Flexibility

The ability of a muscle or extremity to relax and yield to stretch and stress forces; the ROM of a joint, affected by muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and periarticular structures.

This is probably the most difficult topic to talk about, reason is, each person adapts and is composed differently, but also has opposite ideas. It does provides efficiency to the person and how they articulate and move. That being said, I'm going to talk about my experience with a few different ways to stretch and their affects as well as published research. .

First, lets talk about how I've reacted to stretching and what were the results. Since I've been in college and rowing, I obviously have been rowing and training a lot more and at higher level. The one thing that has made me realize the importance of flexibility and stretching, was a small injury. I wouldn't really call it an injury though since it never put me out of business. This "injury" was actually the accumulation of stress in my hamstrings, especially the right side. I thought to myself why am I hurting so badly in my back when I do enough stretching to prevent hurting myself. It was really my hamstrings pulling on the all the superior (above) muscles and causing pain there. To treat this problem, I had to spend more time stretching in different ways throughout my whole body so that this wouldn't happen again. Now back to types of stretching that I have experienced. There are two main ones that have worked in different ways for me. the primary one is 10-15 second holds and making sure that the muscle you want to affect is feeling the pull. Of course you do not want to make it hurt but still make it a noticeable extension. I like to work from the neck down because of how the body is designed since everything is mostly linked to one another like I previously said with my back and hamstrings. I first began to do this when I attended a high performance sculling camp in Tempe, AZ for the national team and it has worked well since then. As soon as I go through most of the major muscle groups and some specific small ones, I go back with a elastic band and find areas that I usually wouldn't be able to stretch in a classic way or to get the full muscle stretched. For example, the legs. I go through the hamstrings, illiotibial bands (IT band), and the inside of the legs. I put a lot of emphasis on that area because of the large amount of load and strain applied around the abdomino-pubic area. To start those stretches off, I like to use the foam roll when I can to really get the waste out of the muscle fibers for less soreness and more flexibility. Some people don't consider that part of a flexibility pattern but I feel so much more release out of the muscle afterwards. The second type of stretching has a more repetitive style to it. While training for trials this summer, I was rowing with a guy who stretched this way and had made his back problems vanish because of it. It consists of 2 second holds for about 10 reps. He had done some research on how to fix his problems and one man from Tampa uses this technique to get paraplegics to start walking again. These short holds keep the proprioceptors in the muscle fresh and ready to signal whenever activated. Since he was a new teammate, I figured why not try his ways. For a little I was doing both styles and I felt a big difference especially before and after my steady state pieces. I allowed me to get way more reach and be more flexible at the front end where a lot of rowers have a difficult time being comfortable. I felt more efficient on the water with posture and technique, but also the positive progression of my numbers that I could observe on the erg (rowing machine). I think I can say that my body felt the best it ever has and I could perform with a higher quality.

This section will be from a published book used in one of my classes called High-Performance Sport Conditioning: Modern training for ultimate athletic development by Bill Foran. This book has a lot of information that I agree and disagree with. The writer thinks that it is needed to stretch the entire muscle AND the tendon which is not elastic. To do so, the person should hold a stretch for 60 seconds to reach both. He also states that shorter holds that are more intense than 30-40% (which he recommends) will result in microtears which then turn into microinjuries. This information I'm not very convinced with and most of my classmates (mostly athletes) weren't either. On the other hand, I like his thoughts on the frequency of stretches per day. He recommends twice a day and three rounds. Of course, most people don't have time for that so they adjust by stretching specific muscle groups that are most affected by the sport or activity. And as well as what I mentioned earlier on the order of the stretches, he stated: "The stretches selected follow a specific kinetic order. Morphologically, there is no value in doing a lower-body stretch followed by an upper-body stretch. The orderly progression is useful because each stretch leads into another. This flow imprints itself in the neural system." (p.55)

In a way, everyone is flexible, some more than others,  but it is a state that can change all the time, positively and negatively, and this can affect the efficiency of one's athletic ability. As a rower, flexibility is a huge factor for upcoming workouts, better performance, and quicker recovery. I don't think that there will ever be a written down right way to stretch or to be more flexible, but the only thing I can provide you with is try different ways and continue using the one(s) that seem to work the best for you.

Research

I started this year with a dilemma of finding out what I truly want to do with my life and what type of field and career I want to specialize in. After a lot of thinking and figuring out what I enjoy the most, I realized that I'd like to do research towards pushing back the limits that society has set over the past hundred years on the human body in its abilities to perform, and this doesn't have to only deal with sports and athletics, but also with just how the human being has evolved. This being said, I am going to revamp this blog into speaking about rowing, performance, and results of my training in a research type of way. Hope everyone will learn from some new stuff. And feel free to comment about your opinions and other ways of doing things. It's all about keeping an open mind!

Back

We have now been back to school for a few weeks but rowing for one. I'm not going to deny that waking up around 8a.m. was pretty sweet but of course the usual early practice are pretty much needed. We all have mostly been erging and running to get ready for the first 6k test. I definitely think there is a lot of potential from the freshmen but also from the returning group. We haven't been on the water yet but everyone has a pretty good mindset about training. I don't have much to say at the moment but I'm sure in the upcoming weeks I'll have better things to talk about. 

France Update

Finally made it back. It has been a solid year since I haven't been back to Nogent and seen friends and family. I got here Wednesday morning, took a long nap since the long flight hours did not treat well, and got some training in. Whenever I fly back, there is a 6 hour difference and it takes a few days to get adjusted but if you train right away, you can get right into the actual schedule since you are tired. It just makes things easier and a more enjoyable trip.

Something I appreciate greatly when I get here is that my mom is right there for me for anything including rowing. She knows exactly what to work on and she doesn't let a stroke go by without notice. Reason is, I don't really have a coach in Melbourne following me and helping me work. My main problems that we have been working on are having a strong upper body to stay upwards from the finish to the catch, a fast hands-away motion, and good body set while keeping the legs flat, my left shoulder down (because I'm a port), lacking some spring-like motion from the legs at the catch, and pressing down enough at the release on the handles so that I can only keep going upwards towards the catch instead of my usual small dip. This seems like A LOT and it sort of is but a minuscule scale. I technically am not doing the whole movement wrong, but bits and pieces can be improved. And one huge thing to change, more of a mindset, is don't go HAM on every stroke. I have to muscles and the force so there is no need to try to top that, which I have been doing because of the eight. I'm sure that doesn't help me there either. So by relaxing and being more efficient with a more velocity concentrated stroke, I'll be able to go longer and faster while still being ok.

This trip has been great though, I've been able relax, eat and drink well, and not worry so much about the next day. I feel good and I'm not hurting like I would normally be if I was doing full on training. Another big thing I noticed is hydration. I don't have to drink much water and still be completely comfortable while I row or during the day, whereas in Florida, I drink water just to stay alive! So I kind of have to push myself to drink more. For the last few days, I've been able to row with a Australian guy who has been training out of the club for the last few weeks since him and his parents were here an vacation. He is rowing at the university level for a while since it is technically a club and it shows. We got in the double together and it worked right from the start. Obviously it's not perfect but it feels good and gives me the opportunity to work on some of my difficulties. I have a little bit of video from our second row.

Besides that, I got to go to Fontainbleau which is south of Paris where one of my mom's old coaches is based out of. I got to go out and get some good advice from him and really feel what is right and wrong, which I did. I already mentioned what I need to work on but I was able to change a few things, which won't stay unless I put many miles with it. I have some video of that too.

All in all, I'm having a great trip and I can't wait to head to Marseilles to go see my sister and hang by the sea. Should be an awesome trip! And I'm also super stoked for the Games, only 5 more days!!!

Club Nationals '12

Phew that was a rough few days, not because of my results but more because of being tired mentally and physically. When people ask me how my heats went, I described them as well as possible but it seems like I'm just laying out excuses, which isn't the case, I'm just plain tired. As we wrote my summer training plan, we decided to peak for this regatta with a good physical showing at trials. As I look back, I do believe that I peaked well at trials, and as soon as I got home to train for Clubs (a week), things didn't feel right. You are feeling a little disappointed but just trying to push yourself even though it seems dumb.

On Wednesday, I raced the Senior 1x and that was a huge wake-up call; yes the other guys are fast but I could tell at that moment, I was running on fumes. After the first 1000m, I knew I'd finish 4th so I decided to keep as much energy as possible for that afternoon's intermediate 2x. I felt ok when we rowed up to the start, and we actually had a pretty good race. The first half wasn't too taxing but the third 500m was a little difficult for us and is why we got edged out a little. We did sprint but the other boat had the last stroke before the line to keep us out of the semis. What is frustrating at these big regattas is that they throw random heats together which aren't always fair instead of a time trial. For example, our time was faster than two other heats' qualified boats by 20 some seconds. But what are you going to do?
I had all of Thursday off to relax and try to reenergize a little. So this morning was my last chance to advance and things didn't go my way. The initial 500m were great as I was part of the leaders but when it was time to dig and keep up with the deep fielded heat, I just couldn't.

I am finally done with racing for this summer and it feels good to watch some races and relax even though I'd love to be in a bigger boat and keep racing. I will stay here until Sunday and then head back down to Florida. I'll have a day to get some cleaning done before heading back to the homeland and get some quality time with my mom. I haven't been back in over a year so this is a much needed trip. I won't be taking time off at first and will work on adjusting my technique. The reason that this is so important to me is because I know how much it is holding me back, not just on the water but also on the ergo. I know my times don't match my boat moving skills so if I can improve both than hazzah!

Good luck to Mary Mosier and Matt Sobotka for the finals.

Only a few more days until London and U23 finals are coming up the next two days! 

Last Go Of The Summer

It has been a long summer, and even though I'd rather be in Trakai, my last regatta of this summer will be Club Nationals.

Preparing for this race has been tough because I literally have no one coaching me or on the water with me; and it's hard to re-boot the mind up after trials. Before I left Melbourne last time, I lost my key to the boathouse so in return I've lost water time this last week, which sucks, being so close to racing. But I have been in contact with Olympic Champion Xeno Müller who is trying to improve and develop US sculling from his backyard, and it is working for me. I send him some footage and he comments on it with real criticism, detail and advice. This website is where you can find all the info on how you can help rowers such as myself to get some coaching help: http://www.indiegogo.com/us-sculling-and-rowing-development

I might sound like I'm complaining or something, but that is just the way I describe my current position. I'm actually really excited for Camden because it is going to be a whole week of straight competition, apparently it's the biggest turn out ever, and I'll be part of a team and not by myself. Like I said previously, I'll be racing three different events and that will really test my fitness and recovery. Speaking of recovery, I have been feeling a little weaker and not recovering as fast as I usually do. I don't know if that's because I'm getting a little burnt out or what but these next few days will allow me to really take my time and be ready by the time Wednesday comes around. Obviously the goal is to make it to the final in all events, and even a podium. If you didn't know, when rowers win races such as trials or club nationals in the senior events, you are moved up to elite status, which means you can't race anyone who are in intermediate or senior events. You are pretty much stuck at the top of the pyramid with only a select few and that would be a huge step for me!

Good luck to everyone going to Lithuania and Camden.

U23 Trials

Wow that was an intense trip! I left last Thursday and finally came back tonight, it was a solid week of rowing and driving. I will shortly explain the trip. After arriving in Princeton, I was told that the course wouldn't open for practice until Sunday which was definitely not part of my plan so I made a few calls and was able to erg at the Upper Merion boathouse until then. When I finally got to Mercer Lake, I had to somewhat catch up on my rowing with a few extra meters. This was definitely one of the most frightening events I've attended since I had no idea what everyone was capable of and where I stood since I've only been in the single for about 2 weeks now. Tuesday morning's time trial came around and I was restless. I raced the lonely race as best as I could, and with a little bit of luck, slipped my way into the final. That was my first goal so I was happy, but my lower back started to hurt a lot as I started to recover from the race. I think I ended up stretching a little too much because of being so nervous. With a few baths and a massage, I was back to normal. Making it to the final eased my mind because I had nothing to lose and I had done the work to be there. The final was very quiet and nerve-racking. Off the line, all four boats were quick but after about 500m the others were gone and all I could do was race third place. I had told myself to execute the first half as planned and the rest was improvisation. My moves worked well, and I was able to finish third but was never able to catch the leaders. The winner definitely deserved it since he took an entire year off to focus on the single. This was a bitter sweet moment because I was content with my race but it was definitely not fun watching the winners get their USA gear. I got to meet a lot of new people and got to see old friends too. Now I have a few days at home until we get to return to the Garden State for Club Nationals where I'll be racing the Intermediate 1x and 2x, but also the Senior 1x. 

If you have time, please check out UVA's Jonathan Furlong's new blog on his way to worlds in Lithuania. http://www.findingspeedlosingweight.blogspot.com/

Plans Change

For the past few weeks, I mostly have been in small boats. I previously stated that I wanted to row in the double and give it a shot at U23 trials, and so I did go out and find a partner who was willing to try. We put out an enormous amount of meters these past two weeks and really got into small boat racing. Most of the time we were in the double, but for a few days, we would take a break by getting in the single and the ergo. But as a group, we decided that our speed and rowing was too premature for this short upcoming race. Of course, these trials were my big summer goal, and you can't stop if there is a a roadblock in your way, so I decided to make the single my priority boat and race it at trials. This is obviously not very traditional but you can only find out by trying. After this regatta, we will both regroup and practice both shells as Club Nationals approach. We will both be fully tuned and ready to race together and against one another at that point in time.

I still have learned a lot in the past weeks about diets, stretching, and training so I'll share.
Dieting
As an average college student, I eat healthy foods and obviously some junk, but when summer comes around and your entire focus is training, you have to make adjustments. Listening to your body is one of the best things to do for illnesses or how you are reacting to training. Based off of that information, I try to answer back with the right foods and fluids. I carry around the house during my time off a huge mug of water so I can stay hydrated; the secret is to not drink too much or else it will be to the toilet every 10 mins. But on the water, I bring along one bottle of water and one of Gatorade so that I can refuel and not be thirsty. For food, I have been hanging around a raw vegan food place where we have been eating breakfast a lot, and at home, eating lots of granola, fruits, vegetable juices. I let myself have some freedom once in a while but most of the time, things have to be on point. The important thing to remember is to eat a lot, not at once, but throughout the day like before an early row, after each outing within 30mins...

Stretching
Most athletes have their stretching routines down and don't really change them, but being open minded is a good trait. My partner showed me how his way of stretching has helped him back and prevent injury. This way has apparently been proven to work so well it brought broken people back to walking again. The idea is to to stretch the traditional movements but only holding them for 2 seconds at a time. By doing so, you are also engaging the antagonist muscle. the longer you hold a stretch, the more it seems to be aggravated. So by doing repetitions of the small duration, the muscles will be able to relax better and stretch out more.

Training
Understanding your sessions and training plan is extremely important to figure out how to perform and why some things occur like being more tired than usual. Some breaks are needed at times to recharge or simply re-establish when you want to perform your best. This has been a very big help to me especially in the small boats when you don't count on many more than yourself.

So until June 25th, I'll be training by myself in the single to hopefully bring a little fear in the competition's race plans.

And the are only 42 days left until the Olympic Games, get excited!

GoPro

Here is some video from the last few outings 

This is mainly for Monique so the whole thing is pretty boring, enjoy!

Update

Since I've been home, I have been somewhat bored and feeling out of line because I have no set schedule. Even though getting up at 5:25 every morning isn't ideal, it still sets my day up pretty well, and since that's all we ever do, I can't stand just waking up at 10:03 to do nothing.

But my afternoons have been set because of the high school's practices. Even though I know I should be doing long moderate pieces at low rates, I've been trying to motivate the fours and the single for their national regatta this weekend. Today was their last practice in Florida as their shells will be leaving tomorrow for a long drive up to Camden, New Jersey. But what to do now? Left alone with no one to practice for the rest of the week! For now, I'll be going out earlier to get away from the grueling sun so I can enjoy the water time. On Tuesday, I will be heading down to Ft. Lauderdale for three days to see if the double is part of my near future. If it is, I believe I will be doing that trip a few more times before trials. Right now though, I'll be focusing on myself.

To add a little spice to my plans, the last Olympic qualification regatta has been happening and I've been following closely as some of my friends and acquaintances have been racing to acquire the final spots for the Olympic Games. Even though some didn't make it, they will be attending U23's and I dearly hope to see them there. This weekend will be the Samsung World Cup II and most of the top crews will be there so my weekend will be on lock down for that.

Good luck Melbourne High school, and get that gold!

Moving On

So that was different. This past season was very very strange to me, but something I can build off of for the ones to come. I will admit that I am pretty disappointed with our final result as a boat and a team. On the other hand, I am super excited about the depth of next year's program and the mindset. I'm sure things will be different and I know that I will make sure to bring some leadership to this young group.

Dad Vails seemed different this year for some reason, sort of small and empty compared to last year, but still fast. The heats were not hard and the minds were calm, but semis were completely different. Surprises like Grand Valley not moving on and us getting beat out of the final by 0.2 seconds were not fun to think about. I think as a boat we weren't ready for a B final, so when the time came, mentally and physically, we weren't there. I don't doubt at all that no one tried though. All of this felt like an abrupt stop in the road.

Now that I'm back in Melbourne, I can focus on the summer. Coming off a long trip and tough racing, I've had to take some days off, I am back in the single. It's fun because my high school team who is training for nationals help me out mentally by still training and showing up for practice. And they moved to a better body of water which is perfect for rowing. The plan is, slowly getting back into the small boat feel and rhythm, and recuperating actively so that I can be prepared for the next month for trails. If  things go as planned, I will be going to U23 trials to race the double and hopefully win; ideal but difficult.

MAAC All-Academic Honors

MAAC All-Academic Honors

A bunch of us made the all-academic team for this past season. Good job bros!

On our way to go watch all the seniors graduate!

Finals Part Two

I think I didn't give enough credit to the smaller boats from this weekend so here we go.

-V4+: Myself, Matt OUTLAW, Chase ROWE, Andy DAVIS, and Ben HAYES

We have been rowing this same line up more than once, and even if practice hasn't been quality to my eyes, on race day it came all together. Racing the four is always a little tougher because it is after the 8, but with a strong race plan and call by Ben, and vicious but relaxed mindset by the rowers, we fought Loyola for the first 750m until Marist took up the challenge. The entire race was stroke for stroke, they attacked and we responded. When 500m to go was in my line of vision, as a boat we committed and increased the gap.





-JV4+: Preston WEINARD, Jared LOW, Chris OTTIE, Jesse BRANTMAN, and Tom RICHARDS

I wasn't able to see much, but when they crossed the 500m to go line, they had such a gaping advantage I wasn't worried at all. The length from stroke to bow was solid, and the power was definitely there with the assistance of a relaxed recovery. Open water finish was their headline.

-Frosh4+: Jeremy SOBIECH, Jacob STRAUSS, Tim EASTERLING, Matt THOMAS, and David "Djabar" WAUGH

I'm always amazed by this little group of guys because they all have somewhat of a different background but they make that disappear when they perform together. A few weeks ago, their skeg broke and weren't able to win FIRA's,  but redemption was what they were looking for this weekend. And holy crap they showed their speed; right off the line they led and kept a strong rhythm to win by so much open water t seems stupid to race. From what I heard, Waugh kept them on the race plan to gain more and more speed. Good job boys!

-V2-: Troy TROUPE and Jesse BRANTMAN

What a cool final race to watch on the men's side. With a will to finish the season right, both of them fought through the whole race for second place and were just nipped on the sprint. They made sure they brought home as many points as possible as they could, and they did. Good job on the third place!

Finals

Finals week is never a fun moment because we, athletes, usually scramble to try to make that 89.85 an A before it's too late. Stress is at its max and rowing is still fully present, but this year it made its mark. The MAAC conference championships were this last Saturday, which made us travel on Friday; this wasn't as fun as it sounds.

Mercer lake hosted us well with cold and windy conditions for the month of April. The V8 went out first and won by a bit of open water to take away what Marist was known as "V8 of the Year" the night before. The 2V8 also won with ease. The Frosh 8 finished 2nd after a strong comeback from a few technical problems half way through the race. We then proceeded to sweep the 4's all with open water.
Having the most points all regatta, we thought we would be conference champions but of course a few technicalities were overlooked and we proceeded to finish second. Yes we are all a little bitter but we know that performance was what mattered and we did just that.
With a long Sunday full of traveling and making it back into my bad at 1:30 a.m., we started a brand new week with a few more exams. The rest of the week will be practiced at JU until we ride up to New Jersey for a few training days as Dad Vails approaches.
This year is looking extremely close and fast. With new results coming out from this weekend such as Drexel beating Temple, Michigan making a late comeback over Grand Valley, and FIT racing big sprint schools, the regatta seems to be loaded with speed.

Starting to sweat!

SIRA Aftermath And On

This was a rough weekend mentally and physically. It's the end of the academic year and people tend to get tense when around each other for too long. We entered the regatta with a great mindset: go big! So for our heat against Grand Valley and Georgia Tech we went all out, even if the top 3 advanced, all of us had something to prove. In our case, we didn't very smart and finished third, but that put us in the nicest semi final. After a difficult and tedious heat, we attacked the semi tired. Now all the big dogs were lined up, and we only performed to an extent, which was deceiving and put us in the B final. With a night's rest and cold winds that don't belong in April, we raced to bring our reputation up to the surface after it drowned the previous day. No questions asked, we did, not the best way but we did, and with one of the nastiest sprints all year, we nipped the two crews in front of us to finish 2nd.B Final Start.All and all the regatta showed us what we need to work before we row up to the start at Dad Vails.


Finals week did start this year, but like always, we are missing some of the action. On Friday morning we are going to New Jersey to attend our first MAAC conference championship. With a bit of a chip on our shoulder, we will be getting off the plane ready to show our true speed. This isn't the best time of the year to race but it shows our strength. With some will power from every rower -guys and girls- we will take home to title.

Chase ROWE...hi.

 Look at this kid's face➚

The Next Few Weeks

You could say our season has finally started. Today, we concluded the FIRA Championship regatta with another consecutive win. Personally, this was a good test, for my boats and all my teammates. Lately, things had been feeling blunt and only racing had the ability to fix it.

The weekend started with the varsity 8+ final which finished 4 second in front of Rollins and 6 seconds ahead of Georgia Tech. Little reminder that the morning began with 15-20 mph head/cross winds creating a rough course. Even though those conditions aren't likable, we actually train in them somewhat often allowing us to feel more comfortable. With this initial win, the JV8+ swung ahead of their field and won easily. Next up was the Frosh 8+ and lets just say that the event always comes with some pressure. Reason is, we've won it 7 years in a row, but the freshmen didn't let us down, and won by a length as they battled a Rollins high-rate-racing crew. With a nice sweep on the 8's field, we moved on to the fours.

The JV4+ went out first in the grueling weather. As they passed us, they were the cleanest group out there leading with confidence. Next was the Frosh 4+, who had won their heat and the overall times by 20 seconds. Luck was not on their side today as their skeg broke. It was obvious that they would have won with total ease, but they had to let this one unfold without them. And the final event was the varsity 4+. I'm not sure if this race had the worst conditions of the day, but no matter what it was not enjoyable water. On this Sarasota course, there are now 8 racing lanes allowing more boats in a final, for example the V4. The main competitors that had me worried were Rollins, UF, and of course Georgia Tech. To add to the suspense, the start was insane because of the winds. From what I remember though, we had a pretty clean start and stuck most of our boat out front to pass the 500m mark first. After that, we settled out with strong strokes but with a lot of energy used keeping the wind and wake from making us crash to port. Since it was the final race, we tried to open the field as much as possible towards the end, and won by 6 seconds over GT. Overall, we won almost every event we entered and supplied our legacy with one more year.

This is a good building block for next weekend's race: SIRA. This is a huge preview for the end of the year to actually see everyone's speed. From past results, a lot of team are fast but close.

The next few weeks are going to be difficult as we travel every weekend including during finals. Exams will be rescheduled but we will work through it. We will be making our first appearance at the MAAC conference race and we look forward to it. After that, it's all or nothing at Dad Vails. 

Spring Break 2012 Training Camp

Let's just say I'm exhausted.

This week has probably been the most demanding training week I've ever experienced, not because it was especially hard but because of the amount of meters we laid down as a group to get faster and fix our problems. It started with a long row (40km approx. to Bolles) on a surprisingly flat St. Johns river that almost cost us lunch time. From then on, we worked everyday, long and short, to become faster than the previous weekends had shown. Even though some of us have lived in Florida for a while, the sun was brutal every day and there was no escaping the feeling of energy getting sucked out of you. But we made it.

This week was a lot harder than last year. All of our energy and focus was all poured into rowing and no other distractions, which showed when people were fighting for seats. I hate those stupid regatta shirts that say "Eat, Sleep, Row" but that's all I did with the occasional trip to Wally World. We still had fun though since we had the Pair Championship Race on Friday afternoon. The way we choose the pairs is by the last ergo times. The best pick first and so on. I picked Brian COSMILLO because we had rowed the boat earlier in the year. Our main goal was to beat Bernadas VINGILIS and we did it, then we only fell a length short in the semi final to not move on. The winners were The Sarasota Sissies - Chase ROWE and Jacob STRAUSS. Good job ladies.

And this morning, with the little bit of energy left in us, we raced 2x2k gold medal standard time trial with different conditions. They were good pieces and shows that work has been done. It was a good finish to the week and now we rest until Monday.

Total meters: 180,000

         Look at Bernard's tiny infant head ➘

Exciting

Things are getting exciting everywhere. First of all, spring racing has really starting all over the place, the XCHANGING Boat Race is only 3 weeks away, and the Olympic Games are close to the 100 days countdown.

For us, things have just started. Last weekend we faced Temple on Stetson University's lake with not-so-great conditions. Yes, we lost and not by a seat, but it was perfect timing for a wake-up call. I try not to let excuses succumb when I explain wins or loses and I won't here. Temple came off their spring break and we are still a week away. Any collegiate rower will tell you that there is A LOT of speed acquired of the 7 tough days of spring break training. So with a reminded loss, hard work is being put down from the entire team while preparing to face Columbia this upcoming weekend in Melbourne. Let's see if we can put down our real speed before entering Spring Break Training Camp 2012.

Keeping it in the university racing theme, the Boat Race is coming up with great speed. Having always been an Oxford dark blue fan, I cannot wait to see the speed coming out of each boat since this is also an Olympic year. Back at home, I would probably have some friends over and watch the almost 20 minute long row, but I don't believe it will possible this year. I'll try to find it somehow.

Speaking of an Olympic year, the London 2012 Games are only 135 days away from opening. It's probably the most exciting time for me because I get super stoked about all the different sports. The level of competition this year is unbelievably high with the GB team and the NZ team sending a huge fleet of podium worthy boats. It's now time to see if the U.S. men can get redemption in the next coming months for a chance at the medals.

No matter what, this year is going to be amazing. Underdog or not, we are coming strong!

It's about time!

Like I said in the last post, I would write again when a 2k, a good practice or race came up; well all three have.

 It has been a tough last month for me since winter training is over and spring is knocking on the door. Reason is, we have lots of potential but, me especially, have not lived up to our expectations. After failing at my first 2k on the ergo of the year, I was pissed needless to say, not because I was way off, but more in the way that I let my team down as a whole while they all advanced to the next level. With a few bumps in the road like getting sick, and my back hurting, I worked hard and got back on it. This led to a new PR of 6:35; better but I'm not settling for that this year.

On the water, it's been a different story. I feel like I have been progressing technically trying to be long for the giants in the back. Trying to change the way I row has been definitely a small struggle. but I am open to the idea because all I want to do is win really. The water hasn't been cooperating that much but when it is flat, every boat has taken advantage of it.

This weekend, in our first race of the year, we will be facing Temple in Deland, FL as they finish up their spring break training. Yes it is only a dual meet but there is way more to it. Lets time travel back to Dad Vails last year; we knocked them out of the Grand Final when it mattered the most, and like any excited person, I sort of screamed it at their faces and let me tell you, they were not happy... Now that it is a new year, they have set themselves up to be as badass as possible by performing very well over the their entire fall and announced that their pod of seniors will lead the entire team to some good performances. So to start things right, they want to race us. And the things is, everyone is waiting to see the results. Personally, I hate not having an underdog mindset, so for me it's like last year all over again: get ahead, stay ahead. The work has been persistent in the boat and I don't see why we can't work them harder.

In any case, spring is announcing itself to be VERY entertaining!

Can't wait!

Thirsty for Water

There is nothing worse than walking to the boathouse at 5:30 in the morning and looking at the port's glowing reflection on an perfect oil-like surface, then walking up the stairs and dropping yourself on an ergo. I am not a huge fan of the machine but it does have its advantages. The amount of work put in this last month, personally, has been thrilling and a sweet asset to my goals. After such a crappy fall season, I came back with a good amount of positive results on the machine, but of course there is that one day that doesn't match up; mine was last Wednesday. Even though I was somewhat disappointed, it reminded me that I wasn't safe and that more volume was needed. The reason coaches put so much emphasis on this volume, is that it will appear when a rower needs to dig deeper than ever so that they accomplish variable workouts. I don't believe I am putting enough of that volume into my training yet so after this week, I will adding some kilometers so that disappointment and I don't become best friends.

This sounds pretty negative but it is just constructive criticism. In other news, today was our first water workout as a team. I'm not joking when I say it felt like jumping in the single for the first time, but it was a sweet feeling to be able to connect with the others and the water. This year has been very good weather wise even though we haven't really used it so lets hope it stays that way! More water time is to come and my thirst is growing. We are just a little over a month away from our first race and shit is about to get real.

Keep an eye out for the next post, it might be a 2k, race, or just a really good practice!

Recognition

No matter how humble anyone might be, at some point we all enjoy a little spotlight action. In this case, it happens to be Bernadas VINGILIS and I's turn. Bernard has been the fastest on the ergo since we started in September. With a few ups and downs, he manages to stay ahead without too much competition. We were both mentioned today on the JU Athletics website in a JU Rowing article giving an update on the team's current status. Like the article says, we, as rowers, don't like to single people out so here are others that are right behind us: Jeremy SOBIECH, Chase ROWE, Shane KENNEDY, and Sean CARNEY.
And a special recognition for Andy DAVIS who has been working really hard to come back from a back injury.

Our First Week Back

People sometimes start a conversation with "I have good news and bad news"and this week I have the same thing to say, but in a different order. Unlike the rest of the schools around us, JU started back on Wednesday instead of Monday, which help all of us take our time to settle in and get ready for the new semester to start, and of course practice at the Neegard Rowing Center.

To begin the winter training at the boathouse, we started with a 30 min ergo test. We have done this a few time over the period of this year to see where each rower is in his fitness and power so that they know what to work on. It definitely works and doesn't hide who hasn't done the work over break. But nothing always goes as planned. I usually try not to use excuses because they are demeaning and worthless but this time I believe it is valid. My choice of playing ultimate the day before made my body the sorest it has ever felt, to the point where erging the next few days was torture. Yes, my result was extremely disappointing as I wanted to show how much time and effort I have included into my winter break. No one was happy, especially the coaches, but I had something to prove this week.

As the week went on, I tried my best to make every practice as good as possible as my redemption was soaring quickly towards us. Saturday finally came; it is funny because I never usually look forward to a test, but with nothing else to lose, I couldn't wait any longer. Knowing a few days before that a second 6k was added to the practice for volume did not bother me one bit because I think of one piece at a time, which was my plan for my 6k ergo test: 2k-2k-2k. With a plan engraved in mind and a race preview on my run to practice, I was totally ready. Starting with an easy 1:49 to see where I stood. Entering the middle 2k, I dropped to 1:48. Finishing the last 2k, I started with 1:47 but couldn't keep a steady hand on it. My sprint was so late that I almost wasn't able to beat my last time. With a 1:47.9, I PRed this season after a break. I am pretty content but now it's time to get into the hard hard work.

05/01 A New Year

This is the first post of this 2012 year so happy new year!

While training had been going on pretty well over the last  few weeks, I came upon a road block in my winter training path. While attending a party on new year's eve, a fight broke out and I was hit in the face for being there at the wrong place and at the wrong time, but no worries, besides a little soreness I am alright. Because of an investigation, I had to take a day off to speak with a detective and then my lady treated me a day at Islands of Adventure as my Christmas present. With a two day break from any type cardio, I felt worthless. In other words, not productive. Before this small break, I had been doing a lot of running and cycling, but also added swimming as I joined my lifeguard friends at the pool for some laps on a cold evening. With the time off, I got to thinking that I was doing enough cardio but that the power on the erg hadn't felt right, meaning I haven't been putting enough kilometers on it. So this morning I got up and went for an easy 20mins on the ergo to stretch out and get the muscles moving. Later on, I set myself up for 40mins and got some sweat out. Finally a good pain. Tomorrow should be even better as I will be able to get my body adjusted by a good chiropractor, he knows his shit.

In other news, I had stopped publicizing the growth of my moustache and its surrounding areas because it seemed to had just gone on strike, but now it's looking even better. Knowing that I have a little over a week left of having this magnificent beast on my face, it is nice but sad also since work will start right back up. Who knows I might give up the money...

In all reality, break is now coming to an end and school is commencing once again. With a loaded scholastic and rowing schedule, the blood will be pumping on and off the water this semester. I believe that this break has been a very productive and successful training wise (it could have been better) and will set me up right for what is about to come. Hopefully everyone did their homework too. 

Heading back to Jax on Sunday.

Cheers!