European Champion

Smile says it all

There is little  worse than getting to the start of your race with 3 minutes to go and seeing no other competitors anywhere in sight.  Refusing to be ruffled by this, I returned my focus back onto my race, visualising everything I had to do for the 200m to the finish line.

My coaches had drilled a race plan into me so well that here I was at the start line feeling really well prepared and completely focused .  I would be lying if I said I hadn't had that funny feeling in my tummy on the lead up to the Europeans, but as soon as race day came around and the race plan kicked in I became focused, calm and ready to do everything my training had worked towards.

Race lake

2 minutes to go and still no other competitors. Slight concern waved through my head, I hadn't got the wrong day had I? For those who know me this thought won't surprise you! ;-)

The doubt had started because there had been much confusion about when we were actually racing. With lots of new athletes needing formal classification we didn't find  out our race times until late on Thursday evening. My race was to be on Saturday, but most of the team were racing on the Friday. Stressfull! This meant I was left alone with my thoughts in the Hotel on Friday.  I was joined at breakfast by John Anderson (performance director for the whole of GB canoeing). I was still finding it odd being part of Team GB. "Hi I'm Anne, one of the para canoeists". "Yes, I know who you are. I've watched you paddle."  Now that's a weird way to start your day!

The morning of my race was completely different.  Now it was my turn and as soon as my race plan kicked in the butterfly tummy was replaced by a sense of calm and purpose. Claire, my coach, had drummed into me what was expected. I knew what to do and when to do it so glancing at my watch I saw it was time to warm up.

Team GB had its own portable 'high performance' centre set up with an office, lounge and warm up zone. Lying down on the mats I noticed someone else had joined me, Ed Mceever was also warming up. "Mind if I join you?" he asked. I had to stifle a giggle - it's not everyday an Olympic gold medalist asks to lie down next to you like this..

Into my race gear - the other para athletes had nicknamed it a mankini but I was assured by the olympic athletes it was actually an "all in one". Either way it wasn't what I would have chosen to race in. Skin tight white lycra on untanned British skin is never going to look great.

Race Kit

The warm up paddle to the start of the race was on a lovely sheltered side lake.  My first experience of warm water had been really strange. It felt like I had been practicing in treacle back at home and I had needed to change my stroke slightly, ( thanks for the top tip Claire!).  As I went through my warm up routine I could hear a familiar voice over the tannoy from the main lake. Jim Rossiter from Wey Kayak, my home club, was the official commentator. It was very comforting to hear his voice as I paddled to the race start.

With less than 2 minutes to go, my focus was distracted by one of my coaches shouting, "You're in the wrong lane!!". (Good skills by the way for being able to project that far against the wind...) I have reasoned that it was the strong cross wind that had blown me into the next lane, but then again I could have just got it wrong! (once more those of you who know me wont be surprised..)  By this time all the other competitors had arrived as if by magic and the race was about to start.

Go!

Batty from Wey had been helping me with my stability during my starts and I was pleased with how I did here- so thank you Batty for standing in the cold River Wey at 6.30 in the morning to help me with balance drills:-) 

In the zone I lost all peripheral awareness and simply stared down through my tunnel vision to the finish line. My body went into autopilot and I just did what I do every day in training.

I was vaguely aware of lots of cheering- thanks team!!  As I crossed the finish line I looked left then right and realised I had won.

Winner!!

I felt a massive sense of achievement and relief rolled into one. I had paddled to the best of my ability. I had done everything that was expected of me, but more than that I had won!

What next?  My race plan hadn't mentioned what to do if I actually won and I felt a bit naughty by spontaneously grinning into the TV camera as I paddled past. But hey, I was happy!!

I've watched medal ceremonies and stood on podiums before but never standing under my national flag, listening to my national anthem.  Such an amazing, indescribable moment! All our hard work was worthwhile!

Podium

And now looking back at my race video I  can see that although I did my best, I have lots of work to do and  a long way to go. Luckily there are a whole 9 weeks before the World champs, so my training diary is already set and I'm raring to go. 

A very big thank you to my wonderful coaches from GB paracanoe and to UK Sport for providing funding to make our high performance centre simply rock. And then a special thank you to Claire, my local coach at Wey - and in fact all at Wey who have been so supportive, every step of my journey from wonky cyclist to European para champion.

Gold Medal

Europe here I come....

In exactly 2 weeks time I will be racing for Great Britain at the sprint kayak European championships in Portugal. 


This will be an incredible championship, not just for me, but for para canoe as a whole. This is the first international championships of the new olympic cycle. It is also the first cycle that para canoe, (which will debut at Rio) will be included.
 I'm sure that because of this, new nations will be competing and new talent will be showcased. Athletes will have transferred from other sports into paracanoe and undoubtetly there will be many unknowns and 'dark horses' at this first international race. 

What I do know is that many nations will be upping their game now that para canoe is an Olympic sport and Olympic medals are the ultimate goal.  New names will be put on podiums and new records will almost certainly be set. 

I am really looking forward to this race. I have been training hard for the last 7 months and despite this being my first international race in a kayak I'm excited more than nervous. 

I'm excited to see how I compare with the other new talent out there, I'm excited to see if my training aiming to change me from an endurance cyclist to a sprint kayaker has worked, and probably most of all, I'm excited to be racing against the established names in para canoe. 

Stripping Down

Summer

A strange thing has happened at the river, the sun has finally come out!! ....After a long cold winter summer is trying very hard. The blossom is colourful  on the trees, small ducklings are learning to swim and sprint kayakers are training with no clothes on.

What?

Yes, that was my first response too as I did a double take when 3 men with bare torsos paddled  past. Realistically they probably weren't completely naked... but you couldn't see below the boat line so how was I to know? 

This was the same day that my coach persuaded me to paddle bare foot- "she is starting me off gently" I chuckled to myself, "next week it'll be my socks and then my top..... " Naked paddling is obviously the way to go!

To be honest I think I would have preferred to paddle naked than go through the training I have had in the last month.
I have been totally stripped down,  not in the clothes sense however but metaphorically with my technique.
My technique  was originally put together in a rush 7 months ago to enable me to achieve selection time- but now this basic paddling style had to change.
My coaches all agreed  I had to be stripped back down to square 1 with the intention of building something bigger and better in time for races later in the season.

In the gym again.

It has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Every inch of my brain has had to concentrate and  learn new ways for my body to move- remember as a cyclist I've never had to rotate my torso and now rotation was the key. My timing needed to be changed- my legs feel things differently to each other so when I feel equal I'm not. I've had to learn to to use them 'unequally' which  actually makes them work the same. Yes complicated!

As a physio I know how the brain and body works, and it takes at least 6 weeks for a new movement pattern to become 'established'  I was trying to learn not one new movement, but several interrelated patterns at once and I had less than 4 weeks to master them. Not just master them but be able to use them at sprint pace on wobbly water at the European selection regatta.

My goal was to paddle better but I also wanted to win my races. This would enable me to qualify to race for team GBR at the European champs in June.

As I said, I would have preferred to paddle with no clothes on than be stripped down metaphorically in this way so close to a selection regatta. 

In addition to my training sessions I have had to use every trick I know in my Physio 'tool box' to help expedite the process. I have practiced,  practiced and practiced and discovered first hand muscles in places I have only ever seen on the chart in my treatment room.

Keeping with the stripping bare theme, Ive developed some mighty fine sores on my feet where the skin has been stripped off the top from the pull bar, and from the bottom by the grip tape on my foot plate. Who needs a pedicure, pumice stone or ped egg to remove layers of hardened skin?? 

sad feet

I'm happy to say that despite not feeling totally ready to be 'on show' I won my races - just! I also managed to hold onto my new technique - just! and I also managed to stay 'unequally  equal' for the most part, despite the customary Nottingham wavy water and gusty side winds.

So what next?
Its back to join in the 'naked' paddlers at Wey, where I hope I'll be getting less naked by steadily putting my 'layers' of technique and confidence back on as the summer progresses. I'm really looking forward to this challenge!

Thanks again to Claire, Matt, Colin and Batty and all for your support - I can't do any of this without you. 

Boat Shoes have their uses

Yesterday the sun came out briefly and in a brave moment my coach declared that today was the day I was going to start paddling without my boat shoes.
Im pretty fond of my boat shoes and needed a lot of convincing. - at less than £15 they provided an amazing number of benefits/pound.

My trusty boat shoes

They made me feel really secure in the kayak,  not only did they take up space jamming my feet into the cockpit they also seemed to even out the sensation differences  between my feet making it easier to put even pressure through the foot plate as I paddled. They also kept my feet toasty warm all winter! But now it was officially summer and the boat shoes had to go.
"Did you see any of the GB paddlers wearing boat shoes at the National regatta?" No - but none of the GB paddlers have wonky feet either!
It was no use- Claire was adamant that the boat shoes added no benefit - for one I couldn't steer with them on.  With out the boat shoes I would eventually learn to connect better with the boat.

I felt very disloyal and sad leaving my trusty boat shoes at the side of the river as I paddled off. Claire had said they had no benefits......as I paddled I began thinking of what my boat shoes could do once retired from my feet.
So here are a few ideas for alternative uses for my boat shoes, proving that they still have lots of benefits - though maybe not in my boat.

Amazing pet hair remover from carpets and upholstery

Mashing potatoes was never this easy- or fun

Keeping those beer bottles cool on a hot summers day

A very satisfying fly swatter- it makes a great noise!

No more stinky trainers from Simon. Just sprinkle tea tree oil over boat shoe and insert

A nifty little hair straightener holder preventing accidental carpet singes

No more searching around the bottom of the bath for my soap- yes it floats!

The cat thought it made an interesting water bowl

A coaster to add intrigue to any afternoon tea party

Any other ideas greatfully received, anything to keep my boat shoes off my feet!

My first Regatta

My first race of the season is done...  What am I saying?!... It was my first regatta ever , and now I have two wins under my belt...

Me at the end of my race

 But it's not just me. Anyone who has been following my progress so far will know that I'm  really lucky to have support, so I thought it was time to introduce the amazing "Team Dickins"...

- Colin and Matt, the coaches at GB Paracanoe
- Claire, Phil and Batty coaches at Wey Kayak Club
- Pippa my kayak, (she looks great from behind)

- and Rory aged 6 and Elsie aged 4, my very own special fans!

The story so far... I got into ParaCanoe because Colin, the lead coach for GB Paracanoe in Nottingham, persuaded me to turn up for a try out. At my first trial I did ok, but I really needed to learn to paddle a kayak.  "How hard can it be?"  I thought. Six months in and I still don't fully understand how much more I have to learn.  I just know it's a lot... As I live in Surrey with family and work commitments, I needed to find something a little closer than Nottingham for my day to day training. Weekly commutes I could just about manage, but I was going to need a lot more training than that.

When Colin pointed me in the direction of Wey Kayak Club he knew he was recommending a good club.  It has a reputation for producing GB squad members and medal winners. But even he couldn't have known just how much the club would rally around and support me.  Being a disabled friendly club, with a new paracanoe specfic boat (sponsored by Sanofi Health) was a real bonus, but within weeks of me turning up I had my own coaching team.

last minute boat check from Phil and pep talk from Claire

Team Dickins is based around Claire Gunney (ex world no 2 marathon paddler).  Coaching a complete novice with the goal of GB number 1 and a dream of Rio is a tall ask and I can never thank her enough for taking on the challenge!  Phil, Claire's husband (who was her coach), brings a wealth of coaching tips (and pain!) to the team. If I can talk at the end of a session then I haven't paddled hard enough!
Dave Batteshaw (Batty) is another ex GB paddler based at Wey with his own para-athletes to train. His sessions complement Claire's, meaning every training session is bringing something different. With so many accomplished paddlers at Wey there are many others eager to offer support and tips (thanks to Richard-Rachel Cawthorns Dad for pointing out that it's a pull bar, not a roll bar;-) ) or just people to train with in the club gym. When I train alongside the u23s I get the added bonus of expanding my traditional musical knowledge as their iPod tracks fill the gym. 

At the Start

It is almost impossible to quantify how much being at a club has assisted in getting me through this first regatta.

If the team at Wey wasn't enough, I also have sessions at the 'High Performance Centre' in Nottingham -The hub for GB para canoe. Colin works with Claire to make sure my Surrey programme is integrated with the Nottingham sessions and they work together on my year's race plan.  We now also have Matt on board, who helps with the sessions in Nottingham.

I then have my very special boat Pippa, named after a certain Middleton who apparently also looks amazing from behind - My aim is that all my competition gets used to that view ;-) Her artwork was designed for me by a friend of mine, Kelvin.  His work is always inspiring. Hope you like her?

Pippa

So back to this weekend's regatta - a weekend full of firsts for me.

 My 10 firsts this weekend:
1/ First regatta (really scary)
2/ First time using my new Thule roof kayak rack (having used their bike racks before I knew they would be great, thank you Thule)

Easy loading Thule Kayak specific roof rack

3/ First time driving with a boat on the car (also scary)
4/ First race (glad to get that one out the way - my 'start' and race was pretty ragged -  its amazing what nerves can do, and I was really annoyed that I let my technique go)
5/ First win (yay!) Well done to all the paddlers out there in testing conditions.
6/ First start into a howling gale (I guess it's good experience, but it meant no chance of notching up a personal best.

7/ First pre-race curry (Simon, when I said that I needed distracting the night before the race, a curry wasn't quite what I had in mind)
8/ First post-race debrief with the GB paracanoe coaching team (Yes Steve and Colin, I know I paddled with more enthusiasm than finesse but am just as excited as you about how much room there is for improvement!)
9/ First fan club (Rory and Elsie, you are adorable. Thank you for cheering me on so loudly on the bank - I promise to let you know when the next race is in town!)
10/... Nope, you know I still lose count...

Ive been Kayaking for 6 months....

September 2012 was my first time in a sprint kayak. It is now March 2013 and I am firmly on the GB Paracanoe team. I am less than 3 weeks away from my very first race and with a winter of training behind me I feel might be able paddle and not look like a total beginner. It has been quite a journey with lots to learn.  Here's my top 10 lessons!

1/ A kayak isn't a canoe. With a kayak you use a double ended paddle and you sit down, where as in a canoe you use a single ended paddle and you kneel. I feel It's important that as a new member of team GB I know all the nuances of my sport ;-)

Its official!

2/ Kayaking is not a pulling action but a push. (the top arm  pushes the kayak past the lower arm) This involves a huge amount of trunk rotation- something I had none of as a cyclist.  Or maybe I did... which would explain my inability to control my bike around corners;-) 

3/ You don't really use your arms to create power, it's your trunk and your legs that do most of the  work- the arm just acts as a lever to transfer the force. This I struggle with as part of my disability means I have limited sensation under my right foot and buttock. Because of this,  I can't really gauge how to put even pressure through my legs or whether I'm sitting squarely on the seat. I go wonky quite regularly - which is comical when the sprint course is a straight line! One coach who didn't realise why I go wonky, was a little anxious when I called out at the end of an effort that it had gone wrong because I had "lost my arse"  halfway down the river.

4/ Sprint Kayaking gives you a really flat stomach and strong core :-) I have lost inches from my waist  and my hips-  I have totally changed shape, its as though someone has squeezed  my bottom half like a toothpaste tube and its all ended up at the top. 

6 months later

5/ Sprint kayaking is the most technically difficult sport I have ever been involved with. It is possibly the most opposite sport from endurance cycling (in terms of movement patterns and fitness) that you could find. I dream about paddling every night and have done since I first started. I'm hoping this subconscious visualisation will help speed up my learning curve, rather than just wear me out or hurt my partner as my arms flail about during my sleep! 

6/ Kayaking makes controlling a full shopping trolley around the supermarket really easy. I can now navigate off camber corners with a full trolley and I frequently avoid mid isle collisions with  Grannies meandering unexpectedly into my path! This is definitely one of the surprising benefits of sprint kayaking...

7/ Kayaking eliminates bingo wings, but on the flip side I can no longer get my arms into my favourite shirt. 

8/ The water can get no colder than zero degrees... or it stops being water. On many occasions through the winter the water has been significantly warmer than the air. I tell myself this regularly to persuade me to go paddling despite this being the coldest winter we have had for 50 years! We don't wear wet suits and most people paddle in bare feet and yes we get cold!

minus 5 degrees

snow doesn't settle on the water so no excuses

9/Hydrodynamics- The warmer the water the faster you go - I have yet to experience this warm water phenomenon.....Roll on Rio

England Vs Rio.

10/ I can't count.

 Genuinely! Ask my coach if I can remember how many reps Ive done after a session. I reckon I blank just them out....