The racing season could not have ended in a better way than our day at Occoquan. While we fretted the week before that it would be chilly and uncomfortable, the combination of the time change and the bright sun quickly made it a near-perfect day.

The Occoquan reservoir in the autumn is a glorious setting for a regatta complete with colorful leaves and posing herons - which is good considering the time spent waiting at the start-line. A few Masters Men, the TRRA Beginners and 2 Day Masters team joined the Masters Women, making for fast loading and unloading which was much appreciated by all.

Adding to all this was the clutch of medals brought home by the MW and MM:
4th  MW 8+ 40-49
2nd  MW 8+ 50+ - and just missing Prince William by 2.8seconds!
2nd  MM 4+ 50+
4th  MW 8+ Club
1st  MM 4X 50+
1st  MW 4X 50+
1st  MW 4X 40-49
And the MW 4+ 50+ boat came in 3rd but no medal was awarded because there were only 6 entries in the event. Most if not all MW came back with at least one medal - a very satisfying way to end the season.

Now it is time to put the tools and Unis away until spring and start thinking about getting on those ergs!

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We started unloading in the dark and cold at this year's Speakmon Regatta - a sign that head season is really here. The wind eventually chased the clouds away but stuck around all day adding interest to this fairly straight course. Despite the substantial wind gusts it was a good day for TRRA Masters Women.

It began early with a first (E boat) and third (B boat) in the Masters 8+ race which set the pace for the rest of the day. The mighty 4X dominated their race taking a first and the Open 4+ held their own against younger rowers to take another first. Coach Alyssa jumped in a 2X with Eva and proved she still has it as they brought home a second place. Finally the Masters D4+ sped away from the field and took second only to a boat which was rumored to have been Masters National Champs in 2010.

Add to this the famous grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup lunch at Colin's Coffee Shop (and Joanne was not left behind), bright sunlight for most of the day, two experienced guest coxswains and  efficient loading/unloading/rigging/de-rigging by the the team made this year's Speakmon memorable.

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The Head of the Cuyahoga had a new course this year but it was just as bendy and challenging as in previous years - it started upriver from and ended at the Rivergate Boathouse. Four TRRA teams attended: Beginning Masters (their first race), 2 Day Mixed Masters, Men's Masters and Women's Masters. Thanks to some great rowing by all teams, TRRA beat Western Reserve for the Team Points Total by 1 point!

The weather cooperated and the threat of rain cleared in the early morning leaving behind a generally sunny day. There was plenty of flat open space for trailers, boats and vendors. And for those finishing their racing day early (you know who you are!) there was even an outside Beer Garden. 

The course winds through a post-industrial setting, making the row up to the start interesting. But the real appeal of this race, at least for coxswains and small boats,  are the three major curves that require steering finesse and strength. The MW placed well in many races and came home with  medals in the Masters 2X, Open 2X, Open 1X, Masters 1X and the Masters 8+.  Some of these were in small fields but were still deserved. 

You can find photos of all teams participating in the Head of the Cuyahoga here.

Head of the Cuyahoga

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This year's Diamonds Regatta changed its format this year,  splitting the events into two days: small boats on Saturday and the rest on Sunday. Sunday racing was further complicated when the schedule was significantly compressed the evening before because of predicted afternoon thunder storms. Between the heat and the intense schedule it was a difficult regatta but there definitely reasons to celebrate.

The first day of racing did not see any medals but several boats crossed the line first, unfortunately undone by handicaps, and others had respectable showings. The team also secured an shady spot for the trailer which despite the dust on Sunday was a pleasant place to work. 

Sunday was hot and hectic. The compacted schedule required some creative solutions which luckily the race organizers were able to arrange with helpful race officials. It meant constant activity: rigging, carrying boats, carrying oars, hot-seating but the team was up to it. Everyone, including several non-racing partners, chipped in. The day got off to a rocky start when the truck with all the hardware was later than expected getting to the site, but again TRRA MW  resourcefulness prevailed and thanks to the Vespoli reps, boats were ready on time.The team continued to overcome set-backs with strong teamwork throughout the day - everything from broken steering mechanisms to a close-call with heat-stroke. In the end there were two well deserved firsts for the B 4+ and the AA-B 8+.

All of the hustling during the day, while exhausting, did mean we got home in reasonable time and beat the beach traffic.

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Thanks To Joanne Anderson for this recap:
For those of you that are interested here is a brief recap of the our racing this past Saturday at the Cambridge Invitational.

   Following an early morning meeting with all rowers present explaining the starting position, course buoys, etc. a draw from the hat gave us start position of number 6 out of 9.

   Our eight  had a great start which was acknowledged by the announcer over the loudspeaker as he complimented TRRA as being the "first boat to lineup correctly" .  Bravo Sonya!   Sonya's skill again was called upon to avoid being t-boned by another boat at the stake boat turn.   Nate, the equipment manager  from Riverside boat club (where our shells were from) was watching it unfold and is now a big Sonya fan!  Their turn disrupted, the 8 seized upon that adrenaline and brought the 8 home.  They were exhausted after their 4 mile row but exhilarated.  Their positive energy set the tone for the remainder of the contests.  Everyone had great rows.   The 4X looked strong.  The doubles held their own against the strong local sculling teams with former Olympians, and Olympic  hopefuls.  Gabbi steered a great line for the 4+ and we all heard cheers of "great turn" at the Weeks bridge - thanks to Gabbi's family ;).

   The racing turns were set up such that we were unable to use Dan's cool leading edge technique, but the 4+ on Gabbi's call executed it brilliantly on the way back to Riverside to return our boats.

   On a beautiful day on the Charles our team finished in a respectable 6th place.

   We enjoyed great companionship with the each other  as well as the Boston community of rowers.

   Many thanks to Eva for her efforts in coordinating this regatta.  Eva does a lot to make sure everyone's trip to Boston is an enjoyable one in addition to having a great day of racing.

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Catch the Cooper Regatta was held at the site of several of the Masters National races so it was a familiar venue to many. However, just to make sure we were reading the race materials, the races were held on a different part of the course. Overall it was smoothly run - the course was well-buoyed, the heats started on time (even if it meant a bit of a scramble at the docs), the last race was at 1PM and while there was not a large number of attendees the competition was strong. 

Other amenities such as a grassy area in the shade to put chairs and boats, showers (again!) and a free lunch made it even better. There were a few things that made it less that the perfect event, such as the short centers and only medals for first place, but these did not detract much from the experience.

Both Masters Women and Men participated, with the men bringing what seemed to be hundreds of singles. Thanks to some crafty strapping, they all manged to fit on the trailer. There were several close finishes and the mixed 8+ managed to squeeze out a first. 

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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.]

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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

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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

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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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