I usually do a few of races every year to keep the motivation up.  These are primarily flat water marathon races (K1) and team multi-sport races.  These include:

• Victorian canoeing marathon races
• Australian canoeing marathon championships which on one occasion I have won my age group (vet45 at the time)
• Australian masters games
• Marysville to Melbourne multisport race (best place 5th overall, team of 3, winner vets team of 3)
• Lorne Anaconda which we have yet to crack
• Ballarat to Barwon Heads which no longer takes place (best place 5th overall and I think we won the vets team section)
• Fitness Paddlers Australia Beaumaris and Geelong timetrials (surfski)
• Peak Adventure Crit Series surf ski races
• Outlaw Paddlers Ocean Series surf ski races
• Gippsland Surfski Marathon

When work and life permits my weekly training program looks something like this:

• between 2 and 5 short sessions during the week (10km or 1 hour)
• 1 or 2 long sessions over the weekends (20km or 1.5 to 2 hours)

Currently most of my training is done in a surf ski with the local Peak Adventure crew down at Sandridge Surf Life Saving Club.