Things I’ve Learned; Adaptation is key

14/01/2023

Today I learned that adaptation is key. Today I did my training session in the recreation session, which means free paddling with rafts, plastic boaters and most importantly a different water level. Usually when we train during our specific slalom sessions the water level is run off 4 pumps, where as in the recreational sessions the water is run off 5 pumps. A simple difference yes but has a decent affect of how the water changes. On these 5 pump sessions the waves become slightly bigger and more powerful, eddies become stronger, simple boils or bubbles are now big inconveniences to overcome. I find that during these sessions, being so used to training on 4 pumps all the time, my edges and body posture need to be much stronger, having speed on the boat is very important and I need to be very deliberate about where I am positioning my boat (well all of these things are important anyway, but if not done correctly with discipline, these mistakes are amplified).
A measure of success I take confidence from during training sessions like this is my ability to adapt. Whilst at the start a few wobbles might occur and new environment might take some getting used to, I find good judgement on how fast I can adapt to the new environment and overcome these challenges. Today I felt good at this, as I progressed slowly down the sections of the course, I could feel myself actively learning along the way and adapting to make changes I needed to make to keep control. This is one of the important sport values I hold myself to, that I can adapt and paddle good anywhere I am, not just at specific venues. I could feel myself choosing slightly different lines to accommodate for the more forceful water, I could feel myself solidifying my edges and body positions in key moments, and my biggest take away is it didn’t take me more than 1 or 2 efforts to revise my way of thinking to paddle well in this different environment.
Occasionally doing sessions that push my outside of my comfort zone or exist outside the norm of the day to day I find very valuable. It forces my way of thinking and my core value of being able to be good anywhere any time.