Tag Archives: GoPro

Crush on a Hero (GoPro)

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There was a time when golf was not a televised sport. Logic had it that watching a bunch of golfers whack a little white ball around a golf course, no matter how beautiful the course, would not be entertaining. Millions of rabid viewers later, the power of a great story woven into well shot images made all the difference.  We engage with diverse characters (pros) developed across their careers whether we play or not. Watching golf is adventure and drama when the story and filming is exceptional.

With the amazing digital and video tools available we have a chance to “film life.” We can see the images and become engaged in stories of all types created by pros-and people just like us. As in golf, some are going to gain a huge audience – others, not so much. For example, put the best set of golf clubs in my hands and bring the best video team on site to film my round of 18 holes, no one would care to watch. There’s no way I could deliver the shots or drama viewers need.

Similarly, I actually do own “the best” in equipment – the GoPro. Based on my skills and needs I selected the HERO3 Silver Edition. Armed with chest mount and surfboard mount I set off to document an 8 mile flatwater paddle down the incredibly beautiful coast of west Maui for my first Go Pro experience.  Ed and I took off, taking turns paddling the Naish Glide GS 14 where we’d mounted the GoPro surfboard mount.

The best equipment can’t counter boring footage and inexperience. We had a chest strap to mount the GoPro – but didn’t use it. The surfboard mount can be turned to face the surfer – we didn’t do that. We aimed the GoPro forward and simply let it run for 90 straight minutes of mostly downwind paddling.  The Go Pro Cineform Studio software is easily learned, even by a techno-phobe like me.  Thanks to lots of YouTube and online experts sharing insights every question that came to mind had an easy to access answer. All of that couldn’t make up for my relatively boring footage and lame editing skills.

View from the nose - first wave caught on the Naish Glide GX 14'

View from the nose – first wave caught on the Naish Glide GX 14′

Do I mind? Not really. No matter what, I have documentation of that very first, massively exhilarating ride I got on a chest high glassy wave on the Naish 14′ Glide GX in the few seconds before I bailed out. It was nearly dead low tide and a reef loomed too close to the surface. Editing that first set of Go Pro footage is the start of a cool new hobby. Priceless – and day one on my learning curve.

RPE, SUP and Neutral

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My best paddle last week came about 10 days into my training with the TRX RIP and TRX Suspension trainers.  As I dropped my board into the brisk Deschutes River I was thinking about fall colors and maybe the last barefoot paddle of the season. There was not a cloud in the sky although we were predicted to get a few inches of snow by late evening. I felt great! 

In order to monitor a bit about my training paddles I use Nike+ on my iPhone to get feedback on minutes per mile. I wear a Polar heart rate monitor because sometimes I tend to go too hard for too long and start to erase the fun factor. I always bring along the GoPro HERO with at least two mounts. The suction mount on the board works well in the river, and the head mount captures awesome views. On this particular day I was simply out for color and the brilliant day. Training wasn’t on my mind.

Imagine my surprise when I heard the robo-voice from the Nike+ app say, ” One mile. Average pace 18 minutes per mile.” Okay,” I thought to myself, “When the breeze is in my face and I am going up current in this section of the river I average 21 minutes a mile.” Weird, I wasn’t trying so hard, my rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was medium, maybe a 6 out of 10.  Heart rate was in a manageable range. What was making a difference?

I believe I was cranking out the miles in a quick but seemingly easy manner because of two things.

First of all, I did feel powerful. My feet seemed to be gaining power from my legs with each paddle – and the only thing I was doing differently was maintaining a neutral spine. Core engaged and tail tucked. A neutral spine is a prerequisite to doing the TRX system. Perhaps 10 days of practice at that had provided me with a better “engine.” I have had a habit of bending at the waist, particularly when skiing. Muscle and body memory around creating that more upright, neutral spine might be a valuable transfer to more than just my SUP technique. Good news since ski season is just around the corner.

Technique makes all the difference. I get a great deal of insight by reading Dave Kalama’s blog. He recently wrote, “Paddling most of the time needs to be a very flowing and rhythmic action, not a tense muscle flexed series of positions, but rather a constant continually moving movie. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place to exert yourself, but if your base stroke comes from a place of rhythm and flow, when you exert yourself you will be much more effective and efficient. The best fix for it is to greatly reduce your power level and learn how to use your technique as your driving force, not your power output. Decrease your power to the level that you don’t feel like you’re doing any work at all, and just concentrate on technique. You’ll be surprised at how fast you go.”

I have no doubt that my neutral spine and effective technique made all the difference on speed.  How satisfying to have things come together – awareness of technique, reach, proper hand and arm placement as well as on-land training.  What’s been your best “surprise” when it’s come to RPE and SUP?

Connected: Swimming in the Sea

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This article is in the SUP equipment category – an odd filing perhaps.  Surprisingly, music we listen to while we paddle has a great influence on many aspects of training and plain old positive vibes.

I go to yoga at Groove Yoga Bend where the majority of the instructors and students are in the age 30-40 range. Predictably, the music played before and during class is usually a mix of Top 40, island/ocean themed artists and great ballads. (Check out Colin Hay’s ‘Beautiful World” for example) I began to notice that I knew all the words to the Top 40 hits. At 63, it has been a lot of years since I had a teen in the house keeping me current on music. Then I realized why the tunes not only were familiar but they immediately created a very happy frame of mind.

My 10 year old granddaughter had made me a playlist during my last visit and the 90 minutes of music included most of the “yoga tunes” I recognized.  I have been playing that mix pretty much on every long distance paddle since July.  Every song reminds me of her excitement and comments as she explained why she added them. I might paddle a river in the Pacific Northwest while she goes swimming in the sea – but we are connected by music.

We’re creating a “share the stoke” playlist, tunes and why you love them – send us your favs.

My granddaughter connects with me across the miles via a shared playlist that gives me energy and smiles

For me, a great part of the playlist from my granddaughter is the connection I feel. I know how much she wants to standup paddle with me, but we live 2500 miles apart. For now she “rides the glide” across and dance floor soaring through the air in dance while Grammie surfs. We have a solid connection in both our love of graceful rhythmic movement and the music that brings a beat to the very practice that enhances our best loved athletic practices.

Candice Appleby’s got her music on at the start of the Gorge Paddle Challenge

Creating a powerful playlist for race days and getting breathing and timing steady for distance races is an art.  The right playlist gets us in the zone and then keeps us firing when the going gets grueling. In a like manner, post race music can chill us out.

Chuck Patterson chillin’ with his tunes

How do you pick what’s on your iPod or in your phone?

Have you got a favorite pair of waterproof earphones or a great case for your MP3 player?

I like to use a standard waterproof bag you can get in most marine or kayak shops. I put my phone, use Nike+ for checking distance and time, and select a playlist easily. The whole thing can be strapped to my waist or clipped to my Camelbak.

Maybe you like to go sleek, like the waterproof iPOD or Nano.

What’s in your playlist may not be as important as the tempo and the order of the music you select.

The effect of music on athletes’ emotional responses and athletic performance has received a good deal of attention from researchers. Many say that pre-performance music played at faster tempi and even at a higher volume induced more positive and aroused emotional states in athletes.

The rhythmicity of music heard is also highly motivating. A track with a strong rhythm whose tempo is similar to that of the activity we are performing can enhance sprint performance, by diverting attention towards maintenance of paddle stroke rate. While many researches say that lyrics have little impact, i find that when i am connected to a song because of an emotional connection, a great memory or an image of power and strength i simply feel like working harder or faster.

A key consequence of listening to performance music is visual imagery,or even daydreaming. Music that brings to mind performance-related images will tend to produce association and transfer. So if you have an amazing training session and can connect that to particular music, be sure to add that music to your race or future training playlist.

The pairing of a music track with extrinsic sources of emotion such as a film, artist’s video or a memorable life event is also an important consideration. Many of these connections happen unwittingly, indelibly pinning a track to a specific point or set of memories in time. Make your own heroic music video. If you have a clip of yourself performing particularly well why not have some fun by adding your own “power song” to the video clip. The surprising connection you gain to that positive music video could just add to your SUP fun! With a GoPro on your head, your chest or your board you can mix up the pace, the spirit and the images – have fun!