A week ago today I went out for a hard workout paddle in a double (12-person) canoe. I knew what I was getting into and I wanted the hard workout. But it turned out to be so hard that I started to feel nauseated and had to call myself out for a while and rest. I can't remember ever having to do that before. The next day, being visitor paddle, which is always shorter, I used the elliptical before paddling, but had to stop at 35 minutes instead of my planned 45 minutes, and was very tired during the (easy) visitor paddle. Was still tired on Wednesday's paddle.
After paddling on Wednesday I drove to Wailuku where I got the second in the two-shot series of the Shringrix vaccine. That vaccine leaves you with a very sore arm for several days, and can make you feel tired as well as several other minor side-effects. On Thursday (visitor day at the canoe club again) I again used the elliptical, but had to stop after 20 minutes because I was so tired. I took a complete rest day on Friday, and paddled (but was very tired) on Saturday. Yesterday, Sunday, was my day to go kayaking for 4 hours, and my guide thought the conditions were ideal to go out to Molokini, but I didn't have the energy. We paddled slowly with lots of rest stops and spent an hour snorkeling and freediving close to our starting point, and ended up coming in after only 3 1/2 hours on the water because I just didn't feel up to more paddling.
I always want to spend more time on the water.
I'm afraid old age is kicking me in the head again, and that my fitness level is taking a hit, just as it did about a dozen years ago when I abruptly went from jogging 9 1/2 minute miles to jogging 12 1/2 minute miles. The paddle last Monday, before the shot, was hard, but not race-training hard, or even paddle-core hard. I've done longer, harder paddles than that. I have not decided yet, but I might take another rest day today.