Bill Vickers

January

January is the time of year we start thinking of racing very far South, or taking the family to somewhere warm. My wife has a bug for being somewhere warm with a beach. Usually like this. She sits on the beach, while I take the kids out snorkeling.

This is her when I dragged her up to NY so I could get in some hill training.

It was about 30 deg on that mtn, and she wasn't too happy. So, I took her to dinner. She did her first 30 mile bike ride, but wasn't too happy about it, so we stopped at a coffee shop on the way. She also wasn't too happy when I told her the vacation was for us, and we drove up in this car with the kayak and bikes on the back.

So, to make her happy, I upgraded the room, and she was happy.

However, every winter, about midJanuary, her job as a pediatrician gets a tad hectic since kids like to get sick in the winter. So, she likes to plan a trip early spring as things settle down. So, we have to go away to some place warm. Not that I mind, I might add. So, this year, we are again doing our annual sailboat cruise and are taking the kids to the British Virgin Islands. It's sort of like a tent on water, but it just costs alot more.

And I get to navigate and do all the work. Also, every year, my mom joins us, since she's been sailing longer than I have, loves the water just as much, and loves spending time with the kids. Also, maybe so my wife and I can go out together without the kids. My mom is also an adventure race newbie, and she's busy training for her first race. She was up to running almost 5miles/day this summer, and she's 65+ yrs old. Her only problem holding her back is her shoulder tendonitis from feeding 100 llamas and alpacas everyday and shoveling snow. So, right now, her kayak has been collecting dust until her physical therapist gets her shoulder rehabed. I like to think my parents installed something in me, but my mom is sure crazier than I am. This is my mom, after a 5 mile hike on our boat trip in the Bahamas last year. That's Jake, my son, carrying an oversize coconut. He was fascinated with them and wanted to bring it back to the boat. I didn't want to carry it the 1 mile, so I told him, if he really wanted it, he had to carry it. He almost most got it back to the boat before he nearly collapsed, so grandma naturally picked it up and took it back to the boat.

However, it's still january, and the kids have learned how to ski, while we await someplace warm. But Jake definitely needs a helmet.

Anyhow, the things we do to keep the loved ones happy!!

Bill

Winter training

It's the time of year we all head indoors and drone out the miles on a treadmill or bike trainer. Well, for those of us who play the time budget thing or have to have a parent nearby for the kids, training indoors has it's pluses. Nothing like the outside obviously. However, courtesy of my new coach (more about LME later), I now have something to fill the mind numbing experience when I get tired of watching the news. Troy Jacobson's Spinevals/Runerals. Now I think I know why Troy sold his bike/multisport store, since he seems to selling these videos like hot cakes. I imagine he's probably sitting on an island thinking about his days when he was fast. I tried getting my videos on ebay over the holiday. Forget it.
Still, whenever possible, gotta get outside. So, last night, I road outside on the road in the dark, and it was %#@ 28 deg. Played around with the headlamp some and tried to push out the 20 miles to forget how cold my extremities were, but that's difficult when your at road speed. Pretty much froze my gnoonies off with the windchill. The local MTB trails have been a semifrozen glue of lately, so it looks like the road for awhile. It ain't fun cleaning the glue off the bike when all the hoses are frozen at my house. I did clean my cross bike about a week ago, and my hands are still frozen from that experience.
Tonight, I went paddling, to freeze some more, but this time I tried out the new Extrasport x-pert stretch dry top that we have at www.annapoliscanoeandkayak.com. It's the latest in a 3-membrane material which has stretchy properties. (not unlike some of the newer gore-tex fabrics, I was told, but they are advertising that it's more stretchy and breathable). I couldn't find many reviews of this jacket though and grabbed one since I was impressed with my first look at this. As breathability usually goes, usually they get increased water permeability though. But hmm, this is a dry suit. I do have an older stretch goretex spray top from my sailing days, but this one is a ton more stretchy off the shelf. Pretty cool!
After my trial, I got to say, of all the latest gear stuff I have worn, this is one tops the list for cold weather paddling. In fact, it might replace my NRS hydroskin in more mild temps. It's alot more expensive than hydroskin, but it's a dry suit material, so really has a different intended purpose. I was dry inside, except for some dampness on my synthetic shirt from the activity. That's pretty amazing for a dry top. Usually I get pretty damp just from sweating that doesn't leave the inside of a drysuit. The inside of the suit didn't ice up, which is usual for goretex in freezing environments from the perspiration build up. I did have some ice on my cap, kayak, and my shoulders, so i assumed it would of iced up inside the suit if it was damp enough inside. So, I think the real benefit is in the breathability and stretchability. It also has an innovative one way valve positioned high up in front, to let extra moisture to escape. Not sure if that also helps or is just a gimmick. Nevertheless, something works in this top. I wore it inside for about an hour and noticed no clammy feeling. I trialed it when doing sprints and short intervals on the water, with only a synthetic short sleeve underneath. It was about 30 deg outside and pitch black, but little windchill except for the 6+mph I was creating. I barely noticed I had a top on, which is a far cry from my other drysuit which is binding and has the larger sealed zipper which adds to lots stiffness in the top. The PFD was certainly more of a hindrance than anything this time. Without a PFD, it feels like a very soft top. It's alot less binding than NRS hydroskin, which is the usual top of choice for kayak racers in moderate conditions and colder water. This top of course has a rubber neck closure, as do all dry tops, but I was lucky in that mine fit pretty well off the shell.
The only drawback is that it must be paired to dry pants, so in terms of a major offshore sailing or sea kayaking suit, there is the small risk of water coming in between the layers. I'm mostly thinking of a serious prolonged immersion situation. In reality, this dry top was designed for whitewater and close to shore cold water paddling. For what I use it for, high aerobic efforts, whether sailing or kayaking, it fits the bill. Well done Extrasport! I will try using it in some colder nighttime adventure racing environments and report back on it's longevity.