I am hurting today (Finn sailing)

[bamamick]

Geez, I can barely walk today (tuesday) and for the first time in my life that I can remember, my triceps are hurting. For the first time in my life! I have lost some weight and that's helped, but if I am sore from sailing for two hours in eight knots I can't imagine how I will feel if I actually have to work at it. It is time to get back into sailing shape!

On another note, I was mentioning to a friend that I have this thing happen to me every year after taking a break from sailing that I don't know happens to other people: I get scared to go sailing. I get this knot in my stomach and worry that I have forgotten how to do the stuff to make the boat go. I really used to worry about in the Stars, and with this Finn the other day I had the same feeling except worse. I was afraid that I was going to tump and either embarrass myself or actually have to be rescued. Not exactly a good way to start a day. In the end I made it through just fine and only embarrassed myself with my sailing.

Does anyone else have this kind of problem?

Mickey Lake

[frank pedersen]

Mickey,

I thought I was the only one who had that experience! Truth is probably everyone has a loss of balance and timing over the winter, so the first few times out for me always seem awkward. Of course, small boat sailing involves muscle groups that don't much challenge except when you are in the boat unless you do specific training that simulates sailing. Needless to say, all this gets worse as you get older.

I found the book, Sail Fitter: Sailing Fitness and Training, by Michael Blackburn, helpful, but it is no substitute for actual training time. I work out 3 times a week at our local fitness center. Cycling is especially good because it builds up your quads and increases aerobic fitness. Work on abs with a hiking simulator or an inclined-bench sit-up device is invaluable.

As I have grown older (and growing older sure beats the alternative), my anxiety level on getting into the boat has increased. But the mastery of that fearfulness, especially as you plane off the wind, still is supremely satisfying.

Frank

[Figment]

Triceps? That's really odd. Using your arms to compensate for a weakened core?

My 1st sail of the season jitters are right up there with yours, though I think mine are primarily rooted in issues of setup or rigging. Fear of forgetting how to tuck a reef or something.

I really only need to fear the same thing i screw up every year.... 100yards downriver the engine dies. Smack myself on the head, open the fuel valve, proceed. Every friggin year.

[Figment]

Forgot to add: Sailing in February!!! SO envious!

[bamamick]

Figment, you forget that there is a whole lot of work with the sheet on a Finn, as it is rarely ever cleated and downwind you are really working it.

Mickey Lake

[Figment]

Yeah, but the tricep is the pushy-pushy muscle, not the tuggy-pully one :D

(I never liked doing the full-arm-overhead thing for trimming, I always grabbed the 3rd line of the mainsheet tackle for downwind stuff)