Some say it is a long way from starting out, developing and chasing a passion, and becoming a champion. There is merit to this sentiment but I am here to challenge the norm and conquer boldly while doing so.

It all started simply enough. Out of nowhere, I was being given shit for letting her down. Apparently, I had agreed to be on the Dragon Boat team and knew there was a practice that happend to be at the same time as a business meeting. Let the record state I did know there was a practice but could not recall being stupid enough to agree to be on a Dragon Boat team! Seriously. With training Jiu Jitsu, racing sailboats, and the rest of the stuff I do, I am already dangerously low on hockey enough that they are threatening to revoke my Hoser Card. To think I had agreed to this at the expense of hockey and so many other things is the definition of insanity.

In reality, the definition of insanity is to say no when coming up against my better half who is this insistent. "Happy Wife - Happy Life" is something I have been known to say and I am the flag bearer for Wifepoints for all those spouses who want to have fun AND a happy marriage. "Alright dear, I will be at the next one." I think wisdom won me over in the face of odds stacked against me.

Here was my chariot for the #wednesdaywalk https://steemit.com/wednesdaywalk/@zekepickleman/wednesdaywalk-zeke-s-backand my baptism by paddling. Looks stable and comfy doesn't it?

Turns out the boat was rather stable with the double keel and 20 other people in their spots on the boat. Comfy? Not so much. A thin hard piece of wood was all your cheeks would balance upon. As it also turns out, my years of canoe paddling were good for my body being able to handle the workout but awful when it comes to technique.

I splashed the hell out of the person behind me and the one in front of me on that first day. The coach on the back of the boat ended up knowing my name from repetition as he had to correct me and my technique many times. Keep your inside hand up. Synchronize with the person in front of you and keep a bit of an eye on the person diagonal. Synchronization is the key. Paddle with your back in a large powerful rocking motion and not your arms...gottit!

• READY READY! - This is kind of "EVERYONE in position, paddles in position and be ready to go nuts for the start!"
• BANG! - The start. 5 quick short powerful synchronized strokes. 10 slightly longer strokes to bring the boat up to speed fully and fully synchronize everyone. Then 3-2-1 POWWWWWWW-WER! now synchronized, you start to really try. Long powerful strokes as you manage your breathing, technique and endurance.
• KICK! - In your power strokes, on the 4th stroke, you lift your butt off the seat, reach further ahead with your paddle, and stroke while you kick your feet (and boat underneath you) ahead before the asses hit seats. A great way to take chunks out of a lead or jump a few inches ahead of your competition.
• Give it all you got! - By the time you are reaching the green buoys and approaching the finish line, your hips are starting to cramp, shoulder is screaming at you, your head is swimming from the abundance of oxygen from breathing with the strokes, and your endurance is about spent through 200m of exertion. Time to reach down and hulk out and drain the well with rage. A good way to end a race strong.

The walk down to the Dragon Boat Festival was nice, and it was long, because of the hundreds of people from all around that descended upon our small town again this year. Maybe it was all the boats that chased some of the swans off the river for the event?

Here is part of the team I joined called the Pet Vet Paddlers. We alternated between cheers of "Neuter and Spay, Hip-hip hooray!" and "Pet your pet. Not your Vet!"

It was kinda cool to have the teams exclusively allowed on the island where the boats were nice and centrally moored for quick access to the race course. It was rainy as hell the couple days before and quite mushy on the island with the left over rain so close to water level.

Here we are before the first race loading up and getting out onto the water. Someone must have been getting even with me for something as the first race was 8:15 AM and they knew I was out past midnight attending the rock show put on by Mista D. More on that in another post where I take you with me to the show.

The fanfare was pretty neat too as there were so many competitive teams and exciting races. I went from barely interested (beyond the wifepoints) to watching the coordination and technique with respect for some of the teams and boats out there.

• First Race - It was a good first race all things considered (the early start time, brand new person on the boat added at the last moment, and competing against a team from a gym called Inspired by Fitness.) We ended up coming second by less than a second. Still, not winning the first race by any margin was going to mean we would have to do much better for any hope of victory.

• Second Race - We ended up taking this race by just over a tenth of a second and placing first over the fitness folks.

• Beer Race - The community teams competed in a special 100 meter sprint outside of the overall competition for beer money. The wind whipped up and the race committee caused delays which made starting really tough. The wind coming from out tail and the current fought to push us sideways and we had an inopportune start to the race. It was a valiant effort but we came second in the most important race of the day. Zeke doesn't lie losing especially when there is beer on the line!

The good news is we had our own tent and these were seasoned dragon boaters with drinks of their own. Some radlers, local beers, a bottle of wine and even a nice bottle of tequila would drown our sorrows and fuel us for the rest of the day.

With one race left, the best advice was on a banner not far from our base of operations.

It was time for the last race. The decider of our final rank and the obstacle between us and the beer tent to finish off the day. Having lost the first race and won the second, it would be this race that decided whether or not we would take the prize. The fitness folks were so close in both races and probably would have the edge in endurance from a bunch of veterinarians and friends right? This is the actual official photo of the finish line on the last race. We are the closest boat ahead by a hair so close to the finish line.

Seeing how close we were, and knowing the proximity of the finish line, I tried to pull one last "kick" in order to try an secure the victory. I saved up a breath in the midst of the sprint for the finish, popped up off my seat, reached an extra foot with my paddle, yelled, and chopped down with enough force to behead a dragon! Then, my back foot lost its purchase on the hold, and I pitched backward off my seat to land in the wet bottom of the boat to cross the finish line.

Nobody knew how the race had officially ended. We were TOO close to the fitness folks and couldn't even see the other boats beyond them. We waited nervously as they tallied the results. Third place goes to Aisin somethingorothers as we expected. Second place, with a time of blah blah goes to...........Inspired by Fitness!

WOOOHOOOO WE DID IT! Give me chills even typing my recount of this!

The rest of the day consisted of lounging in our base, enjoying tequila, visiting the beer tent to drink our second place winnings in the beer race, and listening to the music. A great time was had by all for sure but it is made even sweeter having won the last race and securing first place.

People who know me might think this picture would anger me because of the bullshit beer. People who know me will be aware that my first favourite kind of beer is Lots. My second favourite kind of beer is Free. My third is craft IPA but you can't always have all 3 in one event.

Successes on the day

• New @actifit high scorehttps://steemit.com/actifit/@zekepickleman/actifit-zekepickleman-20190915t015310663z/great active day
• Plenty of free beer (made up of my 2 favourite kinds)
• Verbally Acknowledged Wifepoints
• Gold Medal in Dragon Boating

Turns out Pet Vet Paddlers repeated as champions and were heralded in the local news paper. Cover picture is of the guys sitting right in front of me as they didn't know the steem star power on board. https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/news/local-news/dragon-boat-festival-makes-a-splash?fbclid=IwAR3HebFWtg6nYEPP-E41dF-w6dRN6yl4Wwh9H7beHjd4R31S63dgX4ioDJs

Zeke's Lesson on how to become a champion:

Well, the easiest way might be to find a team poised to repeat a victory and join them. If it ends up being fun, challenging, social, different and beery, you are a champion in my books.

Impressed?

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_{Posted via Marlians.com}