The Horse Latitudes...

There is a song by the Doors that is based on a poem by Jim Morrison about the doldrums or Horse Latitudes, the seas near the equator where the wind does not blow. For sailing ships this was a nightmare. It is said that captains would order the crew to jettison cargo, cannons, equipment, horses (yes Spanish ships carried horses) anything to make their ships light enough to catch the little breaths of wind (remember a leaf blows across the surface and a log moves with the water...our canoes are leaves that become logs when full of water).

This post is about the psychological doldrums some of us are experiencing at this time. It is very common to find "dead spots" in your training year, times when you aren't particularly jazzed about going out for a paddle and are feeling a bit tired and maybe a bit sore. Unless you are over trained (and that is possible though unlikely if you have been following the training schedule) the effect is largely in your head.

We have been training since September. We began racing in March or so. Our goal race is in the fall. We have to keep our edge or at least if we lose it we have to know how to regain it. This comes down to all of you. In the past we have gone to Elk Lake to have a fun day in the small boats. We are probably due.

As for you and your own mood, try to refind things about canoeing that you love. Learn a new seat. Read about the history of the sport. Find a webpage you have never seen before about paddling or peruse the club websites from other parts of the world. Try a new boat or type of boat. Watch a paddling video that gets you excited. Rent a copy of Riding Giants about big wave surfing or Step Into Liquid about surfing generally. Make it fun.

As always see you on the water.

Brent