In the last post titled “Ode to an Erg” Heather sang the praises of the device that she and I rely on when the weather turns icy and/or we’re short on workout time. The Kayakpro Speedstroke Gym kayak ergometer is hands down the most realistic replacement for actually getting on the water and getting that [...]

Hours after welcoming Jazlyn into the world last spring, we bought a kayak erg. At the moment of the arrival of our newest child, I think we realized, we were going to busy! And, boy we were right! Every second of my day and night are accounted for. So, walking down to the garage and [...]

There MIGHT be a group of women  in Whatcom County who could throw down against the Kulshan Cycles ladies and give them a run for their money at the Ski to Sea. Maybe. But when you consider how much depth and talent there is on the team now — including the 2010 Women’s Top Gun from [...]

Tonight was my first ‘Wednesday Nighter’ of the year. This is our informal, once a week, 3.5-mile pick-up paddle race, where we gauge our fitness as we race the clock and about 60 other racers every Wed Night from March through Sept. When I was pregnant with Hayden I wrote about my Pregnant Athlete Workout, [...]

In the last post, I mentioned how I recently finished a 6-week training session with rowing coach Carlos Dinares in preparation for the NW Ergomania in Seattle. I mentioned that I would explain: What workouts Carlos had me do; What he taught me; The tests he put me through — and the humbling results; And I’ll [...]

Last weekend, my 7-week stint working with rowing coach Carlos Dinares came to a climax at the NW Ergomania Indoor Rowing Championships. I’d met Carlos back in December, 2010, and asked him to guide my training for a new personal record at the contest. He didn’t disappoint! In January 2010, I rowed a 6:18 in [...]

Every race I enter sticks in my mind as special for some reason or another. This weekend’s New Year’s Challenge in Seattle I registered for months ago as a motivation to get on the water and train when my belly was big, the weather was cold, and I needed a little extra kick in the [...]

Wherever you’ve been finishing in the pack at the latest races, if you’re not right up in front then there are a handful of pretty traditional but too-often ignored tips, tricks and techniques you can use to race faster and finish higher in the rankings. We’ve undoubtedly written about each of these Not-So-Ninja Speed Tips [...]

Our spring and summer race season begins with the Dan Harris Challenge this weekend. How do we train for race season? What races do we train through, and which ones do we rest for? When do we taper? Being our own coaches in a somewhat obscure sport, it is fun trying to find the perfect [...]

Stand-out athlete and firefighter, Beau Whitehead, stormed the SUP scene this past year gaining recognition as both a top racer and ambassador for the sport. As a fitness & adventure ‘way-of-lifer’, he is continuously entertaining us with surf and SUP videos and educating us with stroke and fitness tips. He recently made this video featuring [...]