Almost 90

The final tally for our two long back to back paddling days was 89 km. ALL the obsessives out there can appreciate how frustrating it is to get home, all the kayak gear washed and hung out to dry, kayak away, having a late coffee (decaf, of course) and finding that you are 1 kilometre shy of 90. Curses.

Doug wanted to do our second long day paddle up the Clyde River instead of on the ocean. I kind-of disagreed. It is much easier paddling on the river than on the ocean, particularly when we can go upstream with the incoming tide and downstream with the outgoing tide. There is no clapotis, rebound, lumpy sea, oncoming swell, so each paddle stroke is so much easier than paddling on the ocean. You don’t get shaken around, there is no sea-sickness, and, if you want to land, within constraints of the tide, you can land anywhere.

But, I was tired from the day before and did not have the energy to motivate both of us to go back out, fight the northerly current for a half a day, and bounce around with incipient sea sickness. So, we went up the river.

This is one of the reasons why, if you want to be great at something you must surround yourself with great people. It is possible to go it alone, but on days when you are mentally or physically fatigued – perhaps both – the great friend is the one who gets you out there to do what needs to be done.

A lifetime of observation has taught me that great people make different choices to average folk. Average folk hang with other average folk. These people don’t want to be challenged by hanging with better people. Physically and mentally they can ride along on past performance or being about the same as their friends, or maybe just a bit better. That is a very comfortable place to hang out.

Great people, however, strive to hang with people whose skill, fitness, knowledge exceeds theirs. This may mean that every trip is an uncomfortable battle with few real successes. But, if the challenge is in the journey and the growth, then that is success.