I have two questions. While paddling do you focus on pulling with one hip or both hips ? And, during a race, do you constantly focus on your technique, or do you just focus on going as fast as possible ?

Hey great question, you have made a smart observation that while the hips work together to produce the best possible stroke, they do have different motions. Concentrate on pulling back with both hips and pressing forward with both, but your paddle side hip tends to come further around, while the opposite hip presses down. It is important to understand that the stroke is a full body movement, and all parts of the body (legs, hips, back, arms...) are connected with the paddle and the water. It is this connection that moves the boat, and the smoother and more powerful it is through the pull, the better the boat will move.

As for the second part of this question. Focussing on technique and a few key words that will set you up to take your best possible strokes is a good idea. For example, Gab and Andrew tend to think about length in the first half of their 1000m race plan, and then halfway through using the hips to generate power. Simply going as hard as possible and abandoning technique is not the best idea. Work through your practices at maintaining your technique, and the things that make the boat go fast and smooth, and then concentrate and putting those into action during race day.