Before registering Vivianne had asked us questions… She hesitated, wondered if the GlaGla Race was for her….
Then she wrote to us:
I hesitated a lot, but here it is, I did it;I registered for the very short distance race.
If I hesitated it’s because I’m 56, on my next birthday in 2023 and I’ve been paddleboarding since last summer. I bought myself a wetsuit with jacket to practice paddle even when it’s cold and, as you pointed out in your articles, the Glagla Race will be my first ‘competition’, my first challenge and it doesn’t matter if I get there last.»
We wanted to know a little more and found this testimony from an almost beginner interesting!
Hello Vivian! Who are you ? Have you been paddling for a long time?
My name is Vivianne Morel, I was born in 1967 and I grew up in Annecy; I will be 56 in 2023. I live in a small village in Isère, where I moved for work. I am a secretary in a company that manufactures folding and sells sealing products.
I put my feet on a paddle, for the first time, on July 1, 2022; barely 6 months ago.
When I started to feel more comfortable, I set myself a few challenges. I left the Pop Plage (a night club in Annecy) and found my sister in Menthon-Saint-Bernard. I paddled almost 10 km quietly. I continued by going paddling on the Lac de Sainte-Croix, where I did almost 8 km, always quietly, twice.
At the end of the summer, I had a lot of trouble storing Paddy (the nickname of my paddle) for the winter; So I bought myself a wetsuit and set off for a tour of the “Roc de Chère” at the end of October – leaving from Menthon-Saint-Bernard to Talloires and back.
Take part in a paddle race in Haute-Savoie, what an idea! What motivated you to register?
I then looked on the internet for races that could take place in France, always as a challenge. The GlaGla Race 2023 winked at me and I said “Banco”. I opened the registration form and signed up; it was last November 8th. Being a beginner, I opted for the very short distance because I don’t know if I could have lasted 6.5 km at a steady pace. Doing 7 to 10 km at 3 km/h is very different from 3 km in 2 times, even 3 times faster. If I manage to go twice as fast, I will have passed the challenge against myself.
I am absolutely not afraid of falling into the water; my only fear, currently, is the cold water at the level of the feet for 3 km. Never mind !
How do you prepare for the race? Do you train?
On the training side, I must say that I don’t have many solutions. I looked on the internet for the muscles required to practice the paddle and try to work some of these muscles as I can, at home. I use two 1L milk bottles to work the shoulders. I try to do pull-ups to work the back muscles a bit. While I cook or do housework, I work on my buttocks and thighs. I know I should get back on my paddle, but I need a pair of neoprene “booties” to get on my board in cold water. I hesitated to come to Talloires for the reconnaissance and will do my best after the holidays to go back paddling. For now, I only paddle on one side and have to practice paddling on the other, in order to rest some of the muscles,
Here.
To motivate myself, I even framed my registration form, which sits in my living room. Every time I pass by I say to myself “You’re crazy my daughter, but what better way to feel alive! I wonder a lot about the course of the race
and await the briefing impatiently. I’m eager to !
You should also have a look at
- GlaGla Race Registration
- GlaGla Race 2023 courses
- The GlaGla Race 2023 schedule
- More GlaGla Race interviews
- The video of the GlaGla Race 2023
One reply on “1st time interview!”
This was such a beautiful read. I will attend for my first time and was wondering if it was possible as a new racer! This really helped and I look forward to seeing all from expert to beginner and learning and growing and enjoying such a beautiful event,