March 2025 SUP training at Vastra Ingsjön
Spring has almost sprung here in SW Sweden, with sunny days hitting 15 degrees C or more. The nights, though, are a different matter, and I was out in the forest at -7 degrees C 10 days ago. It is a time for smart clothing and camping decisions.
Training has been a bit stop-and-start so far this year, with more than one paddle session abandoned due to ice or fog. Or mist. I was not really sure where the distinction is between those two atmospheric conditions, so I checked, and there is of course, a difference.
Officially, fog has visibility of less than 1km and mist over 1km. Paddling in fog - thick fog, really doesn't work for me.
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| Beautiful but cold sunrise session at my training lake |
I think that the fog season has passed now. With sunrise at 6am and sunset past 8pm, there is plenty of time to reschedule sessions if the wind ever abates!
The change in my focus this year, prioritising speed over distance, has already had an impact.
I am nowhere near the top of the SUP My Race yearly leaderboard, but despite the cold conditions, I am heading in the right direction on the Time Trial leaderboard, having already posted my lifetime fourth fastest 5km in late March. 31 minutes and 55 seconds is never going to trouble the fastest guys, but on a lake that had ice on it a few days before, it shows promise.
Breaking down my 5km TT
As is the way with these things, this TT was not scheduled, but when I got to the lake, to find it was misty but glassy flat, I knew I had to have a go at setting a benchmark for the months ahead.
The conditions were also not as forecasted. I knew the wind was forecast to be picking up rapidly, which is why I got to the lake early and, without much fussing around and a far too-short warm-up, I cracked on. I nearly made it back before the wind kicked in, naturally, this was a headwind for my return leg 😉
5km in 31m 55 secs, exactly 9,4 km/h.
The water temperature was around 4 degrees, the air temp was 6 degrees, and I was in neoprene suitable for the conditions. I ended my effort a little warm but not overheating.
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| My preferred 5km route uses the southern edge of the lake. |
Compared with the year before, I was 38 seconds faster on a day that was, as far as my Garmin data tells me, colder. Even though this was a decent time my pacing was shocking! I should have started harder and pushed for a higher pace when conditions were neutral and I had beautifully flat water, where the board can work at its best. Then emptied the tank on the return leg when conditions were less perfect. But I forgot to do that and ended my effort with gas in the tank. Always learning.
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| To go faster, I must paddle smarter |
As the Speed, HR and Cadence graphs from Strava show, my speed was consistent throughout the 5km. HR shows a steady rise from a low start, indicative of my poor warm-up and my cadence also rises, more so at the end into a slight headwind.
Feedback from Boothy was … short and to the point
Nice one, I think that is a great start to your year!
But that is all that is needed. Like his technique, his feedback is often quick and efficient.
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| My best March 10km using the northern edge of the lake and a lap of the island each way |
The 10km TT
This has not been forgotten and, even with my focus on the shorter distance, Mr Booth is scheduling longer sessions. These really demonstrate the difference the water temperature has on SUP paddling. In March my best 10km was set at the end of March, 1 hour 6 minutes 33 seconds is by no means fast, although it would have been a PB not that long ago! But that was on a 10 x 6 minute training session with 30 seconds of rest between each set, rest where I am not paddling. My fastest non-stop 10 km was 90 seconds slower on a day when wind speed was similar but water temperature was lower.
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| TT and interval training combined |
I cannot wait for summer!
Equipment Changes
Until later this year, I will be staying on the super-fast EO SUP Nebula from 2022. My fastest times on the Nebula were all set using a fin I no longer have, the prototype fin from Maris that went back to Latvia last summer. Since then, I have been using a VMG Mako 37, a fin designed for all-water use, and I have been a little slower.
However, in my box of fins, I have a VMG Mako XW, donated to me by Jens sometime ago. This, according to VMG, is faster than the 37 and designed for Time Trials, so that will now be fitted for my training sessions and TT attempts.
The XW is almost the same size as the Mako 37, it has slightly less surface area, but it feels very different!
I must admit that when I first tried it I quickly put it back in the box in the garage, it felt wobbly on a board that I am simply too big for. But now, in my quest for more speed, it is front and centre of my fin-box. Hopefully, this is simply a case of getting used to it. The shapes are different with the XW sitting further back on the board, and with some more time using it, I will be able to find out how fast I can go with it.
The Art Of Failing
It seems that at least once a year I have a catastrophic failure on the water, usually in the Spring. And this year has been no different! Pushing too hard the day after my testosterone injection resulted in a Jones System Shutdown and required a reboot on an island.
My attempt at a 10km TT started very well. I was confident that I would easily make the distance even if I faded a little at the end and I started fast, with a pace of 6 minutes 10 seconds (or 9,73 KM/h) for the first 3 km. This was after my 5km where I knew I should have started harder. KM number 4 was only a few seconds slower but included a 150-degree turn, my pace was great! The fifth km was a little slower as things started to go wrong with the Jones machine and then … I stopped paddling.
I could not do anything. So I sat down, got some cold water on my face and had a think.
Luckily, I was close to an island with a beach, so I made my way there, slowly. I consumed an energy gel and drank all the liquid I had with me, then waited for that to kick in. Sitting on a rock in the warm Spring sunshine is a pretty good way to partially recharge, and when I felt able, I got back on my board and headed back to the van. I thought I had paddled quite hard to get back ot the start, but my average speed was barely above 5km/h.
As pointed out on SUP My Race, this proves I might not be Superman, or at least not until the drugs kick in. This lesson was entirely my own fault. I am off on a SUP trip in June, and I have had to manipulate my injection schedule slightly to ensure that I am fully charged before I go instead of needing an injection mid-trip.
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| Two of the fastest and most unusual SUP boards |
A Warm Goodbye
Sitting here on a warm sunny day, I am keen to get on the water and see what I can do. But before that happens, I have had to say goodbye to part of SUP My Race history, the McConks Go Race Carbon.
One of only 2 made she has sat in my garage, half-repaired after I found a crack in March 2023. The crack was caused by me but in the time it took me dry her out and get to work, I had collected the EO SUP Nebula from Latvia and started to train on her. And the McConks was left, gathering dust.
Now though, she has a new home at my training lake!
Her new owner has the skills to finish the repair properly and will, I hope, soon be joining me as we both push ourselves to be faster paddlers. He's 2 decades younger than me so this might give me a kick up the backside and get me to 10 KM/h!
Investing in yourself is the BEST upgrade you can make, with no exceptions. And that is what this series of blog posts are all about, investing in this paddler with the help of World Champion Michael Booth.
You can find out more about Michael's training on his website Booth Training, from his Booth Training Instagram account and on his YouTube channel BoothTV.
You can find me running the Facebook group SUP My Race and now, occasionally, on Instagram.
See you on the water!
You can read the previous training logs here Training Logs and you can get to individual blog posts using the labels in the sidebar.