The baseline.

So I have decided to do the DW race. The 2009 race is April next year... Seven months. I have read that physically fit specimens of the human race can be ready to do the race in as little as six months, but there is more than just honing the body to be ready for the challenge. I also need to get a marathon boat, be able to use it, and get a paddling partner who is (or will be) as skilled in the boat as I plan to be.

Me and my Muscles.

Right, I’m 31, soon to be 32, (three years off the veteran class for the DW!) I’m near as damn it, five feet and ten inches tall. I weigh in at about ten and a half stone and the Wii Fit tells me that I have a good body mass index, neither over or underweight (though I do seem to be erring on the side of getting overweight.) I have a bit of a spare tyre, nothing major, I would compare it to a BMX tyre at the moment.

My fitness level is alright. I can paddle for a few hours without getting too exhausted, and last year I would paddle the 25 miles from Shrewsbury to Telford on the River Severn in about four and a half hours. In my head I can still do this, though I have neglected my exertions a little bit this year.

Goals: Get fit, and sharpish. Training starts in earnest on Monday 29th of September.

The Crewmate.

The DW race is open to one and two man crews. The one man crew have to race through 4 days. However the two man senior crews can push through in one sitting. This is the DW-race I want to compete in.
Unfortunately I am usually a lone paddler, throwing my boat on the car and doing my own thing. This kind of means I don’t have an obvious paddle pal who is all set and ready to take his/her kayaking on a 125 mile race.

I do have a likely candidate for my crewmate though, in the form of my best chum, Nigel. We used to do loads of stuff in the Scouts (a fine and worthwhile organisation btw) but since we left many years ago, grew up, got jobs, we pretty much stopped doing outdoorsy stuff.

I mentioned it over the weekend over a few beers (at our friends stag do) and he seems pretty keen on the idea at the moment so he’s in. His kayaking experience is 15 years rusty.

Goals: Put Nigel in a boat and see what he’s got. (aiming to do that as soon as next weekend, maybe this weekend after the F1).

The Boat.

No idea on this one at the moment. Currently I have a Dagger RPM general purpose kayak and leaving the absence of a second seat aside, it is slow and heavy, and about as suitable for the Devizes to Westminster race as clogs are for the London Marathon.

I have also never paddled a racing boat, not really. I have a White Water racing boat and know how tippy that can be, and these marathon racers are apparently just as bad if not worse.

So I need to track down a manufacturer who has demo boats so that we can have a go in them, and then secondly need to work out how to fund the purchase of one of these beautifully elegant craft. That is a mission for early next year though.

Goals: Track down suitable source for a racing boat.

Support Crew.

And finally for the DW-Race, you need a willing support crew who will meet, encourage, feed and help you on your way. I’m not going to worry too much about this aspect yet, my missus has all but agreed to be the shuttle bunny for this excursion and I’m sure we can rope a few others to help out.

Goals: None at the moment.