Training Talk with Oscar

Do you ever deliberately take a block of time off from paddling to recover from all the training and racing?

I might be different in this respect, but I never stop completely for any extended amount of time. However, I am more likely to dial down the intensity of my paddling sessions for a time. In Durban there are so many races and time trials throughout the year, just doing those keeps you ticking over and you can push it all year. When there is a little down time I may back off paddling for a week or two, but I don't just ever take an off-season to rest. I’d rather back off to less intense paddling for a spell, which allows me to focus on technique, which is very important.

When setting your goals for the year, how do you prepare your training schedule?

My focus is a little different from some of those young guns on the tour. I generally do not plan my year around a single event or championship these days. Instead, I enjoy the traveling and camaraderie of the racing circuit, and like to maintain competitiveness in the big international races. Generally this means that throughout the season I gradually build up the frequency, duration and intensity of my training sessions, so that during the heart of the racing season I feel my best. You can see an example of one of my training weeks here. I think the next big race is Mauritius in May, so I will gradually build on my training intensity leading up to that race.

Do you believe in building an endurance base early in the year?

Building a base has its place in training. But to be honest, I have stopped that kind of stuff as I have a long and historic base built on decades of training. We have no real “off season” in Durban either, so there is no real need for that type of periodization. Some of the younger guys looking to make a career of the sport may have adopted that strategy. We have an article about periodization here.

If someone was training in the off-season (no racing) - should long, slow paddling with lots of miles be the focus to build a base, then add speed work later on in the year?

Yes for paddlers who do have an off-season, whether self imposed or because they live in an area that does not support year round racing, this is a smart way to get going again. In addition to putting in longer, slower miles early in the season, before the racing starts, paddlers should use that time to really focus on their technique. This is such an important part of improving as a paddler, and is too often neglected.

How do you make sure not to "burn out" to early in the season?

Keep the intensity a little lower early on. It’s also smart to limit the frequency and duration of your training session until your fitness starts to improve. Some of this can just be based on feel, if you are tired then rest! An effective tool you can use is a heart rate monitor. Your heart rate will let you know if you are recovering effectively, and training at an efficient intensity. You can learn more about heart rate training by reading this great article by Mark Allen, 6 Time Ironman World Champion.