Thursday, May 22, 2008
Regatta Season--OMG! What should I pack?
written by LuLu
With our first race upon us--We thought this would be a good first topic to blog about. What tips can you provide to our team to be prepared for a successful regatta weekend? Post your comments below in the "comment" section.
Thanks! Have a great day!
May 22, 2008 at 9:08 AM
Don't forget your Uni! If anyone needs a Uni for race day - please let us know ASAP.
Don't forget your Tools - 7/16" & crescent wrench for rigging.
Right now the weather looks mostly sunny & 63F. Bring your sunscreen, sunglasses, & something to sit on ;-)
May 22, 2008 at 9:37 AM
Racing inherently is going to be a tough think on the bod - so I try and make sure to bring stuff that will help when not in the boat.
Rain gear and stuff for cold weather - regardless of the forecast.
Water.
Toilet paper and purel are things that are *always* in my car!
K
May 22, 2008 at 11:49 AM
This is a little off-topic, but not by much . . .
Don't underestimate the degree to which taking care of the small things matters on race day. As much as possible, you want to think through these things and make a plan for taking care of them well ahead of time so that they don't end up being a distraction (or an excuse) on race day.
Ideally, you should be completely independent on race day. That means not relying on anyone else for food or water, knowing whether you have heats or just finals, knowing when your events begin and when you should launch, having discussed with your teammates ahead of time where you will meet and at what time, knowing where your boat is and getting it rigged far in advance, knowing which oars you are using and getting them down to the dock in advance, knowing the traffic flow on the river and the peculiarities of the race course and what lane you are in, and being aware of your competition.
As much as I can, I like to figure these things out before race day (sometimes the information on lane assignments and heats is not available or will have changed, so it is always good to double-check at the race site). I also like to have thought out ahead of time everything I need to do on race day before I launch for my race and about when I need to do those things. This includes the very small things like going to the bathroom and putting on my uniform and figuring out who has sunscreen I can borrow (that last bit's a joke just to see if you're paying attention).
If you are rowing lightweight, all of this preparation business gets amped up a notch, so you especially will have to make a plan and build in a contingency in case you are a little over the weight limit and need to run off some weight.
The main point is that you should not assume that someone else is going to know what you need to know or have the water you would like to drink or poke you on the shoulder when it's time to stop reading that book and get warmed up.
Take care of the small stuff so that it doesn't get in the way of having a good race.
Now go get 'em (and please let me borrow a little sunscreen on Saturday).
May 22, 2008 at 8:30 PM
I think Steven covered just about everything! Thanks!
Some things to keep in mind is to eat nutriscious meals and hydrate the week prior to the race (not the night before.) Taper down on exercising before race day.
Things to pack: ear plugs! I'm a light sleeper and hotel noises wake me up all night. Ear plugs help reduce the noise thus a better night's sleep before racing.
Pack some light first aid items for yourself: bandaids, tape, ibruprophin, neosporin...
TP! For sure!
Extra socks, T-shirts,....I could go and on.
Focus on racing on race day. This is your time. Don't call home to be sure your son's baseball uniform is in the dryer before his big game right before you launch.
May 22, 2008 at 8:59 PM
Personally...when schedule permits I like to make friends with the venue the day before. I generally like to arrive early enough to get the lay of the land the day before, feel at home in the surroundings and be able to focus on the race the next day.
I pack cold coffee drinks for post race caffine fix, peanut butter, and soap and small towel for clean up at first rest stop on the way home.
May 23, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Champagne. Or Sauvignon Blanc. Both are acceptable pre-race beverages. In moderation. And don't forget the glasses. Nothing worse than Veuve Cliquot out of plastic hotel glasses.
OVERPACK. If you don't use the extra clothes, likely someone on the team might need something. I once lent Pete Figgins my extra rain jacket during an unusually cold, wet Diamonds regatta. It was red. Pete definitely had an overstuffed sausage look going on but was glad to have anything to keep the cold and rain off.
May 23, 2008 at 11:39 AM
My two cents worth to lightweights would be to steer clear of salty food for a few days before the race. A big dose of salty food can increase your water retention and easily shoot your weight up a few pounds.
May 23, 2008 at 7:32 PM
As a compulsive list maker, I store my regatta packing list on my hard drive. There are several versions of The Packing List: Stuff I need when I bring my double, stuff I need for warm weather races, stuff I need for cool weather races, stuff I need if I am driving my car, and so on. Of course, many of the same items appear on each list. It works for me.
May 26, 2008 at 9:45 PM
Adding on to Steve's comments re looking out for yourself and taking care of small stuff (not that anyone is still reading these...)
Your coaches and captains and regatta organizers have put a lot of time in trying to take care of a lot of the details - that said - I NEVER rely on what anyone else tells me. Go online, double check that your waiver is taken care of, double check your race time, lane, # to advance and who is using your equipment before and after you. I'd like to know if the men are using the 4x I am in 3 events before mine and I am going to have to haul ass to the starting line - and sometimes everyone may have missed the fact that 15 minutes between events probably won't give you time to get to the start in that same shell so maybe I best mention something to coach and ask about it (maybe they already know, but sometimes not).
Double check that your riggers are on and tight before your last potty break before launching - and don't forget to check for SEATS!! (especially if for some reason the boat was rigged on X's upside down...)
I could go on... but that'll do for now :-) Let's go TRRA!
May 27, 2008 at 9:24 AM
I read it Katie! Great Advice! So many little details to keep in mind.
Just want to wish everyone Happy and Safe Travels! Row Hard!!!