Rowing Against National Representitives

robhen · Post by **robhen** » January 27th, 2008, 6:56 pm

OMG! I am rowing against some national representatives in a single scull in a club regatta next weekend.

I have no chance of winning. The way I see it is that I have two choices. I could go apesh*t off the start rating around 38, and I would have in my younger days but then die in the proverbial. Or I could optimize my performance and put in practice what I have learnt off this forum. That is, start off reasonably conservative and try and do even splits. Which would mean starting at 32 to 33 and sit at that rate for the whole race.

Given flat water I expect the winner to do around 7:00 and if I finish within 40sec of the winner I will have had a good race.

ancho · Post by **ancho** » January 29th, 2008, 1:16 pm

Try to get off at 38, and enjoy the while you're infront/in touch with those guys.
Maybe you'll frighten them a bit!

That's what I do when the result doesn't count very much.
Hurts during the last meters though...

PaulS · Post by **PaulS** » January 29th, 2008, 1:29 pm

+1 an Ancho's suggestion, get out in front if you can, you may find that it's easier to relax and stay in front longer than you thought, if you scare them enough, they may never take a big run at you.

Rockin Roland · Post by **Rockin Roland** » January 30th, 2008, 10:24 pm

Rob,
What's the story mate!
Your prepared to race the elite but not against Kenny (I read your club newsletters too).

You just have to learn how to suck it all in. If you get beat and it looks really ugly then you have to be man enough to face the music. Otherwise take up crew rowing. That way you can hide embarassment within the collectiveness of the crew.

See you on the water.

robhen · Post by **robhen** » February 5th, 2008, 12:16 am

Thanks for the encouragement Roland.

With my shift work it is sometimes hard to get to a regatta. The last time I was due to race him I had taken leave but someone fell ill at the last moment and had to work.

I did in fact get to race Kenny on the weekend and did actually beat him, my time was 3:40 in dead calm conditions on SIRC. So in fact I am going faster than ever. I will be very competitive when the big races come around May/June.

I pulled the pin on rowing against Hardcastle. Apart from rowing against Kenny I had masters B 2x and B 4-. After three races I was "cattle trucked".

The single is now my priority boat. I have a really good coach and things are really going well. I hope we can have good race at the Australian Masters.

ancho · Post by **ancho** » February 5th, 2008, 4:25 am

Nice!

In Spain, on the Nationals, when you compete as a master, you're not allowed to race the seniors and vice-versa.

Strange way to promote participation on a traditionally not very popular sport.

Kangaroo · Post by **Kangaroo** » March 23rd, 2008, 1:27 am

If my coach knows I don't stand a chance then he just tells me to kill myself from the beginning. You may be surprised to find a result in there... But I think your race is done by now - looking at the dates of posting.