Maximum Heart Rate Test Protocols One of the more effective ways to gauge intensity during your training sessions is to utilize a heart rate monitor and work at prescribed intensities during your workout. While using a heart monitor isn’t required, we have found that training by heart rate is more effective and more interesting than…
Understanding Periodization in Training Some time ago I was working with an excellent time-trialing training program for cycling – the cover of the training plan had these words on it: Structured, Systematic, and Progressive That sums up a great training program perfectly. If you’re serious about maximizing performance, these three words need to be the…
One of the most difficult things for paddle athletes to determine is the amount of training that needs to be done to meet their goals. The answer is actually pretty simple, given a few common-sense guidelines. In general, the more time you spend on the water, the better you’ll perform. Time on water improves aerobic…
I was recently watching an episode of Criminal Minds, and this advice from Niccolo Machiavelli was quoted, and of course, it made me think of racing. That’s normal, right? (By the way, binge-watching Criminal Minds on Netflix is a pretty good way to ensure you sleep with the light on every night for the rest…
Our friend Brian Lee shared this video of a run down a windy intracoastal waterway paddle last week. At 6 seconds, Brian takes a dip, and just a few second later a gust of wind picks up the 14-foot race SUP, propels it OVER Brian’s head and down the waterway. In less than a second,…
Speed Testing 3 Top Race Paddleboards: The 2016 14′ x 25″ All Star, the 2017 14′ x 24.5″ All Star, and a custom 2016 14′ x 23″ All Star I was actually giddy on test day — I’ve been wanting to do a comparison between the 2016 All Star and the 2017 All Star since…
I’ll start with the usual disclaimer – these tests are more fun than scientific, and your mileage will vary. This particular test session was cut short because one of our testers unexpectedly landed a date and ditched us halfway through, so the data is incomplete – but we still gathered some interesting information. Meet the…
A few years ago I purchased an excellent time-trialing training program – when I received it, the cover had these words on it: Structured, Systematic, and Progressive That sums up a great training program perfectly. If you’re serious about maximizing performance, these three words need to be the basis of your training plan. Structured It’s…
SUP Technique Tip Keep your eyes on the horizon as you paddle. Many of us tend to focus on the board (or the Speedcoach) as we paddle, but it’s important to get the head up and look ahead while paddling, and especially while racing and training. Here are a few reasons why: Improved Breathing Try…
By Rod Clayton Totally UNscientific Testing is back, this time with some high power race SUP boards that may be at the top of your race board wish list. Read on to see how some of the top race boards compared in head-to-head testing! Disclaimer: In my opinion, there probably is no “fastest” stand up paddleboard.…
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you learn pivot turns? One bit at a time. The best way to learn complex skills like a good buoy turn is to break the movements down into basic parts and then master each part. We’re loving this Stop and Go drill from flyingfishpaddleclub.com because it…
We believe one of the best things you can do to improve your stand up paddleboard racing stroke technique is to be aware of it. Without fail, the paddlers we see going the fastest are the ones who pay A LOT of attention to their technique. This video from Red Paddle Co is an excellent…
