Y Paddle Canoe Club

… and then there were two.

Roger and I both arrived at Shepperton Lock just before nine on Saturday morning, and a quick look at the weir confirmed our expectations, the water was flat. Not the conditions I needed to get my promotion to division 3.

We were given plenty of time to practice on a course with gate combinations that seemed to require sweep stroke after sweep stroke with no assistance from the current. Our first runs didn’t get going until noon:

Lungs already bursting from the sprint from the start to the first gate, oxygen supplies were diverted away from memory and the co-ordination that avoids nudging gates. Miraculously I was only marked down for hitting 3 gates. I finished the round in third, about 20 and 15 seconds behind two lads from Islington.

Resuming after lunch, Roger took his runs in quick succession, and declared himself pleased with his final position relative to the other div 2 paddlers.

Perhaps I’d over-practiced, but my second run was even more tiring, I hit fewer gates and was faster by a few seconds, though nowhere near enough. I finished in third, the first two were promoted.

My tiredness had made me impressionable, as Roger and Dave Ling of Baldock persuaded me it would be a good idea to come back the next day and try again. Surely I’d do alright with my main competition out of the way.

Boats locked away for the night, I returned to London to help celebrate Dawn’s 30th birthday:

Returning on Sunday saw a slightly changed course, without quite as many turns, and the slightest of ferry glides across the bottom of the weir. There was an improved entry too, a total of 14, meaning three promotion places.

Like I should have got my hopes up! My lungs were bursting by gate 9 on the first run, imperfect but I wasn’t unhappy. Returning to the bank, my dreams were shattered at the sight of times that shamed some of the division three paddlers. Placed sixth, I had no hope of promotion.

Returning for my second run, I found out the truth. The lads, from Addlestone Canoe Club, were all experienced canoe polo players, with skills aplenty to make up for lack of slalom experience. Pride assuaged, I managed the best slalom run I have ever done. Hitting only one gate, I knocked a whole ten seconds off my time.

In retrospect, it was a good weekend and valuable slalom experience. If nothing else I realise how much fitter I need to be - look out for me in the gym. Soon!

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