Fly Week

Womens Lwt 2x USA winning bronze at Lucerne;
photo copyright row2k.com

Last weekend was a busy rowing weekend with Southwest Regionals at Lake Merritt and the third World Cup series occurring in Lucerne, Switzerland.  At Lucerne, the US had a strong performance, earning medals in the Men's 4+ and the Women's 2-, 8+, and Lwt 2x.  Read a summary race report here at RowingRelated.  A huge congratulations to Kristin and her doubles partner for earning the bronze in the Women's Lightweight 2x!  Read Kristin's race report here at her blog.  Watch the third World Cup racing here at Universal Sports.

For me, this spring has been busy with several races--San Diego Crew Classic, Pacific Coast Rowing Championships (PCRC), Gold Rush, and SW Regionals.  With the last race of this season done and over with, I took this week to swim with Marcia again.

(Marcia actually keeps her own blog called "Distance Lane."  Check out one of my favorite Macia post.)

Fly week.  What a great week to start swimming again.  And it even ended in a swim test!

Monday, 7/12/2011
AM:  SWIM
Warm-up w/one-arm butterfly and dolphin kicking w/fins
Main set:

1. 4x200yd free w/one tennis ball in each hand; focus on keeping elbows high in the water (the tennis balls were miserable, never felt so slow in my life)
2. 4x200yd free w/fins and NO tennis balls!  (never felt so fast in my life!)

PM:  OFF

Tuesday, 7/13/2011
AM:  SWIM
Warm-up w/back dolphin kicking w/fins
Main set: (no fins at all!)

1. 2x25yd fly
2. 300yd free
3. 4x25yd fly
4. 300yd free
5. 6x25yd fly
6. 300yd free

The 300yd free were suppose to get faster each time.  At this point in the workout, it was already 7 o'clock, and I had to get out in order to get to my morning meeting on time.  Apparently, Marcia's sessions in the summer go until 7:15AM (1.5 hours).  Trust me, the extra 15 minutes is killer.

PM: OFF (watching the Princess instead of going to practice)

Wednesday, 7/13/2011
AM:  SWIM
Warm-up w/dolphin kicking, fins and board
Main set:

1. 15x100yd of 75yd free and 25yd fly
2. 200yd of partner drag, alternating partners every 25yd

You would think that the 15x100yd would not be too bad, but that was brutal.  Whatever interval Marcia put us on, there was only 10 seconds of rest between pieces.  At the beginning, Marcia wanted 20x100yd from us, but she must have took pity on us or got tired of watching our miserable fly.  Our lane leader and I were watching the clock very closely, and there was definitely enough time for 20x100yd.

PM: OFF

Thursday, 7/14/2011
AM:  SWIM
Warm-up w/flutter kick, fins and board, and some crazy sculling
Main set:

1. 4x25yd free, working on stroke frequency
2. 15 minute swim test!

My 15 minute swim test felt strong, and I was a little surprised not to beat my record from the last 15 minute swim.  That's probably what I get for not swimming for almost two months.

In Your Shoes

May is regatta month, and this weekend was packed with racing.  To catch up on race results from Pac-10s, Big 10s, Dad Vails, NSR #2, etc., check out row2k results.  First and foremost, congratulations to Kristin Hedstrom and her doubles partner, Julie Nichols, in the LW2x at NSR #2!  See photos here.  Second, congratulations to the Cal Lightweight Men for their victory in the LM4+ at Dad Vails!

Cal Lightweight Men's Four taking it to the finish line;
copyright row2k.com

Closer to home, I raced in the Women's Collegiate 1x at Pacific Coast Rowing Championships at Lake Natoma in Sacramento on Saturday.  Since there were only three entries in all the women's single events combined, I was grouped into the Collegiate 1x, although I am no longer 21 and in school.  

In the 1x; copyright row2k.com

I was lucky enough to borrow a beautiful Van Dusen single for the race.  When I first saw the boat, I had a mental "freak out" moment.  The boat was much lighter and more narrow than the club's old Vespoli single that I normally row.  The hull of the Van Dusen felt so thin, as if I could damage it just by carrying it.   I was also very concerned about setting the boat.  The conditions at Lake Natoma were not pretty with high winds and rough water, and here I was with this narrow racing single that I had never rowed before.

I launched early to allow myself time to adjust to the boat, and found myself at the start line with 40 minutes to spare.  At the starting area, I could see white caps on the water.  When I went to practice some starts in the same direction as the race, the cross-headwind blew water into the boat.  I did not do a good job warming, not really wanting to row in the rough water.  By the time, I lined up at the start line, I had two inches of water in the boat.  In the morning races alone, a pair, single, and four managed to flip.

I looked at my competition--one from Saint Mary's and one from UC Irvine.  Both girls had beautiful, new Fluidesign boats.  Do you know how much I would love to have my own Fluidesign boat?!  But, at the end of the day, it is not about the boat--it is about YOU, the rower.  Both girls looked somewhat uncomfortable in the rough water.  I wanted to reach out and say, "Hey, I was in your shoes once.  Don't be scared.  It's all part of the learning process.  In fact, I was literally, in your shoes five years ago."  

But I kept my mouth shut because who am I to say anything?  Maybe they were rowers who did not make the boat and were put into a single.  Or maybe they were top rowers with killer erg times from their program who wanted to try out the single.  Never underestimate the competition.  The competition might not look like they know what they are doing or they might row like shit, but they might still BEAT YOU.

Saint Mary's, UC Irvine, Lake Merritt.  Attention.  GO!  And with the rough water, my start sequence and twenty high went right out the window.  I maybe did a few half strokes to pick up speed, maybe a few high strokes, and went straight to the settle.  The Van Dusen had no place for a stroke coach so I raced without relying on stroke rating or time, which is fine with me--less to worry about.  By the first 500m down, I did not even notice the rough water--either the water got better or I am so good in rough water that I should try open water rowing.  It was probably the former, not the latter.  My steering, however, was another story.  The wind was blowing us to starboard.  I managed to stay within my lane and not hit any buoys (minus the finish line buoy), but maybe wasted at least 10-15 strokes on steering, overcorrecting, re-correcting, etc.  

The whole race felt pretty good, but I also was able to stay ahead and in control.  Life usually feels pretty good when you are ahead and not behind, trying to crane your neck around to see the competition.

Right before the finish line; good thing you do not see me getting blown
into the finish line buoy right after I cross the line(!); copyright Brian Birch

PCRC is just a small step in the scheme of bigger things, but it took me a long time to get here and feel comfortable here.  I must absolutely give thanks to all the people who have helped me directly or indirectly just by being at practice to race against.  Special thank you to the Birches.

Thank you, Dede!  (Somebody once said that I look about the same
size as Dede.  That person is definitely wrong.  I look about 1.5x bigger!)

Goodbye Boulder, Hello NSR #2

In my last few hours in Colorado, I managed to make a trip up to Chautauqua Park in Boulder.  This is where the trees, mountains, trails are and where I should have spent the weekend, instead of being in Denver.  Even in the rain and fog and even with the oppressive altitude, I can understand why people move to Boulder for the outdoors.

At the Chautauqua trailhead; fog encases the mountains

Along the Royal Arch Trail

Along the Mesa Trail

As you might know, National Selection Regatta #2 has already started.  This racing season, 2011, is especially important for USRowing because it is the year before the Olympics, London 2012.  Not only are all the countries using this year at the World Cups and the World Championships to test their speed and check out the competition, but also this is a qualifying year for all Olympic boat categories and all countries.

In order for a country to race in a specific boat category (e.g. W1x, M1x, W8+, etc.), that country must have qualified in that particular boat the year before.  FISA governs the qualification process.  The exact rules are complex and can be found here.  Essentially, the top finishing boats in each Olympic event (not all World Championship events, such as the LW1x and the LW4x, are Olympic events) qualify their respective countries for the Olympics.  The fine print here is that the BOAT and NOT the ROWERS qualify!  Just because you are in the boat this year and qualify the boat for the Olympics does not guarantee you a seat.

In addition, the qualification process puts a lot of pressure on USRowing and at the NSRs to send the top athletes in order to have the best shot of qualifying.

Julie Nichols in stroke, Kristin in bow; photo from time trial
Copyright row2k.com

Miranda in stroke; photo from time trial
Copyright row2k.com

Both Kristin and Miranda will be racing in the finals tomorrow.  You can read about Kristin's races online.  Let's cheer them on!

National Selection Regatta #2

Thursday: Today is the first day of the second National Selection Regatta (NSR).  I believe that the winners at NSR #2 will get to represent the United States in the first World Cup, which will be held in Munich, Germany, May 27th-29th.  NSR #1 was important, but it is mostly used to see where you stand relative to the rest of the field.  NSR #2 will tell you if you get actually get to go somewhere and represent the United States.

Kristin Hedstrom is racing in the Lightweight Women's Double Sculls (2x) with Julie Nichols, the winner of the Lightweight Women's 1x at NSR#1.  Miranda Cullins, my friend from camp at Wisconsin, is racing in the Women's Double Sculls (2x) in the USRowing Training Center Boat H.  The time trials took place this morning, and results are posted.

This afternoon, Miranda will be racing in the heats.  Kristin will racing in the semi-finals tomorrow morning.

Help me in cheering on Kristin and Miranda!

National Selection Regatta #I

Some of you rowers out there may know that tomorrow, Thursday, is the beginning of National Selection Regatta (NSR) #1 to be held in New Jersey.  Every year, there are three NSRs, which determine who gets to represent the United States in the World Cup series and later, in the World Championships or every fourth year, in the Olympics. 

The first NSR starts off with a singles time trial to determine seeding in heats, which occur later that same day.  The second day is finals with an A, B, and C final.  The exact process to make a World Cup boat varies depending on if you are a male or female, heavyweight or lightweight and can be complex and convoluted.  Regardless, if you are racing at NSR #1, you know that everyone--coaches, fellow rowers, friends, enemies--in the elite rowing world will be watching, comparing times and consistency. 

Kristin at Worlds; copyright row2k.com

A month ago, I had the amazing opportunity to meet Kristin Hedstrom, an elite women's lightweight rower and Wisconsin Lightweight alumnae, when she was in Oakland training out of the California Rowing Club.  I do not want to sound like a complete nut-job, but I was SO ECSTATIC to meet Kristin.   It was like meeting Brad Pitt, but Brad Pitt is nothing when I could meet Kristin.  In college, when I rowed in Wisconsin for a summer, I heard about Kristin.  While I was rowing in Wisconsin, Kristin was busy in Seattle at the Pocock Training Center, training for the U23 lightweight double.

Kristin and I are the same in age, and that is about where the similarity ends.  Probably 15 pounds lighter than me and with a 2k erg time that would blow me out of the water, Kristin represented the United States at Worlds in 2009 and also won the women's lightweight 1x at the Head of the Charles the same year.  Last year, she was in the lightweight quad at Worlds, which placed second.

Kristin and I talked about a variety of subjects, and she patiently explained to me the national team selection process.  She talked about the different times in her rowing career when she has surprised herself.  For example, in 2008, just after finishing her collegiate rowing, Kristin entered in the lightweight 1x at the Head of the Charles, expecting to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack.  To her pleasant surprise, in a field of seasoned competitors, she finished 5th.  It was so interesting to hear how humble Kristin is about her rowing career and progress.  To me, Kristin is right up there, next to God.  Okay, maybe not God, but up there next to Ekaterina Karsten, Olaf Tufte, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps (Michael Phelps does not need a link, even my mom knows Michael Phelps), among other sport idols.  In a field of very competitive lightweight women,  vying for only two seats on the national team, Kristin knows there is still much work to be done before London 2012.

Help me cheer Kristin on at NSR #1!  Follow Kristin here.  Results can be found here.