Eirc Report

[[old] dennish]

Let me make a stab at a run throughof what I can remember after 13 hours on an airplane. <br />Tuesday was uneventful for some of us. I got up, did my routine that Paul Smith gave me, (just joking Paul, he suggested I take some time off), but instead I met my my training partner John and we just messed about on the ergs for a couple of hours while I waited for my wife to finish finish her taching day and take me to the airport. There I met Karen Gress and the adventure was off. In Chicago we met up with Bob Spenger and on the plane, Libby Peters, Roman and Katrina. Got to Copenhagen without incidentm excepting the loss of some of Libby's luggage. Not so fortunate for Lisa from C2, stuck in Burlington, Vermont. We met Robert and Joan in the airport and made our way haltingly to the hotel. Lisa was going to met us at the airport to help us get there. Luckily she had mailed out instructions. <br />Dinner the first night was pretty much a cluster. Noone knew, where, how to convert money and all sorts of outrageous things. Thursday things had come together, Reiner, our Danish host,had arranged for us to go to the Lyngby Roklub to have access to some ergs. Off we went into the Copenhagen morning, cold, damp and dark (sun comes up around 8 and sets at around 4). Bob S was setting WR's. I was thinking, "oh this whole thing was a big mistake" It was cld in the boathouse and we made our way back to the hotel by 10. The usual stuff, lightweights fussing about what to or not to eat, plans for sight seeing. The rest of the day was spent pretty much on our own, but apparently Robert and Roman did some pretty fair amount of walking with Joan and Karen taking them into every retail establishment between Lyngby and the "little mermaid" Paul S, Jonathan, Veronika and Jim had joined the group, as well as Lisa, Noel and Bill from C2.<br />Thursday night we had a team dinner at the Tivoli with Riener and his wife. Typical stuff, lightweight angst and Hwt beer. Friday, more of the same with the highlight being the "bitchin' red coat" (great story, Veronika's to tell).<br />And Saturday, the races. Whoa what a day. It was amazing how quickly this group came together. Everyone knew exactly where everyone else was, needed to be, what they needed, what they wanted. Everyone was just so supportive of each other, Libby and Roman set it off with first class races early. Roman just crushed this poor chap next to him when the guy tried to make a run at him in the last 500. Awesome performance. Veronika, a caoch at U of Virginia, coxed them both and with the rest of the team going full tilt in encouragement it was a great start. <br />nest was Katrina. Veronika was warming up so I jumped in as cox. We agreed on a pace and rate and off we went. This was her first major race, seeded fourth and a best every time of 7:14. I have to tell you this was the most amazing performance all day from the US Team. She sat right on 1:48, responded to every piece of coxing I gave and was sitting third at 500 left. I said lets go down to 1:47's for a 100. Bang she was there. At 400 I said lets go for 1:46's. She gave it a great shot but they wouldn't come. We stayed there till 250, at that point it was courage time (thank you John Harvey). I asked and this woman just flat out kicked it home. I was trying to stay calm but this lady had that erg going so well, with every call for "courage," or "drive" or "crush those foot stretchers" she came back thougher than the one before. Battled home in second and PB'd by seven seconds at world class race. That was inspirational. Next up was Veronika. She had schooled us all in technique and philosphy many times at meals and hanging out conversations. The woman was a resource beyond imaging for all of us. I got the honours to cox. Tough tough lady. Battling former olympians right through the whole damn thing. Steady, strong. While I was coxing Veronika, Karen was putting in yet another Gold medal performance for the team. I then went to warm up. missedthe great race that Robert and Paul had with the Brit who won their group at BIRC. From every account it was side by side every stroke all three of them, no one giving an inch. In a flurry of power and rates the race came down to a stretch run for the ages. I got back in time to see Joan just destroy the competition by like 20 seconds. This lady is the real deal, none better. Talk about poise, grit, know how. I was in awe. Luann was racing at the same time with some huge competition. She was as always a thing to behold. Such a sweet lady, but damn I don't want to race her. Then the big show. Jonathan, Jim, Bob and I were all in the same heat. I was dreading this, everyone had done so well, I was not at all thinking this was going to go well. I had to race all the 50's lightweights, not just the 55+, To my left was Fred, from Norway who had beat me by seven seconds at Boston and a couple of strong Brits were the big competition. I had spent some time talking with Roger Prowse from GB back at the hotel. He held the record and wanted to know if I was going to try for it. I said that that was not on my agenda, I honestly thought 6:43 to 6:45 was about where I would be. After all the barbs that had been thrown at my selection I just didn't want to let anyone down. And Roger and I had agreed that the setting of records was incidental to what we wanted form our racing. I really like Roger, I put him up there with John_Paul Tardieu as the best champions I have every had the pleasure to compete with/against. Class act from the word go. I had told no one on the team that a WR was even something I could hpe for. I asked Veronika to cox, told her I wanted 1:40 pace, but if it settled at 1:41 that was just fine. I wanted the rate about 33 but thought I would let the time and place do some of the determining of that. And off we went. Being the total dunderhead with anything bordering on computers, Lisa had set my monitor so I could see an average split. It ws going to take 1:40.4. The record was 6:41.8 and 1:40.5 wouldn't get it. I did a lot of the race with my eyes closed trying to remember all the stuff that Paul had been pounding at me for lo these many months. (I would tell you that I have totally changed my stroke in the last year, but thats a really tired story). Veronika was perfect, never shrieking, never a negative vibe. Always let me make the adjustment when it went over 1:41 before she came in. Fred was a full boat length away, but I had figured that. Mid 6:40's would be fine. Veronika was coxing the perfect race and I hadn't even told her what the possibilities were. At 500 to go I ventured a glance at the average. 1:40.4. Holy crap!!! You can do this. At this point I went for the John Harvey, believe it, feel it. He had told me that down the stretch all he kept thinking was "courage". I told Veronika if i made a move coming home she was to just be in my ear, all over me with "courage". It was so fun to be in position that I had not expected. I started to close on Fred, or at least I was told hat after. The team just was shouting and yelling, veronika was completely tuned in, "courage, damn it" I had no idea I was closing on Fred, I was just staring at that average split. with 175 to go it fell to 1:40.3, I had toatlly lost anything else going on. Jonathan, and Jim had finished and won but I missed their little boats touching off at the end. I was just preaching to myself, "John Harvey", "think what you saw Katrina do an hour ago", Veronika was so damn good bringing it home, never faltered, stayed with me down to the last pull. I set the handle down, clsed my eyes, gathered myself and took a look. 6:40.8!!! I turned to Veronika and said, "lady, we just set a world record" Her response, "you're shittin' me" we Hugged and laughed and got lost in the moment. First person up to come up< Roger Prowse. What a great guy! No one on the team, except Joan, knew that I even had a chance at the record. They were all so excited that I had given Fred a great race. I had to sheepishly tell them that I had no idea where he was that I was just glued on the average split and that "oh yeah that was a world record" Chris Btenson form the British team came up and was very kind and congratualtory. One last racing comment. The last race of the day was an adoptive contest. Seven young people, several of them blind raced. I was so caught up in it, and was yelling and encouraging and then I realized the whole US Team was there shouting and whooping for these young people working their hearts out on the erg. HOw wrong I was to think the highlight of my day would be to set a WR.~ That evening we wento the Copenhagen Rowing Club for a buffet with the Danes, the Brits and the French. Wow what an end. BSing with Roger and Chris, giving Roman grief hes only 17, no beer. I like to call him Hagrid, huge strong guy thats a gentle and decent as you can imagine. And I know this has been far too long, but damn this was a great group. Hats off to all. Luann, the tough as nails grandmother, Joan, the most phenomenallady, Karen, knitting and erging, Libby, writing 2 20 page papers and winning gold, Bob and Jim, older is defintiely better and I am completely sorry that I couldn't keep the train door open, the look on your face Jim was priceless, Jonathan, another Hagrid and one of the class acts in erging, Paul, roomie and Robert, be one for the ages when you two mix it up again at Boston, and throw Mike in. Holy shit that will be a show. And Roman, Damnyou are a stud.And to Katrina, Wow. I'm speechless. and to the Heart and soul of this group Veronika, its so much more than the red coat, by the way where'dyouget it? Thanks. Lisa, perfection. Bill and Noel, seriously you guys should try sleep. Reiner and all the other Danes we met, TAK. and to Paul S "tak" for the gazillionth time. dennis

[[old] george nz]

Dennis well done on the race, the WR, and the recollections. I don't mind admitting I am sitting here with tears in my eyes reading your story; the courage and endeavour of the competitors is one thing - but it is the knowledge of what the power of the camaraderie in a situation like that can encompass that you convey so well......<br /><br />.....That moves me !!!!<br /><br />Somebody said once that that was not a 'team' (USIRT) that erging is not a 'team' sport .... my only comment would be how sad to be so blind<br /><br />Well done mate - your all champions in the true sense of the world no matter where you finished !!!!!<br /><br />George

[[old] monkey]

Great account Dennis and congratulations to all the US team for a great showing.<br />Hope the British team behaved themselves at the rowing club dinner, no repeat of last year in Amsterdam I hope!

[[old] CAROLE MAC]

slaps Monkey .... we behaved ourselves.....<br /><br />was great to meet everyone and to catch up with Joan and Jon.<br /><br />My own performance was okay I s'pose ... I have been beating myself up as I know that I am better trhan 7.49 but then as I was reminded I have been struggling with this chest infection for nearly three weeks which is not conducive to fast times...<br /><br />Thought it was a shame that they had split us up into two hotels though as I am sure we would have had the crack!!....

[[old] Bayko]

Thanks for the report Dennis. PaulS, SteveG and I were in the chat room for a couple of hours including your race. They both knew immediately the you had the WR. The response from Roger doesn't surprise me in the least. I've had the pleasure of talking to him a couple of times and he epitomizes the expression "quiet strength."<br /><br /><br />It was great just watching it on the webcast and chatroom. Your story shows how much better it must have been from your vantage point.<br /><br />Erg on Dude. See you in Boston.<br /><br />Rick<br /><br />(edited for spelling)

[[old] PaulS]

Apparently there are no standalone <b><span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>"I's"</span></b> in <br /><span style='font-size:10pt;line-height:100%'><b>United States</b></span><span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'> <b>Indoor Rowing</b></span><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> <b>Team</b></span><br /><br />I guess George and I are just a couple of crybabies, but dang it, to know what you have gone through and be able to see you rewarded for the effort, makes me as proud as I can be. <br /><br />In other words, "Darn Proud". Well done!

[[old] Jon Goodall]

Fantastic report Dennis, and well done on getting the WR!<br /><br />I was getting pretty choked reading that report as well.<br /><br />Inspirational stuff.....<br /><br />Jon

[[old] Don Seymour]

Dennis,<br /><br />Congratulations on a terrific row. Thanks for sharing the details with us. It's really interesting to read about what it was like to be there from a rower's perspective rather than just reading a list of results. Great, great job. I hope to see you in action, live in Boston.<br /><br />-Don