How to prepare body for max comfort (knees)

[philcanoe]

Cleve99,
Stretching is critical, especially after 30, more especially after 40, and.. well you know the rest .
Given that, tailored outfitting is essential for comfort, a quarter inch trimmed here or there, extra padding, ankle blocks, the right shoes - whatever is necessary for a personal fit.
So, once you are properly stretched, get your outfitting and gear tinkered and individualized for your body. It's amazing what a difference some minor changes can make !
You may end up C1ing comfortably into your 60's.
SYOTR,
Bruce

yep. what he said

Yes yes Yes - and it's surprising which thing(s) may make a difference for you. I'm finally going boating today after two months, due to inflaming a tendon (peroneus tertius) on bottom of both feet. Which was caused in just one day of going barefoot in a brand new setup. Yep - three days of rolling with shoes no problem. One river trip bare foot on angled Yakima's in a brand new C1 - and ouch !!! Play around until you get it right, and if possible don't overdue it on a newly outfitted boat.

[Smurfwarrior]

Might have been mentioned in passing but one worth mentioning again.... I think one of the key factors in comfort is dropping the pounds and getting skinny. Hard to do, yes.. but one that will reward you with less fatty legs that fold up better. My weight fluctuates throughout the year and I can tell a big difference with a small weight gain/loss.

[sbroam]

... My weight fluctuates throughout the year and I can tell a big difference with a small weight gain/loss.

Boy and how... stable boats get tippy; comfy feet go numb...

[SlovenOC'er]

Just curious, how many of you run regularly? If so, do you feel that you moan and groan more, less or about the same as other paddlers (I know this one is pretty subjective).

[jharris]

My biggest problem has always been my ankles when they're flat on the bottom of a C1. That always gets better later in the season... this spring my first day out was an almost uninterrupted run of the Nolichucky. Ouch! But towards the end of the spring I didn't have any ankle pain. Definitely seems like your ankles just need to get used to sitting that way, so the advice people have given about kneeling/sitting like you would in your boat is probably good.

I've always found my knees are much happier in a C1 than an OC1 even though the saddles are shorter. I think it's cause in an OC1 when the balls of my feet are on the foot pegs my feet are pointing straight up and down. Since that raises my lower leg off the bottom of the boat, it forces the knees to bend more sharply than an equal height saddle with your feet flat on the hull like a C1.

[Smurfwarrior]

Thats a reason that I trim my footpads and put my feet under the pegs. Much more relaxed and comfy for me. Ref ankles, ankle blocks (when properly adjusted) are a life saver.

[sbroam]

Thats a reason that I trim my footpads and put my feet under the pegs. Much more relaxed and comfy for me. Ref ankles, ankle blocks (when properly adjusted) are a life saver.

Yep.

And the more regularly I paddle, the better - 2-3 times a week, no pain, no how. Miss a week or two and I can expect to complain... Other forms of activity in between (biking, hiking, weights, just about anything) help, too. My wife has been encouraging yoga and I'm going to try that, too...

[philcanoe]

Thats a reason that I trim my footpads and put my feet under the pegs. Much more relaxed and comfy for me. Ref ankles, ankle blocks (when properly adjusted) are a life saver.

Be-careful... have gotten my toe's pinched hard enough, that I no longer choose to go this route when the going get's rough. Was surprised when inspecting the bottom on my much worn S'Fly, to have found two visible lines (running across - not lateral) where the boat and Yakima foot braces must often touch. And yes - braces are high enough to slide my feet under, as I very-often prefer doing this when cruising around (as in between the action) because of the/your aforementioned comfort factor.


For me... (being in a canoe)... it's beneficial to leave my toe blocks somewhat loose, and apply pressure as needed with the balls of my feet. Now that I'm older the more so. In this manner my feet can slide under, or off to the side, or they can be left loose but upright... changing these options throughout most of the day. So that the majority of the time pressure on my knees is also (and primarily) relieved, and then when needed be pushed tight. I'll still slide my Yakima's tight for those must stay tight moments (yes - a OC1 move). Of course this also has the undesirable effect of decreasing my roll from time to time, as often I'm often loose enough to get easily ejected. For this reason a little warm water Class-III float doesn't concerned me at all... not if it means being able to stand come end of the day.

BTW - (like previously stated) Cold weather clothing can make a difference, and this also means my warm up routine get's a little longer. This seems to really make a big difference after boating, and IMHO appears to help reduce injury.

[Smurfwarrior]

I cut off the bottoms and the ends of my Yakima pegs and havent had a problem with toe pinch and it allows me to move my feet to stretch em out. Cutting them down or raising them is key, but that's something to consider if you are going to try it.

[jscottl67]

Look around at this site - not canoe specific but fixes for most joint and soft tissue type issues. http://www.mobilitywod.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bruce Farrenkopf]

"My biggest problem has always been my ankles when they're flat on the bottom of a C1"

Ankle Blocks.

[Silent Bob]

Re: ankle blocks,

I've always had the opposite problem, ankle blocks absolutely kill me no mattter how much i tinker with them. Feet flat on the bottom is the only thing that works for me.

As others have said, having a saddle/ball/whatever to kneel on at home in front of the tv helps a lot to get you used to "assuming the position". At work, I spend a lot of time crawling around under the dash of cars doing electrical repair. I built myself a little padded stool about 6"high and found that if I kneel on that it puts me at about the right height to do what I need to do semi-comfortably. And after a while I found that I can sit there for hours at a time- and still walk when I'm done. Makes getting back in the boat a whole lot easier, particularly since I don't really get to paddle as often as I would like.

-Bob

[icyone]

Yes, given proper outfitting, time in the boat does help the most (especially combined with youth). Next to that, time with various dry-land kneeling devices are probably a necessity for most of us in advanced age.

Back in the day, when paddling at least once --and preferably twice -- a day was considered a necessity of life for at least 80% of the year, I never recall a whole lot of discomfort, and when it did occur (for me, at least) it was usually addressed by highly delicate sculpting, customization and adjustment of ankle blocks. Knees were not the problem for me, but in the past year I have had surgery on one foot, and have used full-bed orthotics in my shoes, along with regular Tylenol, for over 20 years for painful forefoot/ankle arthritis in both feet. So everyone's issues will be a little different.

And back-in-the-day, I only recall one serious occasion of extended pain-boating: it was a (very) low-water day near the end of a low water October trip on the Grand Canyon, and this particular day was essentially 30 miles of slow-moving flatwater. Upon arrival at the campsite, the couple of us in slalom C-1s paddled full-speed up onto the beach -- and then gently fell over sideways before slowly easing ourselves out with a lot of arm effort. (Still better than running the biggies in a butt-boat, tho...)