SoCal and NSR I

I headed to Long Beach in order to enjoy a more focused training environment.  By staying with my mom, I could ease financial constraints.  By staying in a warmer climate, I could get more excited to train outside all day.  I was logging tons of miles on the water with my buddy, Will Young, at both the Long Beach Rowing Association and with the SoCal Scullers Club.  Plus I got to enjoy some wicked cool bike trails.

Riding with Tristan, who has been kicking my butt around since we rowed together at UPS.

I always love training in Long Beach.  The weather is always amazing, and the people in the rowing community there are extremely generous.  Plus it is nice to be in the comfort of a family home.  I was there for about two and a half weeks before flying out to Princeton to meet up with the SoCal team.  For the first at an NSR, I was going to use my own shell to race, having gotten it out there with the California Rowing Club's trailer.  I was also staying with the SoCal gang with a host family in Princeton.  I am always grateful for this kind of hospitality - the cost of a week in a hotel can be a deal breaker for regatta travel.

I was feeling good going into the race.  I was managing a hip flexor pull well, and though I was nervous for the time trial, I knew I could be competitive with the athletes there.  I also knew that my small size was always an advantage for these multi-race regattas.  I never have to watch my weight when I row the 1x, so when my peer are dieting and sweating daily, I am going back for seconds at the dinner table.

The time trial went well.  I was in the middle of the pack and confident I could do better in side-by-side racing.  However, due to inclement weather the next day, our heats were canceled so we were all advanced directly to either the A/B semifinal or the C final based on our time trial results.  This goes to show: ALWAYS RACE EACH RACE LIKE IT'S YOUR LAST.  I ended up on the good side of the cut and went to a semifinal.

I knew I was in for a hard race in the semifinal.  Jake Georgeson and Phil Grisdella were going to be the guys I knew I had to knock out, and both had beaten me down hard at Head of the Charles this last fall.  The weather was a rough tail wind, so times would be fast, but not too fast due to the chop.  I focused on rowing a controlled and clean race to the 1500 meter mark, basing at a 31-32 stroke rate.  I looked across and saw Jake just barely up on me; Phil had fallen back.  I shifted rhythm, rowing my shorter, "loopy" strokes that I save for these conditions.  I took the rate up to 37 and kept my hands low to avoid the waves.  I built speed and walked through Jake, finishing 3rd in the semi by about 3 seconds and advancing to the A-final.  It was a hard race, to say the least.

Flying off the line in what was a great semifinal race.

My expectations for the A-final were a little shapeless.  I felt that the guys I was racing were, in general, faster scullers than me.  I came out hard and tried to maintain pace with the top guys.  This strategy can either help you find a new limit, or slam you against the wall.  I hit the wall at 1000 meters and fell well off pace, catching a small crab in my last 300 meters.  Still, I was very satisfied, being able to walk away 6th overall, my second time in an A-final at a US selection regatta.

After chatting up with all the usual suspects, I decided the place to be was going to be Boston.  I enjoyed some celebrations that night, bought a train ticket, found a place to crash, and started getting ready for the next stage of my Spring: Pan Am Trials.