I’ve always known that a sparring partner is a very important specialty in kayaking. Creeking or river running is almost impossible and dangerous without him and freestyling is quite boring if you are on your own. But it is not easy to find a soul mate you can share your enthusiasm with, especially in a discipline like freestyle. I am very lucky to have found my soul mate – my husband who is my kayaking partner and trainer in one person. I train with him all the time. I’ve trained without him just few times in our 12-year relationship. However this spring he left for one month to Uganda and Canada and I stayed at home. It was a big challenge for me. I wanted to continue in my training plan. My mum and my mum-in-law helped me with little Peter, so I could train every day. One problem was solved, but another one was staying motivated. It is a big difference to kayak for fun or prepare for an event. I don't mean to say that it isn’t fun, but it’s definitely serious training and you have to stay focused.
Almost every time I was on the water on my own. Within one month, I met my friends only twice at our play spot. That was almost like a holiday for me. But I didn’t mind, I had to train on my own so I set some rules. These rules helped me to stay focused and motivated. The importance is to know what you want to train. I set my exact training target before I started. It was easier for me knowing how many moves I have to do or how many are left. While there was no trainer to correct me, I just imagined all the moves and the right technique to throw them.
In addition to kayaking I went running and did exercises for my strength. I don't like to spend many hours in the gym, so when Peter is away I train mostly outdoor and I can do that while little Peter is playing or sleeping. Running is easy with my jogging stroller and I am not limited in terms of daytime. I do many exercises with my body weight. I can easily do 15 pull-ups 5 times, which was impossible for me before. I feel much stronger and this moves me forward and keeps me focused. I am happy that I could stick to my plan and train even without my awesome husband. But I am also happy that it is over now and we can do everything together again. It’s definitely more fun!
So let’s surf some big waves! I am already looking forward for our next adventure with my great family - Peter, little Peter, Puko and I in our awesome home on wheels.
See you!
