British Indoor Rowing Championships 2009

From the CRASH-B's to an online challenge, discuss the competitive side of erging here.
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Yankeerunner
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British Indoor Rowing Championships 2009

Post by Yankeerunner » November 25th, 2009, 2:33 pm

Birmingham, UK:

Episode eight of 'Because It Is There' began as it always does with a Wednesday afternoon ride from Newburyport to Logan Airport in Boston. Neighbor Dale Eckert took me there in style this year in one of his many BMWs. Sure beat the bus ride. Boarded an Aer Lingus monster and took off at 6:15pm. After crossing five time zones we landed in Dublin at 5:05am. With an hour to change planes things seemed to be going smoothly. Looked at the Departures screen and saw Flight 262 to Birmingham leaving at 6:20am from gate D43 or some such. It was nearly a mile walk to the gate, but I had the time. Noticed that it was a Ryanair plane and figured that they had arrangement with Aer Lingus the
way that AA/BA or KLM/Northwest does. Waited at the back of the line until they finally began boarding a few minutes before takeoff. When I got the front of the line and handed my boarding pass the guy says, "This is Ryanair, you want Aer Lingus." "But, but, but..." I pleaded, visions of missing my flight suddenly looming like a nightmare. He pointed me around a corner to another Departure screen and sure enough there was Aer Lingus flight 262 to Birmingham at 6:30am leaving from Gate A9, from where I had come a mile and a half hour before. Aw Crap! What idiot names two different flights by two different airlines leaving at nearly the same time Flight 262? Fortunately all the running that I had done in my youth had apparently been for the higher purpose of this very moment. Running back through the terminal with the carryon bag banging away at me I made it just in time. Ominous moment.

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Garf and Eva

At the other end things went according to plan with good friend Garf there with his new little Garfling, 10-month-old Eva, to collect me. Since it was a workday they dropped me off at the house and trusted me to be alone for the day. After eating everything in the fridge, drinking up their booze, and trying on all the clothes in Garf and Donna's closets I took a short nap then settled in for some TV and reading. Thelma the pussycat came in and presented herself for some heavy petting, and I didn't disappoint. We found a movie on TV, The Revenge of the Pink Panther, and figured that the airport incident made Inspector Clousseau a logical choice. When that was over I started in on Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol, which Garf had left for me. Everyone else came home a little after 5:00pm and Donna made us some quiche. I mentioned that I thought I'd heard that real men don't eat quiche, and she quickly remedied that situation by re-naming it something like scrambled egg & cheese pie. Seemed reasonable to me. A little more reading, a little more TV, and then it was off to bed.

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Thelma the Pussycat

I got 10 hours of sleep, interrupted at about 1:00am by a beeping that turned out to be the cell phone that my brother had given me to call at the other end when he would pick me up at the airport. I've never owned a cell phone and it took me a while to figure out what it was, where it was (in my jacket pocket), and how to turn it off. Clousseau strikes again. Donna made me a bacon, egg, and mushroom butty for breakfast then Garf brought me over to a local health club. The girl at the desk had told him that they offered a free one day trial, but when we got there it was a guy at the desk who insisted that she misinformed him. He admitted that, "Well yeah, we do offer a free day if someone is thinking of joining, but let's face it this bloke won't be coming back. There is a 10-pound charge for a day pass." We looked sad, and prepared to leave, so he said, "Well, what about a fiver then?" So that's what it turned out to be. Oh, and a pound coin for the locker. I'd never seen a coin-opereated gym locker before, and while inspecting it to see how it worked I put in the pound coin only to accidentally flip the latch when the key came out. (Sigh) Imbecile! Heck, there was hardly anyone around on a Friday late morning so I risked my gym bag in an unlocked locker and went to the ergs for a warmup, 3 X 250m (2'ar), and a cooldown. It felt like crap but the day after first arriving always does.


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Sir Garf atop the Warwick Castle Tower

The highlight of the trip came that afternoon when we all went to Warwick Castle. When under siege sappers could never burrow under the walls because it was built on a granite outcropping, so it has survived better than most castles. Being in a actual dungeon where torture took place was a bit more unnerving than just seeing it in movies. But the Great Hall and the living quarters were some spectacular sights. The enormous trebuchet unfortunately wasn't scheduled to be fired that day but we walked down and took a look at it anyway. Leaving the girls at ground level Garf and I walked to the top of the highest tower to enjoy some panoramic views. If I hadn't had to spend time in the stocks, and if it were the growing season in the Rose Garden, we might have seen even more.

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Me, where the Nuns always warned that I'd end up.

After the castle we continued our tradition of Friday night Fish & Chips from the Peter's Pan shop nearby. The first time we went there three years ago the girl behind the counter thought that my American accent was cute, so of course I've wanted to go there ever since. Garf had me place the order with her this year and I took the bold approach, "We'll have two orders of fish & chips, one order of fish, and a photo of you and me together to show my American friends back home." She actually fell for it! Next year I might take the next logical step and try to find out her name. Garf told me later that he didn't think that he could have had the nerve to do that. I told him that neither did I, "You kidding me? Do you think I could have possibly done that if there were an actual chance of anything happening? I would have been petrified!" More TV, reading, and sleep followed.

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She likes my American accent. I like that she likes my American accent.


Saturday was raining, but it is supposed to rain in England so all was well. Off to another health club where Garf's boss got me another session on an erg. Settled for an easy 5km just to keep inertia on the correct side of the motion/rest equation. A trip to blockbuster seemed in order, and despite my horrible choice last year Garf insisted that I pick out anything I wanted. Right out of the chute when I tried to pick up Drag Me To Hell he balked and set off a chain reaction of me choosing something frightening or sexual and him shaking his head sadly. Eventually we got out of there with four DVDs acceptable to us all. First up was the excellent National Treasure 2. Every bit as good as National Treasure 1, I'd say. Supper was mass quantities of spaghetti & meatballs with grated cheese, bread, and wine. Great to get the glycogen stores fully loaded for race day. To put us in a sleepy mood we watched Cloverfield. Unfortunately it gave Garf nightmares. He's probably going to have to look over my choices even more carefully next year.

Race day dawned as it always does with a massive flock of butterflies having taken up residence in my stomach. Andy Burrows put it best one year, "I'm not ready! Tomorrow I'd be ready, but not today!" And as always there was no honorable way of avoiding that it was going to be today regardless. Donna started to pack me a lunch for after the race but apologized that, "I've packed a feast instead." No problemo. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Garf dropped me off at the NIA at 8:30am and it was time to, as the Eagles said, "Take It To The Limit...One More Time." Inside the arena I found a cozy spot for the gym bag and began renewing acquaintances. Ant Stansbie was there from Sub-7 as was Dougie Lawson. I gave Dougie an old pair of my shoes as a gift....we could probably be acceptable Hobbits. Dave Speed and Pete Marston were there. Eddie Fletcher, Jon Goodall, Sango, Browny, Gibbo, roadrunner and Saint Kay, Cap't Chris Whale. Down to the weigh-in and darned if I didn't tip the scale at 66.6kg. The Devil's number. In retrospect, an omen. Warmed up a bit, saw Kris Kuzniar, Joe Keating, and George Meredith. Saw that fellow Forum Flyers Deborah Ann Barber, Georgina Price and Shirley Godkin all medalled in their events. Whoo Hoo! Warmed up some more. Saw fellow American Bob Lee from Lexington MA while he waited in the bullpen. Then heard over the loudspeakers as he won the 65-69 Hwt in a new BIRC record of 6:49.4 as I warmed up one last time with some accelerations.

Finally the moment of truth. I was assigned to machine #G17, with George Meredith to my left and race favorite Mike Brownjohn to my right. Joe Keating, the Irishman who once won the London-to-Brighton double marathon and held the World Record for running 40 mile on a track, was two over to my left. "Sit Ready. Attention. ROW!" and we were off. As usual the race software caused a slower start than at home when the monitor doesn't start recording until a stroke is pulled, and it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to get the average pace below 2:00 despite pulling 1:50s and 1:49s. It was coming hard even at that, and my plan to do the first 500m in about 1:49 turned into a reality of it taking almost 1:51. According to the monitor I was in 12th place, just ahead of Keating, but the screen was also showing the guys in the 50-54 and 55-59 as well so I wasn't sure exactly where I was in my division other than ahead of Joe. Eventually Mike Brownjohn appeared just ahead and then David Aldridge, a nemesis who has beaten me every time we've raced except last year. So I know that I'm behind those two at the very least. No idea where Meredith or Exley might be in relation to the rest of us.

Through the half and the average pace is still over 1:50 and it's hurting. Thirty-eight strokes a minute and this is all I can get for it? Dammit! It's about 30m to the next guy ahead of me and only about 2 or 3m ahead of Joe. It's not looking good for even breaking 7:20, dammit. I did 7:15.5 just last week, where is that? Dammit! Nothing seemed to change over the next 500m, and the average pace was still about 1:50.4. C'mon, DO something! Push with the legs! Pace down to 1:48....then back to 1:50 after a couple of strokes. Sit up tall, keep the lower back flat! 1:48 again... followed by more 1:50s. Quick hands away! 1:48, no 1:50. Final 200m, close the eyes and kill yourself if that's what it damn takes! Fourteen more strokes and it's all falling apart, but a sneak peak shows a 1:43 for at least one stroke and 100m to go. Everything freezing up now, stroke shortening with each recovery, 14 or 15 strokes and another look to see about 15m to go, and three final strokes to put it away. Dammit! I came all the way over here to do that? Gasp, Pant, feel sorry for myself. 7:18.8. No way that gets a medal. Aldridge 7:17.9. The second time that he's beaten me here by less than a second. When we could still both break 7:00 he got me 6:58.2 to 6:59.1. That was only four years ago. What happened to us? Brownjohn took it in 7:12.8. Six seconds ahead. Exley 2nd a half-second behind Mike, and Aldridge 3rd. Me, 4th again. For the 4th time in the last 5 years. Crap! The truth hurts.

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As I slunk out of the competition area with my tail between my legs, like a gladiator who has been spared death so that he can be forced to live in shame, I pondered whether I even have what it takes anymore.......Hell yeah! 'Course I do. Just got to figure it out, that's all.

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Back row, Rick Bayko, Georgina Price, Shirley Godkin, Graham Lay
Front row, Kris Kuzniar, Deborah Ann Barber, Cap't Chris Whale



With the bad 7 1/2 minutes of the trip over it was time to socialize. Dave Speed and I got together and proved to be Babe Repellent, driving all the good looking women the other way. Dammit! Maybe we should have showered first. I actually got bragging rights over Dave by less than a second, and also beat the times of old friends Dougie Lawson and Joe Keating. Didn't make me feel better about my time, but it gave me several "At least you did better than...." for empathy. Misery still likes company. The Forum Flyers got together 7 of us for a group photo, which is probably the most Flyers in the same place at the same time since the international rag-tag group was formed in 2002. Unfortunately roadrunner, one of the originals, had left early or we would have had eight. After the final of the Mens' Open I walked out of the arena to await Garf, who was scheduled to pick me up at the curb at 2:30pm. It was raining again. Why not? The race didn't go well, so why not rain on the one guy without an umbrella? When Garf arrived the passenger door wouldn't open. (Sigh) Should I have expected it to on this day?



Good friends are there when you need them though. I was allowed back in the house and assured that Garf still likes me, Donna still likes me, Eva still likes me, and Thelma still loves to curl up with me and stare over at the others to tell them "See. THIS is how to treat a pussycat. This is how it used to be before that....that....that....CHILD came into our lives!" Garf's top DVD pick, The Bucket List (appropriate, eh?) with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, was next up. I should probably start compiling my own list one of these days. Donna made a nice mild Curry for supper so that I could try curry for the very first time. Don't have to include that on my bucket list any more. We tried to watch our 4th DVD, Al Pachino in 88 Minutes, but it didn't work (Garf better get his one pound back on that) so we watched National Treasure 2 a second time with the director's commentary playing. After that we followed the first half of the Patriots/Jets game on the internet while watching a 3D magic show on TV with our 3D glasses. Only lasted through the first half of the game and went to bed satisfied that the Pats were up 24-7.

Up early the next morning to reverse the flow. Donna dropped me off at Birmingham Airport at about 6:30am, arrived in Dublin at 9:05am and waited for five hours until the Boston plane was ready to fly. Read more of The Lost Symbol. Bought a few overpriced things. Found the correct terminal and gate on the first try. Had an uneventful flight back to Boston and caught three movies on the tiny screen on the seat back in front of me, Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, The Other Man (Liam Niesen & Antonio Banderas), and The Boat That Rocked (Pirate Radio in the USA). The cheapskates at Aer Lingus charge for the wine with dinner now so this cheapskate drank tea instead. Two can play that game. Brother Barry picked me up outside Terminal E after I successfully called him on the cell phone he gave me and delivered me safely back home. A good trip as usual. Just got to figure out how to get faster next year instead of slower. I have nearly 12 months to work on it.

Rick Bayko,
Cub Reporter
Last edited by Yankeerunner on November 25th, 2009, 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Bob S.
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Re: British Indoor Rowing Chamionships 2009

Post by Bob S. » November 25th, 2009, 3:36 pm

Yankeerunner wrote:Birmingham, UK:

Episode eight

Rick Bayko,
Cub Reporter
Thanks, Rick.

Great report! loved it.

Bob S.

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Citroen
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Post by Citroen » November 25th, 2009, 6:28 pm

I wish I'd known about the Ryanair 262 vs Aer Lingus 262 debacle, there would have been some piss taking mileage in that.

It was good to see you Sunday and the shoes fit well.
Dougie Lawson
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Post by Nomugie » November 25th, 2009, 10:32 pm

Rick, What a lovely writeup! Glad you a good time! Emily

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Post by tjf0 » November 25th, 2009, 10:33 pm

Thanks Rick
The report was great reading...
Tim
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Post by Alissa » November 25th, 2009, 11:44 pm

Really fun to read! Thank you for posting it!

Alissa

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Post by ancho » November 26th, 2009, 7:34 am

Hola, Rick & Garf.
Great report and pics, thanks! :D
yr 1966, 1,87 m, 8? kg
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Post by KevJGK » November 26th, 2009, 11:25 am

What a brilliant write up Rick.

I thought I saw you next to the Concept 2 stand but I wasn't 100% sure. Now I have seen your photo's I regret not saying hello.

Hopefully next year.

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Post by bloomp » November 26th, 2009, 11:47 am

Sounds like a great experience, always good to have friends in another country! Maybe I'll make it over to BIRC someday.
24, 166lbs, 5'9
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Post by Yankeerunner » November 29th, 2009, 10:39 am

Thanks for all the kind comments. Sorry for the typos and occasional missing word, but in some ways I'm Bartleby the Scrivner in that I hate to waste time making corrections. :oops:

Dougie, I sensed that you would have fun with the airline mixup, especially after I dropped you off at the wrong terminal in February, but decided to act like a normal person instead.

Tim, you should definitely try to get up to Boston. With that 7:10 you would surely be in the hunt, and might be inspired to a new best time.

Kevin, sorry we missed. It's always good to put faces and voices to the writings that we see in the forums. This year I met Graham Lay, Georgina Price, and Deborah Ann Barber for the first time.

Paul, it's great if you can ever work it in. If it seems that it might be a possibility, start spending more time on the UK forum and get acquainted with those guys & gals. The socializing with people with a common interest is a significant part of what makes it so good. B)

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Post by tjf0 » December 1st, 2009, 8:41 pm

Yankeerunner wrote:Thanks for all the kind comments.
........
Tim, you should definitely try to get up to Boston. With that 7:10 you would surely be in the hunt, and might be inspired to a new best time.
Hi Rick, thanks for the encouragement. Hope to see you also if all goes well at the Long Beach and Villanova races...
Tim
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Post by stumpy » December 3rd, 2009, 4:26 pm

Hi Rick
Great write up as I was in the red M/cs 55\59 Hwt. this brought it all back very similar time too 7:15.8 glad you enjoyed Warwick Castle one of my local Castles

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