 | Welcome to the home of the Destiny Dragons in Tacoma and Seattle |
|
|
|
Welcome
|
Q: Why do you like to paddle? Klaus: Hi, I am Klaus Hagel, a recreational paddler, member of the Tacoma Destiny Dragons crew. The only reason I first joined this Team was to go to China! I never believed that I would continue to paddle after our return from Fuzhou, China in June 2000. About a hundred pounds ago, I used to be a jogger and ran the 10k races in the Seattle/Tacoma area, but the additional weight was pretty tough on my knees. On our return from China I continued to come to practices and started participating in some races also. I was hooked!
Q: How do you mentally prepare for competition? Klaus:
The best way for me to prepare for a race, is to not do anything heavy, either
mentally or physically, the night before a race.
I also like to “Power Nap” just
before a race and between races to recharge my batteries Q:
What do you eat
before a workout or to refuel afterward? Klaus:
Before
a workout I eat absolutely nothing! Though
I drink lots of water. Q: How do you control your weight without compromising
your nutrition? Klaus:
Actually I could
stand to lose a hundred pounds or so? I
eat just about anything, though meat and potatoes and German pilsners, are among
my preferred items! Q: What kind of training do you do in the off-season
that helps your paddling? Klaus:
I paddle the year
around! Saturdays and Sundays
during the winter months. I do no
other training. Q: How do you keep your lats and shoulders from getting
tired? Klaus:
My shoulders and lats do not get tired anymore during practices or during races! My only problem is my legs get tired when I am sitting in a
seat that is shallow, which the front and back grouping of seats tend to be.
I try to push so hard with my legs, and they have little room to move
around! Q: What kind of training do you do in the off-season that helps your paddling? Klaus:
I paddle the year
around! Q: How to you balance an over-demanding schedule? Klaus:
Paddling
dragon boats if just plain fun! It
is the only form of exercise that I currently do.
That is, unless lifting a beer glass is to be considered exercise? My children are all gone Yipppppeeeee! My wife used to complain about my practices, so I tried to
get her to attend with me. That
ended the complaining! Q:
Do you think that good paddlers are born or made? Klaus:
Good paddlers are made. To enjoy getting up early in the middle of winter, on a
Saturday morning, when it is still dark, climb into a boat that has several
inches of water, and start bailing it out, is something you cannot be born with?
It is important to be able to see your own mistakes, correct them based
on coaching staff input, and over time it gets easier, and less strenuous. Q: Do you have any advice for new paddlers?
|
|
This page was last updated on 02/20/08. Contact Us Comments to Webmaster
|
