Portages: Keep them safe or prioritise speed? In marathon racing the portages are often a pivotal point in the race. It is often at the portages where the large groups get broken up. The new system of laps racing seen internationally and adopted by the marathon racing committee for assessment races, gives spectators an excellent opportunity to see the action unfold at the portages. Athletes will raise the pace of the race on the stretch leading into the portage and attempt to make a break the other side, or at least make their competitors work hard to catch them up again. So what is the best option to take? Do you exit the boat before it stops and grab the boat on the move; do you push off from the bank with one foot so that the boat is moving before you hit the seat? Or is it best to keep it safe; get out trouble free, run hard and get in safely at the other end, then continue on with your race unscathed? Which is higher, the number of races won due to risky fast paced successful portages or the number of races lost due to falling in, damaging boats or falling over, as a result of unsuccessful portages. A wise man once said ‘don’t do anything in a race which you haven’t practiced time and time again’. This is good advice to take on board. The rapid portages certainly give the athlete an advantage, it gives them a chance to choose if they want to recover when they are back on the water or to push the pace of the race and potentially break away. But don’t try anything new for the first time on race day. Schedule some time in training to practice different scenarios. If you fall in or break your boat the opportunity to win will probably pass you by. What do you think: High risk and high reward or keep it safe? Here is a selection of boat exits from the national marathon championships 2014. (Photos taken by Phil Caisley Photography).
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 21:29:50 +0000
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