Race season is finally underway! I have had a solid start to the spring season so far, with two races under my belt. I had a good showing at the Mayor’s Cup in Providence, winning the open age group single and double. The race marked the first time I had tried using Powercranks in my warm-up, and I really liked the way my legs responded to them. I did a 20-minute warm-up before getting on the water for each race, and I rode them between races to stay warm. I set a personal best for 2000 meters in the singles race, even after doing the double earlier and having to sit through a long 2 hour delay. The Powercranks helped me keep moving and stay loose throughout the long time between races. This weekend was the New England Interscholastic Championships. It is a shorter race, 1500 meters instead of the full 2000 meters, so I had to spend more time warming up to make sure I was ready to go for the shorter, “burstier” effort. There was some wind and rough water on the course, and I had trouble really getting my hands down on the recovery to clear some of the chop in the middle of the race. I met more difficulty with some steering problems; I let the wind carry me off my point and had to adjust my direction mid- race. However, I was able to pull it together for a strong finish, which I attribute to the depth of the fitness I have gained with my winter training and work with the Powercranks. I came in 7 seconds off the course record with a time of 5:34 and a first- place finish.

The Powercranks are so helpful in the warm-up because I can get my heart- rate right where I want it to be in a matter of minutes, and can hold it there for the full 20-30 minutes I am on the bike. They really get my legs ready and kind of “wake up” all my muscles. As always, I have continued to use Powercranks in my training, and do a two- hour session once a week. I do all of my trainer work on the Powercranks, and I have also seen a difference in my speed on the bike because of the additional strength and efficiency.

My next race is Youth National Championships in Cincinnati on June 14th