Concept2 Forum

If any of you are interested.

http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=5250

Arlene

Thanks, I'd missed that. Will check into it soon.

Haven't visited the US site for too long! Just saw this thread, and thought it might be useful to let Ducks and other ladies know a bit about the CTC (Cross Team Challenge). Each month a distance/time is selected, and teams then submit their results and members are put into "boats" based on their performance. Each boat must have at least one woman and one male lightweight, the other three places are then given to the fastest heavy or lightweights in that team.

It is a lot of fun, and adds an additional dimension to training. Most teams do not insist that you participate in a challenge, and for many certain distances/times do not fit in with a training plan.

Due to the way the challenge is set up each boat must have a mixed "crew". This obviously means that there cannot be a DIAR boat, but anyone can post their results as an Independent. Alternatively you could join a team just for the CTC while still logging metres with DIAR.

Hope this interests some of you, it would be great to see more women competing in the CTC.

This is just for people living in the UK?

Kiwi_Rower wrote:This is just for people living in the UK?

I have seen evidence of participation by non-UK residents, but all the clubs involved appear to be UK based, even though some of them have a few non-UK members. I have not seen any reference to participation by some of the larger non-UK teams like Iron Oarsman, Ancient Mariners, Universtiy of New Mexico, Ducks in a Row, The Eh! Team, etc. I have assumed that it is a UK thing and have ignored it since I am not a member of a UK team.

Bob S.

Correction. I have just seen a message that indicates that the Eh! Team is one of those competing in the CTC.

Bob S.

Kiwi_Rower wrote:This is just for people living in the UK?

Not at all, in the Flyers we have Brits, Aussies, Kiwis, Dutch, German, Finns, and Americans (apologies if I have forgotten anyone!). And, as Bob says, the Eh Team from Canada have a team entry.

Bob S. wrote:I have not seen any reference to participation by some of the larger non-UK teams like Iron Oarsman, Ancient Mariners, Universtiy of New Mexico, Ducks in a Row, The Eh! Team, etc.

The University of New Mexico is on the ctc, too, as "Team Rowbo" (it took me a while to realize that the UNM and the Rowbos are one and the same). As far as I know, there is no restriction as to who can join the ctc. Anyone who can pull the handle on the erg, can participate.

Also, you can pick any team (or form a new team) on the ctc, and it doesn't affect your affiliation (like DIAR). All your annual meters still go to your team. Shannon, Ellen and even little Santana and Brianna from the Ducks, for example, have kindly donated their rows to the Eh! Team, and I think Arlene rows for the Independent team.

Mallard wrote:Due to the way the challenge is set up each boat must have a mixed "crew". This obviously means that there cannot be a DIAR boat, but anyone can post their results as an Independent.

Actually the rules of the ctc would allow an all-women boat, but no all-men boat . So it would be possible to have an DIAR boat at the ctc. But of course a mixed boat is faster (of course I have to say that, so that Shannon, Ellen and the others won't get strange thoughts and leave us at the Eh! Team ). Also, many teams desperately need women (and lightweights) on their boats, because without us, they won't get anywhere at the ctc, no matter how great they row!!!

Serioulsy, ladies, if you need something to motivate you to keep rowing, join the ctc, or log your rows at the Nonathlon, etc. and you will have a lot more fun and motivation than when you just "exercise" for weigh loss. At least for me it helps to keep me motivated, even if my weight loss stalls. I guess it's the difference between "just exercising" and "being an athlete" ... and I have never been good at sports at school, so for me that's a big mind shift! When I first entered my first row at the ctc back in March (after just getting started in Feb.), I was almost at the end of the list, and I felt a little embarrassed about it. But I slowly creep up the list with every new challenge, and it just feels good to see how I get just a little better every time. So don't worry about your times, just get in and have fun!

Bob S. wrote: I have assumed that it is a UK thing and have ignored it since I am not a member of a UK team.

Maybe it's time to stop ignoring the CTC. We could really use some more rowers in the Independent boat.

Arlene

For March the challenge is 7 minutes.

Kiwi_Rower wrote:This is just for people living in the UK?

Not at all. It's for anyone, anywhere.

If you need the Ducks added as a team send a PM to Daren on the UK forum. Or send me a PM and I'll pass it on to Daren. The normal composition of a team is three heavyweight men, one lightweight man and one lady. HWT ladies count as men, LWT ladies count as men to make up the team. So four ladies and one LWT lady would fill a boat. Anyone not affiliated to a team can add their result as a member of the independent team.

The March challenge is most metres rowed in seven minutes.
The April challenge is best time for 12K unrestricted.

If the Ducks start a team you'll be able to choose one of the challenges, in future.

Great information, Dougie.

Thanks.