Devizes to Westminster

How we did the Devizes to Westminster...

We had a team of 2 paddlers, 2 kayak club members and 5 specialist supporters (specialising in things such as home cooked food, navigation, being patient and/or calming and minor first aid). Everyone contributed to the race with large amounts of time and enthusiasm (for which we are very grateful).

George and I trained from the beginning of the year. We consistently came mid field in the Waterside A, B and D and Thameside II races, and all the timings pointed to us completing the Endeavour class in about 24 hours.

In the end, the result was that we WON our class, and put in a time of 20h 6m 33s. Result!

It was the team effort that really made it work, so I thought I would put some thoughts down about why it all worked out so well.

Training
The more the better. We trained 2-3+ days a week. In the winter it's difficult to get out on the water, so we did running or British Military Fitness on a Tuesday, Ergo machine on Wednesdays, circuits on Thursdays, out for a Kayak paddle on Saturdays and then race on Sunday if there was one on.

It may take a while to work out who will paddle in front and who behind. Just alternate the races and see how the times turn out. We suffered from a difference in cadence. I found I couldn't put in much effort if the pace was too fast, and George naturally has a faster cadence than I do. You just have to work at this.

Spend time doing portage drills. 77 portages each taking an extra 30s is going to cost you a lot of time. Once you have a drill, stick to it unless there is a good reason (e.g. carry kayak on shoulders unless it's a particularly short portage).

Also spend some time falling in the water and getting out again. It's surprising how even after a year and a half of learning to kayak you might not really know how to drain a boat of water and get back in. Do this at low walls, high walls and beach portages.

Get out on at least one long run. Knowing that you can do 6+ hours is useful, and Waterside D certainly helps a lot to take away the first day nerves (it's the same as day 1 of the DW). This will also give you an idea of how long the real race is going to take.

Get out on the Thames at least once. It's a different world if you're used to narrow canals. There are pleasure cruisers making big waves (steer into the waves so you hit them front on, and don't forget your spray deck), and sometimes choppy water.

Training with the support crews is also important. This should happen on at least one race.

A word about The Tunnel. It's not as bad as people make out. Just keep your paddles low and make progress forwards no matter how slow. It is worth having head torches so you can see the walls, and the paddles of the person in front.

Accommodation
BOOK EARLY. The night before the race we stayed at http://www.rockleyhouse.com/ which was a great B&B. Jane and George are very accommodating and will even let you launch from their back garden into the water if you want. On the other days we were lucky enough to be able to go home to sleep.

Support crews
It was the whole team pulling together that made our DW a success.

We met as a complete team 3 or 4 times over the two months leading up to the DW. I can share some notes on the planning that we did as they might be useful. Ideas and input was provided by everyone and particularly George and his mum and dad since they had experience of the event from the previous year.

For the race itself, support was provided as follows.

We had Clive cycling along side us for all 4 days. This was great because
1) there was always moral support
2) he could scream out distances to locks
3) he could ride up to the lock and point out where we should portage and push off
4) he carried the tape that stuck the nose back together on the kayak when we smashed into a notch in a lock wall
5) he could report by text to the other support crews where were vs the schedule

I can't recommend a cyclist enough. Day 4 we didn't see a lot of Clive, but his presence was a reassurance nonetheless.

We had three other crews - Richard/Hannah/Tom, Lynsey, Alexander/Maria. I now think two additional crews would have been enough to cover the portages. Also, pairs are better than someone on their own. There can be long lonely waits, and navigation is easier with two.
Support crews did the following on the race days:
-Transport to/from the race
-Lugging the kayak about and helping to prepare it
-Carrying spares (rudder, duct tape, screwdriver, nuts and bolts)
-Stuffing food (and pain killers where necessary) in our mouths and shouting lots of support (the most important thing!)
-Bringing warm dry clothes to the finish

Nutrition and hydration
We allowed 2L of 25% watered down isotonic per day. This was in two camelbaks (swapped over at a defined point half way through). Additional drinks at the beginning/end of the day.

Breakfast: Porridge
Just before the race: Cereal bar
During the race: jaffa cakes, squares of honey sandwich, banana, grapes, fudge, bits of cereal bar. Don't be afraid of heavy food. You're not running much.
Immediately after the race we found REGO by SIS was really good. It has carbs and protein (and lots of other fancy stuff), but really aided recovery (as long as you take it within 20m).
Dinner: Pasta until it comes out of your ears

Blisters
I found that insulating tape on top of blister plasters worked really well. You have to practice a bit to get the tape loose enough yet effective. I had my right hand bound across the palm AND wrist so that the blister on my thumb could be adequately covered without the tape falling off.

Plan
One last point. The plan worked well. On the days of the race it was sometimes tempting to deviate from it, but when you've got so much to think about, sticking to the plan will prevent too many errors of judgement.

Budget
The costs do add up. I think the support cars totalled 1300 miles on the road. B&B costs, maps, bits of equipment and food for everyone add to the costs too. It runs into hundreds of pounds.

I hope you've found this useful. If you've got any questions then let me know (comment) and I'll try and answer them :)