Our first day was full of walking and paddling. It is over a 3 km walk to the practice site one way. Some of us did this walk 4 times yesterday, some did it only twice.
We were split in to two boats in the morning practice which was all technical with a few pieces to get the bugs out.
One of our team mates did not join us in the morning as she spent the night running to the washroom. She slept for the morning and then joined us in the afternoon. It seems there is always one on every trip!
Lunch break was from 11:30-2:30 pm. Some stayed at the site and dined at diners close by. Some went to the mall to shop for dinner and lunch.
The afternoon paddle was much improved from the morning with some more pieces 5-10 minute long. We can start to feel the power and strength building.
We came home, showered, several saw Brian for some physio, most cooked meals. Well, except for my room...Room 2.
When putting room assignments together they didn't account for cooking skills. We either eat out or cozy up to the other rooms. We have decided that we have great skills in many other ways.
We spent the evening laughing lots before settling in at 9pm for a much needed sleep.
Around 4 am (which was the time Laura made this report as she lay awake listening to the sounds of her roommates) the odour of bush fire is strong as they are doing controlled burns in the hills around here and the wind is blowing into our room. We shall all smell like campfire girls tomorrow.
Well that was day 1. I think tomorrow will be similar with a little less walking.
Training Day 2...
It was another beautiful warm day. It started off early with the many early risers in our room. We had coffee at the shop across the street before our breakfast of eggs and sausage.
We began our morning trek to the practice site a bit earlier today as many were hurting from muscle soreness and wicked butt sores (if you don't know...that's a technical paddling term, honest). We needed extra walking and warm-up time. It wasn't too long before we were on the water doing some pieces. Wow, it's coming together. The power, strength and timing is building each time we get in the boat.
We were in two boats again. Poor Lily was heaving all the way down the course. Cheryl encouraged her to "get it up and out!" And from her steering spot at the back of the boat, Sarah encouraged her to "do that over the side!" The eggs did not sit well for Lily.
Luckily for Lily morning practice was shorter today, only an hour and then we were off the water for a stretching session with Brian. Lily was sent back to rest and get better.
We all stayed at the site for lunch (11 - 1:30), learning from the day before that we probably didn't need all those extra steps of walking back and forth. We sat in the shade enjoying the day, watching the birds, eating our lunch, laughing and chatting about a whole bunch of nothing. Some did go walking (Kuska and other crazy people) but most stayed for a fun filled game of "two truths and a lie". We have some real wild ones in the group....(no names mentioned).
At 1:30 we were back on the water in two boats for some ladders. 45 strokes a minute, 50, 55 and 60...x 3 up the lake and back with a 7 minute piece to bring us home. Yeah it was great!!!
My tan is coming along quite nicely as I sit on my drummers seat watching all the effort my teammates are putting in!!!! Natalie has come up with an appropriate Canadian cheer for the lake. Our new sailor friends in the "little dingy" thought we did a good job with our cheer and commended the team as we came off the water.
More stretching before we walked home. Physio with Brian for many. Shopping for dinner for others, resting and showering for the remainder.
Room 2...well we got a cooked chicken and a bag of salad tonight! Because we really wanted to look like we could get our act together in the kitchen. Our planned helplessness is working however, as the other rooms are starting to invite us to dine with them. Shirley and Joan ate two suppers tonight!!! Tomorrow we join room 1 and 3 for takeout pizza. Invited by both ...hee, hee, hee.
We ate Tim tam's for dessert. Introduced to us earlier in the day by Cheryl.
Seemed like many rooms had laundry night then settled in for a good nights sleep.
It's now after 5 am and some are beginning to rise getting ready for another good hard workout.
I don't know... my muscles ache and all I do is sit... Can't imagine how the others feel... They are all amazing, each and every one of them. They are giving their all. Even mini Newton and Bekka. They were paddling drumming and stretching with us, everywhere we go!
Have a great evening as we start day 3!!!!
Submitted by: Laura Dunlop-Dibbs, Drummer