All these things can improve your racing dramatically!—Bernd Roediger

Today Mickey Eskimo and I did two downwinders in one day. That really made me work hard! One thing that really helps me is breathing while I paddle. Now I know you’ve probably heard this a hundred times from a hundred people but trust me, it works so bear with me. Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth can enhance your stamina, cadence, and form.

Whenever I get tired it’s usually because I’m not breathing correctly, then when I start focusing on my breath I feel so much better.

Another good thing about breathing is how it can effect your cadence in flat water. Once you start focusing on your breathing you can incorporate it into your paddling and create a stellar cadence. But for me this only works in flat water because in glides you have to paddle really hard at certain times and ease off in others, so cadence isn’t as much of an issue in glides as getting in a rhythm with the waves.

Finally, the breath can improve your form. This works because your body operates on oxygen, believe it or not. So your paddling muscles will be more muscular if you breathe.

All these things can improve your racing dramatically, so if you lose you can blame it on your pipes!