Australian Sprint Nationals

Open women's 500m heat.

I arrived home from competing in the Australian Nationals two weeks ago after competing in my age group and also in the Open Women's category.
I've raced against most of the girls in my age group before.  Unfortunately for me this competition was also doubling as selection for the Australian Junior National Team so the girls were really in top form and they had all made big, no massive improvement from when we had last met.
I think that I may have peaked earlier in the month when I competed at the NZ Nationals/Oceania Opens Competition.
For me I felt that my results from the Open Women's went better then expected, I was more relaxed and I didn't feel under any pressure.
So I did get some invaluable racing time and while I didn't do as well as I wanted I did come away with some positives.

U18 women's 5km

When I arrived home I was shattered, I was way too tired to go to school the next day.  I slept into the afternoon and if my mum didn't wake me I might have slept well into the evening.  Robi gave us 6 days off, he meant to give us 5 days off but when we started back at training the weather was not the best so we had to can training for that day and the next day the weather was way better.
So Robi, Ali and I are back into training and Robi has warned us that training is going to intensify.  Just as well Kane Raisey sends me Raisey's Isolate 'cos I know my muscles wouldn't recover as well as they do if I wasn't using this product.
And tomorrow it's the start of my training week, I really enjoyed my day off today.

The dentist & my new paddle.

Two weeks ago there was no training at all for me because my wisdom teeth were removed.  The dentist says that exercise of any kind is unwise after such major oral surgery.  I had 3 stitches and the left side of my face was swollen. 
Last Monday was my first day back on the water and I felt a little tippy.  I'm hoping that part of the reason for this was because I'm using a new paddle, I was using a Brasca VII split shaft and I've now changed to a Brasca IV fixed shaft. Check out their web site here "Braca Paddles"
When I started back it was just time on the water without the gym work and runs and today it was back to adding both of these things to my training sessions.
The weather is starting to get colder in the mornings and it doesn't get light until around 6.30am now.
Next week Robi has entered us both in the Australian Nationals which will be held in Adelaide.  He's entered me in 2 age groups for the competition, experience and as a gauge as to how I'm doing.
I've raced most of the girls that are competing in the under 18 K1 events so I'm really hoping that I can better my times and get some better placings.
This week is a taper as we leave for Adelaide on Tuesday.
I'm looking forward to competing.

NZ Canoe Nationals/Oceania Champs 2011

This is the fourth week of school and I've only done 1 complete week.  While my class mates have been at school I've been in Rotovegas first at a camp held by the Oceania Canoe Federation and then it was straight into the Oceania Opens that also doubled as the NZ National in flat water canoe sprint racing.

The training and bonding with the 2 others that were part of the Oceania Team was a lot of fun. 

The more serious stuff started on Friday when I competed in the under 23 womens kayak.  I get really nervous on my first race so this was meant to help settle me and I reckon it did. It was 500m's first up and I'm happy to say that I was right there in the competition, I even got a 3rd placing.  I don't like 200m events, mostly 'cos my starts are too slow and until I get the start corrected I'm going to struggle in this one.

Saturday had me in team boats and I ended the day with a 4k race.  I'm happy with that day 'cos I came away with a first place, 2 seconds and 2 thirds.

Rishan and her medals.

Sunday started off well with a second place in team boat and then my biggest disappointment for the weekend for me was my last race.  I really wanted to get a podium placing but I got beaten out of a 3rd.

My aim for the weekend was to PB, make A finals and make it on to the podium.

Now I've got to go back to training and try to get the starts down.  

The 2011 Oceania Team.