Warm-up (15 minutes to push-off, MANDATORY)
These should be done before paddling to warm muscles up and to help prevent injuries. They should take only 10 – 15 mins max.
| WARM-UP | Exercise | Timeframe / Reps | Notes |
| To get your muscles nice and warm and relaxed. Heart rate increased and blood pumping. | Jogging on the spot | 30 – 60 secs | Lift each knee up to touch your hand. |
| Air boxing | 30 – 60 secs | Throw punches straight in front of the body rather than across the body. | |
| Skipping on the spot | 30 – 60 secs | Slight jump compared to jogging on the spot |
| MOBILITY | Exercise | Timeframe / Reps | Notes |
| Mobility into the trunk. | Single-arm swings *More complexDouble arm swing | 10 – 15 Forward10 – 15 BackwardsLeft side 10 – 15 Forward10 – 15 BackwardsRight side | *Swing both arms at the same time – one forward and the other backwards. Stop at the top of your head then change direction.Slight bend in the knees for mobility. |
| Chest hugs | 10 – 15 reps | Bend over, arms hanging to the ground, give yourself a hug to open your back and front of the chest. | |
| Trunk rotations | 10 – 15 reps | While bent over, swing arms simultaneously (left & right same direction), swinging arms side to side. | |
| Triceps | 10 – 15 reps | Continue swinging arms simultaneously behind your head, as you stand up from your trunk rotations. | |
| Shoulders | 10 – 15 reps | Double arm swings, 1 forward and backwards. Bend knees to help momentum and increase range of movement. |
Practice Workout (all levels)
30 minutes to practice time: meet in the boatyard, lock personal things in lockers help with getting the canoe to the dock. If practice starts at 7a, the canoe should be at the dock around 6:30a. If it starts at 5:30p, the canoe should be at the dock a little past 5p. You’ll have a few minutes to use the bathroom before the Mandatory warmup.
The Workout: 1 buoy to McClintock lap. Should be done in 1 hour or less. If it looks like it’s going to take longer, then cut the workout short by shortening the course at your discretion.
- Mandatory warm up 15 minutes before we push off. If you aren’t there for the warm up you can’t paddle. Be there on time for your teammates! They have lives too.
- Dock to 1st Mill bridge: warm up. Long strokes, slower pace. Get the muscles moving. End by powering through the bridge.
- Mill Bridge to buoy: everyone on the same side. Get used to the rhythm of the stroker, get everyone in sync with each other. If the timing is off, circle back and keep doing it until everyone is together. We’re paddling the canoe as a team. We’re not doing it as 6 individuals.
- Buoy to Mill Bridge: race starts. 12 strokes each side. Start off with 6 deep strokes at a slower pace, then slowly bring up the pace the next 6. Finish off with 12 strokes on the other side at the same pace. Rest 30 seconds. Repeat until you get back to Mill bridge.
- Mill Bridge to Dock: 1 minute sprints. Race start and keep going for 1 minute. 12 strokes per side. Rest for 1 minute.
- Dock to Rural Bridge: 2 minute sprints. Race start and keep going for 2 minutes. 12 strokes per side and reset for 1 minute.
- Rural Bridge to McClintock. Ladders. 1 set = left and right side. Rest=80% (you’re still paddling at a high effort but not max) Power = 100% (you should be giving it all and it’s hard to talk and you’re all your effort is into paddling)
- Start off with race start
- Rest 80%
- 1 set power
- Rest 80%
- 2 sets power
- Rest 80%
- 3 sets power
- Rest 80%
- 2 sets power
- Rest 80%
- 1 set power
- Rest 80%
- Repeat until you get to McClintock bridge, take a minute break after you cross the lake to the north side.
- McClintock to 1st dock after the pylons: 2×2. 2 powers, 2 rest repeat. After you get to the dock (do not stop, no water break) change to the next exercise.
- 1st Dock to Rural bridge: tractor pulls. Alternate between seats 1,3,5 pulling by themselves 100% for 1 set then seats 2,4 pulling 100% for 1 set. Repeat until you get to the Rural bridge.
- Rural bridge to past the dock: 1×1 1 set 100%, 1 set 80%, repeat.
Getting canoe out of the water: make sure only 1 person on the dock holds the rope so the canoe doesn’t float away. EVERYONE else on the shore ready to pull the canoe in together. 2 people on the ama, everyone else hands on the canoe.
Washing canoes: EVERYONE helps wash and dry the canoe and get covers back on. Have at least 2 people lifting the ends of the canoe up so 1 or 2 people can position the cradle under seats 1 and 6. Please use sponges and bailers to dry out the canoe. If we leave water in the canoe, rot will build and the canoe becomes musty.
Race practices
Come to 2 rec practices per week AND on Sundays, we do distance training. You must qualify to paddle on Sundays by either doing an OC1 or OC6 (by yourself) time trial. Every month we qualify again so you may get in the next time we do trials. Qualifying times will be posted soon.
We do a minimum 2 full laps at the lake. We concentrate on speed and intensity. We should be at 6mph no matter who’s in the canoes. If you can’t get up to that number, then the distance goes down because you aren’t giving enough effort and going longer only hurts the crew’s training. If it’s less than 6mph, that crew should really only able to do a SCORA short course race. If you can average above, you should be fine in a SCORA long course race.
For the Lili’uokalani Race, you should be able to paddle 3 laps in our lake during our summer months. We have 9 Sundays to do this, you must attend 7 of 9 practices. If you cannot commit to practices, do NOT sign up for this race. Do NOT ask exceptions, no matter how seasoned a paddler you are. This race is hard! This is not a race you just show up and do especially if you’re not used to the humidity and heat. Heat exhaustion is not an uncommon thing to see at this race. You need to prepare your body on how to paddle at a high level and know how to hydrate properly to endure 18 miles. If you’re out on the water for 4 hours or more, you have no business being out there.