Larchwood Street
Introducing my home away from home. A former national adaptive team member, Jen, kindly opened her home to me for 2 1/2 weeks as I trained in Philadelphia. She lives in University City, PA just a few blocks from the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel Univ. I rode a borrowed bike to a from practice each day right through the center of campus. It is a gorgeous antique style neighborhood. I was sure to grab a fruit salad from the infamous street cart vender's at least once while I was in town. Jen also happens to be a vegetarian. We shared similar cooking interests and favorite foods. I love meeting new people because you just never know when you'll kindle a new friendship.
23 days away
The race is 23 days away. We leave for Colorado Springs in 12 days. Whew I almost stopped breathing as I read those statements.
As I watch the games on TV I get more excited about seeing it all in person and equally nervous about competing in front of large crowds and different countries. It just give me goosebumps. It is a good thing we are going into the games with a very positive outlook because we have had very successful races against the Canadian team. I find it ironic that when I meet a new person and tell them about my adventures to China their initial comment is "Oh are you excited?" Well duh...of course I am excited. Traveling in itself is exciting but the truth is that the fact that I will be half way around the world is the most insignificant part about this whole thing. I am more nervous about my competition. I know the physical challenge will be incredibly tough. We were 5th place in the World Championships last year. This summer we beat the bronze medalists twice already, which means we are definitely in contention for a medal. It will not be an easy feat. The first 13 days we are there I will be doing nothing but rowing, eating, resting and sleeping. Don't worry everyone, I am excited but it is purely business on my end of things.
As I watch the games on TV I get more excited about seeing it all in person and equally nervous about competing in front of large crowds and different countries. It just give me goosebumps. It is a good thing we are going into the games with a very positive outlook because we have had very successful races against the Canadian team. I find it ironic that when I meet a new person and tell them about my adventures to China their initial comment is "Oh are you excited?" Well duh...of course I am excited. Traveling in itself is exciting but the truth is that the fact that I will be half way around the world is the most insignificant part about this whole thing. I am more nervous about my competition. I know the physical challenge will be incredibly tough. We were 5th place in the World Championships last year. This summer we beat the bronze medalists twice already, which means we are definitely in contention for a medal. It will not be an easy feat. The first 13 days we are there I will be doing nothing but rowing, eating, resting and sleeping. Don't worry everyone, I am excited but it is purely business on my end of things.
Way enough, the bridge, ops
I am bowing the pair and having a very tough time with steering the silly boat. We go zig-zag down the Schuylkill River. With the incredible amount of boat traffic it can be dangerous to get off course not to mention the 4 bridges you have to wind your way through. I am slowly getting the hang of it. My coach actually had to take the rudder off the boat so that steering was easier. We have only hit the bridge once though. Poor Tracy, she has to trust that I won't run us into the bridges. Whoops.
I am also learning how to manage my strength. The word steady state just simply doesn't exist in my mind. I am just naturally an intense person. If you know me well then you already know this about me. When you are doing a high volume of training then you have to learn how to control your heart rate and strength so that your energy lasts through all of your workouts. I bet my Uncle Mike who is training for the Wisconsin Iron Man has this aspect of training fine-tuned. I mean let's be honest anyone who swims 2 miles, bikes 112 miles, and runs 26 miles all in one day must know the science behind pacing.
WAY TO GO UNCLE MIKE! GOOD LUCK TRAINING
I am also learning how to manage my strength. The word steady state just simply doesn't exist in my mind. I am just naturally an intense person. If you know me well then you already know this about me. When you are doing a high volume of training then you have to learn how to control your heart rate and strength so that your energy lasts through all of your workouts. I bet my Uncle Mike who is training for the Wisconsin Iron Man has this aspect of training fine-tuned. I mean let's be honest anyone who swims 2 miles, bikes 112 miles, and runs 26 miles all in one day must know the science behind pacing.
WAY TO GO UNCLE MIKE! GOOD LUCK TRAINING
Sheer power is just not enough
What is mental strength? Is it the ability to visualize your competition? Is it the ability to have complete concentration? Is it faith and hope? Does God play a role in your mental strength? If I had the answers to some of these questions then I might have an advantage against my competitors. You are probably wondering why this is an important enough topic to bring up on my blog. Well let me indulge your curiosity...
I have found in the past few weeks that mental strength is a quintessential part of elite athletic competitions. Mental strength separates the elite athletes from amateurs. Every athlete who competes is strong; they lift weights, run, bike, row and train at a very intense levels but when it comes to race day the athlete who can handle the overwhelming pressure and expectations of themselves and others meets and exceeds their goals. Sheer power just isn't enough. If you are an athlete ask yourself this question: What happens when you hit the wall? Do you crumble or do you override the pain? I like to think that I can override the pain!
I have found in the past few weeks that mental strength is a quintessential part of elite athletic competitions. Mental strength separates the elite athletes from amateurs. Every athlete who competes is strong; they lift weights, run, bike, row and train at a very intense levels but when it comes to race day the athlete who can handle the overwhelming pressure and expectations of themselves and others meets and exceeds their goals. Sheer power just isn't enough. If you are an athlete ask yourself this question: What happens when you hit the wall? Do you crumble or do you override the pain? I like to think that I can override the pain!
Who goes to bed at 7:30pm on a Saturday?
Who goes to bed at 7:30pm on a Saturday night? Yup that's right it's me. I went to bed at 7:30 pm last night and did not wake up to the conscious state until 7:30am. I escaped to a small quiet room in Jen's house to do some yoga and after I finished and found myself in a relaxed state I crawled into my temporary futon bed for a nap and the next thing I knew it was 11 pm. I rustled from the yelling out my window but I never got up out of bed to investigate. I guess I was tired. Sleep can go a long way in your training. It give the body a chance to repair muscle tissue and rejuvenate the body's nutrients. While I was snoring away Jen, the most lovely lady in all of Philadelphia, was slaving in the kitchen making lentils with whole wheat pasta and enjoying her Saturday night with neighbors. If you didn't catch on I have been staying with a lovely woman named Jen. She is a former US Adaptive National team member. To sum her up in a few words is unjust. Her kind soul, compassion and devotion to rowing and self is remarkable. I am truly blessed to be untied with such a great person. If I can grow to be half the woman she is then I would be a lucky person. Thanks for everything Jen!
Gold at the Canadian Henley!
We are celebrating on the awards dock at the Canadian Henley after the winning the Canadian Henley by one hundreth of a second. The race was neck and neck all the way down the course. A dog fight to the end. It was a great feeling to end with a win but too close to be comfortable. A great win for us just before we head to China. The Final results were: USA 3:38.64, Canada 3:38.65
Niagara Falls
If you have never seen Niagara Falls or have not intended on ever visiting then you should reconsider your future vacation plan! It is truly a site to see. Today I was able to see Niagara falls with my family before heading to the racecourse with my family. I cannot describe in words just how big it is; the noise the water makes as it crashes to the base pool fills your bones with energy.
This evening practice and racing was canceled due to a thunderstorm. Unusual weather for Canada. We spent the evening at a reception honoring the Adaptive teams for the USA and Canada.
Happy Birthday Michael
We are finally in Canada and settled into the hotel. It only took 13 hours. We had to stop the van ever 90 minutes so that I could stretch out my back. We also decided to take the small country roads. It was beautiful until about hour number 10. At that point it just got to be annoying that we weren't there yet. We also stopped to celebrate my younger brother's 17th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL! We got to sing him an embarrassing birthday song at a restaurant in Canada. I love seeing his cheeks turn pink like that. My brother is truly an amazing guy. He is generous, compassionate, and open-minded. He puts others first which is hard to do in today's society. I love you bro!
Tomorrow I will meet up with my teammates for practice and I am pumped to be re-united.
Tomorrow I will meet up with my teammates for practice and I am pumped to be re-united.
My Home Turf!
Home of the Purdue Crew Club! This boathouse creates many memories for rowers in West Lafayette. Thank you Purdue Crew.
(Left to right) Purdue Varsity Women Caitlin, Melinda, Emma and AJ pose in the parking lot of the Purdue Crew boathouse after evening practice on the Wabash River. These women were incredibly generous with their time and effort during the month of May and June to help me train for competition. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your help and friendship. I couldn't have done this without you. 
July 21st
I have found a training partner in Indianapolis. Stephen will be a Junior at Notre Dame. He is a member of the club team there and he is trying to make the Varsity boat next season. Stephen does not have a summer job so he has quite a bit of free time to workout. I am very impressed by his work ethic. We will be taking out a pair called "Godspeed" for the next 2 weeks. This particular boat is made out of wood and is heavier than a modern carbon fiber boat. I suppose it is good strength training for use. Lugging around some extra weight is not always a bad thing. Every row we do together the boat is a little more set and goes a little bit straighter. It's great training for me and Stephen claims it is good for him to practice his technique.
Friday July 18; Philadelphia
Friday July 18; Training camp workout #1
Comments: After a very long day in the airport, 7 hours to be exact, my teammates and I were finally united. We hustled over to St. Joe's boathouse, to where we arrived an hour late due to traffic. When we arrived, the rest of the boat and coaches were eagerly waiting on the dock. Today we were graced with The Ohio State's Women's Rowing coach. She really knows how the stroke should look and what it should feel like. She was working with each individual on different pieces of the stroke. I was working on pushing from the heels on the bottom of my feet. This required using my lower abdomen to pull the oar in and pinch off the finish of the stroke. Hopefully, this will maximize my leg strength and reduce the amount of oar shaft in the water.
Comments: After a very long day in the airport, 7 hours to be exact, my teammates and I were finally united. We hustled over to St. Joe's boathouse, to where we arrived an hour late due to traffic. When we arrived, the rest of the boat and coaches were eagerly waiting on the dock. Today we were graced with The Ohio State's Women's Rowing coach. She really knows how the stroke should look and what it should feel like. She was working with each individual on different pieces of the stroke. I was working on pushing from the heels on the bottom of my feet. This required using my lower abdomen to pull the oar in and pinch off the finish of the stroke. Hopefully, this will maximize my leg strength and reduce the amount of oar shaft in the water.
Friday July 18
Friday July 18th
9:20am
I am at the airport now; mentally preparing myself for a long weekend of rowing in Philadelphia. The past two weeks have been pretty hard on my body and mind. Trying to recuperate a back injury and maximize my muscle strength takes an indescribable amount of energy.
5:59pm
There is something so fascinating about being at the airport. Today I have had the luxury of watching numerous family members and friends be reunited at the airport. It is a spectacular thing to watch someone get a giant hug, kiss, handshake, and most importantly a smile after a long trip. I can never tell where the person came from but you can always tell where they are going. Never the less all parties are equally excited to see each other. I can remember coming back from a plane trip hoping that my special someone is waiting for me at the terminal. It is an overwhelming feeling of love, happiness, and security. One of my favorite things to watch is the homecoming of servicemen. They are bubbly and anxious to see family members and friends at the airport. Another one of my favorites is the boyfriend or girlfriend at the gate with flowers- how romantic!
I also had the unique pleasure of attending church at the Chicago Midway airport. There is a chapel inside the airport that offers daily Catholic mass and I was able to attend. It was a refreshing place to go. With all of the hustle-bustle of the airport the chapel was splendidly quiet; it was peaceful and rejuvenating.
9:20am
I am at the airport now; mentally preparing myself for a long weekend of rowing in Philadelphia. The past two weeks have been pretty hard on my body and mind. Trying to recuperate a back injury and maximize my muscle strength takes an indescribable amount of energy.
5:59pm
There is something so fascinating about being at the airport. Today I have had the luxury of watching numerous family members and friends be reunited at the airport. It is a spectacular thing to watch someone get a giant hug, kiss, handshake, and most importantly a smile after a long trip. I can never tell where the person came from but you can always tell where they are going. Never the less all parties are equally excited to see each other. I can remember coming back from a plane trip hoping that my special someone is waiting for me at the terminal. It is an overwhelming feeling of love, happiness, and security. One of my favorite things to watch is the homecoming of servicemen. They are bubbly and anxious to see family members and friends at the airport. Another one of my favorites is the boyfriend or girlfriend at the gate with flowers- how romantic!
I also had the unique pleasure of attending church at the Chicago Midway airport. There is a chapel inside the airport that offers daily Catholic mass and I was able to attend. It was a refreshing place to go. With all of the hustle-bustle of the airport the chapel was splendidly quiet; it was peaceful and rejuvenating.
Thursday July 17
11:00pm
I spent today moving out of my apartment in West Lafayette, IN- my home for the past 5 years. It was bittersweet to leave Purdue land. Cleaning took twice as long as it usually does probably because I wasn’t ready to leave. I went out to my favorite Purdue locations before I left: the Silver Dipper, Lambert Field house, Chauncey mall, and the boathouse. Purdue will always hold a special place in my heart. My experiences and education has shaped the person I am today. It gave me a solid foundation of knowledge. I am even going to miss my roommates. As a fifth year student I ventured into a roommate matching service to find housing and it became a blessing in disguise. The sister’s I lived with were instantly were like my own sisters. They shared scrumptious dinners with me, ordered fresh baked cookies at midnight, watched countless chick flicks with me and they even took care of me during my traumatic near death drowning experience. ☺ If you are reading this roomies… thanks for everything and good luck on the GRE! I am going to miss you.
I spent today moving out of my apartment in West Lafayette, IN- my home for the past 5 years. It was bittersweet to leave Purdue land. Cleaning took twice as long as it usually does probably because I wasn’t ready to leave. I went out to my favorite Purdue locations before I left: the Silver Dipper, Lambert Field house, Chauncey mall, and the boathouse. Purdue will always hold a special place in my heart. My experiences and education has shaped the person I am today. It gave me a solid foundation of knowledge. I am even going to miss my roommates. As a fifth year student I ventured into a roommate matching service to find housing and it became a blessing in disguise. The sister’s I lived with were instantly were like my own sisters. They shared scrumptious dinners with me, ordered fresh baked cookies at midnight, watched countless chick flicks with me and they even took care of me during my traumatic near death drowning experience. ☺ If you are reading this roomies… thanks for everything and good luck on the GRE! I am going to miss you.
Wednesday July 16th
Today was tough for me. In the middle of my 2nd workout, I started crying uncontrollably and I am still not exactly sure why. I just needed to let some steam out I guess. After I vented for about 30 minutes I was able to regain some composure. My workouts have just been slowly breaking down my muscles and I just hit a breaking point. Every athlete can identify with that feeling where you can feel every single muscle tissue, tendon, and joint ache. It is sore from being overworked and it tells your mind it is too tired to do anything. That is where you separate the elite athletes from the amateurs. Elite athletes can override that feeling and conquer it; I am still learning how to do that obviously.
Tuesday July 15
I was at the YMCA doing my interval training and I was approached by a friendly gentleman inquiring about my erg machine knowledge. I was clearly exercising at my maximum capacity but he insisted on learning more about my rowing background. We continued banter for about 20 minutes as he watched me huff and puff during my intervals then on my rest we talked compared training stories and methods. Just before he left he wrote me a note that said, " USA, USA! We are proud of you. Your friend, Roy" I put the note on the front of my monitor for the rest of my workout so that when I got tired or lazy I could squeeze out that much more intensity from my body. It actually helped quite a bit because that night I zonked out as soon as I hit the pillow and the next day I could barely walk from my muscle fatigue. Thank Roy, I owe you one.
Sunday July 13
The temperatures today were in the upper 80’s and 90’s. I planned to go out at noon for a long steady bike ride to start to acclimate myself to the hot temperatures we might experience. After the ride I was soaked with sweat and ready for an ice cold drink of water. After fulfilling my urge to rehydrate I decided to cool off more efficiently in a the neighborhood pool. I met my sister Anna in the lap swim area. She quickly proceeded to educate me on the proper breast stroke technique. I was apparently doing it all wrong. After a few trips down the lane I got the hang of it with Anna, Michael and Cory as my lifeguards. Thanks kids for monitoring my swim safety.
Saturday July 12
Off
Planned for Saturday to be off from working out to shop with my sister for a wedding dress. Guess what….we found the dress! Congratulations Sarah! I love you.
Planned for Saturday to be off from working out to shop with my sister for a wedding dress. Guess what….we found the dress! Congratulations Sarah! I love you.
Tuesday July 1st: Master Women
The 8 person boat was smooth and I was thoroughly impressed with the speed, agility and strength of the master's women program in Philadelphia. For those of you who do not know much about master's sports programs, the master's age category starts at 23 years old and continues until ... well forever. These women were fiercely fast and competitive.
Elite Nationals: Race Day
The race was today. We started off a bit rocky. The first half of the race was sloppy but the second half was stronger and faster. we ended up winning by 2 seconds to Canada. I was pleased with the win. It is a huge win for us because Canada was 3rd in the 2007 world championships. I hope our successes continue.
Elite Nationals: Canada vs USA
Saturday morning: Exhibition Race at 10:35
Floating start with Canada and USA
Off the start we were ahead 2 seats. Through the high strokes we were up but Canada took a few more high strokes allowing them to take a seat back. We were up 1/2 a boat length through the 500 meter mark and after that slowed down significantly allowing Canada to gain some water back on us and finish about seconds ahead of the US. I was upset because we were conserving our energy for Sunday. I feel like a true competitor races every race as if it is his last race. This race was not raced like that. My coach said to me "There are two kinds of athletes: the competitor and the racer. The competitor pushes himself to the limits every time and the racer has no limits." I discovered today that I am a racer.
I am looking forward to racing Canada tomorrow!
Floating start with Canada and USA
Off the start we were ahead 2 seats. Through the high strokes we were up but Canada took a few more high strokes allowing them to take a seat back. We were up 1/2 a boat length through the 500 meter mark and after that slowed down significantly allowing Canada to gain some water back on us and finish about seconds ahead of the US. I was upset because we were conserving our energy for Sunday. I feel like a true competitor races every race as if it is his last race. This race was not raced like that. My coach said to me "There are two kinds of athletes: the competitor and the racer. The competitor pushes himself to the limits every time and the racer has no limits." I discovered today that I am a racer.
I am looking forward to racing Canada tomorrow!
Elite Nationals: Our first race together
This weekend we are in Princeton, NJ participating in Elite Nationals. We will only be racing Canada because Brazil could not get Visa's to participate. We are staying in a hotel abotu 20 minutes from the race course- Mercer Lake. They are having the US Olympic trials for the small boats here. The scullers are extremely nice and quite athletic from what I can tell.
Friday we practices twice. The AM workout was 3x10 minute plus 45' of steady state. Practice was at 1:00pm. The temperature was 85 or 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The boat felt pretty good but Tracy is starting to get sick. She is blowing her nose like crazy and has taken a decongestant medicine. By the end of the row I was dizzy and lightheaded. Probably an indication of dehydration.
Friday afternoon we spent under the tree out of the sun. We went back to a juice bar for food and then back to the hotel so Tracy could get a shower and quickly headed back tot he course for a team meeting. At 6:30 we were launching again for our second practice.
PM practice on Friday was mostly practicing high strokes and starts. We did 2x250m pieces practicing the first 1/4 of the race. The start is a 3/4, 1/2, 3/4, full and lengthen stroke. It is a fast start and the same one I did at Purdue. The high strokes we hope to get a 40 strokes per minute and hold that for 20 strokes. It was much cooler in the evening and there was a chance of severe thunderstorms but they never crossed our path.
Friday we practices twice. The AM workout was 3x10 minute plus 45' of steady state. Practice was at 1:00pm. The temperature was 85 or 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The boat felt pretty good but Tracy is starting to get sick. She is blowing her nose like crazy and has taken a decongestant medicine. By the end of the row I was dizzy and lightheaded. Probably an indication of dehydration.
Friday afternoon we spent under the tree out of the sun. We went back to a juice bar for food and then back to the hotel so Tracy could get a shower and quickly headed back tot he course for a team meeting. At 6:30 we were launching again for our second practice.
PM practice on Friday was mostly practicing high strokes and starts. We did 2x250m pieces practicing the first 1/4 of the race. The start is a 3/4, 1/2, 3/4, full and lengthen stroke. It is a fast start and the same one I did at Purdue. The high strokes we hope to get a 40 strokes per minute and hold that for 20 strokes. It was much cooler in the evening and there was a chance of severe thunderstorms but they never crossed our path.
The Purdue boathouse- home sweet home. May 29th Selection Camp Day 1/ Practice #2
Let go and let God.
I guess from her on out I need to realize that high levels of stress decrease my rowing performance. I should know that by now! I just get so caught up in performance anxiety that I row awful. At practice today I did not do well. My oar was sucking up a bunch of water with the oar shaft. We pulled a 1000m piece and then got dropped off at the dock. The slide was rushed almost as if I was the only taking 1/2 strokes. After the piece I was so disappointed because I only got one chance. Everything is set up so professionally. There is a speed coach that tells us all of the numbers you would see on an erg.
I guess from her on out I need to realize that high levels of stress decrease my rowing performance. I should know that by now! I just get so caught up in performance anxiety that I row awful. At practice today I did not do well. My oar was sucking up a bunch of water with the oar shaft. We pulled a 1000m piece and then got dropped off at the dock. The slide was rushed almost as if I was the only taking 1/2 strokes. After the piece I was so disappointed because I only got one chance. Everything is set up so professionally. There is a speed coach that tells us all of the numbers you would see on an erg.
1st Day of Selection Camp- May 29, 2008
I arrived in Philadelphia Yesterday. I couldn't sleep last night because I was so nervous. I woke up at 5am, 7am, and again at 7:30. Once we got to the St. Joe Boathouse after a 45 minutes commute we had a meeting. We met team managers and set off for the first workout. When I wasn't in the boat I was on shore erging. I did a 6K piece with about 4x 20 high strokes at race pace. On shore I practiced hitting the high rates. My split was low but I was still extremely nervous.
The first piece went by quickly. I was adjusting to the line. The last 250m was awesome. The coach mentioned that I might have a crush on someone in the launch because I kept staring out at my blade. I was taught to watch my blade at Purdue and I think it is a great way to self correct so it is a hard habit to break.
Between practices we ate Quiznos Subs and watched "The Boy in Blue" a rowing movie about the first sliding seat boats. At this point my back was starting to tighten up and ache a bit. I also have a queasy stomach. Maybe it is just a caffeine with drawl. I can't tell if I am doing well or not because the atmosphere is very professional.
I have to put all of the results in God's hand. I know that I can give 150% on every piece but it is not my final decision it is the coaches. I cannot control Tracy and the other guys but I can control myself. They are all extremely good rowers and athletes. They are also all very nice people. May the best crew win!
The first piece went by quickly. I was adjusting to the line. The last 250m was awesome. The coach mentioned that I might have a crush on someone in the launch because I kept staring out at my blade. I was taught to watch my blade at Purdue and I think it is a great way to self correct so it is a hard habit to break.
Between practices we ate Quiznos Subs and watched "The Boy in Blue" a rowing movie about the first sliding seat boats. At this point my back was starting to tighten up and ache a bit. I also have a queasy stomach. Maybe it is just a caffeine with drawl. I can't tell if I am doing well or not because the atmosphere is very professional.
I have to put all of the results in God's hand. I know that I can give 150% on every piece but it is not my final decision it is the coaches. I cannot control Tracy and the other guys but I can control myself. They are all extremely good rowers and athletes. They are also all very nice people. May the best crew win!
First Day in the Pair- EEKS
Today we were in the pair for the first time. A pair is a two person sweep boat. Each rower has one blade. It is one of the most difficult boats to row in- it requires perfect balance and timing to be efficient. If you are missing one of those thing you get dumped into the water.
My teammate sits stroke and steers with her foot It was extremely mentally exhausting. There is quite a bit to think about. By the end of the 75 minute row the two of us were getting frustrated. Being a competitive person, the two of us expected to be perfect on the first stroke and it wasn't so we got more aggressive as the practice continued. Patience is of the most challenging parts of rowing- one might say it is the art of rowing.
My teammate sits stroke and steers with her foot It was extremely mentally exhausting. There is quite a bit to think about. By the end of the 75 minute row the two of us were getting frustrated. Being a competitive person, the two of us expected to be perfect on the first stroke and it wasn't so we got more aggressive as the practice continued. Patience is of the most challenging parts of rowing- one might say it is the art of rowing.
Wednesday June 25, 2008
My alarm clock went off at 4:20 this morning and by 5:15am I was rowing.
The pair was better than Monday and hopefully tomorrow will be better than today. We are struggling with steering a bit. There is a lot to think about when you row in a pair.
#1: Don't flip
#2: Don't run into anything
#3: Time your stroke perfectly
#4: Follow the person in front or behind you
#5: Be patient
I am confident that if we continue to row in the pair together we will get significantly better. To be successful in the pair you have to have a stable core and solid finishes which will make both of us stonger rowers when we get together in the 4+. Although we were out for 90 minutes we did not get any type of cardiovascular workout. So this afternoon I will go for a bike ride around Fairmont Park to get my cardio in for the day.
I am also doing some site seeing at the Art Museum today. I have been to Philly 6-7 times and walked past that thing probably a hundred times but I have never been inside. I hope it's as cool on the inside as it is on the outside.
The pair was better than Monday and hopefully tomorrow will be better than today. We are struggling with steering a bit. There is a lot to think about when you row in a pair.
#1: Don't flip
#2: Don't run into anything
#3: Time your stroke perfectly
#4: Follow the person in front or behind you
#5: Be patient
I am confident that if we continue to row in the pair together we will get significantly better. To be successful in the pair you have to have a stable core and solid finishes which will make both of us stonger rowers when we get together in the 4+. Although we were out for 90 minutes we did not get any type of cardiovascular workout. So this afternoon I will go for a bike ride around Fairmont Park to get my cardio in for the day.
I am also doing some site seeing at the Art Museum today. I have been to Philly 6-7 times and walked past that thing probably a hundred times but I have never been inside. I hope it's as cool on the inside as it is on the outside.
Selection Camp-Day 1
Philadelphia, PA; St. Joseph University Boathouse
Today I flew into Philly and was received by Ryan Pawling, a coxswain for St. Joe's University. We headed to the Wa-Wa for a lunch snack and then made a home for myself at his parents home in Jenkintown, PA. They set me up with an extremely comfortable air mattress in the basement. We headed to the boathouse to rig the boat and go for a run. Frank, the rigger for the team, spent about 3 hours rigging the boat to perfection. We will be using a Kashper 4+ boat that is stern coxed. We have concept 2 oars. Each person has a special oar. Ryan and I went for a 30 minute jog totaling 3.5 miles. Dinner was peanut butter and jelly- yummy!
Today I flew into Philly and was received by Ryan Pawling, a coxswain for St. Joe's University. We headed to the Wa-Wa for a lunch snack and then made a home for myself at his parents home in Jenkintown, PA. They set me up with an extremely comfortable air mattress in the basement. We headed to the boathouse to rig the boat and go for a run. Frank, the rigger for the team, spent about 3 hours rigging the boat to perfection. We will be using a Kashper 4+ boat that is stern coxed. We have concept 2 oars. Each person has a special oar. Ryan and I went for a 30 minute jog totaling 3.5 miles. Dinner was peanut butter and jelly- yummy!
Training at Purdue
Back at it rowing on the Wabash. A few women have graciously volunteered to train with me (Caitlin Gray, Laura Wright, Bailey Colahan, Melinda Miles, and Loral O'Hara, and AJ Busso) Occasionally we need a spare and Rebecca Lipaseck and Jen Stump fill in empty seats. and Purdue is letting us use the Purdue equipment. We have gotten on the water 4-5 times this week. We had to bring down an extra launch and schedule ourselves around the men's schedules so we can get into the boathouse. I usually ride my bike to work 2 days a week totaling about 10 miles and lift weights 3x a week in Lambert. It is strange to train on the Wabash without the entire women's team. Bailey has assumed the role of coach and I can just tell that someday she will be quite an established coach.
I leave for the selection camp on Wednesday May 28th. My last day to row on the Wabash will be Friday May 23. Then Memorial Day Weekend I will row out of the Indianapolis Rowing Center at Eagle Creek. I am getting pretty nervous about meeting the team.
I leave for the selection camp on Wednesday May 28th. My last day to row on the Wabash will be Friday May 23. Then Memorial Day Weekend I will row out of the Indianapolis Rowing Center at Eagle Creek. I am getting pretty nervous about meeting the team.
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