NSR I and the Next Step

The first National Selection Regatta (NSR I) was an eye opener for me. It was my first 2K race in the 1x, my first head-to-head race against other development and elite athletes, and it was my first time at the Mercer Lake facility where the US National Team is headquartered for much of the year.

To say that I fell short of my goals and projections would be an understatement. I finished 22nd out of a field of 30 in the lightweight men's 1x. The goal had been to finish top 4. There were a number of athletes who finished ahead of me who spend less time on the water and have shown themselves to be slower on the erg. Even the top guys at the regatta are only a few seconds faster than me on the erg, with comparable time on the water. This left me a bit puzzled, but ultimately I was able to pinpoint my primary weakness at the regatta: inexperience.

My fly-and-die race strategy has proven to be less-than-optimal. It is a pretty novice race plan that I think illustrates my lack of knowledge regarding my own capabilities. The idea is to get ahead so I can track my competitors for the race rather than trying hold back and wait to move later. In the future I will aim to execute something a bit more conservative in nature, such as an even-split or negative-split race strategy. In order to do this, I need more time on the water simply practicing 2K races so that I will know what my limits feel like.

In this next training cycle, I am hoping to tend to some injuries and develop some more explosive power (my weakness). Conal has put together a pretty solid plan for the next month and we are all looking forward to the National Championship Regatta in June where I look to make a comeback in the 1x and perhaps try my hand in the 2x and 4x if I can find some teammates.