Bad Pain: swelling within your wrists, twangs in your shoulders, burning in your lower back, nerves pinching etc etc. These are all signs that your day is going badly, and for some it will mean facing the decision of paddling on further or pulling out. I you go through that decision, then rest assured that the Avon will be on again next year, and you will be another year stronger & fitter.

Putting up with bad pain can be done for a short period of time with little of no long term effect, however putting up with it for too long can be bad in the longer run. This is probably something that I should have taken note of long ago & my shoulder would not be in the state that it is today...

Good Pain: The feeling of being quietly shattered at the end of a day's paddling. Knowing that you've done your most. Knowing that others around you are in a similar (or worse) state. Endorphins run through your system, and are probably what brings you back each year. You hurt, but in a good way. This is what you trained for, only it's now at the more intense level of a long & hard race.

Only through experience can tell you the difference between the types of pain during races. If you're going through bad pain, then hang in there, as I'm sure that good pain is just around the corner.

Happy paddling, WP.