Getting into taper mode this week but we have continued to do some race simulation to sharpen the sword going into next week. So far we have had some good sparring with the 4x.
Yesterday we did 3 x 750m. Pretty swirly conditions out there, it was tough to tell where the wind was coming from. Regardless we were able to engage in a pretty good fight with the 4x and finish within a couple seconds of them. Our average for the three pieces was around 2.17. Off the start, we did a 2.16 and lost to the 4x by a couple seconds. We have been working on getting the boat up to a high speed and then effectively transitioning to a sustainable pace without losing our flow. This was good practice for that especially in the chop and uncertain wind.
In the afternoon, Ben and I went out for a light paddle that I supplemented with some light running to and from the house. I also have been spending a good amount of time on the stand up paddle board. That thing is awesome.
This morning we did 1 x 1500. No room for error, just one piece. We started about a length up on the 4x, which was too close for my liking, but hey, whatever. Pretty good conditions, flat water, tailwind. We had a sub par start, but got into a good aggressive base rhythm in the middle of the piece. The 4x finished a couple lengths ahead of us, but I thought we held our own pretty well, maybe even coming back a touch in the last 250. They went 4.31, we were around 4.39. I was most pleased that we were able to drop the pace well at the end. In our racing in May, that was an issue for us. I think that is the type of thing that just comes with rowing together for a while. We are still pretty new in the boat, so there is definitely still an unpredictability there. Overall, if those times are right, I was pleased with it, not satisfied, but pleased with the progress we have made. It is clear that our sustainable speed is getting faster. That is what we will need to hang with the top 2x's in the world.
Just a couple more days here before we head to princeton. We have a race for lanes on monday, then final on Wednesday. We know the guys we are racing really well. Its just kind of comical that its just the two of us. They beat us at NSR2, and we were both miles ahead of the rest of the field. But we were pretty raw back then. This is different. I don't have a safety net this time like I did at NSR 2. I gave up the single. There is nothing to fall back on. How can you row faster than you ever have before without fear, one of the most powerful human impulses. The answer is you can't. There has to be an edge, an uncertainty, an unpredictability about the performance that makes it special and unique. That's what makes race day so fun. The fear/nervousness on the day of a race or a performance, if embraced, is incredibly empowering; if rejected, it can reduce a seemingly well-prepared athlete down to nothing.
Yesterday we did 3 x 750m. Pretty swirly conditions out there, it was tough to tell where the wind was coming from. Regardless we were able to engage in a pretty good fight with the 4x and finish within a couple seconds of them. Our average for the three pieces was around 2.17. Off the start, we did a 2.16 and lost to the 4x by a couple seconds. We have been working on getting the boat up to a high speed and then effectively transitioning to a sustainable pace without losing our flow. This was good practice for that especially in the chop and uncertain wind.
In the afternoon, Ben and I went out for a light paddle that I supplemented with some light running to and from the house. I also have been spending a good amount of time on the stand up paddle board. That thing is awesome.
This morning we did 1 x 1500. No room for error, just one piece. We started about a length up on the 4x, which was too close for my liking, but hey, whatever. Pretty good conditions, flat water, tailwind. We had a sub par start, but got into a good aggressive base rhythm in the middle of the piece. The 4x finished a couple lengths ahead of us, but I thought we held our own pretty well, maybe even coming back a touch in the last 250. They went 4.31, we were around 4.39. I was most pleased that we were able to drop the pace well at the end. In our racing in May, that was an issue for us. I think that is the type of thing that just comes with rowing together for a while. We are still pretty new in the boat, so there is definitely still an unpredictability there. Overall, if those times are right, I was pleased with it, not satisfied, but pleased with the progress we have made. It is clear that our sustainable speed is getting faster. That is what we will need to hang with the top 2x's in the world.
Just a couple more days here before we head to princeton. We have a race for lanes on monday, then final on Wednesday. We know the guys we are racing really well. Its just kind of comical that its just the two of us. They beat us at NSR2, and we were both miles ahead of the rest of the field. But we were pretty raw back then. This is different. I don't have a safety net this time like I did at NSR 2. I gave up the single. There is nothing to fall back on. How can you row faster than you ever have before without fear, one of the most powerful human impulses. The answer is you can't. There has to be an edge, an uncertainty, an unpredictability about the performance that makes it special and unique. That's what makes race day so fun. The fear/nervousness on the day of a race or a performance, if embraced, is incredibly empowering; if rejected, it can reduce a seemingly well-prepared athlete down to nothing.
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