Training Log Archive: kswarbreck

I'd been secretly hoping we wouldn't get water but had assumed that they'd get a release anyway. So I was actually pretty excited to find out that there wasn't going to be a release. Started in d batch, and stuck with the last bunch coming off the dam. Caught up a lot of places with some surprisingly conservative running and luckily didn't have to queue going up Burma. Managed to tuck in behind a grand master doing his 31st dusi, so I had a flawless route back down to the river. In and out the river although in hindsight it was better just to have kept running - the pools kept ending in rocks. Another hyacinth portage near pumphouse and then some river running/bumping the boat over rocks and sandbanks. Lot's of sandbanks and rocks till Mango and then a slow paddle home with a lovely headwind. Had a good day, in hindsight I could have run harder but then I'd probably have struggled more with the paddling.

Dusi this year suited me - I ended up in seventh but with a result that was more reflective of the (limited) depth of women's paddling than my skill or training should have allowed. Luck was definitely on my side for this year!

C • Still Brilliant 3

One of the toughest days of an event that I've done - puts it on a par with how miserable I felt at Triple Challenge in 2014. Started in A batch with some very serious paddlers, and was lucky enough to put in right at the front of the batch (turns out it was fastest to run as far as one could). By the first saddles I was third last , with last place cemented when I Eskimo rolled myself out of the boat as I put in at the end of the portage. Improved from there, with clean lines through confluence, slide and the rest. Got a little lost at the top of Ngumenis - fortunately Chris caught me whilst I was herding the cattle and I followed him down. Had the obligatory swim once I'd got to the bottom of Hippo, and another two more in silly places. A long paddle to the dam - Inanda is so low that it's still river for at least a km after the bridge which used to herald the start of the dam. My poor paddling form dropped me down to ninth, and Chris put 40 minutes on me today

Start off in ladies batch and surprisingly wasn't last to the weir or take a swim at Ernie Pierce. A steady day, clean on the river and slowly gaining places with portages. Caught and tussled a bit with Alex Adie into 4th on Hole in the Wall, and then passed her on Guineafowl. She caught me just before Finger neck, with Kerry Segal catching me before Cabbage Tree. Ended the day in 6th - a very surprising result given the lack of training...

C • Brilliant! 3

Such a happy run