Staying motivated through

WORDS: MELISSA DAVIS (Paddle Sports Coach) | IMAGES : MATT MAC | DAVY CHUNG | STANLY LAM | AL MOK | ERIN JUHL

ecember through to February and in to March are some of the coldest months of the year in Hong Kong with temperatures dropping to single digits in the early mornings and nighttime. For the majority of the Club’s paddlers, training on the water continues through the ‘off-season’ and winter months despite the bitter cold wintry winds and challenging conditions. So, how does this affect the mindset of some of the Club’s best and most dedicated group of paddlers who continue to commit to water trainings despite the cold?

Here is what some of the Club’s top athletes have to say…

Ryan Lopez

“Adverse conditions are the best training conditions. They mean fewer people will be on the water putting in the time and more importantly, there is more training that you can do compared to flat, calm days. Headwinds are great for learning to put your head down and grind it out with good power and better technique. Side winds train your stability and confidence and anything from behind is a fun bonus. Besides all that, knowing you can weather difficult conditions more comfortably than your previous self or competitors is a fantastic growth milestone!”

Francesca Zino

“Often, I love being out paddling on my own with the elements, it’s a great headspace time in the whirl of HK. But more often than not, it’s having arranged to meet up with someone or do a Club organised session that keeps me from turning over and going back to sleep when it’s cold and dark.”

Lister Woo

“Paddling is a team sport. Letting your team down is not an option, whether it is rain, or shine or snow.”

Erin Juhl

“Usually the winter is the time I build up a base; three days at the gym and three days on the water which gradually shifts to four and two. However, were this a normal year I’d be training now for an overseas race in April (provided I got a spot). You need about four months to work up to the endurance needed to do a 42/64 km channel crossing. This work isn’t to win the race; this is just to complete the race! But this year I doubt we’ll be going anywhere so playing with the surf ski on the weekends. If the Gorge happens in the summer I’ll start a proper training regimen.”

Jeremy Young

“When it’s dark and cold it’s tough to keep going to training in the early hours and even tougher when it’s wet. I combat this by ensuring I keep my eye on the prize; the next local race or a big overseas race and by having a training programme that requires discipline. I know I can’t skip a session. Waking up is a routine with a timeline working backwards from walking out the door.