on sunday Caity came for a visit.
Pitts and Smith-Staines together again!
(my double partner from the last half of Indiana.) we went to Mick Kelly's Irish Pub for breakfast (I recommend this) and caught up on all of our rowing trials, tribulations, and victories. This was the first I've seen of the Indy crowd since it's been officially a year. I was super sad to have missed out on the Club Nationals Reunion but was super stoked to have Caity call me up as she was coming through seattle. She even said they're were no hard feeling about dragging her into the waters of the Canadian Henley. I can now sleep at night.
Best part was when we went to starbucks and were asked if we were basketball players. should have used catherine's line, "we play croquet." but alas it came to me too late.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Before there was crew there was you, biking
I have all these grand ideas. that usually do not come into fruitition. and are usually quite bad, and its a good thing something stops me from being a total fruitcake. other times i just really want to try, and if i fail well we'll block that one from the memory and chalk it up to a time warp.
There are several awesome things coming this way that i want to do:
Island Aquathon
Lake Stevens Triathalon 70.3 miles
Black Diamond 70.3
Swim Across the Sound. 2.3 miles
High Pass Challange 114 miles
RAW ride around washington 7 day bike trip
Visit TN for Josh's 21st
The levee breaking Century bike ride.
I'm gone for a few of them, not sure if i can get enough training in for the rest half marathons coming from the girl who didnt run last summer? possible but daunting. I really would love to do the High Pass Challange. but its got a 10 hour time limit and the last time i did a century it took me 12 hours and i wasnt messing around. much. its probably time to break out the bike and start riding again. maybe even get those brakes fixed.
There are several awesome things coming this way that i want to do:
Island Aquathon
Lake Stevens Triathalon 70.3 miles
Black Diamond 70.3
Swim Across the Sound. 2.3 miles
High Pass Challange 114 miles
RAW ride around washington 7 day bike trip
Visit TN for Josh's 21st
The levee breaking Century bike ride.
I'm gone for a few of them, not sure if i can get enough training in for the rest half marathons coming from the girl who didnt run last summer? possible but daunting. I really would love to do the High Pass Challange. but its got a 10 hour time limit and the last time i did a century it took me 12 hours and i wasnt messing around. much. its probably time to break out the bike and start riding again. maybe even get those brakes fixed.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Second Star to the Right
i jumped in. i signed up for pocock's colligiate summer program yesterday. The idea of not rowing for the next two and a half months was not something i could come to terms with. I'm doing it for the skill acquisition. I need more skills. single, double, pair, quad. yes please. will take skills in all of those.
First i got to row the dream over at UW, where my rowing roots began in the 40's and now i get to transfer the dream to phase II. My grandfather rowed with Stan and was coached by George Pocock so i'm pumped.
Today i got used to "The Vega" and rowing with Abby from PLU. I hadnt seen her since WIRA so seeing a familiar face was nice. we were put together in a pair, nearly met our doom with a armada of singles. there were at least 20 of them and only one of us. I miss the UW pocock pairs, but i'm excited for what the next two months will bring.
First i got to row the dream over at UW, where my rowing roots began in the 40's and now i get to transfer the dream to phase II. My grandfather rowed with Stan and was coached by George Pocock so i'm pumped.
Today i got used to "The Vega" and rowing with Abby from PLU. I hadnt seen her since WIRA so seeing a familiar face was nice. we were put together in a pair, nearly met our doom with a armada of singles. there were at least 20 of them and only one of us. I miss the UW pocock pairs, but i'm excited for what the next two months will bring.
Friday, July 9, 2010
The End Leads to Something New
today was my last day at pair camp. I had a good run of it. hard to believe a month went by so fast. Its sad that i wont be going to Club Nationals. I am dissapointed about that, but i could see it coming for a while. of the top three boats that went they were all UW girls. I knew coming in i'd be at a disadvantage. All of them had rowed together, weather it was during their season or last summer's pair camp. Or they had the advantage of seat racing with pairs earlier this year. however, i believe that if i was truely the supirior rower i could have conquered with whoever i was with. that was not the case. so while i didnt always understand who i got put with or the reasoning behind it, if i had been able to make the boat go fast from the get-go i would have had a better chance succeeding. This camp just cemented in my mind the further technique training I will need if i want to seriously row after college.
but to leave the summer on a highnote. We had an interteam regatta. which means that we did a time trail, were seeded into heats and then top three from each heat went to the grand final. top three boats to go to nationals. I was with #6. we had a pretty horendous time trial. we did not go straight, catch timing has been really hard for me to slow down. and i end up dragging us off course.
Our heat we were seeded forth, it was go time, and we made it in placing second by a hair, the really strong contender ended up pulling her partner around and placed forth. she nearly hit us and we were two lanes over. I had burning lungs at the end, plus the adreneline had kicked in.
The grandfinal we had trouble going straight, and we just didnt race as well overall. We ended up placing fifth. we would have probably had 4th, but that boat was in the far lane and we couldnt see how close it was, in the end we lost to them by two seconds, so really if we could have beat them, we should have.
5th was not a bad way to end it. My partner was the highest ranking freshman there. well technically she's a sophomore now. so that was cool. work with what you've got. and make it happen. she really made the last week and a half enjoyable for me. she was gracious about my bad bowing ability and patiently helped me sort things out.
So after this, i'm looking at sculling at pocock or taking the rest of the summer to cross train. I’ve begun to love rowing again. It isn’t some habit that I cant break. Its almost relaxing. Same with running, its enjoyable and not such a mental game. I’m not sure if I’ve just chilled out from lack of stress or what but its nice. and I'd like to continue it for the rest of the summer. lets hope me borrowing the beamer works out.
but to leave the summer on a highnote. We had an interteam regatta. which means that we did a time trail, were seeded into heats and then top three from each heat went to the grand final. top three boats to go to nationals. I was with #6. we had a pretty horendous time trial. we did not go straight, catch timing has been really hard for me to slow down. and i end up dragging us off course.
Our heat we were seeded forth, it was go time, and we made it in placing second by a hair, the really strong contender ended up pulling her partner around and placed forth. she nearly hit us and we were two lanes over. I had burning lungs at the end, plus the adreneline had kicked in.
The grandfinal we had trouble going straight, and we just didnt race as well overall. We ended up placing fifth. we would have probably had 4th, but that boat was in the far lane and we couldnt see how close it was, in the end we lost to them by two seconds, so really if we could have beat them, we should have.
5th was not a bad way to end it. My partner was the highest ranking freshman there. well technically she's a sophomore now. so that was cool. work with what you've got. and make it happen. she really made the last week and a half enjoyable for me. she was gracious about my bad bowing ability and patiently helped me sort things out.
So after this, i'm looking at sculling at pocock or taking the rest of the summer to cross train. I’ve begun to love rowing again. It isn’t some habit that I cant break. Its almost relaxing. Same with running, its enjoyable and not such a mental game. I’m not sure if I’ve just chilled out from lack of stress or what but its nice. and I'd like to continue it for the rest of the summer. lets hope me borrowing the beamer works out.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Training and Options
Its the last week of development camp. or as gina from syr put it "The last 500" that implies terrible agony and pain. I have to say rowing through the cut and seeing the slogans is inspiring, such as "Its a Pain Contest" or Seattle University's "ScrewU" or "Respect comes at the finish"
Today was the last of seat racing from last week. Since being knocked down to the B flight i think i have won every seat race. The first one that i raced today with the stroke of the freshman 8 was close with a not so convient half crab in the last five strokes. My next race with "Struzie" the Freshman #3, yeah it was a cleaned up. We just move well together, and its easy. We had some rough windy conditions, so that was fun, technical stuff to work on was highlighted, my favorite. I'm not sure if seat racing wins is enough to get me back in the running for Club National boats, but we shall see. You gotta give it your all and not worry about the rest.
Since after this week i will either be done or on my way to Club Nationals I have been trying to figure out what i should do. I can go to pocock if i get ahold of a car and train in small boats. Or i can train on my own either with urban erg workouts on my viking erg, or train for a half iron man triathalon. My instincts tell me training by myself isnt a good idea and the word ironman scares me. five miles is the furthest i have ever run, but i watch the biggest loser so i know a marathon for the overweight and infirmed is possible, there is just a 8 hour limit.
i would need to run 10 minute miles (2 hours and ten minutes) bike 56 miles in about four hours (14 mph which i have done for that amount of sustained time) and swim 3 miles within two hours. I was a swimmer but this is lake swimming and that is vastly different. i dont know if i can string all those things together. i would have to train like a crazy to be ready in a month. HOWEVER i really want to do a triathalon, and to say ironman strikes fear into the hearts of even the most brave and fearless. including myself. I also ordered ERG: 75 workouts for athletes. in either case i will start to get a move on and decide which of my three options will leave me in the best place to take on senior year.
Today was the last of seat racing from last week. Since being knocked down to the B flight i think i have won every seat race. The first one that i raced today with the stroke of the freshman 8 was close with a not so convient half crab in the last five strokes. My next race with "Struzie" the Freshman #3, yeah it was a cleaned up. We just move well together, and its easy. We had some rough windy conditions, so that was fun, technical stuff to work on was highlighted, my favorite. I'm not sure if seat racing wins is enough to get me back in the running for Club National boats, but we shall see. You gotta give it your all and not worry about the rest.
Since after this week i will either be done or on my way to Club Nationals I have been trying to figure out what i should do. I can go to pocock if i get ahold of a car and train in small boats. Or i can train on my own either with urban erg workouts on my viking erg, or train for a half iron man triathalon. My instincts tell me training by myself isnt a good idea and the word ironman scares me. five miles is the furthest i have ever run, but i watch the biggest loser so i know a marathon for the overweight and infirmed is possible, there is just a 8 hour limit.
i would need to run 10 minute miles (2 hours and ten minutes) bike 56 miles in about four hours (14 mph which i have done for that amount of sustained time) and swim 3 miles within two hours. I was a swimmer but this is lake swimming and that is vastly different. i dont know if i can string all those things together. i would have to train like a crazy to be ready in a month. HOWEVER i really want to do a triathalon, and to say ironman strikes fear into the hearts of even the most brave and fearless. including myself. I also ordered ERG: 75 workouts for athletes. in either case i will start to get a move on and decide which of my three options will leave me in the best place to take on senior year.
Friday, July 2, 2010
And the boat is runnin' runnin'
yesterday i was switched in with the 6th seat of the freshman eight, and i was put in bow for the first time. this was a scary situation. I'm paranoid about hitting other boats, and it takes me a while to figure out what i'm doing. my plan is always to get ahead so i can see them coming and steer off the stern point. I dont advise this.
turns out i follow a whole lot better than i stroke. These girls are later to the catch, and move slower than i do. its better for me to follow them, it helps me match and clean up my form.
Today was seat racing again. I was knocked down to the 'B' flight. I have a week to claw my way in a form filled fashion back up to the top. I needed to dominate all seat races. My first one with the 6th seat was a race, it was going back and forth between three pairs until the last three hundred where we pulled it out. The second one I was back with my original partner 3 seat of the freshman eight and we walked all over the other people. no contest. mission accomplished. That was the best race I had, we were set, we had run, we moved.
A few people had given me advice for pairs, i was trying to row them like eights. Brute Force Power Team. turns out it doesnt work like that in a pair. all about matching, you can go 70% and still win if you match. when it gets heavy focus on catch timing. I was still cutting some 'S' curves but we were out ahead of everyone.
The coach said i had my best day yet. I may have found my way back into his good graces. hopefully this puts me back in the running. we'll see tomorrow during the remainder of seat racing.
turns out i follow a whole lot better than i stroke. These girls are later to the catch, and move slower than i do. its better for me to follow them, it helps me match and clean up my form.
Today was seat racing again. I was knocked down to the 'B' flight. I have a week to claw my way in a form filled fashion back up to the top. I needed to dominate all seat races. My first one with the 6th seat was a race, it was going back and forth between three pairs until the last three hundred where we pulled it out. The second one I was back with my original partner 3 seat of the freshman eight and we walked all over the other people. no contest. mission accomplished. That was the best race I had, we were set, we had run, we moved.
A few people had given me advice for pairs, i was trying to row them like eights. Brute Force Power Team. turns out it doesnt work like that in a pair. all about matching, you can go 70% and still win if you match. when it gets heavy focus on catch timing. I was still cutting some 'S' curves but we were out ahead of everyone.
The coach said i had my best day yet. I may have found my way back into his good graces. hopefully this puts me back in the running. we'll see tomorrow during the remainder of seat racing.
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