Oscar's Training Guide for the PE to EL Challenge Tuesday, 12 September 2006 |
Who's Ready for Pure Core?
One of the single toughest physical events anywhere in the world is approaching - the longest, most gruelling surfski race anywhere. You guessed it, the Surf Ski Challenge, Port Elizabeth to East London. It's nothing but pure hardcore racing over four days between two famous coastal cities: 244km's over one of the world's most treacherous coastlines.
2004 Surf Ski Challenge
The Surf Ski Challenge takes place every two years and in 2004 the event was spectacular. Just under 100 paddlers took part in both single and double skis and there was some boat-crunching shorebreak at the various start and finish beaches. The theme the organisers wish to run this year is that the race doesn't even compare to the Ironman or Comrades - it is far tougher. Taking place from the 13th to the 16th of December 2006, the event will be run by Dare2Paddle, a division of Nelson Mandela Bay Sports World, on behalf of East Cape Surf Lifesaving.
Training Oscar-Style
As you can imagine, substantial training is required in order to complete a race of this magnitude, so the SA Paddler is looking after your best interests and telling you to get started! Marc Fennell consulted the best of the best in Oscar Chalupsky, who has won the Surf Ski Challenge PE2EL an astounding ten times before! He was also the youngest competitor to enter at the age of 16, so he's well qualified to tell you what to do to get ready. According to him, you can complete the challenge with no more than five months training - two months if you are a regular and experienced paddler. "Experience can always be substituted for fitness if you just want to complete the event," he adds. So here it is, your all-in-one training program irrespective of fitness or experience, split into four periods.
1. Getting fit to start training
The objective behind this period is to asses your current level of fitness and then to condition yourself mentally, physically and technically to start the real training.
Beginners, novices and the unfit are advised to start training from the 16th of August - giving you 18 weeks. The first week should be used as a gauge to determine how fit you are and what needs to be done. Elite paddlers and the fitter amongst us should know more or less how fit they already are.
Week 1: (Wednesday 16th - Sunday 20th of August)
Wednesday: Get into it the training slowly, paddle for 45-60 minutes.
Thursday: paddle your time trails
Friday: Rest and carbo-load for the weekend.
Saturday & Sunday: shock your body with a downwind of 2 hours on Saturday and then another 1.5 hour downwind on Sunday. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Week 2 to 7: (Monday 21st August - Sunday 1st October.)
Try and paddle every time trail during the week and if possible make sure you get there 20 minutes early and do a proper warm up that will extend your total time spent in a boat on these nights. Paddle or train on both Saturday and Sunday between 1.5 to 2 hours each day. Chalupsky suggests that you paddle downwind if possible as this is where you can lose the most time and the experience gained is vital to master the runs, which he believes is the most important part of ski paddling.
You should also alternate by doing some cross training in the weekend training period whether it be running, swimming and gym. When doing gym, use your own body weight as resistance in exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, dips, sit ups etc. This training period is to get fit enough to punish yourself in the next two months...don't be scared now!
Also start trying to use a Garmin GPS and heart monitor. The more you know your body the more you will be able to push yourself in training and ultimately in the race.
2. Base training
The base training period is where you are going to do most of your mileage and hurt yourself the most.
Although this program is for paddlers of different grades the basic principles apply and must be adjusted to your own ability.
Week 8 to 13: (Monday 2nd October - Sunday 12th November)
This is where the heavy training starts - one week hard then a fairly easy week, for the next 6 weeks.
Let factors such as work, family commitments and the weather determine your hard and easy weeks. Having one hard week and one easy week normally gives you enough time to recover so you don't over train. Resting is just as important as training. All base training sessions must be fun so try and get some friends to train with and also do river races and time trials. Weekend races will help the boredom.
The hard week:
Monday: Normally an off day but you can do some running, swimming or gym on these days. If you want to paddle then do stroke correction for 30 minutes.
Tuesday: Try and do 1 to 1.5 hours in your ski on flat water. Try not to paddle out and back in big wind as it damages your wrists, which breaks you down for the long paddles.
Wednesday: Recovery day and required rest day for the 4 days ahead. It is best to train in four day cycles to get your body accustomed to what it will be experiencing during the race.
Thursday: Try do 1 to 1.5 hours in flat water or down wind.
Friday: Same as Thursday but now try and go a little faster.
Saturday and Sunday: Time to do long downwinds! Do a 3 hour session on one of the days and a 2 hour downwind on the other if it works out.
After these 4 days you deserve a rest week - time to catch up with the family and friends. During the basic training period you can continue cross training in the morning. Try and improve your times each week and also try to increase your time on the water by 10 minutes every hard week. That will give you 30 minutes longer on the last hard week.
The rest week
Made up of paddling with friends and doing between 45 minutes and 1 hour paddles which must be shorter but faster. Try and do the all time trails and on the weekend pick a race to do, as you will feel strong on the weekend.
3.Race Sharpening
Test your race equipment, get your juice mixes and eating habits right.
Week 14 - 15: (Monday 13th of November - Sunday 3rd December) The race is exactly 1 month away!
Now is the time to start testing your juice mixes, your race boat and your racing strategies. Finer details like what to eat before the race, how long before the race to eat, if you eat, how much fluid to use when paddling and how often you have a booster gel should all be guaged. In this time you want to relax, go to the gym, swim and run and start building a little reserve. You would still do your four-day cycle but use the alternate days to change the routine. Then, you should do one three-hour paddle per weekend. Again pick the day when you can do a down wind. Make sure that you don't over train and you are strong on your hard paddles.
4.Race preparation
Get ready for the race and make sure travel and accommodation, equipment and nutrition requirements have been finalised.
Week 16 -17: (Monday 27th November - Sunday 10th December)
By now you should have finalised where you are going to stay at all the overnight stops and that you are happy with how much juice you need and when you can and can't eat. The two-week period up to the race is very different for each paddler. Says Oscar: "I like to keep up my training like I do in the race sharpening period, while others like to start tapering as they say they can't get fit anymore. I also try and do some flat water paddling to make sure my style hasn't fallen apart with all the downwind paddles."
To get a sneak look into what to expect, DVD copies of the 2004 Surf Ski Challenge PE2EL are available by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
This article was originally published in SA Paddler Magazine.
