Race Recap: The 2022 Chesapeake Stand Up Challenge
Our annual family beach trip always kicks off with a pre-vacation SUP race in Annapolis - the East of Maui Chesapeake Stand Up Challenge. The timing is perfect because we usually need a nice rest after the challenges of race day (hey, it’s not called the “stand up challenge” for nothing!). Despite it being notorious for wind and chop, it’s still one of our favorites. This year, storms threatened to end the race before it even started, but with a lot of flexibility and perseverance from the race directors (our pals Mark and Mark of East of Maui) and the host and safety team (the Eastport Yacht Club), a modified event was pulled off without any visible hitches.
It’s safe to say that between the two of us, we’ve participated in a minimum of a hundred SUP races since we first started competing. Even so, there’s always something to learn. So here are the three main things we’re taking away from this latest experience.
It’s okay to change your plans. We both signed up for the long course at this race and even at check in on race morning, had every intention of sticking to that plan. By the time the racer’s meeting rolled around, Meredith dropped down to the shortened course despite a goal to only do the long courses this season. It wasn’t an easy choice; We’re super conscious about taking podium spots away from others and feel it’s important to challenge ourselves to longer/harder races when they’re available (it might be an unpopular opinion, but when you’re consistently winning races and not stepping up to a more challenging course if it’s available, it can put a damper on the stoke of other racers). In this case, the field was stacked and we felt pretty confident that even by making this decision, she wouldn’t be taking a podium spot from someone else. Scott, on the other hand, stuck to the long course and really regretted it. It wasn’t the conditions that got to him, but rather an ongoing, quiet battle with Lyme Disease that has left his fitness level low and his body feeling sore and fatigued. This was a good reminder for us that it’s okay to change your plans, and sometimes, you really should.
Attitude is everything. It’s so easy to let negative self-talk creep in on the race course, especially when things aren’t going to plan, as was the case for Scott. Despite being in last place, he kept a smile on his face and didn’t lose site of the fact that this is meant to be fun. Sure, it feels good to do well and it’s disappointing when we don’t achieve what we set out to. But, when you stop having fun at a race, it’s time to reevaluate things.
Be prepared. If you know anything about us, it’s that we take safety on the water pretty seriously. Some might even say too seriously. But this also meant we were prepared for the conditions on race morning. We not only had our rain coats and different iterations of race attire, but also lights for our PFDs and boards. The lights ended up not being totally necessary by the time the race started, but visibility was low when we arrived and we liked the idea of having an extra layer of safety on the water and we still used them. We think that being a responsible paddler means being responsible for yourself on the water even if there are safety boats at the ready. Why not help out race organizers and safety teams by being extra cautious and extra prepared?
In the end, the conditions actually improved as the race went on. Oh, the irony! East of Maui did another fantastic job organizing this event and we felt like we were in great hands with them and the Eastport Yacht Club. Count us in for next year, guys!
Do any of these race lessons resonate with you? Comment below.
