Hello all!

And the rain keeps falling...

I did some searching, and I figure that the trip from Washington's Landing to Sandcastle is about 24km by water, to go there and back. We wouldn't have time to do that in a single, so we'll do it in pairs. You and a partner have to team up to go 24km. It doesn't matter to me who goes farther, but we're rowing "doubles,"so partner up, and when your combined score hits 24km, you're done.

We won't be requiring sliders (though that would be fun, if anyone wants to try). These are just pretend doubles.

Pick your own teams. Sit beside each other. Set the monitors to "Just Row," and start counting.

This should work out just about right. We'll see. I'm going to love watching everyone's heads explode as you try to figure out when you're finished.

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Hey everybody,

Doing our best to make the boats last forever, we will have a go at more teamwork tomorrow. We are continuing our transition to race level fitness, and using intervals to allow us to row at high intensities for longer periods of time. Let's go for 5 X 6 minutes.

That is:
Clocks set for 60 minutes
Change every 6min

Pace is about 20 minute test speed. Rating is Open.

We'll pair up based on the alphabetical order of your first pet's name. Thus, someone who had a goldfish named Algernon in the 2nd Grade will be ahead of the rower whose childhood chinchilla went by Quetzlecoatl, who will be in front of she with the goat named Zeus.

If you have never had any pet of any sort, you may pick your favorite animal that was a star of stage or screen.

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A lovely Tuesday to you all,

4 x 20min Steady State

Technical Focus: Pushing through the balls of the feet until the weight returns to the front of the seat. Controlling the draw for the whole recovery.

Be there, or be square. Who's got some tunes? Don't feel intimidated: make 20 minute playlists, and we'll switch it up.

Dan

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From another email with a rower:

Another perceptive question. My own philosophy, which may be soon challenged (more on that later), is that contact through the balls of the feet allows for greater feel at the front end, and a smoother transition to the recovery at the back end. I felt that this was a seminal change in my own technique as a high schooler, and have attempted to instill this in a few.

The standard explanation and justification I give when I explain this to someone is that holding the legs down, and the ankles up through the finish will make them more tired per stroke at first, but that it will pay dividends in maintaining boat speed when we hit the water. When you pull against the footstraps, there is a moment at the finish where your weight has to crash back onto the board, assuming you get your body out of bow before the legs rise. If you are swinging into the finish while on the slide, your crash to the footboard will happen at the catch, an unmitigated disaster for boat run. Thus, despite the effort expended by the continued push through the end of the drive and the beginning of the recovery, the dividends in boat run and total speed are extensive.

This being said, I was learning some about body mechanics at Hudson, and it is possible that this sort of push relegates the glutes. They were working with an Australian scientist who proposed that footboards should have both steeper upper (toe) sections for better pushing at the catch, and a raised lower (heel) section to allow the glutes to engage at the finish. This may change everything; I cannot be certain, because we cannot simulate an engaged butt with our current flat footboards without sacrificing the finesse of the raised ankle.

So there it is. Hold the legs down through the finish, until the hips have rotated over, the weight is on the feet, and the draw into the catch can be controlled. I will make this a focus on Wednesday.

Thanks,
Dan

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Hello all,

I hope everyone is doing well after a big weekend. The flow is still way up there, over 70kcfs, so we'll do away with our sadness via another totally rocking erg relay.

Pair up based on number of hours spent in Mary's presence.

8 X 4 minutes (each)

Thus, the monitors will be set at 64 minutes, and switch every 4 minutes.

See everyone there, bright and early (Anne Jane said the sun was up at 6am today!)

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Hello all,

Changing it up just a bit. Going a little longer, a few more short rest stops.

4 X 20 minutes
1 minute rest

Let's get it on!

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Hey guys,

My apologies that the flow came back up, (you can check the Sharpsburg prediction, which calls for 54 000 kcfs for the foreseeable future) but we'll make the best of it.

Erg relay time!

We will team up, and hand off on 8 minute pieces. That's about half an hour of work each, an 64 minutes of total time. Rates are 22, 24, 26, 28 for the first three, and Open on the last one.

Let's make the extra erg time really count!

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Boat Handling Review 2011

Luanne Suplick

●        Follow coach's and coxswain's commands ONLY.  One voice to ensure safety, minimize confusion, and to be quick and efficient.  No talking, be alert and listen.  (We don't want to waste time in the bay that we could be on the water rowing.)

●        Bunch together at each end to be ready to support the weight of the boat. This year we are not bunching by height.  Only exception is if 1 or 2 of the 4 at one end are much taller than the others. 

●        Typical Commands (Usually 2 parts to the command, what to do and when to do it) "Hands on” or “lay hold,” " Up an inch and up," “Walk it out of the rack," (Crawl under--if needed), "Up to shoulders and up," Up and over heads and up," "Split heads," "Down to shoulders and down," "walk it out."

●        Be sure to go to the opposite side of the person in front of you. Since the bow is facing out of the boathouse, bow person will lead and the rest should follow, going to the opposite side.

●        At the dock, move quickly, go all the way to the farthest point down river on the dock--bow pointing upriver: "Way enough," "Up and over heads and up," "toe to the edge," "ready to roll and roll," "Port get oars, starboard get oarlocks," "Ready--one foot in and down," "tie in quickly (or tie in on the water, adjust on the water), "count up from bow", "sit ready to shove and shove," "bow push us off..."

●         Be sure to take special care of the boat’s riggers.  Do not lean on riggers, do not pull the boat down the dock by the riggers, do not place the boat on the racks on the riggers, don’t hang towels on the riggers.  The riggers are set a certain level and pitch.  They can bend easily.  Handle the boat by the gunwales.

●        Once back at the dock, untie quickly, count up from bow, and listen for the command “one foot up and out,” moving together in unity to get out of the boat.

●        Bunch to each end, “Hands on,” “Ready to roll, up and over heads and up” all facing the same direction: we have made it the standard to face upstream, so that everyone is on the same page.  Since the bow faces upstream, follow bow person’s lead to “split heads” to opposite sides.  Make sure all heads are split before “down to shoulders”

●        Upon returning to the bay, boat is to be wiped down, once again, listen for the coxswain’s voice to ensure proper placement of the boat onto the racks and clear of the riggers.

●        Wait! Don’t run off just yet!...Put the oars away.

●        If your boat or oars have sustained any damage or any other equipment issues, be sure to file a report.  Forms are located on the door of the repair bay.

●        Let’s make it clean and efficient!  Looking professional!

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Sorry guys, I forgot. We were doing the Learn-to-Row for the Association, and that occupied my mental rowing energy. Don't expect to be on the water (OTW) tomorrow, however, with the flow north of 70 kcfs.

Dan

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Double post day!

I'd like to check the rigging before we row, and part of that will be setting up the footstretchers. Few parts of the rig are so integral to having comfortable rowers; it is one of the primary contact points with the boat, and unlike seat shape, it's something we can change. Because of that, it is also something that does change, often on its own. There's no need to leave it to other for checking: so I will check.

I'd like to check our footstretchers, among other things, before we row this Saturday. If anyone would be able to show up early, say 6am, to roll some boats down and do some checking of the rig, I'd be much obliged. Here is a visual representation of why footstretchers are so important.



The foot angle is measured relative to the horizon horizontal. We can check it using a protractor:



If the feet are too flat, it is easy to get to the catch, but hard to push off. The vector has nothing to drive against.



Coaches are always pushing to get the feet as steep as the rowers can take it, because it makes you more able to push off, and thus faster. Too steep, though...

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Get some mileage in before we start building into the water season!

3 X 25min pieces, as per the last few weeks. We shall see if there is a new Champion of the Even Split.

I will be working with individuals as necessary, trying to explain some final topics before we get on the water.

Have at it,
Dan

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Hello all,

We'll get in one last Max Power workout. It'll be another big one, like three weeks ago.

6 X 10s/60s
8 X 1min / 1min
6 X 10s/60s

Let's really hold the better catches we developed on Saturday. Bodies are stable into and out of the catch, leaving the legs to drive without interference. Most everybody will be there: let's go like Lomicka: last one, best one.

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Hello all,

You can guess tomorrow's set up. Expect these provisional lineups:

Tanks then Circuits
Port Stroke: Toby
Vern
Cohen
Rebecca
Maureen

Starboard Stroke
Jackie
Marie
Katie
Wendy (I know you're normally Port)
Jeanne
(Jill?)

Ergs then Tanks
Port Stroke: Luanne
Jean Marie
Carlson
Anna

Starboard Stroke: Joanne
Ellen
Caroline
Alex

I will figure out how to use the lineup sheet spammer soon.

Dan

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