Monday, March 21, 2011

Secret weapons...(Futures Jamie Mitchell Race fin and more!)

Wow, I had a great weekend of racing. No, I didn't win or place or anything... this weekend was all about learning- I did a bunch of that. I think I may have dialed in a few things that are going to help me out there next time- I call 'em secret weapons but I don't mind sharing.

Carbo-loading: Do it and do it early! I started loading up earlier this time- instead of waiting to pile on the carbs the night before the race, I started at breakfast the day before. And I also sampled this pizza and Stone Brewery offering at Pizza Port... it's important to hydrate- at least that's what I kept telling myself.
Get there early, get set up and then chill out. I always get all twisted up inside before the race starts- that feeling is multiplied exponentially if you're rushing around trying to find a parking spot while simultaneously looking for your water and Clif Bar. It's best if you can show up early, snag a nice parking spot and then just take a breather before it all starts. Plus, you get to see all the cool boards go by as they're carried down to the beach.
Get a good fin. This is what I've been using- the Jamie Mitchell race fin by Future Fins. This thing is made in carbon so it's feather light and very stiff. I think it's given me a bit more directional stability than the weed fin that I was using and I have to say I've felt faster since I've had it in (my practice times have dropped considerably and I was able to motor along in the flats much more quickly than normal). I've been checking out what the fast guys have been using and for the most part I'm seeing larger fins with lots of leading edge angle (I'm assuming that helps with shedding weeds). Get yourself something that helps you go straight- unless you purposefully like to make the course just a bit longer by zig zagging all over the place.

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