What with canoeing being an outdoor activity, we tend to notice the gradual and slight changes in the weather around this time of year. We all know that sooner or later the cold and general lack of comfort will push us all to reconsider the benefits of training through the winter, or even being involved in canoeing at all! This is just one reason why it is so important to actually look forward to your winter preparation, to avoid that mid January ‘I hate this sport’ phase.


Most people won’t have stopped training after their season, on the other hand international athletes will have up to 6 weeks of no training at all, but whatever ‘rest’ you decide to take, make sure you actually take it. It’s very important to have a break from training once a year, to allow your body to ‘miss’ that mixed feeling of fatigue and extra energy, and in doing so you should find yourself craving exercise. It’s the pituitary gland releasing endorphins that has us hooked, this euphoric natural pain killer is released after prolonged exercise making us feel good, improving confidence in our heath, lifestyle and can actually feel like it gives us energy, improving daily productivity. However, don’t expect to heave heaps of energy from training 3-4 times a day, believe me when I say the exercise/productivity curve has a peak, and then a very sharp drop!


So, take a short break if you haven’t already, don’t compromise on your enjoyment, and look forward to making it through the whole winter training period consistently.

Here is a man who knows a thing or two about having confidence in his winter training…