Technique
GOING THE DI S TA N C E How to extend your range to 60 miles a day
BY RAY FUSCO
The director of programming at Hudson Valley Outfitters in New York has mastered one of the keys to expedition paddling: the long-distance day. Ray Fusco once paddled 61 nautical miles (113 kilometres) in one go, cruising between the New York towns of Hudson and Cold Spring in 14 hours. At the 2005 Blackburn Challenge, Ray placed second in his division, fin- ishing the East Coast’s legendary 20-mile open-ocean race in a time of 3:26. To help extend the range of all our expeditions, we asked Ray for his top mileage-boosting secrets.
DO THE MATH Calories in must equal calories out. Plan your calorie consumption so you don’t run out of energy. Estimate about 100 calories per nautical mile at a speed of four and half to five knots. Read the labels on food and know how many calories you are taking with you. Balance your diet with a mix of
healthy foods throughout the day to avoid the “bonk.” A lunch break for comfort food like sandwiches, chips and candy bars is a good rest stop, but supplement with high-carbohy- drate, protein-rich energy bars and gel packs while paddling. For a 60-mile day, try five energy
bars, five gels, two sandwiches, a candy bar and a mix of fresh or dried fruit. Duct-tape gel packs to the deck of
your boat for fast, easy consumption. Place the tape across the opening tab so a simple pull will release the gel pack and open it at the same time.
22 || Adventure Kayak spring 2006
SOLVE YOUR DRINKING
PROBLEMS For a 14-hour, 60-mile day, you’ll need at least six litres of liquid. For clean hydration and electrolyte balance, bring three litres of water and three litres of energy drink. Hydration and fuel intake are very closely related. Often consuming a half or full litre of energy drink can be a perfect fix for simple fatigue, or maybe suck down a gel pack with some clean water to drive you for a few more hours. Try using hydration bladders with
a long hose, holding the bite valve in your mouth during peak exertion for quick, constant hydration. And get it off your back! The more stuff you have on, the less torso rotation you will achieve.
IT’S FASTER TO DRIVE Push with your legs to drive your boat past your paddle and through the water. Even the best paddlers drop in and out of good leg drive. It is very easy to forget to drive your legs once you have reached your 3,000th stroke! Find the comfort zone in your
cockpit for maximum leg drive. Then reach, pull hard and smooth, and drive with the legs for a really good glide.
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