SUP MY Race Training Log #3
In February 2022 I approached Michael and asked him if he would help me get faster on a SUP board, luckily for me he said ‘yes’. In three months I’ve paddled a lot, I’ve re-found enjoyment in cycling and I’ve done more sit-ups, press-ups, chins and pull-ups than I have done in the previous 3 decades! And I realised that planking is much harder than it looks.
if you are new here Michael Booth is a multiple SUP world champion, elite waterman and world class coach. The start of this training experiment can be found here, this episode focuses on what has happened so far and what might happen next.
Improvements:
- I am more confident on the board and have better balance. This is because I have been paddling in conditions that usually would have kept me off the water, when a session is set then I do my best to go even if conditions are less than ideal.
- I am faster than I was this time last year. Over 5km I am already posting times I was doing last June when the water was much warmer, cold water is slower. My year PB is now under 33 minutes which is not far off my 2021 best set in perfect conditions late in the summer . I am very confident of hitting my performance goal of sub-32 minutes for a 5km time trial on flat water.
- I am fitter, much fitter than I have been in a long time. Completing sessions on and off water to the best of my ability has resulted in changes to my body, I look leaner and I am starting to show signs of muscle in places I’ve not seen muscle for a very long time!
- I am healthier.
- My weight has dropped by over 12 kg in three months, my last weigh in was 91.6kg from 103.9 kg. I have not dieted as such - I am still a word class fika-athlete, fika is the Swedish practise of having coffee and cake and making the time to enjoy them not eat on the go. And I think I still eat more chocolate than most people.
- I have fewer issues with joint and muscle pain.This is almost certainly because there is much more variety in my exercise routine now and I find more time for yoga and stretching.
- My resting heart rate has dropped from 63 to 49.
- I am getting more sleep.
- I am more confident within myself. I am still not completely recovered from my mental health issues last year and I still have bad days but following a structured workout plan, having contact with a world class coach and all the physical improvements to fitness and health have benefited my mental health. Bad days are far less frequent.
How?
From the start of my training journey I have been impressed with the way Michael works as a remote coach and motivator. From Michael’s Instagram
“When I first started my training programs online, learning how to learn SUP or surf-ski meant finding an instructor in person, reading specialist magazines or getting your know-how from a small handful of websites.
Now on Instagram, opportunities for online training are taking our industry to new heights. I've decided to focus a significant portion of my time coaching you online with @BoothTraining.
I’m so grateful that I've been able to adapt and change with the times and look forward to all that’s ahead. A special thanks to you all for following along on this journey.”
I currently use a Garmin Instinct to track my workouts and my Garmin account synchs with Strava, that in turn synchs with Final Surge so moments after I have completed my workout Michael can see exactly how I did, all the performance data and a map. There is no hiding when I have a less than good day! Final Surge synchs seamlessly with my Apple Calendar so I have no excuse to miss a session! I have yet to work out if I can automatically synch the workout from Final Surge to Garmin, that is a work in progress and would make the training setup perfect.
Michael uses a variation of Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale but with 5 steps instead of the usual 10 where 1 is able to talk to someone and 5 is max effort, unable to speak! Using that scale most of the sessions are self explanatory but when I don’t understand something he has been quick to reply and send me a video link of what I should be doing, for example Romanian Deadlifts were not what my Google search thought they were!
Every Sunday night I start to get notifications about my week ahead, usually a mix of paddling, home training, cycling, swimming and rowing machine. Even after 14 weeks work I am surprised that Michael has so many different workouts in his coaching handbook, every week is different and each session has its own challenges. When I complete a workout I synch my Garmin, add notes in Final Surge for Michael who gives me feedback and motivation as he sees fit. It’s a great way to work with and keep in touch with a coach remotely.
I am on Michael’s personalised training plan, my experience is such that I am positive his more intense coaching plans are worth every minute you could put into one if you want to accelerate your paddling.
What are the sessions like?
None have been easy, they are always different and some are more fun than others.
Michael quickly noticed that my paddling weakness is sprinting. I naturally have a medium stroke rate that is around 42 / 44 strokes per minute. When sprinting that will go above 60 SPM but I have trouble maintaining technique at that rate, lots more energy but less return for the effort. Michael has had me working on this, not because I plan to enter any sprint events but because it will improve my paddling. Being able to maintain good technique is vital to efficient and fast paddling and it is often the first thing that we lose as we get tired. Doing sessions with 40 or more maximum effort short sprints is one sure fire way to improve paddling, or swimming!
Mixed up with these are sessions that I really enjoy, longer intervals at distance race pace are fantastic. At first I was simply going back and forth on the same bit of water to get intervals done which is a bit boring but when the sea ice started to melt I realised there was no need to do sessions that way and then these long sessions quickly became my favourites. Packing some lunch or fika in a dry bag on the board and paddling as far as required to complete my training session then finding a beach to chill out and refuel on before cruising back to the start is a great way to train and to appreciate our surroundings. It is infinitely better than going to the gym!
And the sessions are?
They are Top Secret! I am not about to give away Michael’s training plans, you’ll need to sign up to Booth Training for that! But I can give a flavour of what you will get if you sign up with Boothy.
On water sessions have been building speed and endurance since day 1. Over the three months Michael has changed the mix of sessions, tweaking them as my fitness has improved and pushing my limits. His fine tuning forces me to work on my weaknesses and that makes me a better paddler, I cannot just concentrate on the things I enjoy which we are all guilty of doing at some point.
The best example is the 40 sprints session; something I have never done before. Starting with a warm up then 4 sets of 10 sprints with a rest in-between and a cool down. This isn’t in the program every week but it is there frequently enough to see the change in my average speed per sprint and in my HR graph.
Training sessions on land are something I’ve not done since I was a junior swimmer and the initial challenge for these has been working out what to do! When mastered the improvement in form and reps has been pretty clear. Using my watch to remind me when to change exercises or to count, badly, the reps has been helpful and the graphic produced in Garmin Connect when I have programmed the workout is really useful, I know in advance where I will ache later.
What happens next?
Good question, more of the same. Now that the spring is here in Sweden and everything starts to warm up I am expecting to go faster and faster. Expecting, not hoping.
My goals have changed a little, I am no longer going to the Midsummer Viking challenge in Copenhagen but my 5km and 10km targets are still there, waiting to be hit and I am looking to maintain and improve the shape that I am in. I really enjoy training properly and will continue.
You can find out more about Michael's training from his website Booth Training from his Instagram account and on his YouTube challenge BoothTV.
Fast is fun!
