beginning of this section. The paddler should be as relaxed as possible on the recovery (see Figure 14).
Timing
Timing is the most important aspect of generating boat speed. All 20 paddlers must paddle in unison to create optimum boat run. Paddlers, on the left and right sides, and from the front to the back of the boat, need to put their paddles in the water simultaneously and exit simultaneously. For timing to be effective, there are four important elements:
• First, the paddles must enter the water at the same time and at the same speed. Paddlers can look up the boat at the paddle in front of them, they can use the movement of the person beside them, and they can use the sound or rhythm of the water and the paddles connecting.
• Second, the catch and pull phases need to happen at the same time. Matching the torso movements of the paddler in front helps to check this.
• Third, paddles should all exit the water together.This is probably the most important aspect of timing and boat run.
• Fourth, the torso, hip, leg, and paddle movements on the recovery occur together.
Figure 14: Initiating Recovery.
Remember: There are many cues to use to help with timing. Ultimately, paddlers will be able to use only the feel of the boat to stay in rhythm. Exercises, such as “20 strokes eyes closed, 20 strokes eyes open,” help to achieve this feel.
Stroke Rate and Power
Each crew must find its optimal stroke rate, the speed at which each stroke occurs. This rate will differ slightly from crew to crew. Some world class crews have very fast stroke rates while others have slower ones. Essentially, the key is finding the rate where all paddlers can get full rotation and power each time the paddle enters the water. If the rate is too fast then the power can suffer and boat speed will decline. If the rate is too slow then boat speed can also suffer. The rate will change based on the length of a race or timed piece. Shorter distances and times will generally be more sprint-like and have a faster pace because paddlers only have to maintain the fast rate for a short distance and maintain the power for a shorter period of time. Longer pieces generally have longer and slower stroke rates so that the force on the paddle can be maintained equally throughout the race. Stroke rate is a factor of the following: fitness and skill level; size of the athletes; and strength of the athletes.
Remember: The rate is generally dictated by the paddlers who sit in the middle of the boat and usually have the longest range of motion and power transmission. The people in the front and back of the boat need to take the extra time that they have to ensure maximum rotation during the recovery phase of the stroke.
SUMMARY
Always start with the basics - position in the boat, correct paddle grip and size, hand position at paddle entry and exit, breathing (inhale on recovery), and rotation and timing.
Relax on the recovery (when you are not moving the boat) and relax the non-pulling muscles (face, neck, wrists, hands).
Try to paddle on both sides to prevent injury and to correct bad habits.
Use your core muscle groups. Engage in off-water activities that exercise the core and promote dynamic movement, particularly in the winter.
Practise long pulling and always try for boat run.
Have fun!
Jamie Hollins
Getting there? How do you prepare for a dragon boat season? First, you must look at the specific requirements of dragon boat paddling. Then you break down each of them so you can train properly in the gym and use other cross-training modalities that will assist your goal of becoming the best you can be come race day. Dragon boating is a unique sport. It requires all energy systems: ATP-CP and LA; LA-O2; and O2. Combined with these energy system requirements, success in dragon boating demands maximum strength, power, muscular endurance, core flexibility/stability, and power endurance. To prepare correctly, you must understand what you are trying to accomplish so that you can plan, that is, periodize, your training accordingly. Having knowledge about the energy systems that you are training and looking at the most efficient way to train them to accomplish strength gains in all areas is important. As well, proper warm-up, cool-down, and dry land options are crucial to dragon boating.
Energy production is both time- and intensity-related. Paddling at a high intensity, as in a start or sprint, means that an athlete cannot operate effectively for long. Paddling at a low intensity, as in gentle paddling, means that an athlete can sustain activity for extended periods. Training introduces another variable; the 200-metre specialist who uses sound training principles will be able to paddle at a high intensity for longer periods. Similarly, the 2,000-metre dragon boat specialist who uses sound training methods can sustain higher intensities during a set period. The goal is to create the all-round dragon boater who can be effective at all events — 200, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 metres.
What a great exercise and mother-daughter-time sport. We both are muscle girls and this sport is toning our bodies like no other sport I have done. The competition is fierce and the rewards are worth all the hard work.
— Michelle Thiessen, Chilliwack, British Columbia
Energy Pathways
In their book The Physiological Basis of Physical Education and Athletics,1 the authors, Matthews and Fox, divide the running requirements of various sports into the following energy pathways: ATP-CP and LA; LA-O2; and O2, all of which can be directly related to dragon boating.
ATP
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a complex chemical compound that is formed with the energy released from food and stored in all cells, particularly muscles.Cells can perform work only from the energy released by the breakdown of ATP and it is this breakdown that produces energy and adenosine diphosphate (ADP).
CP
Creatine phosphate (CP) is a chemical compound stored in muscle. When it beaks down, CP aids in the manufacture of ATP. The combination of ADP and CP produces ATP.
LA
Lactic acid (LA) is a fatiguing metabolite of the lactic acid system. It results from the incomplete breakdown of glucose. Although excessive lactate production is part of the extreme fatigue process, the protons that are simultaneously produced further restrict performance.
O2
The energy pathway of O2 is the source for aerobic paddling when ATP is manufactured from food sources, mainly sugar and fat. This system produces ATP copiously and acts as the primary energy source during endurance activities.
Running Duration Compared to Dragon Boating