Making the Most of Your Stand Up Paddle Training Session

Maliko Gulch

The new SUP race season and competitions are starting worldwide, and making the most out of each stand up paddle training session is key. Save time and energy so you can be as efficient as possible when it really matters.

In this article I’ll lend you a few tips and offer advice on how I train and how I approach my training with my SUP clients to help you devise a plan to help keep you on track and on the podium.

Whether you’re on tour this year and you want to crush it, or you’re entering your first stand up paddle race and not sure how to train, or just want to increase your stand up paddling performance; having a plan for each training session is a great way to help you push harder, grow your heart and mental capacity and can teach you a few things about yourself and how you can always improve.

I have a saying:

“If you’re going to paddle like you mean it,
you better mean it and paddle.”

Your paddle training session is a time to maybe refine your stroke technique or try out a new paddle length or blade width, or even more exciting maybe baptize a new board! It’s also the best opportunity to get your mental game in check. Shake out all your self-doubt and don’t compare yourself to others, just be you and do your best each time.

 You may be very well prepared with your hydration pack with all the right fluids, but when you show up to the water’s edge with your board and paddle in hand, do you know if you’re going straight, right or around a couple of buoys, upwind and for how long?

My first boss in orthopedics would always tell me, “Suzie when you leave the house and you don’t know if you’re doing a shoulder or a knee that day, turning right or left out of the driveway, don’t bother, stay home.” Ouch. It was a grueling, very competitive and tough environment, and I was one of the only females in the company, but that hit me like a two by four and I have never forgotten that. Thank you Ron. I use the same example now for my clients and myself.

So I ask, do you have a plan or training program set up for your SUP training sessions? Are you timing yourself and marking your splits, or are you just going to kind of see how you feel, wait for a good song on your iShuffle and see what happens? Stop the music.

Along with your routine of putting on your heart rate monitor, if you use one; applying sunscreen, adjusting your visor and buckling on your hydration pack, take a few extra minutes to do a quick active warm up that allow your body to prepare you for your training. Scan the water and take in some deep breaths. Observe conditions and make sure the water texture and weather is on course with your plan. If not adjust accordingly and do what you can.

Oh, your plan? You need a plan that’s right. Here’s a quick and dirty sample training plan or program outline to get you started. You can do a fancy program sheet like I have or simply right down columns in a spiral notebook. Keep in your truck or maybe on your iPad.

Each session should be thought out and simple but focused. Perform a quick warm up for about 3-5 minutes max. I’ve listed a few below. You can pick 2 or perform them all. It should be nice and easy and just flow. Your goals could be anything such as increase cadence and speed, practice paddling into or up wind, control breathing or improving mile splits. They could be a number of things, but don’t over complicate it.

Another thing I suggest is to rate your performance and how you felt. Did you go too easy on yourself or were on fire? Write it down. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being you sucked wind and a 10 is you crushed your old times and feel amazing.

Sample Paddle Training Plan:

Active Warm Up:

10 Alternating big arm circles
10 Leg Squats (not deep) hands on hips or held out straight in front of you
10 Left to right, 2 arm, swing both arms like an elephant trunk with hips bent over, knees bent,  nice and easy
10 Rounding shoulder shrugs
Optional: 5 standard or knee bent push-ups

Week:   Goal 3 Days

This is just a sample of how you can chart your progress and have a plan for the week or even a month. It goes much beyond this especially if you have to taper a bit before a race or after or if you’re on the road and you need to get your rest.

The point is just have some sort of game plan. If you’d like me to help you develop your own personal strategy, I’m here to help. This is what I do.

Contact me through this website and we can make a paddling plan unique for you. You don’t have to be a pro to paddle like one! Go for it. Let me know how you’re doing.

Please feel free share this article on Facebook and give a Tweet and it would be most awesome  if you’d leave me a comment and tell us how you like to train. We all can learn and be a better paddler.

Stay tuned for my new e book that will cover EVERYTHING coming soon. Subscribe to my free e newsletter to be the first to know.

Smile big and paddle like no one is watching.

Mahalo,

Suzie Cooney
Suzie Trains Maui