Susan Carlson summed up the Stonewall Regatta experience well in this email to the team:

For those of you who didn't go, we had a good showing.  Combined MM and MW team came home with 4 wins. 

WM 8+ 
WM4+ 
MM 4+ 
Mixed 8+ 

They got gold medals and a bottle of wine.  Which was truly cruel for me, not having been in any of the women's winning boats.  Luckily, I can buy my own. 

The new Anacostia Community boathouse is very nice.  We will return to Stonewall for the bathrooms and showers alone!

GOOD FIRST RACE!
  
[Adding that while the venue is on the small side the docks are new and ample; the races were run on time and there were plenty of volunteers - overall a nice way to start the racing season.]

Read More...

We have been blessed with the opportunity to be fitter than our competition. Let us be sure to seize this opportunity, and utilize it to the fullest.

Wednesday: Long Steady State. We haven't been as long in duration lately. We'll get back to that with 4X20min, to the sweet sounds of the rain.

Saturday: Special Fun. Be rested for hard work at Millvale.

DAR

Read More...

Lineups are out. I was out with the Central Guys today, and it was glorious. Sunrise tomorrow is 6:19, so wear bright clothing, and I can see you.

Please be in house, with name on the board, by 5:15. We'll get out there lickety split, and be back in time for everyone to be where they need to be. Further, everyone should come prepared for anything: so extras, (Jeannie, Bridget, and Luanne) be ready to go.

Dan

Read More...

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.

Read More...

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.

Read More...

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

Read More...

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

Read More...

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!)

Read More...

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!

Read More...

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!

Read More...

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!

Read More...

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

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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

Read More...

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.

Read More...

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

Read More...

Hello all,

Apologies for the short notice:

3 X 25 minutes

Rate: 18-22

The last piece we will flip the monitors up, and try to hit the average of the previous two. I'll stroke the pieces.

Dan

Read More...

Hello Masters,

The campaign continues. Power output, and its increase, is the goal.

15 X 10s ON, 60s OFF

4 X 1:30/1:30

15 X 10s ON, 60s OFF

The duration will be a strong steady state to cool down.

Read More...

Hello everybody,

Simple distance tomorrow, with a twist.

3 X 25min, 1 minute rest

Track your meters for each piece. The goal on the third will be to get as close as possible to the average of the first two. Winner gets a prize on Saturday morning.

No "Price is Right" rules, ie. going over does not disqualify. We just want closest in terms of absolute value percentage.

It's time to get some volume.

Read More...

Ugh, the adjustable. My Oracle of Mechanics, the Sage who taught me all I know, had a word for it: The Devil's Plaything. Vise Grips were known as The Tool of the Incompetent, because you only used them to bail you out of an abject failure, like a nut you'd rounded off.

Above is a picture of my basic tool kit, minus my 7/16th, which another rower seems to have run off with, and including Gordie's nose for scale. There is a Toy of Lucifer included, because it is useful. The box wrench, as in items two and three from the top, are preferable, because of their increased precision, greater number of contact points, and ability to fit in tight spaces. The big wrench is a 3/4", which will also work for 17mm. The nut drivers are homebrewed, with deep sockets welded to the ends of long screwdrivers. One is 10mm, the other 7/16". The depth of the socket allows it to fit over most nuts you'd need to deal with, and the length of the shaft keeps your knuckles away from the boat for fast and damage-free tightening. They are also difficult to over-tighten. I once had a friend who worked at a technical high school get some students to make me some for friends as gifts. They were much prettier than mine, like they'd been done for a grade.

Notice my kit does not include a ratchet. The nut drivers are all the speed I need, and they don't tighten to the point of crushing the carbon or swing into the waterline and make holes. (The blue one IS perfectly weighted for spinning and holstering like Robocop, but that's another story). They can't have their sockets changed out like a purpose build nut driver that comes with a socket set, but the welding also removed any play and vagueness.

Just a plug for my favourite tools.I've had them since high school, and guard them as my children.

Read More...