At Riding Bumps we are big proponents of heart rate based trainin g. All of our workouts and training programs are based on the premise that getting the intensity of a workout correct is one of the biggest steps and endurance athlete can do to prevent over training, encourage progressive improvements year after year, and even avoid injury.

All of this heart rate training business, however, is predicated on using proper technique and equipment while paddle race training. As such, training solely by heart rate has it’s limitations for paddlers without good technique and.why training solely by heart rate can get an SUP or prone paddle racer in trouble consider the following scenarios:

• Scenario 1 : A paddler paddles at a proper heart rate during race training intervals but their technique is so poor that the distance per stroke they travel is low they are essentially splashing around in the water.  This paddler is building their endurance but training poor movement patterns that will not translate to paddle speed when it comes time to race.
• Scenario 2 : A paddler paddlers at a proper heart rate during their training workout and they have a good technique but their blade face size is a bit larger than they can handle for the duration of the workout. By the end of the workout their stroke rate is down because their muscles are tired. Their distance per stroke is also down because they are not strong enough at the end of the workout to maintain their distance per stroke. This person is training their heart rate effectively but they are not selecting their equipment properly. Moreover, they may not be maximizing their training time in a way that will translate to race speed when it comes time to race.

As you can see, although training by heart rate (again) is the single most effective way a paddler can improve their SUP race training, training solely by heart rate can be deceiving. Any paddler looking to take their SUP racing to the next level needs to consider how the components of blade face size, stroke rate, and distance per stroke relate to the goal of a given workout.

In fact, according to Jim Terrell of Quickblade paddles ,

“ In all my years of paddling, I have always paid close attention to stroke rate at every intensity of my training. In fact, I used to plan my interval intensity and pace a lot of the time in strokes per minute (SPM)  rather than actual heart rate. I found this to be a very valuable way to try and achieve the best boat speed (board speed) at the most economical SPM and learn to be very aware of where I work best.”

This is the first article in what is shaping up to be a long series of articles looking at the relationship between paddling metrics such as your stroke per minute, glide per stroke, and blade face size. We will be investigating ways you can measure and monitor these metrics. We will also discuss selecting a proper paddle blade size and how you can maximize your SUP race training workouts by using  different size paddle blades.

To follow the series, please follow us on Facebook or sign up for our newsletter.