Am I Ready For Cheat Elite?

Cheat Training is the most popular program that Calleva’s River School offers and is so much fun! Each year, a smaller niche group breaks off and does a program called Cheat Elite.

This is a program focused on increased rigor, challenge, and conditioning. It offers new opportunities outside of the regular Cheat Training activities, and focuses on extra conditioning and handling more difficult racing situations.

We get asked a lot how people know if they are ready for Cheat Elite. I would love to share some information about the program and what it has to offer.

Weekday Workout Rigor

The weekday workouts can vary from starting at Anglers and working Mather Gorge, to starting at Carderock for a longer and tougher paddle. If the level supports it, our goal is always to get up to O Deck, which is very doable in the magical 4.0-4.2 range. If you haven’t experienced it, the feeling of accomplishment felt from attaining all the way to O Deck is unmatched on the Potomac!

For those of you who love surfing Rocky, you earn your 2 surfs for each Wet Bottom attainment or Back Channel attainment. We also love to work the Rubik’s Cube in the Back Channel when it is in, which is a very unique attainment that you start by back paddling through a slot! Offut Island and Yellow Falls at the proper levels are also favorite spots to get warmed up.

We work hard with the discipline to keep getting better and improve our stamina.

“Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but nonetheless, doing like you love it.” -Mike Tyson

March Saturday Challenges

We try to mix up the Saturday morning paddles so that you will be doing something different each week. Great Falls to Fletchers is a fun long trip, but we have also done Great Falls to Anglers and then back up to Great Falls. You will really feel like you’ve done something after that paddle!

We always do a day at the world class attaining area of Harpers Ferry, which is a very different experience of technical attainments requiring precise boat control maneuvering around rocks and up ledges.

Top Yough Race and Preparation

The Top Yough Race is a spring classic and we added that to the schedule last year. We will plan to do a practice session on the Top Yough the week before the race to prepare.

This session will focus on learning the lines, identifying trouble spots, and focusing on smooth and fast paddling. Then, on race day, we will do one last refresher lap in the morning before competing in the race.

For those of you who have never done the Top Yough Race, it is a fun 1.5 mile race down bouldery Class 4-4+ rapids, starting off with the 20 foot cascade of Swallow Falls!

This sounds intimidating but the practice session the week before is designed to help you build familiarity and confidence with the run. You also can race (and practice) in a short boat if that feels more comfortable. The Top Yough Race this year is on April 6 and the practice session is the week before on March 30.

Double Runs on the Cheat

The greatest benefit to Cheat Elite hands down is the double runs on the Cheat! Two runs down the Cheat each Saturday will give you greater familiarity with the river and the race lines. You also will build strength and stamina that will help you to feel strong going into the 11 mile Cheat Race! 

Additional Potential Challenges

I am always trying to add extra challenging and fun activities to the program. We have done 20+ mile paddles on the Shenandoah and Potomac. Last year, we did a long boat day on the Stony River into Kitzmiller with a focus on boat control strategies. We also did a long boat clinic on the Upper Yough last year during one of the April Saturdays with a focus on the mental aspect of a tough race and running smooth lines!

See You in Cheat Elite

The ultimate goal of Cheat Elite is to get you ready for the Cheat Race and have a challenging and fantastic time along the way! The friendships that are built in this tight-knit group are strong and the camaraderie and support from all paddlers make this program fun and meaningful for everyone involved!

I hope to see several of you in Cheat Elite when we start up the first week of March! Apply Here! If you have any more questions about the program, please email me at bobbymiller24@yahoo.com. Contact Ashley McEwan (riverschool@calleva.org) or Steve O McKone (steve@calleva.org) if you are interested in signing up.

“The hard… is what makes it great!” – Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks)