Introductions

muffelman · Post by **muffelman** » June 21st, 2006, 4:33 pm

hi everybody, I'm Matt Muffelman, 25 year old lightweight. i've been rowing for 12 years now, erging every once in a while along the way. I rowed at Mathews High School in VA, then went on and rowed lightweight at Dartmouth for 4 years before moving to Boston, and rowing for Riverside for 3 years. Now i'm down in Jersey, training with the lightweights at PTC. I've never been very good on the erg, and actually just did Crash-b's for the fun of it (groan). I'm psyched to see how much faster I can go this year, and hope the USIRDS can help me on that quest. Plus, any excuse to go over to Europe is always nice, even if it is to erg. I never figured a stationary rower would ever actually take me anywhere.

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » June 21st, 2006, 9:50 pm

Introduction, hmm – the one I sent in last year was much too long. This time I’ll try to tone down this old man’s verbosity by referring to the flattering article in the Spring, 2006, Update from Concept 2 with a couple of minor corrections. I didn’t really learn to row with my father. We lived on the shore of San Francisco Bay and had some heavy, fixed seat skiffs that we rented out to sports fishermen. I was allowed to fool around in the boats, but, at my mother’s insistence, they had to be tied up with a long line. Once I got the hang of it on my own, I was allowed to cast off and row where I pleased.

The statement about the club got a bit compressed in the editing. Actually, there are two clubs, the Long Beach Rowing Association and the Newport Aquatic Center. I belonged to each one at one time or another and am still a supporting member of LBRA although I have moved too far away to participate in the rowing activity.

Bob S.

JimC · Post by **JimC** » June 22nd, 2006, 9:33 pm

I'm Jim Castellan, 61 y.o. HWM from Rose Valley, PA, a suburb of Phildelphia. I was on the USIRDT last year. It helped motivate and provided some variety in my training. I met some wonderful athletes while winning my category at the Euro Open and CRASH-Bs. I'm just back from a month trip to Europe and still catching up from my absence. I'm just now easing back into my training but don't expect to get back into full swing until July.

dean smith · Post by **dean smith** » June 23rd, 2006, 8:04 pm

Hi, I am Dean Smith. I recently moved to Lone Tree, CO. This has been a big adjustment rowing with the higher altitude. In May 2006 I started training on the water rowing with The Rocky Mountain Rowing Club. What a different challenge from erging!
I am 2-time gold medal winner at the World Masters in 800 meter track(1979 Sweden & 1981 Germany). 2003 Crash-B, 2nd place 70-79 ltwt men, 2004, 2005,2006 Crash-B 70-79 ltwt men champion. As of June 26th I will be in the new age category of 80 ltwt men.

Pam Wayne · Post by **Pam Wayne** » June 24th, 2006, 3:16 pm

Hello All,

My name is Pam Wayne. I live in Boston. I am 58 years old and a lightweight. I row on the Women's Comp team at CRI. We are currently training for the Independence Day Regatta in Philadelphia.

I participated in my first Crash B this year. It was terrible and wonderful all at the same time.

I am looking forward to working with all of you and our coaches.

Best,

Pam Wayne

psiebach · Post by **psiebach** » June 24th, 2006, 8:49 pm

Paul Siebach, Age: 48, LW, Oakton, VA

I hail from Rochester, NY, where I was the eldest child of 14. I am currently a Technical Project Manager for Northrop Grumman - Information Technology Sector. I have a wife and 3 children: daughter 17 (swim, crew), son 15 (baseball, basketball), and daughter 11 (swim, soccer).

I have always enjoyed sports, and physical activity. I wrestled in HS and College. I now play old mans league basketball and softball when I can. I ran for many years, and then transitioned to triathlons. I have competed in the Reston triathlon (1 m swim, 23 m bike, 6 m run) for the last 18 years. After my daughter joined the Thomas Jefferson HS crew team, she challenged me, by stating that crew and erging were harder than triathlons. So, 3 years ago, I joined the Northern Virginia Rowing Club where I now row 3x / week in an 8 man. (BTW - My daughter was right).

I erg to stay in shape for all of these other activities. I find it is much easier on my joints than running. I have enjoyed meeting many of you, and learning from Mike and Robert at the erging competitions, and look forward to continuing these associations.

Mary P. · Post by **Mary P.** » June 25th, 2006, 9:23 am

Hello, I'm a 49yo, turning 50 in Nov, 5'6", 125 lb "perma"lightweight woman residing in Seal Beach, CA. Started rowing in college at MIT and never quit the sport. Currently rowing at LBRA (with Joan Van Blom in a very successful masters women's 8+), sculling, erging, etc. I'm a college chemistry prof., have one teenage son who's starting rowing - 1st sculling lesson tomorrow- and my husband's also rowed ever since college. Good thing we live so close to the water!

waverider390 · Post by **waverider390** » June 25th, 2006, 9:36 pm

My name is Andrew Corcoran. I have been involved with rowing for the past 4 years on the high school level. I live on an island off of New Jersey and row lifeboats competitively during the summer. I will attend Harvard this coming fall and plan to row for their lightweights. I got involved with rowing by way of my 2 older brothers and older sister who rowed both on the high school and college level.

canoeist · Post by **canoeist** » July 2nd, 2006, 1:10 pm

Hello,

My name is Paul Flack. I took the name "Canoeist" about five years ago when I started rowing on an erg. My background is canoeing. I took up rowing on the water last year when my family went to a family camp in Maine that included rowing as one of the activities. (Google "Medomak" if interested.)

Here are my answers to the four introductory questions:

1. What workouts do you do now (i.e. all 10K, 3 x 20 min., all on-water, etc)?

Four days a week, I row with Community Rowing in Boston. I do whatever the coach says to do. It varies a lot from technique to intervals.

2. What are your goals?

Race the Head of the Charles in October. Make the USIRT in December. Finish a second sooner than Rick Martin at Newburyport IRC in January.

Place in the top three at CRASH-B in February.

3. Are you rowing on the water? If so, are you training to participate at the Head of the Charles, Masters Nationals, etc?

Due to the time constraints of my start up toy business, I can't do much racing. I hope to race the Head of the Charles. I might participate in a few local races.

4. Are you participating in a High School or College program (if so, please follow the workouts/guidelines from your coaches)?

No, I am 50 years old and a bit over the hill for this kind of rowing.

Cheers,

Paul

tobyayer · Post by **tobyayer** » July 5th, 2006, 12:56 pm

Sorry for the late introduction.

My name is Toby Ayer. I began rowing at MIT in 1993 (I think Linda was the first MIT rower I met, at a dinner during orientation), rowed there for four years, then four years as a grad student at Oxford. I've been in Boston since then, mostly erging or sculling on my own, but sometimes in a pair or subbing into Harvard or MIT crews. At 31, I raced Masters at CRASH-B this year with a combination of reluctance and opportunism.

I'm in Philadelphia right now, rowing at Penn AC with an eye on the US "outdoor" rowing team trials at the end of the month.

Best,
Toby

Stephen Richardson · Post by **Stephen Richardson** » August 9th, 2006, 2:56 pm

At age 86 I may have the dubious distinction of being the oldest member hoping to go with the American team to Amsterdam. I have rowed in the CRASH B's for more years than I can remember. Maybe 15-20.times From April until the end of Ocober I single scull and train on the Squamscott River at Exeter NH During October I enter the Head races at Putney Boston, Philadelphia and the NH championships. Training rows vary from 6-10K interspersed with quality work over shorter distances. I generally row 4 days and then take a day off.Once the outdoor rowing season ends I row indoors on the erg until I can get on the water again next spring. Thie year I have entered the FISA world masters at Princeton and do occassion work out on the erg. From 1953- 85 my sport was running distances from the mile to the marathon and I found that I had been given a great gift as a runner. My running ended when I had hip replacements and was told that I should no longer run. Fortunately rowing did not seem to bother my artificial hips and since 1985 my sport has been rowing, which I enormously enjoy. I am 6.0 in height and weigh 170 pounds.

c2bill · Post by **c2bill** » September 6th, 2006, 10:51 am

we're experiementing with google video for some of our footage - as an experiment (thanks bob!) we put up the entire interview we conducted with bob at the last crashb's - we'll work on putting more up soon.

-bill

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... nger&hl=en

limills · Post by **limills** » September 7th, 2006, 11:58 am

Hello. I am Luanne Mills, age 67 lightweight. I began to erg because of a health studyI was a participant in which required exercise. The erg became my machine of choice as I moved from a semi-sedentary person to an exerciser five years ago. I have enjoyed meeting new friends in this very interesting competition. It is delightful to know that there are others "out there" all over the world who do this sport. My favorite part is after the 2000m test when I know I don't have to do it again for awhile! Thank you, Concept2.

Concept2 Forum

Introductions

Hello

Introduction

Introduction to Canoeist

Introductions

video interview with bob spenger

Introduction