Ron Lugbill Whitewater Slalom Racing Blog

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Agility Training

This may be a new concept to some of you- agility training.  Let's look at other sports as examples.  Agility is very important in ball sports, such as basketball and soccer.  It's not so much the athlete's top running speed that is important because you rarely get to top speed.  It's the ability to quickly change direction and accelerate that is important.

With each change of direction, there is a loss of speed and then the body needs to reaccelerate.  That is agility.  It is a little different from your maximum speed.  Your maximum speed is once you have been traveling in the same direction for a period of time, at least a couple of seconds. 

Agility is also a very important factor in slalom racing.  Your boat is constantly turning, losing speed, and changing directions.  A lot of the time in slalom racing is due to your ability to turn quickly and reaccelerate the boat quickly.  Turning strokes such as sweeps and duffeks are at least as important as forward strokes in slalom.

So, agility needs to be trained also.  There is some carry-over from pure speed training to agility, but it's not specific enough.  If you are just training on flatwater, you should included some agility training, not just pure speed and endurance training. 

Doing gate training, rather than just straight-ahead paddling develops agility due to the turning.  If there are no gates, you can do an imaginary course in your mind.  In any case, do not neglect agility training- it is just as important as speed, strength, or endurance training.

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Slalom Technique Videos

Rafal Smolen has a couple of technique videos on the USACK website.  Very basic technique intended for beginners.  Here is the link:

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Canoe-Kayak/Resources/Videos/Olympic-Coaching-Tips/Episode-2.aspx

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Criticize the Champion

The World Champion in 1977 in c-1 slalom was Peter Sodomka from Czechoslovakia.  The World Championships that year were in Spittal, Austria, and I raced there.  I came in 6th in c-1.  The world champion, Peter Sodomka had to actually stop in one of the upstream gates on his winning run and tuck his spray skirt back in because it had come loose.

My brother Jon, who did not even qualify for the team that year in c-1 and had to watch the World Championships from shore, did not idolize the World Champion.  Jon critized Sodomka- Jon said that the World Champion wasn't aggressive or fast enough.  He knew he could do better, even though Jon wasn't even in the top 4 qualifiers in the U.S. that year and so didn't even get to race at the World Championships.

I thought that Jon was being disrespectful to the reigning World Champion.  I didn't think it was right to criticize him- better to try to learn from him.  But instead of trying to imitate or copy the reigning World Champion, Jon watched him and knew that he could do better and take the sport to a new level. 

Jon could see that the level in c-1 wasn't high enough.  He was going to set the bar much higher.  And he did.  He won the next World Championship in 1979 in Jonquiere, Canada.  And the one after that in 1981 in Bala, Wales.  And the one after that in 1983 in Merano, Italy.  And two more, in 1987 and 1989.

The point I am trying to make is that it takes a unique individual to watch a watch a world champion and decide that you can do better.  Many people think they couldn't ever do as well.  Some dream that some day that will be them.  Some try to imitate the current World Champion.  But very few watch and then say they can do better and then go out and do it.

Maybe there was also something about not making the team that actually motivated Jon to improve also.  David Hearn also missed making the team that year and watched the Worlds from shore (I raced in the c-2 wildwater event with him).  Together, the two of them went on to dominate the event for the next 10 years or so.  Perhaps the frustration of not making the team propelled them to try even harder in the future. 

Some people might have been disappointed in not making the team and given up or doubted their ability to do well in the sport.  But for Jon and David  it was a motivating factor and they went on to place first and second in the Worlds for the next 10 years.  So, perhaps paradoxically, failure can propel you to improve even more and become more successful if you have the right attitude about it.  And criticizing the champion can help you to become even better than the current level of competition.

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Sliding Pry Stroke

Here is a stroke some of you may not know.  It's the sliding pry stroke.  It is the opposite of a sculling draw stroke.  The sculling draw is used to pull the boat sideways towards the paddle.  The sliding pry is used to pull the boat sideways away from the paddle side.

Mainly used in c-1 and c-2, variations of the sliding pry also have other uses.  For example, rather than sliding the boat sideways, it can be used to turn the boat away from the paddle side.

Here is how it's done.  Angle the blade sharply so that the thumb on your top hand is facing forward.  It's a twist of the wrist forward stroke.  Place the blade in towards the bow of the boat, like in a forward stroke, but with the paddle shaft against the boat and the wrist cocked so that the pinky finger is towards you and the thumb is forward.  Then, pull the paddle back, keeping the wrist firmly cocked the whole time and the blade angled throughout the stroke.  Pull it out when it gets to the hip.

Do not allow the wrist to become uncocked during the stroke.  Keep the blade angled throughout the stroke.  Often, the wrist gets straightened out during the stroke- keep it rigid and angled.   Run the paddle shaft agains the boat the entire stroke.  Put some sort of plastic protection on the exterior of your paddle shaft so it doesn't wear through the shaft or weaken the paddle shaft by wearing it against the boat. 

I often use the sliding pry as an introduction to the j-stroke in c-1 or the stern of a c-2.  The j-stroke is used to keep the boat going straight.  It is just turning the top hand so it is angled at the end of the stroke.  A straight forward stroke with a twist of the wrist during the stroke so the boat goes straight, rather than turning away from the paddle side.

I also teach the reverse sliding pry.  This is a reverse stroke with the paddle angled.  This time, the thumb is facing towards you and the pinkie away from you as you slide the paddle shaft from your hip forwards along the side of your boat.  Smooth boat seams help reduce friction and wear on your paddle shaft.

Then, there is the combination of forward sliding pry and reverse sliding pry, which is the counter-part to a sculling draw.  Do a forward sliding pry, then rotate the paddle and do a reverse sliding pry, linking the two strokes for a continuouse sideways movement of the boat.

I find the sliding pry to be particularly important in the bow of a c-2.  The bowman is constantly varying his forward strokes slightly so that they are slight draws or sliding pries.  That way, the team can keep up the rhythm of the paddling cadence and steer at the same time.

The reverse sliding pry is also the basis of reverse paddling in c-1 or c-2.  At the end of a reverse stroke, rotate the paddle with the top hand so it is a small sliding pry at the end of the stroke and this keeps the boat on course paddling in reverse.  For a more robust pry to turn the boat, you can do an actual pry stroke by bringing the top hand down and across the boat, using the boat as a fulcrum.

And while it is rarely useful in k-1, there is no reason why kayakers couldn't learn this stroke also.  I sometimes use it in kayak, when I am in an eddy jostling for position and need to move sideways and there are other boats right next to me, so that I can't really reach into the boat next to me to do a draw, but I can do a sliding pry on the other side to move the boat sideways.  Experiment with the sliding pry stroke so you have one more tool in your toolbox to draw on (so to speak) when the occasion arises.

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Build a Base of Power and Speed

Here is an interview with a track coach where he describes his base training.  He first looks at the most important priorities in his sport and builds a base of that first.  He builds a base of power and speed in his athletes first, not an aerobic base.  Click on this link:

http://www.athletesacceleration.com/base-building/

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Excellence

Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

You cannot expect to do any differently in a race than you do in practice.  If you want to improve your race performance, just improve your training performance.

How do you improve your training performance?  By making every run in practice a big deal.  Pretend that your training run is a race.  Study it carefully before you go.  Plan every move ahead of time.  Then, take off at race speed and with the same sort of attention to detail and care that you would in a race.

Raise the level of your practice runs.  Get sufficient rest between runs so you are fresh for each run.  And stop practice before your performance goes down.  Maintain good technique throughout the training session.  And pretend that there is electricity is running through the poles so you make the extra effort to stay clean.

Do not do low-quality workouts.  It's better to avoid paddling at all than to go out and practice bad habits.  Slogging through the gates just to do it for a certain period of time often leads to lower quality workouts.  Design your workouts so you pursue excellence, not just try to get through to the end.

Get feedback to see if what you are doing is correct.  Get regular, varied feedback from coaching, from having someone count your time and penalties, from watching and comparing with other boaters, and from watching video of yourself and other boaters.  The feedback will help spur you on to excellence.  Just paddling alone all the time without varied feedback is usually lower quality training.  If you don't have a coach, get a friend or relative to video and time you sometimes.

Make excellence a habit in your training.  Then, you won't know how to do it any other way.  Every run should be a quality run that you care about.  It is your masterpiece, your work of art.  Something you care about deeply and are proud of.  If you take this attitude and care about each run, you will develop the habit of excellence.

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Sprint Training Improves Aerobic Capacity

Here is an interesting, counter-intuitive article about how sprinting helps develop your aerobic capacity:

http://trainingscience.net/?page_id=389

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Endurance Training Reduces Power

Here is an interesting study on baseball players.  All of them were experienced college baseball players.  They all did resistance and power training.  In addition, half of them did sprints and the other half did long runs for endurance training.

The ones who did the sprints significantly increased their power.  The players who did the long runs either made no improvement in power or their power actually decreased, despite doing the same resistance and power training as the other group.

Endurance training gets in the way of power training.  The research on concurrent strength and endurance training is mixed, with some studies saying it lowers the effect of strength training and others saying it doesn't make a significant difference.

However, with power, the research on concurrent endurance and power shows that endurance training reduces the effect or negates the effect on power.  Power is very important in our sport.  If you want to maximize your power, you should reduce or eliminate endurance training.

Here is the link to the study on baseball players:

ftp://classes.waynesburg.edu/Athletic%20Training/Tanner%20Kolb/ESC%20209/Articles/power%20vrs%20endurance%20baseball.pdf

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Aerobic Base Training and Science

Here is some info. regarding aerobic base training:

http://trainingscience.net/?page_id=376

This article dispells many of the myths regarding aerobic base training based on the latest research.  For example, the myth that aerobic base and anaerobic training can't be done at the same time.  Also, the myth that aerobic base training should be at 70% of VO2 max.  It should be done much faster to train all types of muscle fibers.

I think that traditional aerobic base training is not the appropriate way to train for slalom because it fails to address the technique, speed and power training that are paramount in our sport.  Those aspects of training should be emphasized, not slow paddling. 

However, I know that many racers do aerobic base training.  At least if you are doing it, it should be done properly, at a much faster pace than most use- approximately 94% of VO2 max.  And it should not be done to the exclusion of other types of training.

If you look at the newer research, aerobic training kicks in much sooner than previously thought.  If you are doing a workout of 30-40 second courses, you are mainly using the aerobic system.  The first run or two might not be, but after that, the workout is mainly aerobic. 

I know this is counter-intuitive, but the newer research shows that even short course workouts of 30-40 seconds are primarily aerobic and they develop VO2 max as much as longer, slower paced training.  So, you can develop your aerobic base by doing 30 second courses or 60 second or 90 second courses. 

At the same time, unlike longer, slower paced training, short courses develop agility, power, speed and the anaerobic system.  And they are more specific than longer, slower paced training because the speed is closer to race pace.  And technique is developed at the same time, since you are working on race pace technique, not a different sort of technique for a slower pace.

Here is an interesting link with some videos of indoor training. Scroll down to see the videos of Daniele Molmenti demonstrating exercises he does indoors and a Chinese athlete demonstrating use of a swiss ball for indoor training.

http://canoeicf.com/icf/Aboutoursport/Canoe-Slalom/Canoe-Slalom-Development-Program.html

Scroll down through the page for the videos of indoor training.

stretching as active recovery

60 + 20 + 20 = 100

Here is a formula for your training.  Approximately 60% of your training should be sport-specific.  Another 20 % should be cross-training, doing another sport for variety and another 20% of your training should be active recovery.  Many athletes do something more like 80% sport specific, 20 % cross-training and 0% active recovery.

The active recovery needs to be more emphasized.  The recovery between workouts is when your body gets stronger.  Workouts weaken the body.  They make you weaker.  It's only because of the recovery that your muscles get stronger.

So, it makes sense to emphasize the recovery.  How to do that?  Stretching is one good method.  However, it is better to stretch when the body is warm.  So, if you do some easy exercise to warm up, then take a hot bath or shower and then stretch, it will be much more effective.

Or, yoga classes are popular.  Some people like the relaxation and group atmosphere in yoga classes.  Committing to a class is one way to ensure that it actually happens instead of falling to the wayside.

Just spending 30 minutes on the floor doing stretching nightly in front of the tv is another method.  The little bit of stretching you do before or after a workout doesn't count.  And stretching before a workout is not recommended.  It can make you slower or injure you.  Your body is best warmed up by movement, not by static stretching.

Sleep is very important in recovery also.  Make sure you are getting adequate sleep.  Ideally, you should not use an alarm, but go to bed early and wake up naturally.  Calming activities before bedtime such as reading or taking a bath are good for restful sleep.  The quality of the sleep is very important.  Try not to do stressful things before going to bed.  Try to keep regular hours.

Try to keep somewhere close to the 60-20-20 ratio for best training and recuperation.  Don't forget the active recovery part of your training.

indoor training

Flatwater Training

Sometimes an athlete will go off to college or just live somewhere where there is no whitewater training site.  That does not mean that they can't continue training.  If you can get out on some flatwater and do some weight-lifting and other conditioning and once in a while get to a whitewater training site, you will still do fine.

You can continue training on flatwater.  Hanging some gates on a pond or river would be great.  It makes for more interesting and more specific training than just paddling on a lake by yourself.

When I went away to college a long time ago, I hung some gates on a pond on campus and paddled there.  But if you can't hang gates for some reason, you can just train on a lake.  I don't suggest just paddling long distance on flatwater though.  It doesn't build any speed or strength and is not very specific to our sport.  Here are some flatwater training ideas:

- Do some sort of strength training in the boat.  For example, ram your bow into the bank and paddle hard for 30 strokes.  Or have someone hold your boat while you take 30 strokes.  Repeat 4-5 times with complete rest.

- Do sprints for a specific number of strokes.  For example 15 x 60 strokes.  or 10 x 90 strokes.  Or 20 x 30 strokes.  Have complete rest between sprints.

- Do a simulated slalom race on the lake.  Visualize a recent race and do it on the lake.  Repeat 6 times with complete rest.

- Find two points on shore for a start and a finish- about 1 minute apart.  Time yourself from point A to point B with your own watch.  Repeat 10 times.

- Paddle forward for 6 strokes, then backwards for 6 strokes, then repeat 2 x.  Rest completely and repeat 15 times.  This gives you some specific strength training and works on acceleration.

- Do some of the stroke drills listed below on one of my blog posts.  Combine this with one or more of the workouts listed above.  For example, stroke drills, then 10 x 30 second sprints, then strength training for 3 sets of 30 strokes.

If you do fast and varied training on the lake and can sometimes get to a whitewater training site, you can continue to make progress even though you don't live somewhere there is a whitewater slalom training site.  Lots of people train like this and if you can sometimes get to a whitewater course, you can do quite well without actually living near any whitewater.

Daniele Molmenti

Acceleration

One key aspect of whitewater slalom racing is acceleration.  With every turn, upstream, sweep stroke, offset, etc. there is a loss of speed.  The boat is rarely at top speed.  We are constantly having to re-accelerate the boat from a slower speed to a higher speed.

A lot of the time in slalom racing is due to this factor.  It is more important than your top speed in slalom racing. How do you increase your acceleration so you can get your boat up to top speed quickly?

Short courses on gates that are done quickly (at or near full-speed) help develop acceleration.  So do short sprints- 10 to 15 seconds.  Longer sprints of 1 minute or more mainly develop top speed, not acceleration. 

Power training is also important in acceleration.  Strength is the ability to do a certain movement.  Power is the ability to do it quickly.  The research says that more general strength should be built first, then more specific power training should be done. 

The general strength training is usually resistance training, such as weight lifting.  The research tends to show that more sets of heavy weights with adequate rest is better than lots of repetitions of lighter weights in building strength.  Three sets is really a minimum and 5 sets with 5 repetitions is better.

The research also shows that after a month or two of the same weight routine, the strength levels off.  So, it's good to change the workout after a month or so.  Alternatively, there is some research that changing the workouts each time is more effective and avoids the plateau effect.  For example, have a two week schedule of varied workouts that repeats itself.  You have about 6 different weight workouts that you do on an alternating schedule.

Usually, you should only do resistance training about every other day to allow the muscles to rest and rebuild between workouts. 

After a base of strength training is done, you can move to more specific power training.  This can be done in the boat, using the methods in my other blog post on specific strength training, or using plyometrics or a machine that simulates hard paddling.  Again, this should be done with more sets but fewer reps and adequate rest between sets.

This is one area where periodization does have a strong research basis, unlike aerobic base training.  Early in the season, do more general strength training, then move to more specific power training at higher speeds as the season approaches for maximum benefit.  The research also shows that strength training can help reduce injuries, if done properly.

However, I have seen lots of world champions who did little or no special strength training- only in the boat training.  They do a lot of the short courses, paddling on hard whitewater courses, and did specific in the boat power training though.  In any case, there should be adequate provision for acceleration improvements in your training in order to make you faster in competitions.

Learn some kayak tips or the kayak tips.

kayak slalom technique links

Kayak Slalom Technique Links

Here is a link to Irene's Kayak Blog which has some links to useful kayak slalom technique videos:

http://www.ireneskayakingblog.com/kayak-practice/whitewater-kayaking-slalom-technique-how-to-videos/

Fast and clean

Slow and Clean or Fast and Sloppy?

Is it better to try to be slow and clean or fast and sloppy?  This is a false choice.  You don't have to choose between being fast and being clean.  You need to do both.

Slowing down does not make you cleaner.  It just makes you slower.  Being on line makes you clean.  You need to paddle fast, but stay on the correct line.

Don't attempt moves that you can't do at least 9 times out of 10.  Don't think that if you try this gamble that it might pay off and make you faster.  It won't make you faster.  Stay on the line you know you can do 9 times out of 10, not the line you might be able to make 1 time out of 10.  Those are not good odds.

Your race speed is probably not your top speed, but just under that speed.  But you really shouldn't be concentrating on your speed while on the course- you should be in the moment and concentrating on what is happening and your next move and executing your plan for the course.  The speed should be what you normally do in training- not something different or special for the race, so there is no reason for you to focus on that.

Likewise, in practice, you should concentrate on having quality fast and clean runs.  Yes, sometimes you can experiment, but particularly when it is close to race time, you need to be concentrating on having consistent clean and fast runs.  Then, when it comes to race time, you just do the same sort of thing you've been doing in practice.

In practice, you should frequently have someone time you and count your penalties.  You can do it yourself, but it's good to have an outside observer doing it sometimes as well.  It is good to get instant feedback so that when you finish a run, you know how you did and you can remember your run and figure out where you might have gained or lost time or picked up penalties.  Then, you can improve on any errors on your next run.

It's important that your practices ressemble race conditions and that you get feedback on your practice runs and that you bring as much focus and study to your practice as possible.  Concentrate on having quality runs in practice, not on just paddling for a certain period of time for some physiological reason.

Excellence is a habit.  Practice it.

 

What happens next?

You are on the Wrong Line

Many beginning racers go from gate to gate on the course, making the gates, but off of the ideal line most of the time.  They wrongly believe that just making the gates is enough and don't pay enough attention to the line between the gates.

On a 20 gate course, there are really about 60 gates if you count the imaginary "gates" you need to go through between the gates.  It's as if you need to add a couple of gates between each pair of gates to make sure you are on the right line.

Common mistakes are sliding to the outside of turns on offset gates and not getting the correct wide approach to upstream gates.  Really, your main race strategy is to determine what line you need to be on for the entire course and planning and accomplishing that.  Your speed will mainly be determined by your training, so on race day, there is little left to do but to determine the proper line and execute it.

Basically, our sport comes down to 2 things:  1. going fast and 2. staying on course.  If you can accomplish those things you will do well.  If you stay on course, you are likely to avoid hitting poles or missing gates.  As for going fast, you are unlikely to suddenly get much faster on race day.  You are more likely to travel the same sort of speed that you do in training.  So, on race day, there isn't so much you can do about speed.  That's why it is crucial to concentrate on speed workouts during your training.

So, how do you determine the correct line?  Even top racers will sometimes have questions- direct or reverse?  What is the fastest way to do a particular section?  Sometimes you can do splits of other boaters to find out which way is fastest.  Sometimes, you will just have to figure it out on your own, using your base of experience from similar situations in the past.

The most experienced paddlers will usually pick the best routes.  You can watch them and copy where they go.  It takes a lot of course study and planning before your first run.  Don't just wait and figure it out on the water.  Determine your plan and memorize it before you take a stroke.

Visualize the course in your mind before you go, even in training.  Many boaters want to rush out and try out the course right away in training.  Instead, take your training like you would a race.  It will increase your focus and help you get better runs right from the start, instead of waiting until the 4th or 5th run to do a quality performance in training.

Train like you race.  Then, when you get to a race, you just do like you normally do in training and it won't be such a change for you.  You just do what you always do in training.  Nothing different, really.

The important thing is to be very mindful of your lines.  On flatwater practice courses, if is sometimes less important to be on line that to be paddling hard, so some people get used to being off-line a little.  In a race, with stronger currents and drops, being off line a little is fatal.  So, get used to being right on line in practice.   

Research on diet for elite athletes.

General Dietary Recommendations for Elite Athletes

Here is a link to some recent research regarding elite athlete nutrition.  General dietary guidelines also apply to athletes.  With an adequate calorie intake, there is no need for protein supplementation.  Fat intake should be 30% or less of total calories.  Alcohol intake should be minimized.  Adequate carbohydrate intake is important. 

Here is the link:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8303140

Is aerobic base training dead?

Is Aerobic Base Training Dead?

Often paddlers spend a lot of time in the off-season doing aerobic base training.  The theory is that it is better to train the different energy systems at different periods of the year and it's better to train the aerobic system first because then your heart and lungs are more prepared to do the anaerobic training later. 

This is a very widespread theory, but in my research, there is little or no scientific research that shows that it is more effective than more specific training.  In my years of experience, it has shown to be ineffective and it does not lead to improvements in performance.  There is research that shows that faster interval training is more effective than slow steady-state endurance training. 

But my main concern is that spending hours and months paddling at speeds below race speed does nothing to make you faster, stronger or give you better technique.  I believe that those components of slalom racing are much more important than any aerobic base.  Speed, strength and technique should be the base that you build in the off-season, not the aerobic base.  See the articles below about "reverse periodization".

From a pure physiological perspective, paddling at speeds slower than race pace is not specific enough.   One of the main principles of athletics is specificity and paddling below race speed is simply not specific to the event you are training for.  You are not training for a marathon.  You are training for a 90 second event that requires substantial speed, strength, technique and agility. 

 Now, athletes in other sports, even pure endurance sports are questioning the gospel of aerobic base training.  These are not sports that require the speed, strength and technique of whitewater racing, but are purer endurance sports such as cycling and ice-skating and running.  Even on a pure endurance physiological basis, without even considering the complexities of a relatively short, technique-intensive whitewater slalom event, aerobic base training is being discarded.

Read this article for more info.:

http://elitetrainingsolutions.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/aerobic-base-training-is-dead-the-scientific-proof/

Endurance training when weight lifting means less power gains.

Research on Power and Endurance Training

A recent meta-analysis, that looked at many different studies and compared them, found that if you combined resistance training with endurance training, you didn't achieve as much power as if you only did the resistance training alone.  There was not a significant difference in the size of the muscle or the strength, but there was a significant difference in power.

Power is very important in our sport.  Strength is the ability to perform a task, but power is the ability to do it quickly.  Sports such as sprinting, throwing, and jumping require power.

If you are an endurance athlete, the study shows that there is no decrease in endurance if you are doing weight training at the same time.  Or, if you are only looking for strength or size gains, there is no problem with doing endurance training when doing resistance training.  However, if your sport requires power (such as whitewater slalom), it would be better to minimize or eliminate endurance training because you will not gain as much power as you would without the endurance training. 

This study looked at lots of other studies done over many years so it is pretty reliable.  It clearly shows that endurance training leads to significantly lower outcomes in terms of power than just doing resistance training without endurance training.

Here is the link to a summary of the research:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22002517

Daniele Molmenti in upstream gate

Upstream Gates

Olympic Chamion Daniele Molmenti has a very good you tube video about upstream technique.  The demonstration is on a flatwater upstream gate.  Good description of upstream technique for kayak.  I just wish there was more on both the entry and the exit from the upstream.

The approach to the upstream is really the crucial factor.  Each upstream has an ideal approach angle.  Rather than going directly from the gate before the up to the upstream gate, there is a point that you need to go to between the gates and then turn and head to the upstream.

Most beginning racers do not have the correct approach to upstreams.  In most upstreams, you need to approach from the side, coming across at it, not heading straight down, and then having to turn the boat 180 degrees to go back up through it.  It is worth paddling out of your way on the approach to an upstream because you make up the time in the upstream itself.

The exception to the wide approach is for upstreams with strong upstream currents in them, such as are frequently found in artificial courses.  Then, sometimes it is better to be heading more downstream on the approach so the boat doesn't get spun out on the eddy line and lose speed.

Interestingly, in watching Daniele Molmenti's Olympic run, there are several ups that he approaches with a stroke on the upstream side before the duffek, rather than a sweep and then a duffek.  I think this is because the gate is deep in the eddy and doing a stroke on the outside of the turn would have spun the boat out on the eddy line, rather than allowing the boat to go deep into the eddy before turning.

The traditional kayak upstream gate is to do a sweep to initiate the turn, then a duffek and slice the duffek forward to a forward stroke.  Then, plant a stroke just above the gateline to exit the gate and be angled out towards the current and exit with a duffek on the downstream side.

However, at the 1996 Olympics, Olympic champion Oliver Fix did a marvelous job on an upstream gates by coming at it from the side, "stuffing" the gate and not doing a duffek, but a stroke on the outside of the turn which took him up through the gate, then exiting.  A 1 stroke upstream.  Part of the key to his fast upstream was his approach.  Most of the boaters were already pointed towards the upstream as they went through the down before it.  However, Oliver Fix's boat was pointed straight downstream through the down and he turned after it and headed towards the up.  That gave him a wider approach and less downstream momentom on the approach, so he was able to make it through the gate on a single stroke.

The videos of Daniele Molmenti on you tube show a wide approach to the gate, then pivoting on a duffek or even a  stern rudder and then exiting the gate on the same stroke, like a c-1 upstream.  No sweep on the outside of the turn is necessary usually in his examples.  I would point out that he has a very wide approach towards the up and he is a very fast and strong paddler which helps him to make this move so well. 

In contrast to the tight pivot turns, many time world champion Richard Fox used to emphasize keeping up the speed of the boat in upstreams and not pivoting normally because it slowed down the boat speed.  However, the modern higher poles have made the way for tighter turns and more head movement around the inside pole and more pivots on upstream gates.

On upstreams, it is sometimes useful to reach a little further than normal to reach above the gateline to plant your sweep for the exit.  If your sweep is downstream of the gate, you won't be able to do a duffek to exit the gate on the next stroke, so you'll end up doing 2 extra strokes on the exit, which is about 2 seconds slower.  Approach from the side, go a little wide into the pocket before you turn and then do your duffek and slice the paddle forward to get a little more stroke on the inside of the turn.  Then, you will be in a position to plant the paddle upstream of the gate for your exit sweep on the way out.

Should you go deep into the eddy before turning on an upstream (pocket it) or just come in close with the bow upstream of the stern and wind around the inside pole ("stuff it") ?  Well, it varies.  First, see if there is a good eddy to pocket.  Sometimes there is current flowing downstream through the gate and there isn't anything good to catch with your duffek.  On the other hand, sometimes there is a quick upstream current that you will want to catch a ride on with your duffek.  Sometimes it is faster to take a shorter line and other times, it is more important to keep the boat speed up.

Each upstream is unique.  Find the best way to approach each upstream.  The best way to approach an upstream is usually not determined by the gate before it.  Ask yourself- if there was no gate before it, what would be the fastest way to do this up.  Then, try to get on that line.  Most beginning boaters are not on the ideal line in approaching ups.  Watch the top racers and they will usually know the best way to approach each up.

Ron Lugbill's Whitewater Slalom Racing Blog

Ron Lugbill Whitewater Slalom Racing Blog

Welcome!  This blog is not just for my ideas- it's for yours.  That's why I started this blog- so we can all share ideas.  Please comment on articles if you want to.  I hope to generate some discussion on these issues.  Tell me what works for you, how you train, what you have learned, etc.  Your input is encouraged!

People from all over the world visit this blog.  If English isn't your native language, comment in your own language and we can translate it.  We want you to feel free to comment, even if your English isn't perfect.

I've been involved in this sport for over 40 years.  I've coached World Champions and Olympic Champions.  I've even been World Champion in the team event.  I've raced c-1, k-1 and c-2.  I know the sport has changed over the past 40 years- I've seen it evolve.  Whitewater slalom is a fantastic sport and we all love it.  That's why we are here- because we love this sport.

Please be respectful in your comments, even if you disagree with someone, keep it civil.  I want to encourage disagreements.  People inevitably have different ideas.  We all want to hear yours. 

And have fun paddling!  Greetings to all! 

Olympic Kayak Slalom Champion Daniele Molmenti.

Team Spirit

So, slalom racing is an individual sport.  Or is it?  People have a need to belong, to be a part of a group.  Being part of a group helps fulfill that human need.

French coach Pierre Salame wrote an excellent article on what it means to be a team on the ffck website.  He correlated the results and the team spirit and found a direct correlation between the times when the team spirit was best and the results.

Of course, it's difficult to determine which causes which.  Does having good team spirit help spur the athletes on to better performances, or is there better team spirit because the team is doing better?

I have found that a program is more successful if the athete feels that when he goes there, he is going to see his friends.  When the athlete feels that he has to leave his friends in order to go and train, his motivation usually suffers.

So, I believe it is important for the coach to help support a positive group atmosphere.  How to do this?  Social activities in addition to the athletic training helps build the positive group atmosphere.  Going out for pizza after the workout, or having a party at the coaches house are good ways to help build the team atmosphere.

And if there are conflicts between members, the coach is in a good position to help resolve those problems.  Get the parties together and try to resolve any issues, rather than letting them divide the team.

Many coaches feel that this is all beyond their job description.  Their job is to provide advice and coaching about the sport.  However, this makes the coach into a mere technician, rather than a leader.  Being a coach is about being a leader, not just about supplying some technical information. 

Having group workouts also helps to build a team atmosphere.  It gives the paddlers more of a chance to interact and spend time together.  And they learn from each other.  The coach should encourage the athletes to help each other, rather than to be adversarial in their relationships.

Other ways to build the team atmosphere include having team apparel and traveling together to events.  Most people like to be a part of a group and enjoy the social interaction.  Having a positive team atmosphere helps attract new people to the group.  Everyone wants to be a part of a positive, fun group.

Also, there is a culture of excellence that develops as part of the training group.  Everyone in the group is very committed to slalom racing, which reinforces the individual's commitment to the sport.  If, on the other hand, the athlete trains alone, he is likely not to have the social support for his training.  His friends often won't understand or support him leaving them to go pursue this solitary endeavor.

So, it's a good idea to help build a community of serious slalom racers who can support you in your training, who you can learn from, and who share your enthusiasm for the sport.  This will help encourage you in your training and racing.

Specific Strength Training

An often overlooked type of training is specific strength training.  There are various methods for doing specific strength training. 

I like to hold onto a boat from shore in a flatwater location where the water is deep enough near shore.  You can either hold onto the bow of the boat or the stern.  Or loop a rope through the grabloop of the boat and have the boater paddle hard.  I usually do 30 strokes all- out, then rest for a couple minutes and repeat 2 times.

Or, a boater can tow or push another boat.  This provides a little less resistance than a stationary position of someone holding the boat on shore.  Or, I have seen boaters ram their boats into the mudbank and then paddle hard.

In a pool, you could have people standing in the water, holding both ends of the boat for strength training.  One advantage of this is you can do sweep strokes also while holding both ends of the boat.  In slalom, we are constantly turning and sweep strokes are very important, not just forward paddling.

I have experimented with doing specific strength training with a partner on dry land.  Hold the paddle while standing on shore.  Have a friend face you holding the paddle from the other side.  He resists as you air paddle.  It's a little awkward, but could be fun.  You can also do strength training for sweep strokes, back strokes, etc. using this method (unlike some of the other methods).

Some people have rigged up machines for specific strength training for paddling in indoor gyms.  These are also effective, but not any more so than the in-the-boat methods. 

Or, if you are alone, you can paddle hard forwards and backwards.  Paddle hard forward for 8 strokes, then back for 8 strokes and forward again for 8 strokes.  Repeat 5 or more times.

Some boaters also put something on their boat to increase drag or tow something behind their boat.  The important thing is to increase the resistance to build strength.  This should be something short and powerful.  Long slow paddling with resistance does not build strength- it just teaches the muscles to go slow.

I usually do the strength training at the end of the workout because then you are still fresh for the gate work.  But an Olympic champion I know does it at the beginning of his varied workouts.  You could conceivably do a workout that is just strength training and do a lot of sets of strength training.  However, most people combine it with other types of training in the same session.

Go hard but keep good technique during your strength training.  And don't increase the length of the brusts, but increase the number of sets to get more training effect.  And allow sufficient rest between sets so it is a strength workout, not an endurance workout.  This type of training is good to complement training on flatwater or easy gates, where strength isn't required as much as on courses with very strong current.

If training on fast whitewater, you could easily skip the strength training because you are probably already getting enough strength training from the training on the strong currents and eddies.  But many of us normally train on easier courses where there isn't the strong resistance, so specific strength training is very important.

The Imaginary Boat

Before you make a run, try to visualize how the perfect boater would do it.  The Olympic or World Champion- how would they do this course.  By implanting that mental imagery in your mind, you will start to become more like the ideal boater.

Watching videos of top boaters is also a way to start having good mental images in your mind.  There are many videos of top boaters available on the internet and you tube.  This should be incorporated into your training- video analysis.

Instead of just thinking of yourself, you can try to visualize yourself becoming a top boater.  Think of how the best boater in the world would do this move, then try it yourself.

In 1992, this is how 1992 Olympic gold medalists Joe Jacobi and Scott Strausbaugh would train.    They would imagine how the ideal boat would perform the move.  This changes the paradigm so that even if training alone, you had something to compare your run to.  Or, if you are training with others, you aren't just trying to do better than their runs, you are trying to have the ultimate run.

That should be your goal in training and racing anyway.  Instead of thinking about how the other boaters are doing, something that you have no control over, think about how you can be the imaginary boater, doing the best you can.