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Welcome
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Clem is our interviewee for November 2002. He's the Head Coach, a boat captain, and paddles in the engine room. Q:
Why do you like to paddle? What magic does it hold for you? Clem: Competitive paddling, whether it's solo or as part of a team, challenges the very essence of myself. Strength, endurance, and discipline are what hold the magic for me. Long distance solo paddling allows me to test my inner self, physical strength, and endurance against the environment. Team paddling forces me to exercise my discipline and coordinate my effort as part of a whole, rather than as an individual. Q: How
do you mentally prepare for competition? Clem: I purposely separate myself from the group to gather my focus. I have the added responsibilities of organizing the crews, forming race strategies, and motivating the crew to achieve excellence. I can only do this by taking moments for myself without the distractions of the venue or crew members. Q: What
do you eat before a workout or to refuel afterward? Clem:
My preparation for practice actually begins the night before with the
intake of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and minerals (in the form of hard
vegetables like carrots and broccoli). That meal is the meal that will begin my
next day and carry me through the day. In the morning of the practice day, I
take in complex carbohydrates and proteins to supplement the meal from the night
before. During the day, my focus is on eating light while maintaining my blood
sugar level. During the day I try to maintain a high level of hydration and
urination. Forty-five minutes to one hour before practice, I eat an orange or
grapefruit, so that by practice, the sugars are entering my system as glucose. Q: What
do you eat before and after competition? Clem: My preparation for a race begins two days before. I understand my metabolism and apply specialized dietary requirements that allow me to carry through two days of racing. The night before is the meal I'll be racing on the next day. The nutrition I take in on the first race day morning is generally steak and eggs with rye toast. That meal usually carries me through the entire day with a need for minimal glucose supplementation. Hydration is important but I try not to over-hydrate. Q: How
do you control your weight without compromising your nutrition? Clem: I understand the balance between physical activity and calorie burn. Throughout the year I have strict training regimens that allow me to maintain a high level of conditioning. This prevents me from the high and low weight gains and losses. Q: What
kind of training do you do in the off-season that helps your paddling? Clem: Over the years I have been exposed to some of the best knowledge from the
most competent professionals in the field of athletics. This knowledge I've gained
has allowed me to understand and develop an understanding that there is a
pre-season, on-season, post-season, and off-season. I'm able to develop my
training regimens by transposing one discipline into another, for example, by
replacing paddling days in the off-season with weight training, swimming,
bicycling, and running.
Q: How
do you balance an over-demanding schedule? Clem: I train, I work, I train, I sleep. I don't look at life as over-demanding. Life has its demands. But I try to incorporate the demands as part of my lifestyle. Q: Do
you have any advice for new paddlers?
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This page was last updated on 02/20/08. Contact Us Comments to Webmaster
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