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.
Comments