Anker Valley 2009

A slightly chilly wind was offset by beautiful sunshine and the shelter for most of the course made race conditions fairly pleasant. Spectating was less comfortable than paddling and I ended up doing 3 separate warm ups. My boat was even less prepared than I was, as the rudder lines snapped as I started my warm up on the water. Having just made it to the line in the old pale blue club Javelin that Nip had just vacated for his Div 8 race, the Div 4 start left me bobbing behind the rest of the field. The two local paddlers were obviously not at their peak as I would not normally expect to catch Simon or Gordon these days. However, I had a very enjoyable paddle, finishing with a sprint where Simon just squeezed past in the last 10 metres for 3rd place. James Cordery of Wey won Div 4 ahead of Bruce Blackman of Gailey.

Other Nottingham paddlers shared 4th place in their races too - Kath & Donna in Div 8/8 K2 and Abbie in Under 12 Girls to name a few.

Geordie & Tadek managed a great 1st in Div 7/7 K2, so did Tom in Div 6 K1. Nip managed a 2nd place. The teeshirts, that Anker Valley have presented as prizes for a few years now were once again in evidence.

Mention goes to Damian & Caroline, completing their first ever Div 9 race without mishap.

Lincoln & Banbury clubs dominated the prizes in both the Under 10/12 races and the Division races. It was another enjoyable day all round and I heard no complaints from any Nottingham paddler. Thanks go to NKC parents & Gilly for help with transport, support & safety.

More photos can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/nottmkc/AnkerValley2009#

The results will be on the Marathon Website at: http://www.marathon-canoeing.org.uk/results/Results.html

DW 8

Having zoomed up to Nottingham & dropped the girls off I continued nearly to Manchester to finish the last 2 days of holiday with Donna & Kath, following the rest of the race remotely. Fortunately, Jane also recorded the 2 days with her camera. http://nkcgallery2.blogspot.com/

Craig dropped from 15th to 18th on day 3, behind Graham Holmes, but again finished in about 6 hours 15. On the last day he picked up again, finishing in 17th place in an overall time of 20 hours 32 minutes 33 seconds.

A very good result and well deserved.

I'll add the video soon.

DW 7

I was up pretty early (4:30) filling flasks & reorganising the car. Craig was a little while later (6:00) and the girls half way through the day (7:30). The incorrect finish meant no individual timed start for stage 2, but the starter very kindly let Craig go just before the first of the timed ones. The timekeepers assured us that they would continue to investigate the accuracy of the time to Newbury and were very patient considering that we kept popping up and asking if it was sorted out yet. They had over 90 time corrections to do for other crews for the tunnel alone.

Craig headed into Day 2 with a time of 6:16 still standing and a promise to try and work it out from the timers. During the day there were 2 phone calls from them, but both came while I was driving and finding time to ring them back between driving and running was not easy.

The parking at some of the locks was more scary than the driving or running. While half way over the bridge to Marsh Lock, Beth phoned to say that a police woman wanted the car moved. I ran back the quarter mile towards the car, but just before I got there met the police woman and gasping for breath asked if I had parked on the yellow lines, apologising. She asked which my car was and she confirmed that I was one of the few in the half mile melee who was not, but said it was obstructing traffic! Then she looked me up and down and completely changed, asking if there was an event on! I swallowed my urge to laugh, cry or yell hysterically and told her what it was and what I was hoping to do. And ... she said OK, leave it there. I could have kissed her, but realised that would probably get me arrested and ran off back to the lock. Craig's dad had rung me from foreign parts to enquire how he was doing and wish him luck, and I mentioned it to Craig as he was half way over the bridge on his run. This clearly cheered him up. I didn't mention my blossoming relationship with a WPC.

There were more misunderstandings between me & the SatNav during the day and it was lucky not to get thrown in the river. Yet again it was reassuring to have Beth as human navigator. Why I bother with the electronic one with her there I'm not sure. Shob was also there when needed, complete with banana chunks, go juice bottles & jam sandwiches. Craig was fortunate to have their support. I was even luckier or I would be sedated with stress right now.

Craig continued to make very good progress, close to the 20 hour schedule I'd come up with. We actually saw him at the last place on our list, but at a distance, as the traffic in Henley meant we were moving slower than he was and it was a long run to the lock.

At the finish, we had some time to spare, despite having to park a quarter of a mile from Longridge, between the 2 hairpin bends up the hill! We lugged his giant kit bag with us and still with time to spare went in search of the timekeepers who had posted notes for us to contact them. They needed evidence that Craig (No 217) had finished about when I thought. I told them all I could remember. Unfortunately the paddler mistaken for 217 (211) had given similar details. Then ... then ... Beth said that she had videoed the finish and thought that the crew before Craig was also on the video to back our claim! For the 2nd time it the day I was tempted to throw my arms round a woman and give her a kiss. (Stress gets me this way I suppose - or at least the relief does.) I handed my DVCam over and they took a copy from it. I didn't learn until later, that this resulted in a time correction for Craig of about 13 minutes. I think Craig owes Beth a hug too!

He finished the 2nd day in 6 hours 15 minutes and while he set up camp, I handed over to Jane & Ricky, emptying the car of about half the kit. That was it for us, we followed Craig's progress via the internet and texts & phone call to & from Jane. (See DW 8)

DW 6

In the very early hours of Friday morning, the support crew rose somewhat blearily from bed or floor and got final items ready while Craig carried on dreaming for a while. Eventually, a little like a Chinese puzzle, everything and everyone fitted into the car and rolled South Westish for a 100 or so miles. All the "check in" bits went smoothly with some friendly advice from Ian White & Paul Ralph. (Well you may as well ask the real experts.)

Craig was so eager, that he set off before I was even aware that he was on the water, so his start time was guessed by how far he had got down the canal. (20 seconds actually)

He was running close to his schedule and all the usual frenetic activity of supporting followed as we rambled around the Wiltershire countryside aided by Mark Burton. The SatNav got lost a few times and was quite frustrating as it kept trying to make us go back to an early portage for about 20 miles and I couldn't work out which! Fortunately, Beth mostly didn't get lost as frequently and in the rain & drizzle & mud our progress was mainly towards Newbury. On the canal, Craig's progress was entirely towards Newbury, so we met up at most of the prearranged places, poured carbo-drink down him & poked jam sandwiches in the general direction of his face, some of which found their target, other fed the ducks.

After missing a turning, I casually reversed into a grass bank and modified the back of the car a little - the bank remained unchanged. I didn't like to mention too frequently that the brakes felt rough, but my driving was mostly more sedate than usual. I suspect it was just the ABS working in the slippery mud, but the gears got more hammer than the brakes until I was sure they were going to stop us when required.

Graham Holmes, from Rabbit Independant Paddlers (No. 215) accompanied Craig for much of the day and he deserves special mention, having started 30 seconds ahead of Craig and finished a few minutes behind him. Quite apart from very gentlemanly dropping off the wash and moving round the back to change sides, so we could feed Craig, he finished with a correct time, an important fact as will become evident!

It was rather disappointing and unsettling to find that there was some dispute over Craig's finish time when we got to Newbury, but after registering our disagreement (well mine really, I'd better not blame anyone else) Craig, Beth & Shob went for a high priced Newbury pasta after pitching their tent. I settled down to boil kettles, wash the food & drink containers, mix more drink & do all the missing calculations on the schedule to confirm the time I was certain Craig had done. The "evidence" that confirmed my suspicions about the time problem, was Graham's of 6 hours 6 minutes, which made made nonsense of the one they eventually gave Craig of 6 hours 16, about 10 minutes behind Graham.

The 3 campers returned with tales of Shob's "thrifty" treatment of the pasta bill before turning in and I settled into my sleeping bag in the back of the car, dreaming that people were nicking the paddles off the roof, trying to steal the filthy, slimy, dripping bits of kit like paddling shoes and "camel pack" from where they were draining (drying was out of the question) under the car and messing around with the times & positions in the senior K1 race.

For a more interesting account of Friday & Saturday, come back in a few days time for the film version. Meanwhile, thanks to those mentioned above for the advice, in Mark's case serious running bits, like Crofton locks and Graham for being there. Thanks also go to Beth and Shob for catching the odd photo & video clip between jam sandwiches. (Particularly Beth for the video - see DW 7)

DW 5

Well that's the rest of the supporters assembled. Just need to see if they fit in the car with the kit at 4:30 a.m. Craig looks relaxed enough. That's good, his body is quite unaware of what is about to happen to it! Mind you on his weekend off relaxing, it coped with a 40 mile run through the Peak District, so DW should be just another day at the office.

DW 4

That's my kit & Craig's shoehorned in- just Beth & Shob & their kit to go. Oh dear! I forgot the 1000 jam sandwiches Craig will eat in the next 4 days.

DW 3

Well the boat fits even if Craig's kit overflows the dining room. There was no way I could lift it. A good job he doesn't have to pack it all in his boat!

DW 2

Reached the trimming it down stage. Easy with my own kit - just don't take it, sleep under the car in a plastic bivvi bag. A bit harder with support kit. Craig is doing the same with his kit. But his is vital, mine comfort!

I decided not to take the vacuum cleaner, or blowlamp, or gym balls. If my back is bad, the sacro-iliac belt will have to surfice.

Skinned the fibre-glass kit, rudder repair kit & spare parts down too, after all it's only one boat that might need fixing. No extra wooleys for me or extra waterproof coats.
The car is nearly ready - fuelled, watered and inflated. Packing has commenced, but can't continue until Craig brings his kit.

DW 1

Most of the kit is ready & is starting to gather ready for packing. From the forecast, it looks as though it will be a wet DW. Keeping the fibreglass resin, Deepheat and meths apart from breakfast & Craig's paddling food is the main issue at the moment. The dining room and office are getting more cluttered by the minute!