Question: I had rotator cuff repair surgery last year. My doctor gave me the go ahead to get back in the water but to take it slow.  Things are going well with the rehab but surfing and prone paddling somewhat aggravate things so I want to take it as slow as possible.  I am planning on doing Catalina this year. My question is what is the minimum amount of prone paddling I need to have under my belt before I start your 16 week ultradistance prone program with hopes of completing the Catalina Classic prone paddleboard race.

Anonymous

First things first. Catalina is an absolute bear of a race.  Right now all the talk is about Molokai but the truth of the matter is that in many ways Catalina can be a tougher race.  In Molokai you can “rest” a little from time to time as it is a downwind race. Catalina is pure grunt work. There is no hiding in Catalina.

Before you even think about the race, you are going to need to get through the training. To do that, your shoulder needs to be very close to 100% healed up by the time you start the 16 week program.  By the sounds of it you are not that far off. Your trick is to take it easy on your shoulder but still build fitness between now and 16 weeks before the race.

The absolute minimum amount of paddling you need to be doing 16 weeks out from the race is 3 paddles sessions each week of around 60minutes at each session. Remember, you do not ned to be paddling hard right now. You are looking for time in the water.  Easy to moderate aerobic paddles 3x each week will give you some solid base, close to 15 miles each week and have you ready to go. . Your main goal, however, is to get that shoulder in shape so you can handle the longer  distance paddle workouts in a few weeks.

In my opinion, those three hours of paddling won’t be enough. Also key and even more important than the volume of paddling that you are doing these next 6 weeks is overall strength training and cross training.  Get in the gym 2-3x week consistently and make sure your stability and strength are where they need to be to handle the training leading up to the race. Given your recent surgery, you might want to work with a sports based physical therapist as they have loads of tricks to get you back on track and rehabilitate your shoulder. Remember, shoulder rehab from a rotator cuff surgery is more than just building strength.

As your shoulder heals, build your cardiovascular base using your legs. Running and cycling are easy ways of doing this. I would even include one hard session each week running or cycling to work the top end energy system (Anaerobic Threshold) prior to your shoulder being able to do any hard stuff on your shoulder.

With only 3 paddles each week you can safely get in 3 lower body cardio workouts and then add in 2-3 strength training sessions and you will, hopefully, be ready to start your Catalina training 16 weeks out from the race.