Clemson: week 1
The scoop from Clemson is that we don't have internet at the house, which really is not a problem other than it has taken away my ability to post anything. So here I am, at Starbucks, indulging in the complimentary wi-fi, recounting the last week. After a very wet 20k jaunt in the 1x this morning, I am very happy to be warm and dry, drinking a hot drink.
This first week of rowing has been a slow but smooth transition back to the water thanks to Coach Roock's cautionary approach to returning to volume and intensity after spending a few months away from the sport. As I've touched on before, probably when I was out in California earlier this year, it is very easy to overdo it with all the excitement of returning to the water. So this week we have done a good job so far of resting before we are tired or before we have any overuse injuries. For the most part, people are doing pretty well. We have been doing pretty moderate mileage and of quite low intensity. 60-75 min in the morning, 60-75 min in the afternoon--nothing crazy. We have been rowing mostly doubles so far, but I have been out in the single a few times. I have rowed with Peter, Ben, and Steve and they have all been good, so maybe we should just row the 4x? Two things I am confident in saying: 1. selection for 2x will be tight. 2. whatever boat comes out of it will be tough, hard-nosed, and really moving. It's exciting rowing with different partners and having the caliber of rowing be so high, but at the same time, I think we all sense that whatever racing happens down here to determine seats is going to be of a much higher standard than last year. Everyone is fitter, better technically, and more confident than last year. The bar has been raised considerably and its really cool to see people rising to the occasion. It's what needs to happen for us to produce a boat capable of running with and beating the top boats in the world. The competition within the team is nothing new because we have been beating each other up on skis and on the erg all winter, but there is a heightened focus once we are in a boat, in a single or a double, doing THE thing that we are trying to master. There has been a wonderful clarity of purpose that I have felt the last couple of days rowing in the double/single. Maybe we are 40 min into an 80 min row, where the natural tendency is to sag, let the posture deteriorate to old habits, let the technical focus slip, and just row like I/we did last year. Nope. No more. No compromise. Just my best/our best stroke, every time. If I had been rowing on the water since November, I would certainly be focused, but I just don't think it would be as sharp as it is right now. I think that type of focus stems from a collective sense of purpose. I think we can all feel the urgency when we get down here; we know there are less than six weeks until we need to be ready to show what we can do. I have never been in a band, but I love thinking about the amount of practice and rehearsal it must take, the repetition and focus day in and day out that is required, in order for a band to put on a great show when a concert rolls around. Our first concert is on April 24-6 in Princeton. We have a lot of rehearsing to do.
This first week of rowing has been a slow but smooth transition back to the water thanks to Coach Roock's cautionary approach to returning to volume and intensity after spending a few months away from the sport. As I've touched on before, probably when I was out in California earlier this year, it is very easy to overdo it with all the excitement of returning to the water. So this week we have done a good job so far of resting before we are tired or before we have any overuse injuries. For the most part, people are doing pretty well. We have been doing pretty moderate mileage and of quite low intensity. 60-75 min in the morning, 60-75 min in the afternoon--nothing crazy. We have been rowing mostly doubles so far, but I have been out in the single a few times. I have rowed with Peter, Ben, and Steve and they have all been good, so maybe we should just row the 4x? Two things I am confident in saying: 1. selection for 2x will be tight. 2. whatever boat comes out of it will be tough, hard-nosed, and really moving. It's exciting rowing with different partners and having the caliber of rowing be so high, but at the same time, I think we all sense that whatever racing happens down here to determine seats is going to be of a much higher standard than last year. Everyone is fitter, better technically, and more confident than last year. The bar has been raised considerably and its really cool to see people rising to the occasion. It's what needs to happen for us to produce a boat capable of running with and beating the top boats in the world. The competition within the team is nothing new because we have been beating each other up on skis and on the erg all winter, but there is a heightened focus once we are in a boat, in a single or a double, doing THE thing that we are trying to master. There has been a wonderful clarity of purpose that I have felt the last couple of days rowing in the double/single. Maybe we are 40 min into an 80 min row, where the natural tendency is to sag, let the posture deteriorate to old habits, let the technical focus slip, and just row like I/we did last year. Nope. No more. No compromise. Just my best/our best stroke, every time. If I had been rowing on the water since November, I would certainly be focused, but I just don't think it would be as sharp as it is right now. I think that type of focus stems from a collective sense of purpose. I think we can all feel the urgency when we get down here; we know there are less than six weeks until we need to be ready to show what we can do. I have never been in a band, but I love thinking about the amount of practice and rehearsal it must take, the repetition and focus day in and day out that is required, in order for a band to put on a great show when a concert rolls around. Our first concert is on April 24-6 in Princeton. We have a lot of rehearsing to do.
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