Flexibility Work

At last night's practice, Kate led us through some of the flexibility exercises from Fit to Paddle. Ben talked to us about stretching for flexibility vs overstretching (which can lead to less strength in that muscle). We held the stretches for 30 seconds (and could feel it!).

Amazon's got the Fit to Paddle book on sale right now, if you'd like your very own copy!

A Thanksgiving Thought

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, red wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ~ WOO HOO what a ride!"

(You could substitute "paddle in one hand, scoop of bean dip in the other" up there and have a fairly accurate description of how many of us feel after a good workout!)

Birthdays, Television Appearances, and Practice

Last night's practice included circuit work (weights/abs) for most of us, with 4 people getting one-to-one coaching from Ben on technique. Ben will do this each Monday -- the majority of us will do a workout while he works closely with a set of 3 or 4 on technique, using the paddle erg. Stay tuned for the schedule of which week you'll be in the technique group.

We also celebrated Jack's birthday with Stef's delicious cake -- decorated with a school of big-eyed Paddlefish. Happy Birthday, Jack!

Today's the day KDKA plans to air the feature clips of Bob doing his job, so don't forget to watch Channel 2! (Rumor has it that Bob also has a birthday coming up....)

This week we've moved to the M/Th/Saturday schedule. Thursday's practice is currently scheduled to be on the ergs at Washington's Landing.

Brrrrr.....

So this morning we paddled from the 40th St Bridge down to the 16th St Bridge and back. The water was something like a bazillion degrees below zero and we are all probably nuts.

But we did it!

Kathi and Laurie have great neoprene gloves that can help keep your outside (in-the-water) hand from cramping from the freezing water. Please go to www.campmor.com if you'd like to order a pair for yourself:

Stearns Sportsman's Gloves
Price: 14.99

Saturday Practice + A Bit of a Poem

Practice Tomorrow (Saturday, November 13): Please come to the Millvale Boat House by 9 prepared to go out on the water OR work out indoors. It’s supposed to be cold but sunny, so we’ll see how cold it really is before making a decision on whether to be on the water (we’ll need someone in a launch) or indoors.

We’ll head down to Pamela’s after practice to re-connect in pancake fellowship. I would normally tell you to tuck some money in your sports bra for that (even though we’re not paddling down to the Strip), but given the weather maybe I should encourage you to tuck some money into a wool cap!

For your weekend reading pleasure, an excerpt from a poem by Pauline Johnson:

And up on the hills against the sky,
A fir tree rocking its lullaby,
Swings, swings,
Its emerald wings,
Swelling the song that my paddle sings.

Tonight's Practice & Tomorrow's Agenda

Practice tonight is at 6:30 in the Millvale Boat House. Pauline has promised to provide cardio/weight "entertainment" for us. This will be an indoor practice -- we will not be on the water, so come dressed for sweaty weights instead of chilly splashes.

The team meeting is tomorrow night at Ray’s Marlin Beach Grill on Butler Street in Lawrenceville. The food is good and the drinks are creative, so you can eat dinner during the meeting, if you like, or just have a drink, but we’ll try to jump right into the agenda (see below) quickly.

Agenda
Second Annual Dragon Boat Team Meeting
November 11, 2004
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Ray’s Marlin Beach Grill

I. Review last year’s goals:

Develop an independent, self-sustaining travel team
Increase team membership
Enhance team members’ overall fitness
Travel to at least one out-of-town race

II. Discuss current issues:

Defining the team (purpose, expectations, goals)
Team membership
What kind of team structure will help us reach our goals

III. Treasurer’s Report

IV. Election of Officers

PARTY TIME

First announcement -- Carolyn's Big Birthday Bash will be held December 18th at my house, save the date and watch here for details.

Annual Team Meeting

Our 2nd annual team meeting will be held next Thursday, November 11th, at 7:30 PM at Ray's Marlin Grill (I may have that name a little skewed -- same place we met last year) on Butler Street in Lawrenceville. (See http://www.raysmarlinbeach.com/ .)

They need a head count for the reservation. Please post here or let Chuck know via email whether or not you will be able to attend.