Montreal DragonFly

Montreal Dragonfly!!!

What can-I say???  We had a great weekend at the Montreal Int. DB Festival.  Beautiful weather!  Great company!  We did great on our races.  Here are the results:

• 500m - 2:21.09 min
• 500m - 2:25.07 min
• 500m - 2:25.00 min
• 250m - 1:00.04 min

For the 250m, it’s our best time EVER!!!  As for the 500m, it’s our best time this season up to now.  Our best time for the 500m is 2:17.16min.  We’re still in the Rookie A division.  Though, with every race that we do, we do our best…  we still have lots to improve!

Melissa suggested that we definitely need to find a good race pace for us and we’ll be working on it during practices.  Race time might not be the most ideal time to do so.  We’ll need to find a pace where we can still maintain control of our stroke, focus on the technique, be in synch, put in power when a pick-up is called and maintain the speed without dropping the boat.  Yes, it might seem impossible and a lot of work….   but, with some focus and dedication, we can do it!  And maybe next year, we’ll be in the intermediate level once again! 

Keep-in mind that the high ranking teams practice more then once a week, plus physical/endurance trainning and their usually a full boat at their practices.  The question is how much do-you want to succeed and what has to be done…  and JUST DO IT!  Thoughts to ponder on…

Francis posted his pics on his flickr account and also, Yu-Chih’s pics as well: Photos of the Montreal DB Fest. Weekend 2010.  Photos from my friend, Nicolas Paquet - Photographer, will be posted soon onto Francis’ flickr account as soon as Francis finds the time.   Here are the videos of our races:

Alrighty…  time for some well deserved rest…  for those who are going to this weekend’s Montreal DragonFly’s yearly camping trip, have fun!  Next practice is 06AUG2010!  It’s almost two weeks without any paddling…  relax but, still stay in shape…  exercise during this time…  and when we’ll see each other the next time on the boat, we’ll be ready for anything that Melissa throws at us!

Nancy

Ciao Montreal DragonFlyers!

Merica managed to find us a couple of videos of us from the Montreal Summer Splash.  The videos are from the right side of the boat.

Here’s the video of our first 500m race.  We’re in lane 4.

[youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4IytjciPu0[/youtube]

Here’s the video of our 250m race.  We’re in lane 2.

[youtube] http://www.youtube.com/user/MontrealDBC#p/u/0/sY5qbmtFMQs[/youtube]

Enjoy the videos!

Nancy

 Montreal DragonFlyers!!!

You should all give yourselves a little tap on the shoulder!  We did great yesterday!!!  I’m still awaiting for the official results on the Summer Splash website and I’ll post them later.  We would love to thank all those that helped-us fill the boat and making it possible for the team to participate at this event…  such as Leslie, Martin, Aaron, Aric, Gloria and Francis!  You guys are always welcome on our boat!

Though, we still have to work on our 500m races…  work on our race pace, our techniques and our endurance for it….  250m & 100m races, we did amazing!!!  We blew Melissa’s mind!  Here are a couple of videos:

Hope that everybody enjoyed their experience at the Summer Splash and learned from it as well.  We have a little over a month to get ready for the Montreal Dragonboat Festival.  So, lets work hard, focus on what needs to be improve and work on our endurance!

Note:  For the endurance part, you’ll have to work on it on your own freetime.  You can’t expect that ONE practice a week will improve your endurance.  We don’t want to die after 250-300m into it and ran out of juice during a 500m race, right?

Have a great weekend and I’ll be seeing on next’s Friday’s practice!

Nancy 

P.S. For more photos of the event, Stephanie posted them on FB!

Ciao Montreal DragonFlyers!

 Melissa wants us to check-out this youtube video on various styles of sprint canoe technique.

Look carefully at their techniques…  we have lots to work on!  There’s no splashing…  snappy exist…  in synch…  no choochoo train effect…  etc…  Just remember everything that Melissa told us during practice and you that they do apply it.

See-you at practice!

 Nancy

Ciao!

 This is a video that Melissa found on youtube.  It’s totally crazy!  40 Paddlers on boat and racing!

Ciao gang!

 This is a friend of Melissa, Tom Hall, whom she grew up with him at the Pointe-Claire canoe club. He is also an Olympic Bronze Medalist.
Melissa wants us to watch his shoulders!!!

 Nancy

Ciao guys!

 Sorry that I couldn’t make it to practice last Friday!  Mom organized a supper with friends/family which doesn’t happen very often…  and if I didn’t attend, I’ll be nagged to death…  So, I had to say yes!  Believe-me when I say this…  I wish that I was there just to burn-off the excess calories that I had at that supper!  Ate way too much for my own good!

 Anyways, I heard that it was a great practice!  I gotten a few feedbacks from some of you that I got to see over the weekend.  It seems that you guys worked on your stroke while slowly increasing your pace and also keeping control.  Most excellent!

Here’s a couple of videos that Melissa wants us to check-out.  It’s to help-us work on the proper muscles that we want to use when we paddle.  Maybe the next time that you’re at a gym or when you’re paddling, you might want to think about it.  Anyways, here are the two videos:

See-you guys on Friday!  Have a good week!

 Nancy

Welcome back!

 The 2009-2010 season has started…  indoor practice has begun!  I’m glad that we had a great turn-out for last Friday’s practice.  For those that couldn’t make it, we went back to basics and focus a lot on using our shoulders/back for an efficient stroke.  The pace was very slow…  so that we can emphasize more on our errors which Melissa gave us feedback on it and it also gave us time to focus on which muscles that we were working on.  I know that for myself, I’m still feeling the effect of practices!

 Here’s a video that Melissa wants us to check-out: 2008 Olympics Canoe.  Have a look before next practice…  I have a feeling that Melissa is going to ask us about it!

Here’s another video that Melissa posted on her FB of 2009 DB World Championships - 200m Open Finals.  Look at the pace that these teams are doing…  but, also look at their strokes and their synchronization.  Like WOW!

Take care!

 Nancy 

Here’s the video of Montreal DragonFly at the Quebec Cup 19SEP2009 - race 24 - 500m  Community Final G:

We’re in lane 2 and we finished first out of 4 teams with a time of 2:21.76 min.

Here’s the video of Montreal DragonFly at Quebec Cup 19SEP2009 - race 12 - 500 m Elimination 8

We’re in lane 1 and we finished first out of 4 teams with a time of 2:26.86 min.