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I Do Like Mondays

With all due respect to the Boomtown Rats, I'm really starting to like Mondays. This morning instead of running or erg'ing I rolled out of bed and into the car and headed for Columbia Island Marina [note: my version of rolling out of bed and into the car took 40 minutes - I have to work on that]. By 6:15 AM I was at the marina getting ready for a fitness paddle. The marina was surprisingly busy at that early hour - workers maintaining boats, runners and cyclists passing through, and even some gentlemen sitting in their cars, I guess just enjoying the morning.

I launched at about 6:30 and headed up the river. The river was abuzz with crew boats and other rowers and so I had to plot my course carefully to stay out of the way of the backwards-traveling dolts who assume that they have the right of way over everyone and everything. Since I was looking for a workout and the river was glassy smooth I had chosen to use my wing paddle. The wing is meant for paddling fast and hard. I'm only comfortable with it in smooth conditions since I don't know how to brace or maneuver with it very well. I powered my way up the river, making it to the top of Roosevelt Island in just over 30 minutes (the usual Pirates of Georgetown pace is about 45 minutes).

After a quick water break I continued around the top of the island and started back downriver. The wing requires a distinctive, very high-angled (lifting the paddle close to vertical) stroke and lots of torso rotation. I played with my form as I paddled downriver, experimenting with stroke length and paddle path.

The water was high and so I decided to take the Boundary Channel back. Needless to say I couldn't head straight for it since there was an eight person shell barreling down the river to my right. I continued on a parallel course until they and their accompanying motor launch caught up with me then I turned right and crossed behind them. Sometimes the Boundary Channel requires careful navigation but this morning it was quite full of water and so I was able to barrel through at speed. Towards the very end I started to get a cramp in my side, maybe from doing a lot of torso rotation, so I eased up on speed a little. Still, I made the whole trip in a little over an hour for an estimated average speed of 4.25 to 4.5 MPH, which is pretty fast for me.

I'm not always the best steward of my gear but the area around the boat ramp was pretty mucky (pollen?) and so when I got out I used the marina's hose to rinse the muck off my boat and my legs. I tossed the boat on the car and headed for home, arriving with enough time to shower and shave before booting my laptop and sliding into my seat on the back porch just in time to dial into a 9:00 management call. My kinda Monday.

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