California 100 Race Clinics

Discounts:
*If you register for the Cal 100 first, you will receive a 50% discount code in your confirmation email. Use that when you register for a training session.
*If you want to try a training session first and then decide to register for the Cal 100, contact us to request a promotional code after the training session for a discount on the Cal 100 registration. (discount will be equal to 50% of the training fee.)

Want to talk about it? Check out: NorCal Paddling Club Forum

Additional info for all sessions is at the bottom of this page!

Saturday February 9, 2013 1pm-4pm – Lake Natoma, Sacramento, CA

Cost: $75 or $35.50 with the promotion code from your Cal 100 registration confirmation email
Where/When/What
- Nimbus Flat, Lake Natoma
- 1pm to 3pm – Ultra Kayak Race Clinic (on land)
- 3pm to 4pm – Group Paddle
- Around 3pm, we will rig up and hit the water for an introductory group paddle. We will execute several example workouts during this session to get a feel for training. Train smarter, not harder!
Additional Notes
- There will be a Valentine’s day kayak race at the same location before the clinic hosted by the River City Paddlers. Please find full details here. This race is on flat protected lake Natoma and has both a long and short course. This is a perfect intro race for all skill levels and would be a great way to get involved with the paddling community. The River City Paddlers host a series of races in the Sacramento area. They are an awesome tool for reaching goals and having fun before your California 100. We encourage everybody to give these a try.

Saturday March 16, 2013 8:30am-4pm – Red Bluff, CA

Cost: $150 or $75 with the promotion code from your Cal 100 registration confirmation email
Where/When/What
- Sacramento River – meet at California 100′s Check Point 2: Red Bluff Recreation Area (Diversion Dam) on the Sacramento River.
- 8:30am to 9:30am – Dry land Ultra Kayak Race Clinic and Question/Answer
- 10am to 4pm – We will shuttle to Check Point 1 at Jellys Ferry and paddle to Check point 2. This reach includes most of the rapids (riffles really) on the California 100 race course. This is the perfect  opportunity to develop your river skills for safety and competition in a supportive environment.
- We will use our own cars to work out shuttles

Saturday April 6, 2013 10am-4pm – Healdsburg, CA

Cost: $100 or $50 with the promotion code from your Cal 100 registration confirmation email. Registrants for the Great Russian River Race will also receive a $50 discount code in their confirmation email.
Where/When/What
- Meet at Veterans Memorial Beach Park just off HWY 101 in Healdsburg.
- 10am to 12pm – On land Ultra Kayak Race Clinic.
- 12:30pm to 4pm – Drive to Alexander Valley Rd Gravel Bar and paddle the 16 miles of river back to Veterans Memorial Beach.
- This Section of river is run all summer in recreational rental canoes so it is very doable, however, it has many technical sections offering opportunity to learn river navigation skills.
- Unlike the Sacramento, There are shallow spots in this river. Skilled river readers can avoid all of them with a 4 inch under stern rudder, however there is opportunity to touch bottom. Kick up rudder are advised.
- We will use our own cars to work out shuttles
Additional Notes:
- This training session will be the actual race course for the Great Russian River Race. This is one of Northern California’s Primer river races and is perfect pre California 100 event. It is the perfect opportunity to test your river skills and gauge your progress before the big event.

New Date and longer hours!  April 20th 10am-4pm – Sausalito, CA

Cost: $100 or $50 with the promotion code from your Cal 100 registration confirmation email
Where/When/What
- Schoonmaker Beach, Sausalito
- 10am to 12pm – Ultra Kayak Race Clinic (on land), then break for lunch and prep for water.
- 12:30pm to 4pm – Group Paddle
- We will stay inland in protected Richardson bay and introduce interval training methods.

What to expect at all sessions:

- We will spend the first 1-3 hours on land covering the basics of how to have a successful ultra-race. Topics include Training, Setting Goals, Nutrition, Boat rigging and more.
- The last part of the dry land clinic will be dedicated to answering questions and looking at individual boat setups.
- The group paddles will be appropriate for all levels and all vessels. They are geared to help you train smarter, not harder!

What to bring to each session:

- Your kayak and Paddle and your standard Gear
- Rig your boat as you think you may set it up for the race
- Paddle Clothes for on water session
- Warm clothes for the Clinic and afterwards (for point to point trainings bring 2 sets of warm clothes for the shuttle)
- Plenty of food and hydration for on the water

Additional Notes and Community Resources:

- Susan Starbird puts on paddle stroke technique sessions out of lake Natoma.
- Additional stroke coaching videos and stroke specific clinics are offered by local legend Brent Reitz
- The Wave Chaser Paddle Series offers Open Ocean races as well as novice beginner courses in the Bay Area. This is a great way to set goals and get involved with the paddling community.

About the Instructor

Wondering what Carter Johnson knows about ultra paddle racing? Check out some of his accomplishments:
· 460 mile Yukon River Quest – Solo kayak record holder
· 263 mile Texas Water Safari – Solo kayak record holder
· 300 mile Everglades Challenge – Previous solo and tandem record holder
· 340 mile Missouri 340 – Solo kayak record holder
· 150 mile Great Amazon River Raft Race – Course record holder
· Guinness World record for distance paddled in 24 hours Flat water (152miles)
· Guinness World record for overall distance paddled in a solo Kayak (280 miles)
· 2010 and 2011 USA K1 Marathon team qualifier
· 2011 1st place in Molokai World Championship Tandem Division.

Contact: cal100@riversforchange.org