SUP Training with Michael Booth - going faster

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SUP My Race

SUP My Race Training Log #4 

This month I have been faced with a really nice problem with my training, what to do when I have hit my main target for 2022 already? I surprised myself with my first serious attempt at a 10km time trial at the end of June and, despite a less than perfect start I smashed my personal best from 2021 by 90 seconds! Proof, if needed that working with Michael has benefits.


Quick recap


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’. Since then 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 success.


Intelligent Training = Faster Paddler


The weather forecast for the last week in June indicated that there were two very early mornings where winds would be light and, for the second day the sea would be calm. Perfect conditions to see what 4 months of work had done to my fitness. I contacted Michael, we adjusted my training load for that week and he told me to smash it! 


On the Monday morning I was on water warming up just after 6 am for my first session, a 5km out and back at the lake. It went OK, not perfect but OK and I set a lifetime best of 32 minutes 4 seconds. 29 seconds faster than I have done 5km before but 5 seconds off my target of sub-32 minutes. Equally happy and a little disappointed to have got so close. But also knowing that I was due my 12 week drug shot and a lifetime PB with my batteries as flat as they go was remarkable. 



On Wednesday I was at the sea at 6am looking at a solid fog bank. I stayed there with nothing but a white fluffy wall to look at for an hour before giving up and going home, making a pit-stop and heading to the lake. With low expectations I did a quick warm up then started just before 9 am. Maybe those low expectations were a benefit as I started with a solid 3km into a slight headwind, ahead of the schedule I had for a 65 minute time. I turned and flew back down the lake with the wind behind me before turning again, back into the wind and gritting my teeth for a 2km slog to the island, round that then enjoying the last 2 km back to the start being pushed along at a good pace. When I finished I knew I'd done well but it was only when I checked my stats in Strava and cropped my activity to 10 km that I realised I’d done a great job. 64 minutes 39 seconds. BoothTraining! 



SUPER-STOKED! 


Training with Michael certainly works, it has made a huge difference to my paddling  and I now have the problem of setting a new goal, a 63 minute 10km is going to be tough but that’s the next target. We have started work on that already.


To get the same benefits from training you need to get in touch with Michael and get onto one of his programmes. You can find out more on his website here


Improvements in my physical condition aren’t the only things that have contributed to better performance. Increased confidence and self belief, in part thanks to the confidence Michael has shown in me have helped and there is also a performance benefit in planning your Time Trial. I have spent a lot of time paddling on 'my' lake and know it well but it doesn't lend itself to a 10km, it is too short for a straight line out and back and there are some shallow bits to be avoided but there is a quick 10km course there, when you look for it. Planning ahead and knowing the course before you commit to a max effort is well worth it on race day. 


Tips for virtual time trials on SUP My Race

  • Learn your course. The Time Trial is a simple test of fitness and speed and by planning a simple route you can make the most of your fitness to go as fast as possible. My 5km course at the lake or on the sea is a simple out and back with a 180 degree turn. My 10km course on the lake is more complicated with a few laps around islands but starting and finishing in the same stretch of water while my 10km course at sea is much easier. 
  • Set a course that is slightly longer than the virtual event you are doing - for a 5 km event I usually paddle a 5.1 km course. This means I have some extra to play with when cropping my activity to 5km.
  • Take a copy of your workout before you edit it!
  • Learn how to use the edit / trim /crop features on the tracking app or software you use. On SUP My Race the time trial rules do not require a stationary start. This means you can cross your ‘start line’ at speed and makes it easier for you to hit 10km because you can crop any extra distance from the start or end of your completed activity. 
  • Learn how to use your watch or app for the event, if you are turning around at half way then set the lap feature to notify you when to turn at half way + a little bit. 
  • Switch off notifications on your watch, you do not want to get an alert before you need to turn! 
  • Ignore distractions. The same fishermen say ‘Hej’ to me when I am paddling when I see them, they now know that sometimes I won’t stop to try my awful Swedish! 
  • Don’t worry too much about time at the start, longer challenges give time to recover if you have a shaky start to your paddle. Relax and work your way into the distance. 
  • Clean your equipment the night before, it might not add any extra speed but it will make you think you are going to be faster. 
  • Enjoy yourself! The SUP My Race Time Trial is just you verses time and they run for a month, you can enter as often as you like. You can find the group here SUP My Race. Fast is fun! 

You can find out more about Michael's training from his website Booth Training, from his Instagram account and on his YouTube challenge BoothTV.  


Good luck!