Newbie Mistakes

My fingers are killing me.

I know I've been writing about my kayak a lot over the past week, but considering that COVID-19 is keeping me from travel (my airline cancelled my September flight to Belgium), visiting with friends and family, or hanging out in bars, my weeks seem to be filled up with binging on TV, going for walks around my neighbourhood, the occasional bike ride, and kayaking.

Kayaking is relaxing. I had maybe done it a dozen times, before DW and I bought our own, and we've always enjoyed being out on the water. In the previous times where we've borrowed or rented the kayaks, we had only been out on the water for a very short time.

This Sunday was a first. We covered about 12 kilometres in under two-and-a-half hours, and it was great. It made me want to get back out on the water the very next day. Only, a handful of things prevented me from doing so, and it will likely be a few more days before I climb into my cockpit and start paddling again.

It all comes down to newbie mistakes.

In the past, DW and I have puttered around in kayaks. We spent nearly as much time in a craft, just getting used to it, as we did paddling around once we figured it out. We also didn't have a destination: we'd just cruise around the river, bay, or lake, exploring the wildlife, knowing that we'd eventually drift back to the shore or dock.

Sunday's paddle had a plan: head from Jessups Falls to Plantagenet, in northeastern Ontario, and back. We didn't know how long it would take but we planned three hours. Because I wanted this to be a workout as much as a recreational jaunt, I used the health app on my phone to record stats. For the most part, that meant to keep moving.

For much of this trek, I used my arms to pull my paddle toward me with each stroke. I should have focused on my form, slightly turning my body into each stroke and pulling with my torso, as well as my arms. If I had done that, my shoulders wouldn't have ached later that evening, and into Monday.

I should have worn my neoprene gloves. They serve two purposes: one, they protect your hands from the sun; two, and most importantly, they protect the crook of your hand between the thumb and index finger from abrasions and blistering. About halfway into our ride, I could see red spots where my paddle was rubbing me. By the time we reached Plantagenet, my hands were downright sore.

I also started gripping the paddle too tightly as we made our way back to Jessups Falls. I did it because when I held the shaft with a firm grip, it didn't rub on the areas that I feared were starting to blister. I noted that I had gripped the paddle firmly on the occasions when I decided to dig in and pass DW, but now I was hanging on for dear life to alleviate the pain.

And that's why my hands are killing me now. The pain is particularly acute when I hold my hand flat with the fingers pointing straight out. My hands also ache when I try to make a fist.

Wear gloves: loosen grip.

Finally, because of the late spring we've had this year, I have discovered that there's still plenty of pollen in the air and on the rivers. When I pulled my kayak out of the South Nation River, back at Jessups Falls, I could see a yellow film lightly coating the red deck of my kayak. And all Sunday night, into Monday, my sinuses made me suffer.

Allergy meds: I need to take allergy meds before and after a kayak ride.

DW and I have only owned our own kayaks for a couple of weeks, and we're making all kinds of rookie mistakes. Just as we're getting better each time at loading and unloading our kayaks and gear onto our car, We'll remember our gloves, improve how we stroke and hang onto our paddles, and make sure allergy season doesn't get the better of us.

I'm sore and suffering, but I still love my kayak. And I hope you don't mind if I share our adventures.