Training Gung Haggis dragon boat team for voyageur canoe races

We worked hard tonight… and had some fun, chasing a dog's
ball in the water at David Lam Park bay – when the ball was too far for
the dog to find it.

Last week we were in a 10 person Swift boat, and we raced another team, also in a 10 person boat.  But they had 10 paddlers + steers, we
had 7 paddlers + paddling steers.  We agreed to a race with a 200m sprint, a left turn around a moored boat, then back to our starting position.

It was an exciting start, as both boats pulled even, then they
pulled ahead with more momentuum.  By the 200m mark they were ahead by 2 lengths.  We had the inside on the
left turn, spiked the turn, and presto!  We were 1 1/2 lengths ahead…
they tried to catch us as we raced back to the sculpture at David Lam
Bay – be we stayed ahead by two
seats.  It was lots of fun.

Tonight we met the same team, but they were in a 20 person boat.  They
were just doing a start, when we finished a long piece, to just West of
the Cambie St. Bridge.  We watched them – but some of our paddlers
wanted to do the start against them… and the back half paddlers
propelled our boat forward for about a 16-20 strokes…  Then the other boat watched our start.  We definitely had a great start for only 10 paddlers in a 10 person boat.

New exercise for starts. – really focused on transition to race pace
6 strokes
6 strokes + transition
6 + 6 + transition
6 + 12 + transition
6 + 18 + transition

Our strokes were deep and long with good torque.  I like it. 
We are working on developing a LONG reach + more abdominal and “hinge” work.

Next races are Oct 3, Sunday, UBC Day of the Long Boat
and Oct 9, Saturday, Ft. Langley Cranberry Festival Canoe Regatta