown downwind and off course.  Ka Bo and Cho Kau both kept teasing me about that.

I feel fine, I did a reasonable workout but not tired.  Also drank quite a bit today, so am only mildly dehydrated.  If I feel well after a good night's rest, I might even be able to paddle to TMT tomorrow for windsurfing.  (28k return trip.)

Fan Goh said I over trained (both the 60k and the gym work out), so I need to slow down on that and focus on CV training.  Am allowed to take a day or two off to rest, then work it up gradually (no more over-training though.)

For full day training, he advised to paddle a very short course in the morning if I've already worked out in the gym; and then do a longer course in the afternoon.  No need to work on weights morning and evening; in fact, I shouldn't work on them everyday (I should do them every second day), unless it's really light.

Gonna get dinner, read a book or two, then go to bed.

recovery from 60k

Paddled 60k yesterday: DB - SMB, then trained KA skills with Man Sir (bow-rudder, hang-draw, rolling, swimming-in-canoe, cross bow-rudder), then paddled back to DB.  Squally thunder followed me all the way to SMB from Ap Lei Chau (actually they were thumping down on Ding-Ling Islands when I was along Ap Lei Chau.) Took a bit of a detour while crossing channel cos I was trying to avoid collision, and ended up on the wrong side of Kau Yi Chau.

I was cold all night after the 60k trip yesterday... so typical.  And finally I got blisters, I've been wondering what's happening to my old friends (blisters), I haven't seen them since Japan.  But they are back =_=

Mostly my right forearm hurts, I blame Richard's paddle, which hasn't got a feathering angle (in fact, it's slightly offset to the left, so it's actually a left-control paddle.)  I knew I was in trouble before I even reached Kau Yi Chau, but decided not to let excuses get in the way of training.  Turns out it wasn't a training day, it was a punishment day.

Got really scared in East Lamma Channel, but it's about time I finally meet my nemesis.  I was so busy watching out for all the passing vessels that I hardly had time for reminiscence.  Have to admit though, even though I didn't consciously go through the nightmare in 2007, crossing the channel was still intensely stressful.

The entire journey back was a punishment, I knew I was going very slow but all I cared was to go home and shower.  I wasn't even sure I had enough willpower or strength to bring myself  back to DB, but I was surprised when Round Island drifted towards me, then Ap Lei Pai, then Magazine Island, CyberPort, Green Island ... I was just too busy dealing with the pain, and started zoning out, and then before I know it, I was home.

Crossing the channel was again, nerve whacking.  But I'm dealing with the irrational fear one step at a time, and progress is progress.

Palms and fingers thoroughly abused by the time I landed on DB, but I think, if I give myself a week's time to rest (and work on other strength training), eventually I can get used to a 60k day.  

Very tired today, woke up at 0600 but mucked around at home till now.  Am going to do some mild jogging, push ups, etc, and launch Martlet for 22k, (see below) and then rest.  No more over-training for the next week or so.

edited to say: just finished my 23k (after a few half-ass sets of sit ups and burpees), took martlet out with the heavy paddle (Neville's), my fingers started tingling before I even left Tai Pak.  I'm pretty sure it has something to do with that particular paddle.

Felt an intense pang of hunger before I even made it to Kau Yi, only then did I realize all I had was a bottle of water -- no sport drinks, no candies.  So typical u_u  Paddled on anyway, am still very exhausted from yesterday, started taking breaks by the time I rounded Sunny Island, I wonder if it's just from over training yesterday, or if it is because of the unbelievably heavy paddle.  (Seriously, it's like paddling with a set of free weights.)   

When I got back, I decided I wanted to practice rolling -- and did a few half rolls with the heavy paddles, but then the water really is too disgusting, so I finally left.

Foody time now.  Good to know I'm getting back to normal -- that is to say, feeling intensely hungry, rather than tired, after a mild day trip.

DB 1:39 (head wind)

Kau Yi 2:29

(at the pt where I can see the gap between HLC and Sunny Is) 3:14 

Rounded the corner of HLC at 3:38 (following sea)

The bend of the Dam at HLC 3:55

Hei Ling Chau NW Pier 4:13

Tai Lei 4:52

"pincher" of DB5:12

DB to SMB to DB log

Would write more but my whole body aches... especially my hands.  So...

0542 DB Sam Pak (launch)  

1022 SMBWSC (land)

1350 SMBWSC (launch)

1634 Magazine Island

1724 turned NW just in front of Victoria Harbour channel 

1918 landed (DB Tai Pak)

Remarkably few checkpoints, I know.  To busy dealing with the channel traffics and stuff to really memorize the time for each check point.

Must sleep soon or die hard.

DB to SMB to DB route plan

In the ideal world, the entire universe spins around me and all the sealiners in East Lamma Channel will get out of my way, in the dark, for my benefit.

(28.4km cruising)

Ha!  If pigs can fly.  So this is what I'll have to do instead:

DB Sam Pak (launch) 0 (0430 or so)

East Kau Yi Chau (North Beacon) 6.7 (0530)

Pok Fu Lam Beacon 12.1 

Cyber Port 13.6 

Magazine Island West Beacon 14.7 (0630)

Ap Lei Pai Beacon 17.8

Round Island Beacon 20.7 (0730)

Bluff Head Beacon 24.3

Lo Chau 26.7

WSC 29 (0845)

Crooked Island trip log

Breakfast today:

• scrambled eggs x2, with tomato paste,  half an onion and half a green bell pepper
  
• 1 can of blue mountain coffee

Lunch:

• 1x G-granola bar, 1x Y-granola bar, half a tube of chocolate-condensed milk. (on water)
• 1L water

Dinner:

• 1 jumbo can of pork with preserved veggies, stir-fried with 1 head of lettuce.
• Dark Chocolate

Got down to the water just before 1100, but the thunders were cracking over my head and the WSC also hoisted a red flag.  The kayak actually trembled as the thunder cracked.

Stayed in the WSC to wait out on the storm.  Relaunched just before 1400, I did arrange for safety call this time, but I told Dennis I was going to use the same route as yesterday (i.e. turn around at Raft Head of Ngo May Chau), but in the end, I decided to follow my trip plan for today (except I didn't go into Tap Mun for lunch.)  If they did have to pull a SAR on me, I think they might have quite a task.  That said, I don't think I'm capable of drowning in Double Haven.

I know I didn't perform so well today, stomach hurts and am a little dizzy.  When I landed my hands were shaking, I wasn't scared or cold or anything, I was just ... weak.  That, or maybe it's the coffee.  I honestly can't remember the last time I had coffee.

Also had to stop to drink after about 15km, also took a granola bar and some chocolate-milk, but my stomach continued to hurt.  So I was distracted after the snack break, trying to deal with the burning sensation in my stomach as I paddled.  

Then I had to stop to read the map with the help of the compass, I got sort of nervous once I headed South from Crooked Island. 

Then I had to jump out to use the gigantic toilet (I sincerely hoped there was no shark in D-Haven, because I would have been a bright and shiny beacon for those bloody man-eaters.)  I think jumping into the water and pulling my pants down caused some of the petroleum jelly to come off, because after I climbed back into the kayak, I start to really notice the painful irritations of my abdominal skin.  The shirt/pants kept rubbing it every time I rotate my torso, as of right now, it's covered with red, angry sores.

I noticed I was really slowing down by the time I got to Grass Island; had to get out of the way of a fishing boat that was towing nets so I dashed as fast as I could between Port Island and Grass Island.  Again, I had to dodge a ferry that was heading to WS Pier from KLW, so I had to dash for my life between Tung Sum Kei and Tai Tan.  Otherwise, I slowed to a crawl, barely had the energy to even sing a song.

More or less followed the original route plan, except I headed straight to Crooked Island without stopping at Raft-Head; I didn't land on Grass Island for lunch either.

I'd say today is a trip-day, not a "training day."  The "oh no I'm lost" and reading the map part totally distracted me from thinking about rhythm, cadence, and postures.  I knew I was way behind schedule by the time I got back to WWC (Wong Wan Chau), and I couldn't care less.

1121 launch 1 -->T-storm cracked

1130 returned to pontoon (Like Siu Ming says, save the forest so you don't have to worry about running out of firewood!)

1254  Launch 2 (pontoon)

1323  NFK

1408  Bluff Head

1451  Peaked Head

1505 - 1512 * * * snack/ water break * * *

1523  Au Si Kok (Crooked Island West)

1548  Pak Sa Tsui 

1553 Butt Ka Chau

1616 - jumped out (toilet break along WWC)

1624 Zik Mun Tau

1641 Bluff Head

1709 Port Island NE

1736 Grass Is. Dragon's Tendon

1755 KLW

1809 Wong Mau Kok

1822 Tung Sum Kei

1827 Tai Tan

37.6km / 5hrs 33 mins = 6.77km/hr  (sniff sniff)

Crooked Island Route

Trip Plan for today:

0 Fred's

3.2 Nam Fung Kok

5.2 Ocean Point

9 Bluff Head

12 Raft Head (Muk Fut Tau)

13.5 Peaked Head (Gai Kung Tau)

17.4 O Si Kok

19.6 Pak Sa Tsui 

22.8 Zik Mun Tau

25 Bluff Head

28.1 Port Island NE

31.2 Grass Is. East (Dragon's Tendon)

34 Grass Is. Pier (lunch)

35.4 Ko Lau Wan

36.7 Wong Mau Kok

38 Tung Sum Kei

Fred's 39.4

Sai Kung Evening

I can't believe I forgot to arrange for safe-calls today.

Didn't launch until well past 1100, then I found out my tiger has turned into an ant-hill (in two days!!  I paddled it only last Sunday!!)  Took me forever to get them out; they were hiding in the built-in styrofoam floatie at the back, I had to sink the boat, then drain it, then sink the boat, then sink it, again and again and again.  Some of them still managed to hang on by clinging onto anything that floats, like the paddle leash that's still tied to the deck, or, well, the floatie.

After a long battle, the bay surface was covered with swimming red fire ants, and I had no choice but to paddle the anthill away -- it made no difference anyway, my body was already crawling with ants by that time.

Sat on the stern deck while I paddled.  No matter, ants still crawled all over my body.  Brings back fond memory... =_=  Anyway, washed it down a few more times on the WSC slipway, then paddled out for a few, um, half-rolls to wash the ants off me and the boat.  By the time I emptied and repacked the boat, lunch time was already over, which means I skipped lunch O_O

Sailed the Laser 13 with Joie, but it's rather painful, the SW wind was so feeble, I was getting drowsy all afternoon.

Finished derigging the boat just before 4, sort of hesitated about launching, because I was hungry and thirsty, and the sea has little patience for those whom are poorly prepared.  But I decided that hunger and thirst aren't going to keep me from committing to my assignments; I'm sure I'll have to keep paddling despite hunger and thirst at some point when I get to NZ, so I might as well get used to it.

Launched at 1608, was anxious that I wouldn't have enough time to finish 20+ k before sunsets.  But Sai Kung evening really is breath-taking.  A thin layer of fog descended around the waist of the small islands, the sky was clearing up after the thunderstorm, the sea was calm and water flat, the breeze was mild but cooling nevertheless.  It was easy to make-believe that I have found my way into utopia.

So I tried to focus on training, on posture, on driving with my feet, on rotating my torso, on synchronizing the strokes with my breathing, on driving the vessel with my lower back ... caught myself trying to sing a few times, bullied myself into training mode again, but at the end, I decided it was a losing battle, the entire experience was so beautiful, it's criminally stupid to mar it by being anal about such mundane things as techniques and postures (ahem.)  

My only regret was that I launched too late, had to worry about sunset as it was still rather cloudy and I knew I couldn't count on the moon to show up.  Funny, turns out my timing was perfect -- I made it to the rock just outside Tai Tan at 1926 -- not a moment too soon, because by 1927, everything was pitch dark, I ended up running aground (at rather high speed too), and then it started raining hard (with thunder and all).

Must remember to arrange safe call from now.  It's one thing to spontaneously decide to train in the dark in Shek Mun, but it's a scary thought that I was paddling alone when not a soul in the world knows where I was.  Well, it made my adventure into utopia more private, more secretive,  more magical.  But still, safety comes before romance.

1608  WSWSC

1638  Nam Fung Kok

1720  Wong Chuk Kok Tsui

1749   Ngo May Chau Northern tip (turned around)

1823  Wong Chuk Kok Tsui

1906  Nam Fun Kok

1927  Sze Tei

1929  That rock just outside Tai Tan -- stopped to pull out strobe light etc.

1941   WSWSC pontoon (low tide)

That makes 12.4x2 = appr 25km over 3hrs 21mins = 7.4km/hr

Oh ya, food.

Breakfast: hot and sour soup, dark chocolate, soy milk.

Lunch: nada

Dinner: cucumber, a can of fish in olive oil, 1 can of pocari sweat, 1 green granola bar.

Shek Mun training Day 2

I thought Fan-Goh's June training menu was easy enough to follow.  Ha!  I would laugh, except my ab hurts too much.

It's nearly mid night and I'm still up, so it doesn't look like I'll be able to paddle 20k in the morning before I go sailing.  And I thought, 20-30km a day was supposed to be an insult to my endurance! 

Bused to Shatin today.  Got there late, so neither jog nor stretch cos want to save time for paddling.  Changed the gym routine to see if I do better on the first few items ... well, yes and no.  I managed 20 dips on the first set, but couldn't finish the 2nd set.  The most pathetic part was the sit-ups -- my ab hurts so badly I couldn't even lie down comfortably.  I nearly teared up when I tried to sit up on the inclined board.  Did all of the TWO sit ups, and I was ready to give up.

Paddling went okay.  Found a tiger with a big styrofoam block inside so was able to push the kayak forward with my toes as I paddled.  I think I did a little better than yesterday, but have to pull out a calculator to work out the average speed and am too tired to do that.  First round was ridiculous, was going to try the baby gremini paddles but gave up after I made it to the -500 mark.  It gave me no power, no leverage at all.  So I went back to get the winged blades.

First few rounds were feeble, forgot to synchronize my paddling with my breathing all together on the first run.  After a few runs, I think my body finally got the coordinations down, and my performance improved.  I thought I wasn't too tired while I was still sitting in the boat, but once I climbed onto the pontoon, I was surprised at how stiff I was.

Took a short break (all of ONE minute) between round 3 and round 4 to have a drink -- ended up drinking up the entire bottle of poccari sweat, and I swear it jump-started my performance.  So for longer trips, maybe it is a good idea to stop for sugar and water.

Will write down the details tomorrow.  I'm so sleepy I'm getting dizzy.

Oh, and I finally contacted feifei-cat, the coastal search-and-rescue coordinator.  Really looking forward to training and planning with his team.  

[edited to add]

pull ups 20/20/20

dips 20/15/20

push ups 20/20/20

sit ups 1/1/- (DNF)

1455 launch 1

1511 got to the -500 mark and back to the pontoon (swapped the gremini for winged paddle)

1518 launch (pontoon)

1525 -500 mark

1602 3000 mark

1627 -500 mark

1707 3000 mark

1725 - 1726 -500 mark * * * 1 minutes water break (!) gulped down 1L of poccari sweat * * *

1755 3000 mark

1822 -500 mark

1851 3000 mark

1919 -500 mark

1929 landing (pontoon) * * * pulse rate 104 bpm * * *

Shek Mun training Day 1

Slept well last night, was tired but not over-the-top-exhausted.  Woke up at the crack of dawn but wasted all morning mucking around in my apartment in DB.  Tried to excavate my MP3 player for the gym workout but to no avail.  Finally got my ass out of the house at 1145 and didn't make it to Shek Mun till 1330.

Had all sorts of crap for breakfast: chocolate cream cookies, potato chips, juice, cream soup... the fact that I've been told to stay away from fatty food drives me to crave them even more.  And don't even talk about the alcohol ban.

One thing I found out about my performance / energy level is that it's all tied to my perception of how I'm doing -- paddled three rounds between the -500m to 3000m marks, and tried to calculate my average speed per section as I cruised.  For some reasons my brain farted and miscalculated my last section -- I thought I was 10 minutes behind schedule and suddenly decided I was hungry and tired and cannot go on.  So I slowed down to a crawl and felt fairly defeated ... until I was nearly at the -500 mark and checked my watch again, turns out I was actually 4 minutes ahead of schedule.  My heart did a summersault and I felt sure I could push for another round or two.  But I told the lifeguard I was going to land before 7 and there wasn't enough time for me to push for another set, plus I had to catch the last bus back to Tai Tan, so I landed.

With an unloaded tiger on flat water, my cruising speed (as of today) is appr 7kph.  I felt sure there is room for improvement though - I wasn't rotating my torso at the first round and a half, I'm also not familiar with the winged paddle, which I used today for the first time.  Which reminds me... my neck hurts.  I'm sure it's the new paddle's fault.  I couldn't have paddled much more than 20km today and I shouldn't be sore, it just doesn't make sense.  I don't know if I want to use the winged paddles again either, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to use that for NZ, I can't even trust it to do a simple sculling-draw stroke to get me to the pontoon.  I think, I should probably use the paddles that I intend to use when I go to NZ, like my Kiska or whichever spare paddle I decide to get before the expedition.

The gym work out was disappointing.  I just don't have the will power to push myself through the last few sets.  I ended up dragging my feet and doing steady sets of 10's, that is to say, I performed worse than yesterday.  I know I can do it if my life depends on it, but it's hard to convince myself lifting the metals have anything to do with survival when the water waving at me to come down and play.

In the gym:

chin-ups: 20/20/12

push-ups: 20/20/16+4

dips: 10/10/10

sit ups: 10/10/10

leg lift: 7 ... u_u

On the water:

1434 launch (pontoon)

1505 turned around at the very end of Shing Mun River

1533: pontoon -- went up to the gym to get snacks and drinks.  Was really hungry.  Then my body cooled down too quickly and I had to take a hot shower...

1552: launched from pontoon again

1604: -500 mark

1636: 3000 mark

1704: -500 mark

1734: 3000 mark

1802: -500 mark

1812: landing (pontoon)

tried to do another set of gym routine but the skin on my palm was peeling off.  So went to shower after a painful set of 10 chin-ups and went home.

Came home to walk and feed the dogs, and I'm ready for bed again.

[edited to add]

I need to do something about my cool-problem.  I was shivering uncontrollably on the bus on Monday after working out in Shek Mun, and I was shivering under the 30C sun when I took a lunch/snack break yesterday.

Shek Mun Initiation, and Fan Goh's program

Trained K1 with Suk-Fun today (instead of Man-Sir), then went to Shek Mun to train for the first time.  Spend the first 15 minutes being told off with a lot of far-fetched metaphors about what a liability I could be to HKCU if I were to paddle solo and get hurt.  But then we talked about the circumnavigate NZ trip, and that was very helpful.

Am too tired to write coherently.  So will use point forms and maybe reorganize later (or not).

• I have 6 months before the expedition, so make 6 progressive monthly training plans.
• write up all my calorie intakes (food + drinks), time of consumption, (how frequently)
• write up  how much work out I did every day, and paddling speed
• make a point to analyze my recovery (how long did it take to recover after a long, hard, continuous trip?) and make a log 
• measure my pulse rate after the paddling exercise, aim to work it up to 191bpm, but starting with 114.
• paddle 20-30 km every day, with a tiger, with no break at all (not even to bail water or to drink, bring a mountain fountain for drinks.)  Must work it up to 8km/hr by the end of June.  And that's "leisurely pace," not the 100m dash pace.
• sync my breathing with every stroke.
• run/jog for 7-8 km every day for cardiovascular conditioning.
• #3 Work on Endurance
• #2 Work on Strength
• #1 Work on techniques, skills, postures, rhythm, cadence, coordination... 
• must work on speed for the sake of survival -- in case I need to turn around at the mercy of a storm
• use a pair of 8 lbs dumbbells to tone the biceps.  Lift (L.R.L.R...) for 5 minutes, rest for 3, lift 5, rest 3, repeat 3 cycles until I can do it easily, then do 4 cycles, and so on.
• 3 sets of 20 : pull-ups, push-ups, dips, sit-ups.  When I can do it steadily with decent speed, add another cycle. (ha!  fat chance!  oh, but think survival...)
• work on 20-30 lbs dumbbells only just before the trip (or tournament)
• take frequent, small meals, with lots of veggies, but must also eat meat.
• absolutely no smoking, only half to one glass of wine per day, and avoid fatty food.
• avoid using a liquid-only diet for long term
• stretch for 20 minutes before paddling, stretch for 10 after.
• towards the end of the paddling exercise, paddling slowly to cool down and let the lactic acid out.
• experiment with seat paddings for height and also to reduce blisters.

That's all that I can remember for now.  Oh, and the gym session was humiliating.  I couldn't even finish one set of dips.  And I had to finish my second set of push ups on my knees.  Got down to the water  after 3 cycles though, paddled a tiger and somehow managed to keep pace with the k1 paddlers.  So that lifted my mood a little.

whoa, 0129 in the morning!  must...get...sleep.

Training Plan

I'm going to write this blog, and then I'm going to bed.  

Paddled a typical KAT launching from WSWSC, went from WSC to Hoi Ha to Grass Is. to Chek Keng back to East Arm and then back to WSWSC.  It was fairly uneventful.  Siu Ming took a 15HP power boat out (instead of a kayak), so there wasn't much room for messing around.

What I want to write about is the discussion we had after everybody left.  First we talked about seal launching/ landing, he reckons we can probably get some practices, or at least experimentations, in Tung Ping Chau.  (Of course we can, I did it accidentally in 2007!)  He isn't willing to teach a course, but might be willing to come along for some mutual experimentations if I can find a power boat and if the wind condition is moderate.  So, I'll either have to ask Paul, or So-Goh (sampan).

The thing that really excited me was the discussion about the circumnavigate New Zealand South Island trip -- apart from Dennis and Horia, I don't know anybody else who would take me seriously.  Siu Ming thought I was suicidal to contemplate such a trip, he describes it as self-torture rather than adventure, but he conceded that it would be a good experience to have, and so we talked about a training plan.

He advised I should definitely work on endurance through gym workouts (dope!!!! I *hate* the gym with a passion!) and not just on-water type work out.  At the very least 40%  (preferably 50%) of my training time should be allocated to on land training, like rowing machines, resistance training, etc.  

So a typical training day should go like this: wake up early in the morning, spend 2 hours on gym workout, then get down to the water to paddle until lunch time, have lunch, after lunch, spend two hours on studying and researching, then get back to the gym for two hours, then get back down to the water.  

Have five training days and then take a day or two off to rest. 

If it's stormy (I say have fun paddling it!  But...) Siu Ming suggests to go jogging/ running.  Not sure how that helps me paddle but, oh well.

As for the water part, apparently I need to adjust my mentality - no more leisurely cruising; I need to get mean.   So much for my resolution to focus on rescue.  Siu Ming thinks I need to set a speed goal -- I have no control over time, I'll get 24 hrs a day and there is no way around it.  So the only factor I can control is speed.  Get to TMT faster on the same boat.  Then get to TMT with a loaded boat.  Then paddle to TMT while dragging a mass and I still have to get there on time.  Then paddle a shitty, loaded foldable kayak while dragging anchor to TMT (yeah right.) 

But don't just paddle on water, because it's going to end up damaging the muscle that I overuse all the time.  It's better to work on overall strength and endurance than to just focus on the muscle groups that I use when I paddle.

Research about weather patterns in NZ, look into the details and kinks in at least the last few years.  Also look into all the possible landing/ bailing sites.  Look into difficult spots and rough water warnings, etc.  Really study the blogs of the adventurous souls who already managed the trip before my attempt.  Look into the psychology and physiology of it -- see what difficulties others run into.  Look into all possible mental issues that might hold me back --  like trying to launch a boat alone while leaving a hypothermic patient behind. 

That's all I can remember for now.  My brain is shutting down and I need sleep.  Which might as well, the sun is setting, I'm going to work on my circadian rhythm if I plan to camp for 3 months.

K1 at DCC, and a night time stroll in Tai Tan Hoi

Paddled K1 at DCC with Winffy, Grace, and May today -- it was so hot I nearly didn't go. 

Got there at 1400 anyway, tried out a few K1 kayaks -- including a tiger-K1 and also a tiger K1 with a high seat.  Didn't capsize but not particularly proud of it either, obviously I didn't try very hard.  In fact, I was bracing and slapping for support the whole afternoon, I was too chicken to really plant the paddle deep into the water, and I wouldn't dream of pushing the blade behind me.

Towards the end, I paddled a really stable K1 (woodpecker), and thought I would push myself a little harder and allow myself to go a bit farther out -- I did that, and ... got ... lost u_u  I know, stupid as stupid do.

Started panicking once I rounded the Island and realize I don't remember what DCC looks like =_=  Decided to pull off my sun glasses, which was a pretty mean task when you're clutching onto the paddle shaft for dear life.  It was past 1800 so the wind was picking up, and the stupid wake-board duo that kept zapping past me didn't help either.

Heard the girls calling out for me to come back at one point, but as I removed my sunglasses to look for them, my lanyard got all tangled up with my paddle shaft; tried to correct it a few times by wrapping it around my left pinky and tried to yank the sunglasses away, and nearly got myself capsized.  Finally decided to move to a rocky island nearby to fix the lanyard. (lined with oyster shells too, so typical...)

At that point Winffy came out to where I was with a green plastic kayak, I had to be rescued u_u  SOOO typical.  She helped me to turn around so that I could get away from the oyster-island, then I followed her back to DCC ... yeah, I had to follow her.  Because ... her stubby little plastic boat still coursed faster than my K1.  I was *that* pathetic.

Bused back to WSWSC to pick up my tiger, launched it at 1904 from the CAS patch, got to Nam Fung Kok by 1930, but there was enough daylight/moonlight for me to see where I was and even read my watch without the backlit on (HKO claims the sun sets at 1905).  Got back to the Orange buoy towards To Kwa Peng by 20:03 and stayed till 2030 to practice bow-rudder and high brace turns. 

Felt fairly comfortable playing around the boats in the dark, but that's with the full moon shinning over my head.  Landing in Tai Tan was still a struggle though, especially with the lowish tide.

Comfortably tired today, looking forward to a KA trip with Siu Ming tomorrow.

CLG Exam

Not sure why I've been procrastinating to blog about my exam/ trips recently.  Maybe my body is asking for some lazy time to catch up on sleep and rest.

Four of us sat the CLG exam on Sunday (31st May 2009) in TMCC.  The rest of the group got together to practice a few times before the exam, but I didn't join them, so I was a little worried about communications during team work.

When we got there, Mimi gave us two rolls of duct tape and a dry cloth to fix the CLG kayaks.  Seems like a rather nasty omen; we did what we could but the kayaks were still "less than ideal."  We donated copious amount of blood in the boat storage area too (mosquito feasted on us.)  After that, we sat the written exam.  The questions were simple enough:

1) List the characteristics of a CLG kayak.

2) List all the towing methods, and their use.

3) How would you treat a patient with an open wound on the palm that is bleeding heavily?

We all did okay.  I got dinged on Q1 for saying CLG boats are fiberglass; apparently they don't have to be.  Also got dinged for saying that they are in yellow and orange stripes; turns out some CLG's are yellow and white (was rolling my eyes at that point.)  As for Q2, since I took my lessons in Chinese, then wrote my exam in English, I got some of the terminologies wrong.  For example, I didn't know the linked towing method was called tandem-tow.

Then the practical.  We started with 5 minutes of testing-the-boats.  Then we paired up to go through the practical:

1)  Jump Out, Deep water self-rescue (emptying the boat), re-entry

We launched two boats at a time to do the above mentioned procedures.  I think I did well, but got reprimanded for tossing my paddle onto the beach before I emptied my canoe near-shore. 

2) Bow-carrier, Stern-carrier

We had to carry a patient on the bow to the yellow buoy outside the swimming area, according to the examiner that was about 100m.  I'm pretty sure it was way over 200m but did not protest.  

We had to instruct our patients to get on and off our kayaks.

Paddled against the current with a human-anchor at my bow took a long time, and my patient kept asking "are we there yet =_="  Understandably; the swells that go over your head with nasty bubbles and garbage weren't very pleasant. 

Points to keep in mind: 

1) patient's head must not go beyond the bow

2) patient must not let go of the rescuer's kayak at any time.

3) * * * patient must wrap his/her legs around rescuer's bow =_=

We protested #3, it creates extra drags for the paddler, and it's quite an ab work out for the patient too.  Man Sir said we can experiment and use whichever style we felt most comfortable with.  But the examiner is really gung-ho about it and I got MP'ed right on my second task.

Stern carrying was no problem.

3)  Long Tow then Side Tow

We had to tow a disabled kayak to a red buoy, then change it to a short tow, and tow him back to the original buoy.

Everybody else got dinged for tying the short tow ring around the painter line; I only got away with it because Sam's kayak hasn't got a painter line.  Examiner explained we must tie ourselves to the toggle and not the painter line; I challenged the examiner about this point, explaining how you can use the painter line as a runner to check on the patient etc, I think he accepted.

I attached the beaner to Sam's toggle for the long tow, and tied a bowline to his toggle for the short tow.  Examiner checked my knot and seemed satisfied with how I set it up; but for some reasons he reprimanded the others ... maybe it's because they took a long time to undo the bowline knot. (struggling to undo towlines while dinghy-sailing has trained me to undo a bowline knot rather quickly, even at rough sea, and even when the line is under tension.)  Examiner insisted that we should setup a short loop with our long towline for side-tow, and if we insist to use a short line, we must have a beaner at the end of the line for easy clip-on/ off.

4)  X-rescue

I don't think he so much as looked at  me while I emptied Sam's boat.  I stayed in the X position for a long time, waiting for him to look.  But the examiner seemed just as determined not to look my way, so I gave up and put my patient back into his boat before hypothermia claims him.

5) Swimmer to Canoe rescue, jump out, resuscitation with a floating canoe

Think I did okay, but for some reasons the examiner got onto Ester's case for holding onto the painter line...?  I thought there is nothing wrong with that.  When my floatation aid is too high up, I find it difficult to swim back to shore with my patient.

Examiner also questioned us about the resuscitation, we had to explain it's the mouth-to-nose variety.

6) Eskimo rescue

Examiner had two of us at each side of the self-rescue kayak.  The examinee was to capsize, then the examiner would instruct one of the bystander-kayaks to paddle over and offer either a paddle shaft, or a bow.  

Ester got dinged for offering the shaft before her canoe was at the right distance/angle.  The patient nearly fell off as her paddle blade slid off the patient's bow.   She also had trouble getting up, she said the paddle leash was in her way (??)

7) ABC team rescue.

We had to play rock, paper, scissors -- winner gets to be patient while the rest of us played ABC.  Wai won, so the tallest, heaviest guy ended up playing the dummy... =_=

Sam was B, I was A, Ester was C.  For some reasons she got to the wrong side and had to paddle around again to offer me the bow.   Sam also complained about being stronger on the RHS and was very unhappy that he had to lift the patient on his LHS.  Oh well, deal with it.  In real life you may have to do a rescue on any side, so now is as good a time as ever to find out if you can work it through your LHS.  I think, when they got together to practice, they probably kept practicing on the RHS, so they got confused when I picked up the patient on the left. (not trying to be pedantic, but the cheung tsui trial-and-error rescue is still burning at me. So I think you really should practice rescue in all thinkable positions.)

8)  CPR scenario

Finally, we did CPR.  Wai was patient again, the examiner showed us how it is done, we only had to answer questions like "what's wrong with this" or "how many seconds per breathe" or "how many cycles before you reevaluate?" 

I didn't like some of what the examiner said (found it very subjective), but at the end, he offered a comment that I really liked:

To be a CLG, a few things are quintessential: number one is endurance; it takes a lot of energy to go through a rescue, and there is no way around it. (I whole-heartedly agreed; nodded so hard I could have snapped my C-spine.)   Next, you must be skillful, with good techniques.  Finally, you must be a natural leader; without leadership skills, if you fail to communicate, to instruct during the rescue, you can't complete your task. (also agreed.  Have to wonder though, if bossiness is the same as leadership skills :p)

Afterwards we had lunch, and after lunch, we paddled our CLG kayaks to "the Brothers."  (the smaller of the two Islands, which happens to be off-limit.)  Saw a pilot ship hoisting a H-flag, and a few buoys.  Nearly got ran over by a small MSC tanker, but turned around in time.  Everybody got really excited about the boat waves; which brings back fond memories of launching from Lamma. 

Didn't get back until well past 6 and mimi got very worried; a few TMCC members were looking for us, they called around to check with the nearby beaches but they didn't see us, Mimi told me she was about to call the police when we got back.  I thought it was irresponsible of me to agree to launch without leaving a trip plan, asking for permission, or bringing my cell phone.  Seriously felt bad about it, even before I launched I sort of knew I shouldn't, but I can't seem to turn down an invitation to go "tripping."  Oh well, Denny's last instruction was "don't paddle too close to the swimming areas," at least I made sure everybody stayed REALLY far from it.

Adventure or Risk?

Was supposed to study for CLG theories but ended up reorganizing my k-related bookmarks and dumping them into my blog instead.

Not sure how I can read all these and not wear a PFD.  Then again, when you get down onto the July inferno water, with every intention to push your body within a hair of your physical limit and then some, you do have to weight the risk of heat stroke versus drowning.

The Howe Sound accident brings out the question that's been brewing in my head for a while: how can you tell a threat from a challenge?  How do you know whether to dress for training or for survival?  

The survivors in the Howe Sound accident made a conscious decision to leave the capsized victims in the water in order to go get help. (whoever trained these "adventure-racing athletes" needs to be spanked anyway.  Kayak-safety 101: you * * * just don't let go of your kayak after a wet exit. * * *)  Maybe it was a wise decision, some of them were saved.  I think it's admirable that they can calmly access the situation and make the judgement call during the crisis, it takes strength to know your limit, to know when to back down from nature.  But I wonder if they ever second-guessed their decision to leave their friends for death.

I know and agree that the first rule of any rescue is to ensure the safety of the rescuer(s); but I also know I will never be able to make the decision to leave my patient.  It's not a case of romance over logic; it's just that, when you're fighting for survival, you don't ever consider the possibility that you can fail.

When you paddle solo, and you run into troubles, you don't think about death; you focus on identifying your problems, and what you need to do to solve your problems.  You don't make a judgement call to abandon self-rescue efforts.

So you're trying to save your friends, how is that any different?  Yes, at some point you realize you can all die in the exercise, but you don't think about that, do you?  You think about getting your friends out of the water, you think about getting them away from harm, you don't even consider the possibility that "I can't solve this problem," you only analyze why your current method doesn't work, and what you need to change to correct that.

I know I'm not making sense, but I also know I'll never be able to "do the right thing" and concede defeat in survival.

Which means I'm a lot more committed to meticulous trip planning, because I don't want to be caught in the wrong shoes again.  I'm willing to face calculated risks alone, but I will no longer allow myself to drag others into the plot. 

Siu Ming kept saying, "lead people into adventures but not risks."  I'm not sure how you can have adventures with zero risk; but I'm starting to see, from a leadership point of view, you're wise to abide by this motto.

First trip with Phil

Just a quick one before I drop into TMT for CLG.  Paddling with Phil was a blast this morning; he's really nice, more to the point, his kayak is really nice :D

Got a minor emergency his morning in the form of a cockroach in the cockpit; was running late so finally gave up evacuating it before I launch.  Paddled head wind out of Sam Pak, then port beam towards Tai Pak.  Had the wind and waves behind me when I entered Tai Pak.  HKO announced the monsoon this morning but I thought the sea condition was no worse than a strong BF5.  (Officially it says BF 5-6 from the East.)  But Phil wanted to launch his tandem, which is just fine with me, and we tried to chat with the strong wind in our face.

Phil had a winged carbon paddle, whereas I was stuck with the heavy plastic/metal shaft paddle.  I took the back seat and tried to follow his ultra-rapid cadence, my god, it's punishing!  I'm going to have to take Kiska home from Fred's. (and even with Kiska, I don't think I can paddle comfortably with that kind of cadence.)

We launched around 0720, circumnavigated Peng Chau, and got back to Tai Pak around 0830, so it wasn't much faster than my pace when I paddled Martlet last month.  Having said that, we paddled under some pretty strong (but steady) wind today.

Tried to roll Martlet on my way back -- and failed.  Tried twice and decided to go home, after all, I do have CLG to practice this afternoon.

[edit: decided to call off CLG.  Not feeling well, am cold, clammy, stiff and weak, suspect over-training, and still got an exam to sit this Sunday]

CLG snafu, and first paddle with Phil

Am supposed to take Martlet and meet Phil at 0700 tomorrow for some DB paddling; but the monsoon is back and I want to do something aggressive, like a visit to HK south.  I've never worked with Phil before though, so I don't know if I can even work out a rescue with him under fair weather condition, let alone a monsoon in turbulent HK south.

To complicate things, I'm also supposed to practice CLG in TMT with Sam and his gangs ... again, I'm caught in the eye of the club-politic storm.  Turns out the CU didn't post an official memo on the first aid requirement, so TM continues to defy verbal instructions from the CU and certify lifeguards w/o recognized FA certificates.  It's a sensitive issue, and Siu Ming wasn't supposed to know about it, but I already told him that I'm sitting the CLG exam this Sunday at TM, sans FA certificate.  You really can't be friend and be up front with everybody these days.  It ... sucks.

Anyway, was on the water in SSB today, windsurfing a full batton 5.5m shell.  I did okay in the morning, but was thoroughly whipped in the afternoon, when the wind got gusty and shifty.  I felt sure that I would be fine with a kayak though.  Having said that, I'm still not familiar with Martlet, so I shouldn't assume I can perform as well as I did in a tiger.

Better get some sleep soon.  I'm going to have another stressful day of fighting the monsoon plus trying to please everyone in the world. 

Some thoughts about paddling New Zealand

My dad is retiring next year, and so my family is thinking about a retirement adventure trip in NZ.  (Are you sure your knees are okay with it though, daddy?)

They asked if I can join them.  At first I thought why not.  Then I saw the pamphlet and was sad to see that only one of the 18 days will be spend in a kayak.  So I thought, why don't I do my OWN kayaking trip along side?  Hopefully I can time my expedition so that I can meet them somewhere for food and fuel supplies.  That's what parents are for, right? (anxiously waiting for the next thunder to strike O_O)

Which means I'm planning a circumnavigate NZ trip for early next year.  I don't even know if my parents are going to go for sure, but if I do go, I need to start preparation now.

Just some random thoughts about what to train for, but I should probably consult someone with a bit more experience before I go.  Then again, my entire life has been a long string of suicide-attempts anyway.  So why stop now? :-)

1. Landing/ Launching in surf zones, esp. seal landing/ launching skills.
2. Continuous paddling in big swells
3. paddling a fully loaded sea kayak
4. weeks or even months of paddling without a break
5. self-rescue in rough sea with a fully loaded sea kayak
6. Get that stupid ham license and VHF radio already, c'mon!
7. get a reverse osmosis pump
8. [on-going updates]

Not sure about item 4, because it's also known as over-training.  I've been on the water nearly every day in May and my back is screaming bloody murder.  Petroleum jelly can help with salt blisters, but not fully eliminate them.  If I can't extend my tourist visa, I'll still have to finish the trip within 90 days -- and that includes waiting out the storms, pre-trip planning time, replenishment, etc.

Still pondering about sponsorship.  Don't really want the trip to be a huge advertisement gig, but it can be a stepping stone to getting helps with the transpacific epic that I hope to paddle somedays.  If I can't work out sponsorship, I think I might just get Fred to paint a tiger for me and ship it over for the trip.  If nothing else, circumnavigating NZ with an old tiger has to be a bit of a dare-devil stunt.