Sunday, July 31, 2005

I Just Flew In...

And, boy, are my arms tired! Ok, well, it's not from flying (though you could describe it like that), but from paddling!

Our friends were supposed to join my parents and I this morning, and we wanted to start early, but one was struck with a migraine (and I know first-hand that they're icky!) so we started without them, around 1030. We put in at Selby's Landing south of Jug Bay again, but this time went across the bend in the river to a little waterway called Lyons Creek. It was nice, but there were houses and docks lining the creek, so it was less of an escape. By about 1200, we were heading back towards the river and my friend called to say they were here! Yippie! We met them at the mouth of Mattaponi Creek and went all the way down to the landing by the bridge before eating lunch. My mother and I were pretty thoroughly exhausted. (Lyons Creek was very shallow and I couldn't use my foot pedals, and remember, my arms are starting out tired). Eating helped us and we paddled back to the landing, around 1600.

You heard right, 5.5 hours out there! That's the longest we've gone so far! My mother and I agree that we don't want to go some place were we can't land and stretch a bit. I'm glad we were out that long though, because it helps build stamina. I'm not saying I plan to hit a 10 hour paddle any time soon or anything! We calculate we probably went about 9 miles. Next time, I want to do that when I'm not sore from lots of swimming!