JULY 6. 2013

Sam and I put in a 50 mile training run last Saturday, Kaw point to Lexington, MO. The river level has dipped to about 11.5 feet at the KC gauge, near where it was last year and about 4' less than out last outing. This run presented a more realistic view of what we are in for this year, slower water speed, headwinds, horseflies, heat - all the stuff that makes an adventure an adventure. Our gear seems pretty tuned in, need to add a few things to our supplies, athletic tape, more advil, spare shades but i feel like we are fairly prepared with our gear. I wish we could have gotten more miles on the river to date but such is life and we are where we are.
  I have found myself talking about how the sense of adventure isn't quite the same this time around. It feels like it is not quite as mysterious as last year, which is to be expected i suppose. Our goals have changed, i feel like we are fairly prepared, the river still feels good and i love being out there but once you are on the river a large portion of the challenge is mental. What i found on last saturday's run was that it's really not easy to get into a mental state that allows you to sit still, in a boat, and paddle for 8 hours. Last year leading up to the race the training runs were a great time to think about all kinds of things relating to the race and it helped pass the time and i remember the start of the race last year getting all antsy and getting all our stuff together and getting in the boat the starting gun going off and boom, sit still for the next 18hrs. On saturday it seemed like it took me a good 3 hours to get into the "zone" but i had a hard time staying there seemed like it would come and go. Maybe that is the challenge this year, focus on the task at hand. This race is a really great exercise for living a lifestyle that is less distracted, more focused. At some point on the river, probably near the end of the first day, all the nervous energy will be spent and it will be easy to focus on the task at hand-- keeping it pointed down stream.

ft. osage railraod bridge looking upstream.

kaw point, looking up the kaw river.