We are doing a new workout in preparation for the Michigan Challenge: the 10 mile tempo paddle. When I trained to qualify for the Boston Marathon, the 10 mi tempo run was the workout that enabled me to increase my marathon pace from 8 minute mile to 7 minute mile. Hopefully, it will get our bodies used to paddling at a faster pace for a long time.

For the workout, we paddle 1 mile warmup, then alternate 1 mi at over 4 knots, then 1/2 mile easy. Here are some pictures from Tuesday.

It's fun to be able to paddle a long distance and see the scenery on a weeknight after work. The region where the Detroit River enters Lake Erie is an ideal place to paddle with a variety of open water, rivers, and sheltered areas.  We went east and north from Lake Erie Metropark around the south end of Grosse Ile toward Sugar Island. The islands were pretty in the low, warm light of the evening.  The spire is from the old amusement park at Boblo Island in Canada.  My grandpa took me there one time, years ago before the amusement park closed.

 

At Stony Island, we hit the 5 mi mark and turned back.



A freighter was heading south, downbound in the Livingstone Channel.  Several passed by as we were paddling. We got a good look at this one as it passed through the Hole in the Wall, an opening in the limestone block walls that line the channel.



It's always fun to see the horizon when we paddle on the big waters of the Great Lakes.



We made it back just as the sun was setting.