dns... Did Not Start

The back problem still lingers on. Eventually I had to cancel both the Pangbourne Hasler and our own own Hare & Hounds, both events that I had been looking forward to, but discretion being the better part of valour, won out. After a couple of jogs which didn't bring about any adverse effect I had just convinced myself that a return to the water would be a good next move. I did a very short jog a couple of days later and found the same problem re-occurring which has just about put the cap on any meaningful exercise. Perhaps my body is trying to tell me something.

All this means that the monthly mileage has dropped again and the first long distance club race in November that I had been aiming for, a 16 mile 'Canal Challenge' is getting further away and looking less likely all the time. The overall mileage target of 500 miles by the end of December is also dropping behind with a 60 mile deficit and zilch so far for September, it's not looking good.

In the meantime however, young Ellie's paddling career progresses well. Unfortunately though, her usual partner in the K2 events has decided to give up paddling, which rather leaves her in a bit of a fix. Luckily, another young lady has taken up the position and they had their first outing together at the Henley Hasler last Sunday, which I went down to watch. Without any preparation whatsoever by way of practice, they won their Div 9 event quite convincingly by almost a minute, scoring the maximum 20 points for the club. Her dad and his partner in K2, newly promoted to Div 7, cruised in at around tenth place also scoring well.

The club, as a whole, has qualified for the national Hasler final which is to be held at Richmond this coming Sunday. To actually compete in the final, individual paddlers need to have done at least three previous Hasler events during the season to qualify. Unfortunately (again) my track record of two completed races and one dns doesn't qualify me to compete. I had been looking to putting in one more to get the qualification but it just wasn't to be. 

But, both Ellie and her dad have qualified in K2 over the course of the season, so it looks as though I'll just be an interested bystander at the party. This final is taking place at Richmond, pmostly on the tidal stretch above Richmond bridge, almost home ground for dad.  He isn't likely to remember it with very much fondness though as it also incorporates Teddington lock as one of the portage stages of the races, which is of course the watershed point and about the 100 mile point in the DW race.

At least I won't have an awful lot of travelling to do for a change.