Our Tahoe outrigger canoe racing team did a big Northern California outrigger canoe race last weekend that started at the Golden Gat Bridge, went around the north Side of Alcatraz Island, up to the base of the Oakland Bay Bridge, then back to the Presidio in San Francisco - 10.6 miles. The men's team was 3rd overall and third open men's out of 21 canoes. The only two boats that beat us were full of some kind of Samoan/Hawaiian hybrids, of something. there were lots of serious teams that really wanted to beat us, in the worst way - but we took it to 'em!! The Tahoe women's crew was 4th in the open women's division!

I'm in seat 4:

And 2nd from the right:


My wife is the one in the middle of the awesome group of girls:


Now you know why my bike still isn't running.

 

how much training did you have to do?

 

We train hard.
We started the season in May in Hawaii, paddling 1-2 hours/day for 7 days +swimming/snorkeling/surfing.
We did our 1st race as a coed team in Monterey, CA Labor Day weekend and were 3rd overall and 1st in the open coed division.
then we started interval training in June, 2 nights/week, 1-1/2-2 hours of very high ntensity workouts. I had to seat race for a seat on the men's boat. The seat race intervals were 5 minutes each, then two paddlers switch seats and go again and measure the time difference between the first and 2nd set. the first seat race session was 12 five minute intervals, with a 2 minute rest. the 2nd session the next week was 8five minute sessions.

I also swim 1500 yards 2-4 days/week + bike rides. I haven't been this fit in a long time! I'm pretty sure I feel 20 years younger. We're a bunch of near 50s, racing against 30 somethings.

 

This was such a cool action photo that my mom took, I had to post it:

 

very cool, looks like fun. Gotta love those endorphins.