Living the life

I am currently on the couch and don’t plan on moving anytime soon. Anyone else feel like this at the moment? Ouch, I’m hurting! I have just been for a long run as part of my cross training. Running is not really my thing and my body is not made for it, hence I am a kayaker! I run because I find it beneficial to gain extra fitness and it gives my upper body a break.

It has been a busy few months since the world championships. I am now training and living on the Gold Coast because the national squad is based there. I am staying in a beach front apartment on Burleigh Beach which I am sharing with another paddler, so it’s pretty tough living! It is a great spot as it’s a 10 minute bike ride to training, a short walk to the shops and good coffee spots, and a dive off our balcony to the beach. I have been coming back to Sydney fairly regularly for various things so I am racking up the frequent flyer miles.

The Australian summer attracts many international paddlers as it is hard for them to paddle when their lakes freeze over. They either don their cross country skis or go in search of nice places to paddle. Our lifestyle, sun and beaches are a big bonus for them. A few world class female paddlers from Sweden and Austria have been training with us over the last four weeks. We have done a few K4 sessions together and it is a great way to develop skills and learn to paddle with new people. It’s fun to mix up the combinations as we would never normally get a chance to paddle in a boat with people from different countries.

Speaking of having extra friends on the water with us, we have had some more company training alongside us… bull sharks! There have been a few sightings of them lately during our sessions. My friend even ran into one the other day. It’s a known fact that they like hanging out in the canals and are never shy to pop their head up. I pretend they are not there and get on with my business. Hope I don’t fall out on the day they are hungry!

I have just finished a hard three week block of endurance work. It has been tough training with a mixture of paddling, strength work in the gym, core sessions, running and bike riding. I am feeling fitter and stronger from doing three sessions a day. I’m so glad it’s a recovery week now as it makes me feel alive again, instead of a zombie. It gives me a bit extra time to catch up with friends and run the errands I seem to put off.

We are in the first of many camps for the season. The other girls from around the country will be flying in to the Gold Coast for a 10 day block of intense ‘team boat’ work. The aim of the camp is to develop K2 and K4 combinations that will race off at the Olympic selection trials in March.

In between training sessions I have been doing a bit of work for Surf Life Saving Queensland, as a surf awareness officer teaching school kids surf safety and awareness. Tough gig, getting paid to be on the beach!

Last week I got some very exciting news. I have been accepted into a post graduate course to study and become a paramedic! It’s the perfect course as I will be studying part time and via distance education with Charles Sturt University. It’s a good way to keep my mind active with non-paddling activities over the next few years. I have been fascinated by ambulances that zoom past since I was 10 years old, so I was very excited to know that I will soon be working towards my dream job!

Happy training everyone!

Jo