Advice

I just want to give a shout out for Ryerson and Annie's blog: - this will be their 3rd YRQ so they are the pros at this kind of thing.

There is so much that they already have sorted that we haven't even thought about that I'm feeling quite scared but I shall read each post at a time and copy, modify and plagiarise.  Just a public thank you to them for sharing their experience (although I'm not sure where they find time to do all that training)  I'm finding 3 hour sessions in the gym, 2, 2+hours paddling in the evenings and then a day trip at the weekends a push.

In the meantime, as it's a day for sharing, Dan came paddling with me at the weekend as Esther was away - he'd love to do the YRQ but it's tricky around work and he had a bad accident last year and is getting back to full strength.  Here is a blog of our trip  and a photo to keep you interested!  It Oxford that you can see in the distance as we were out on the Thames.



SoTP is an open canoe forum where Dan and I log quite a lot of our trip blogs and they have been ever so supportive of our YRQ attempt - following the purchase of the new boat etc.  If you are intersted in paddling its a great place to go for advice, ideas and friends to paddle with and they pop up everywhere.  I really must get a Quentin to go on our boat for the Yukon

Fifty shades of blue

So you may have read that we were bidding on a new boat and it has arrived.  To date we have been too chicken to paddle it as its a little on the tippy side and it's been sub zero.

What we have managed to do is name it 'Fifty' ...shades of blue.  Here she is in the snow - you may notice that I opted not to change into my paddling gear to do this modelling stint!

We thought it would be good for those far away to have some idea of where we are training - it's central London and just off the Thames  - one of the old shipping basins.

This is "the Basin" at Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre in Tower Hamlets:

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We have been round and round in circles a bit.   We have a circuit that is 0.35miles and we can see Canary Wharf looming above the skyline.  A short evening is 17 - 18 laps in a 16ft Old Town Discovery and 20 is standard.  So far in our 4 nights we have clocked 26.25 miles round in circles.  We have a routine that we change paddling sides every lap and when lap 15 is almost done we are allowed to sing 10 green bottles.

We're thinking that our repetitive circles may help us get used to the repetition of paddling for 60 hours - who knows, and are thinking of having an hour dedicated to certain artists.  So far we have Dolly Parton hour, Gilbert & Sullivan Hour and are in desperate need of more suggestions for songs to keep us sane - sea shanties are being considered as is humming Duelling Banjos.

In all of this practice a couple of things have come to mind:

1. How are the people in Canada training as it's all frozen there
2. Will we peak too early
3. Are we insane?

If you have by any chance done this before and are happy to share - how long did you train for and what did the training involve  - we're on 2-3 times a week in a boat and 2 times a week in the gym.  We're not after any medals just to get to Dawson before all the toes get eaten.

The toilet issue (especially for Sarah's mum's hairdresser)

So on average how many times do you need the loo in a day.  How many times do you need the loo if you are trying to drink plenty of water to stay dehydrated.

If every loo stop takes 5 minutes to get to shore, 5 minutes to get through the layers and do as a girl as to do and then 5 minutes to get back on course that's 15 minutes a trip.  That's a couple of hours wasted in any 24 hour period - more if you are not syncronised.

Now add into the mix the danger of bear, moose and wolverine attack whilst your pants (both types for those over the Atlantic) are round your ankles.

Esther favours the use of a she wee but this still requires you getting to shore (and deciding to go before the pressure is such that you have problems regulating the flow).  This also means that any chivalrous bears, who would not usually prey on lone women, may mistake you for a bloke and give chase anyway.  I believe the black bear is more chivalrous that a grizzly but still have concerns for the moose given what they say about them getting lose in the house.

Sarah wants a bucket  - this will spend most of the race under her seat and then when a girls got to do what a girls got to do she can have a bit of a shuffle, do as is required, redress and bail.

Other than catheterisation does anyone have any smart ideas on how to solve the toilet problem in a more glamorous way?

I'm afraid that the dedication comes down to a discussion which I suspect took place whilst waiting for my mum's highlights to set (sorry mum everyone now knows that the streaks aren't natural).  I agree it's a tricky issue and slightly baffling but I guess if Prince Harry can tell everyone how to pee in a helicopter on national news then I can write in my blog how to pee in a canoe.

In case anyone is interested when doing the Devizes to Westminster race (125 miles over 24 hours at Easter) the gents I know tend to just pee as they sit as there is an automatic disqualification for anyone passing water on the towpath so as not to scare the locals!  This is called the central heating system of the canoe and also explains why you should NEVER volunteer to help carry the boat when they are finished.

Oh Baby it's cold outside

So most of the UK has a severe weather warning due to the cold and expected snow.  Perfect to huddle up inside with a cup of cocoa you think.

That's not what we think - perfect for a paddle.  The start of training has been delayed by Sarah being ill but now we are off.  Tuesday and Thursday of this week have been spent at Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre (the home of our canoe club - an old shipping basin off the Thames) going round and round in circles in a 16ft Old Town Discovery.  This is a bathtub of a boat but our racing boat is being collected on Saturday.

Even in the Disco we have managed 20 circuits on both nights.  We weren't sure how far this was and expected it to be around 5 miles.  It was measured on Wednesday and our circuit is 0.35 of a mile so our 20 laps (taking around 2 hours with quarter of an hour at each end to heft the boat a couple of hundred meters to the water!) is actually 7 miles.  We are pretty pleased with that.  Our fellow paddler Owen followed us round with a camera and lurked round corners trying to get shots of our paddling.  He was not helped by the fact that it was VERY dark.

Hopefully when the new boat comes, after some adjustment to its individuality we'll be going significantly further although as the cold sets in I think that it may be accompanied with a flask of something hot.

We have some cold issues to overcome - Esther gets very cold feet  - she has been told not to dangle them in the water.  Sarah hates wearing gloves when paddling and, as expected, finishes the night with no feeling in her hands to the point that unlocking the building where the showers are is an issue - I'm sure we'll work it out.

As the cold sets in we'll still be out there - breaking the ice if we have to  - do you paddle in extreme cold - if so we'd love to hear your tips for staying toasty!

New boat excitment!

So, somebody was very keen and excited (Sarah!) and spotted a new boat on ebay. An18th ft tandem marathon canoe that has been paddled quite a lot, including the DW.

So, obviously Bear(ly) Scared should have this to train in don't you think?

Here is the beauty, no name as yet but watch this space for photos when we pick it up!!

It is a little different from the Jensen 18 that will be supporting us from Whitehorse to Dawson but should be excellent fun to paddle together. So, I reckon by the time we get to June 26th 12 noon local time we will have trained in a Pakboat, an Old Town (round and round Shadwell basin) and the so far unknown canoe.

I've never paddled this type of canoe so it'll be a sharp learning curve for me I expect. However, I am so looking forward to starting training this weekend (norovirus permitting). If we can paddle through an English winter the Canadian summer should be fine!

All I need now is a carbon bentshaft paddle. Sarah wants a wooden one, understandably as they are very pretty but the obvious downside, which all you keen readers will have spotted, is that we won't be matching paddlers if that is the case. Ah well, S will have to find her pinkness somewhere else while I break the bank!

Esther

ps. in case anyone was wondering, I think comments are now turned on so please, anything you want to add, raise discussion on, offer advice etc...please do!

T'was the night because Christmas

When my mind turned towards Christmas presents, and no, not because I was as excited as a child, nor because I love Christmas (which I don't), but because my list of suitable presents for my family to buy are just too brilliant!

• firesteel
• food pouches (to be stuffed with pasta meals, chicken for Sarah, maybe corned beef or smoked salmon for me etc)
• tupperware (first aid kit, repairs, food, food and more food)
• Avon so soft (bound to be midges)
• Waterproof map pouch (otherwise it's a lot of laminating...Owen - cook you dinner for yours!)
• expensive underwear (I asked for smartwool but if anyone has any suggestions / recommendations do let me now!)
• I wanted to ask for a bentshaft paddle, wee bit too much for a present though I fear

It is odd how the race is now occupying my whole mind. I think of what kit we'll need, how we will plan the food and fuelling process, whether we can get more sponsorship and raise more money (Sarah is the guru for that mind you!)

The glaring gap, you may have noticed, is that I have not mentioned training!!

The reason is that I am a bit scared of that aspect. I've read that we need to be training 3-4 times a week with one of those a long 10 hour paddle. How are we going to fit that in with our busy working lives, our friends, partners, families? And we have to find somewhere to paddle for long stretches that isn't always circles around Shadwell Basin. Anyway, we'll update in the New Year regarding presents and we are due to have our first basin paddle Tuesday 8th January 2013 (25 weeks and 1 day before the YRQ begins)!.

Esther

In the beginning

In the beginning there were 2 canoeists called Esther and Sarah.   Here they are

Esther



Sarah (with boat in bag)




They liked canoeing and are members of Tower Hamlets Canoe Club.  One day Esther said that she wanted to take a canoe a long, long way down a river in Canada.  Sarah said that sounds like fun.

They hatched a plan to enter the Yukon River Quest because paddling 444 miles in under 60 hours sounded like fun.  Esther and Sarah both have a screw loose.

In November entries opened and the third team enrolled were Bare(ly) Scared - that's how keen they were - they also knew that they had to enter early to got boat hire as that won't fit in the airplane.  Dan, Sarah's partner, knew she was doing this but she may have omitted to tell him exactly when the hard money was paid over (oops).  They sighed a disclaimer that said that along much of the route there was no human habitation but there are bears and things that don't like people.  They were no longer Bare(ly) scared they were getting towards actual scared.

They thought that if they were doing this then they should have a point.   They agreed that surely with all of their watersports that at some point they would be in need of the RNLI.  In view of this they have decided to use their voyage to raise money for the London Thames Lifeboats.  There is a bit of spiel about them here.

They may even be needed in training but hopefully not.  Last year Sarah did a relay swim of the chanel (it smells better than the channel) for the Dover Lifeboat due to potential need.

This blog will track the progress, the training, highs and lows and very importantly the decisions to be made over what to eat along the way.  Your views on this are invited as to date we will be fuelled by roast chicken, smoked salmon and chocolate gu puds (yep they can sponsor us if they want to).  We'll no doubt be falling out somewhere along the way and paddling lots of rivers in the UK in preparation as well as going round and round Shadwell Basin.  There will be caffeine based experimentation and hopefully (by Sarah at least) a significant amount of pounds shed.

This is a big challenge and there will be lots of bears to be overcome on the way. Follow our story which will hopefully have a happy ending and see us coming back from the wilderness as big, no longer scared, girls!