Seat racing
At 4 am I awoke to the rushing sound of rain coming down hard. We had made no plans to call off the racing for weather. So I began to rummage through my closet in my mind, looking for my "very foul weather" gear. And drifted back to sleep.
The best gear to have when rowing in the rain is a breathable waterproof outer layer. The next best is a baseball hat: If it's not raining on your face, you can tolerate rain on the rest of you.
I dashed into the boathouse a little late, just in time to hear the lineups. My coach had told me two days ago what the sequence would be. I knew I'd be stroking a boat, and figured I'd have one of the weaker lineups to start.
There were two critical races to be had: Matthew vs. Sean, and me vs. The winner of the first race.
The first piece Sean was in my boat. During the warm up it was hard to get our stroke rate up. We were supposed to take it to 24, I hit 21. We were supposed to race at 32-34 strokes/ minute. I knew I could make us row that pace, but didn't think it'd be efficient.
First piece was into a strong current and into the wind. We managed 31 strokes per minute. 3 minute piece. The other crew, at 32, won by about a length. When the piece was done, we pulled the boats together, and Sean, from my boat, in 2, switched with Matthew, in the other boat at 2 seat.
Our coach gave the "three to build" order, and we were into the next race. The rate came up quickly and easily, and was light and efficient. Coach told me I was at 34. Other crew now only at 31, and rapidly dropping behind us. I knew my race would come soon, and knew Matthew had already decisively beaten Sean. I took the rate down to a 31, lengthened our strokes and tried to be efficient. And we kept moving out. We won the piece by about 3 lengths.
Our coach was so stunned at the margin that he made a roundabout accusation that the other oarsmen were sandbagging, or at least not working at their full potential. This is a grave insult. There's an honor code in seat racing: You race every piece the best you can. You seek every inch of margin difference you can get.
Our coach may have failed to consider the combinatorial element. It's not just the Sean-Matthew difference, but the difference in how the group performs with an individual in the boat. Matthew may have just helped the rest of us be more efficient.
Next switch was Bob, stroking the other 4+ and Matthew from my boat. Bob is one of the most powerful guys on the squad. He's about 6'4", 195, long, lean, kind and fierce. Ideal 6 seat. While we switched the rain turned to small hailstones, and the wind made most of the course too choppy to race on.
With Bob in my boat, we got even faster. Rowing back into the wind and current we held a steady 31 and walked away from the other crew. Even with the turn in the course, we moved out even more. Probably a 4 length margin. With Matthew in the other boat at stroke, they were rowing 36 strokes per minute. And we still walked away from them.
Then the coach switched me and Matthew. So now I'm back with Sean, who's proven himself to be a real anchor today. I was afraid of rowing an inefficient 36.
Our piece started, I took the rate to 32, and left it there. The boat that had just won by 4 lengths with me was also at a 32, and also right next to me. One minute down, and they're still right there. We're down maybe a seat. I think, "sweet, I've got this". And then it happened.
My crew started to freak out, being down a seat. The pace became frantic. One stroke would end, and the crew would zip up the slide and plop the blade in for the next, but without the explosion of power. We were at a 35. And falling behind. 4 seats down. A length down. Length and a half down. Over just a minute.
I was so pissed off. It was insane, out of shape, no poise, no confidence rowing. And honestly, I blamed Sean. Guy's out of shape and not smooth. Just big and strong.
Our cox called the rate down, and we moved back a few seats. Finished a length and a half down or so. So I won. But it wasn't the crushing and decisive victory I had hoped to have by finishing even with the boat that had just won by 4 lengths.
Off the water, the post racing analysis was that Matthew was clearly faster than Sean, and that I was probably faster than Matthew. I suppose I should be happy, but I wanted today's results to be the stuff of rumor and legend. "And then they switched Ken and Matthew, and those 4 lengths disappeared! At a 32!"
So I'll be in the 2 seat of the B age 8+ in San Diego. I'd welcome a re-row vs. Matthew. Coach hinted we may do more racing tomorrow. I want to send a clear signal. I move boats.
The best gear to have when rowing in the rain is a breathable waterproof outer layer. The next best is a baseball hat: If it's not raining on your face, you can tolerate rain on the rest of you.
I dashed into the boathouse a little late, just in time to hear the lineups. My coach had told me two days ago what the sequence would be. I knew I'd be stroking a boat, and figured I'd have one of the weaker lineups to start.
There were two critical races to be had: Matthew vs. Sean, and me vs. The winner of the first race.
The first piece Sean was in my boat. During the warm up it was hard to get our stroke rate up. We were supposed to take it to 24, I hit 21. We were supposed to race at 32-34 strokes/ minute. I knew I could make us row that pace, but didn't think it'd be efficient.
First piece was into a strong current and into the wind. We managed 31 strokes per minute. 3 minute piece. The other crew, at 32, won by about a length. When the piece was done, we pulled the boats together, and Sean, from my boat, in 2, switched with Matthew, in the other boat at 2 seat.
Our coach gave the "three to build" order, and we were into the next race. The rate came up quickly and easily, and was light and efficient. Coach told me I was at 34. Other crew now only at 31, and rapidly dropping behind us. I knew my race would come soon, and knew Matthew had already decisively beaten Sean. I took the rate down to a 31, lengthened our strokes and tried to be efficient. And we kept moving out. We won the piece by about 3 lengths.
Our coach was so stunned at the margin that he made a roundabout accusation that the other oarsmen were sandbagging, or at least not working at their full potential. This is a grave insult. There's an honor code in seat racing: You race every piece the best you can. You seek every inch of margin difference you can get.
Our coach may have failed to consider the combinatorial element. It's not just the Sean-Matthew difference, but the difference in how the group performs with an individual in the boat. Matthew may have just helped the rest of us be more efficient.
Next switch was Bob, stroking the other 4+ and Matthew from my boat. Bob is one of the most powerful guys on the squad. He's about 6'4", 195, long, lean, kind and fierce. Ideal 6 seat. While we switched the rain turned to small hailstones, and the wind made most of the course too choppy to race on.
With Bob in my boat, we got even faster. Rowing back into the wind and current we held a steady 31 and walked away from the other crew. Even with the turn in the course, we moved out even more. Probably a 4 length margin. With Matthew in the other boat at stroke, they were rowing 36 strokes per minute. And we still walked away from them.
Then the coach switched me and Matthew. So now I'm back with Sean, who's proven himself to be a real anchor today. I was afraid of rowing an inefficient 36.
Our piece started, I took the rate to 32, and left it there. The boat that had just won by 4 lengths with me was also at a 32, and also right next to me. One minute down, and they're still right there. We're down maybe a seat. I think, "sweet, I've got this". And then it happened.
My crew started to freak out, being down a seat. The pace became frantic. One stroke would end, and the crew would zip up the slide and plop the blade in for the next, but without the explosion of power. We were at a 35. And falling behind. 4 seats down. A length down. Length and a half down. Over just a minute.
I was so pissed off. It was insane, out of shape, no poise, no confidence rowing. And honestly, I blamed Sean. Guy's out of shape and not smooth. Just big and strong.
Our cox called the rate down, and we moved back a few seats. Finished a length and a half down or so. So I won. But it wasn't the crushing and decisive victory I had hoped to have by finishing even with the boat that had just won by 4 lengths.
Off the water, the post racing analysis was that Matthew was clearly faster than Sean, and that I was probably faster than Matthew. I suppose I should be happy, but I wanted today's results to be the stuff of rumor and legend. "And then they switched Ken and Matthew, and those 4 lengths disappeared! At a 32!"
So I'll be in the 2 seat of the B age 8+ in San Diego. I'd welcome a re-row vs. Matthew. Coach hinted we may do more racing tomorrow. I want to send a clear signal. I move boats.
posted by Kenneth at 5:00 PM
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