Oddly enough, the idea for this story came together while upside down tonight. Granted I had been thinking about it before, but it all came together while hanging upside down in the warm water which, as warm as the water is, feels rather slimy.

Whether it is due to nature or nurture, who knows. What I do know is rarely do I like anything easy. If it can be done on the first try, then it is boring and there has to be something else out there more interesting. Usually there is. This means I constantly like to test myself, one way or another. At any given time, I am always trying to redefine my personal limits in some way.

Being in the middle of a long stretch of being in town definitely has advantages. Actually being in one place for longer than three days at a time, it is amazing how conducive to consistent training this is. During the last couple of weeks, I have been able to get on the water at the center for two-a-days three or four days out of the week and get on the water at least once all the other days. This equals a lot of water time, a very good thing considering I am doing another entire macro-cycle between Trials and Nationals.

Right now, Jello is what my body feels like. Chances are, I am going to pay for this tomorrow. Right now though, my arms, back and abs, they are nothing more than Jello.

Why might this be? Today started with lifting heavy (for me) with relatively low reps in the weight room at 0530. After getting a little work done, I was doing a variation on fulls by 1000. This workout consisted of a full, 1/2's, 1/3's, 1/2's, and finally a full. Between the 1/2's and 1/3's parts I took 30 seconds rest. The first three runs went all-right. By the fourth, precision started to wane. Once the fifth rolled around, stick a fork in me. I was done.

Yesterday I accepted an invitation from Wausau Whitewater to help coach at the Ray McLain camp on 23-27 Jun leading into Age Group Nationals on the weekend of 28-29 Jun. I am really looking forward to this as it should be a laid back chance to both coach and train in a low pressure and fun environment. For anybody interested in attending, Wausau Whitewater has a few pdf documents available with more information:

Yesterday was a great day for my conditioning. This was very likely due in large part to some combination of enjoying training and possibly just being stupid. Today, my day off this week, I am feeling it though.

Leading into Trials I had backed off running and lifting, concentrating on less volume and focusing on whitewater time, usually technique. Now, with my next major race at the end of August, I am attempting to progress through another entire macro-cycle, starting with a little volume and base building.

Very few places in the country can you be at work by 07:30, be on whitewater by noon, and on a plane by 16:15. Charlotte, NC is one of those places.

After getting my boat repaired yesterday, I am going to get in a session on the whitewater when the water turns on at noon today. Since it is actually Monday, and I do have a real job, this means I have to do the work thing for a few hours this morning. Since flying to West Palm Beach to teach for the rest of the week, I am going to bust out with enough time to get in a session at the whitewater center beforehand.

Last night I got flamed for not responding to Trials yet on my blog. This was surprising. Wow, somebody actually reads this. I might need to be a little more careful about what I say on here...

Trials was an experience. There really is no other way to describe it. Three days of intense racing with such a loaded outcome for so many...Trials is an experience. In my case it was more of an experience than anticipated, but this is largely my own fault.

Yesterday was day one of what I am calling the 2008 Charlotte whitewater extravaganza. With five races going on concurrently, what else is it? Day one was a very flowing course with some deceptive moves, but nothing exceptionally outrageous.

When Laura, my landlord, first saw Spawn of Taz, she asked me if I was going to paint a pair of big red lips on the airbrushed Taz on the back deck. I looked at her quizzically. She explained herself. Obviously my boat is my mistress, and as such, Taz should have some big red lips.

So then, is sport, especially our sport, art?

"All good things...come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy." -Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

As athletes, in our case, canoe slalom athletes, are we artists?

"Power comes not from power everywhere, but from knowing where to put it on." -Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

Now this...this very much is true.