Race day.
The day started bright and early with a 7
am bus ride to the venue. Today consisted of heats and a few finals.
Our first race for the US started at nine and we were basically on
and off the water till four.
Team USA did amazing today! We had
several paddlers advance to their finals, two of them even placed!
Megan Bulk and Ann Yoshida put the US on the podium. Ann took home
the bronze in the V-1 and Megan took silvers in both K-1 and V-1!
They were all such fun races to watch.
I took third in my first heat, which
means that I automatically advance straight to the final tomorrow. So
right now I am in the reflection state of mind. I am going over my
race in my head and what I can improve on. Which is basically the
main reason for me writing all of this fun stuff down. I hope that
later me will come back and re read this and hopefully learn
something from it.
My Race
Today my pre race warm up was pretty
simple. We arrived at the venue around eightish and my race wasn't
until ten fifty so I got in my boat right away just to wake myself up
a little bit. Since races were going on we were restricted to the
areas we were allowed to be. Just for today we were allowed to go up
the 0 lane to get to the 300 meter mark to paddle around. However,
tomorrow and on we will have to do the full 1000 meter up on the
other lake and then paddle 1000 meters down to the race course. So
that should be a good pre race work out. But today I got in my boat
right away and paddled up to the 500 meter mark. I would practice my
starts to the starts of the other races. When I heard the announcer
say “Ready” I stopped and put my paddle over my boat, “Set” I
cocked my paddle in the ready position, “GO” I put my left paddle
in for the short start and then dug my right stroke to really get the
ball going. I would go about twenty meters or so before I stopped.
Repeat. Stop. Repeat. Then I headed back to the dock to cheer on my
teammates as they started their heats.
When it came time for me to get into
the boat for my own race I felt ready. I checked in with my
credentials and the number pinned to the back of my Team USA jersey
(1300). When I started to paddling away from the dock it hit me,
“Holy pooh I'm in Germany about to race at the World Championship”.
Usually I am super nervous before any huge competition, let alone
one on the world stage. I was excited, yet surprisingly calm.
After I get out to the waiting area
and paddle around a bit, the announcer declares “two minutes to
race time girls, two minutes”. This is the sign that it is time to
paddle up to the start gates. Now it is just kinda common knowledge
in the sprint kayak world that you don't want to be the first one in
the gate. I think it has to do with the fact that it could take the
other races several minutes to get themselves situated and so you
don't want to have to waste your energy trying to stay in the gate if
you dont have to. So as I slowly approach the boot I look around at
the other five girls to see how much progress they have made
themselves, I notice that Christine (the Canadian who has won this
competition for about four or five years now) is on my right and this
very intimidating Brazilian is on my left. I was basically in the
middle of a fear sandwich.
“Ready” my paddle goes across my
cockpit, “Set” I set up to make my first left stroke, “Go”...
Yeah, right now I honestly couldn't
tell you anything about the race. I have come to notice that my mind
almost turns off during a race. As soon as that boot goes down and my
boat is free, I see nothing but that focal point 200 meters away.
“Just go fast” is what I tell myself at the beginning and then
tunnel vision starts and my mind goes clear.
Well what I do know is that I took
third in my first heat and that I will advance to the final tomorrow
around two German time.
Oh, I also know you can watch my race here!
Oh, I also know you can watch my race here!
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