Frustration Loop.
The session was a dozen laps of Ynys Gored Goch in the Swellies.
Paddling on the flood, each lap of the island is around the 4 mins mark and means a challenging climb against the flood tide at the top of each lap. Today the stiff W wind also complicated the climbs somewhat.
The loop is continuous, with no rest, and the aim is to hold it all together while the fatigue load increases and as flow rate and water depth change with the tide. Features come, go and change during the loop. Lines change on each lap.
At times the climbs are challenging, and trying to hold the boily lines in the wind can become frustrating (‘Give me a break!’) – hence the session title.
A good session that brings together all aspects – physical, mental and technique. You don’t need to work against the clock or the HRM on this one to maintain the pace, the nature of the features within the course mean that you do the work or you don’t get around.
Simples.
And that meant a dozen climbs of this wee beastie today:
By John Willacy