I survived the Christmas marathon (and I didn't even get a lousy T-shirt)

Emily and I, like all married couples, had a negotiation before the wedding day. No, we don't have a pre-nuptial agreement, but there had to be a holiday treaty. Whose family would we spend holidays with, what years, would there be alternating years? Lots of questions had to be answered before anybody said "I do."

We decided Christmas would be with her family. There were a lot of traditions they obeserve every year and I respect that.

Presents are opened on Christmas morning, followed by a trip over to her father's parents with her aunt. This is Christmas brunch, followed by more presents. Don't forget to rush back to the house, where preparation for Christmas dinner begins immediately. Everyone in the family, both sets of grandparents along with her aunt attend dinner. That starts at four and is still going as I write this. Don't forget more presents. The last few years have seen the addition of Christmas Eve dinner at her uncle's house, with more presents along with other her aunt's parents.

Yes, I'm tired and overwhelmed. No, I wouldn't rather be home. No, I'm not the Grinch. Merry Christmas to all.

A few other little items: Yes, Will does understand Santa. He woke me up this morning at 4:30, 5:30 and 7 with the same question--"Is Santa here yet?" Yes, Will made out like a bandit at Christmas. Yes, Will has already broken three presents, one of them mine. Yes, I'm annoyed that I'm going to lose in the FFL playoffs. Yes, I'm going to take it out on anyone who makes any snide comments.

Categories: Personal, Will

That link is no longer a joke

Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

This particular right, given to American citizens by our founding fathers, has been under attack for a few years. The march of technology has given government agencies greater ability to keep watch on people. A recent ruling by the US Supreme Court had curbed some of the more sophisticated searches by police agencies. However, the government of the US has consistently attempted greater and greater intrusion into the personal communication of its citizens.

The pattern of any organization is to use any new capability. Rowing teams will use a new technology once it becomes available, looking for an edge. The military puts into use anything that will give an advantage on the battlefield for good reason; the purpose of the military is to be as lethal as possible. The government is in a different position: the law enforcement agencies of the government must show a judge probable cause before a search warrant can be issued.

The reason for the 4th amendment was to limit the government's ability to invade the privacy of the citizen. Government would not get the power to search any citizen without cause, "fishing" for evidence of any wrongdoing. As the founders knew, anything a person (or government) goes looking for will usually be found. Constant monitoring of the citizen, as foreseen in Orwell's 1984, has become nearly possible. The computing power available to the National Security Agency has reached a point where all email on the internet can be monitored and catalogued.

Why is this a bad thing? The argument has always been "I'm not doing anything wrong, so I don't have anything to worry about." What happens when you decide the government is doing something you don't like? Would you like to know that your anti-war emails are being intercepted, databased and filed for future use? Finally, what is to stop the government (or those who control it) from deciding it doesn't like something about you, then using the capabilities of modern technology to examine your life, for no cause other than your beliefs?

The simple fact here is that I shouldn't feel the need to research and justify a part of the Bill of Rights. That's what I would call basic American law.

So how can it be in any way acceptable for a sitting American president to order and proudly defend breaking the 4th amendment? Even during the Cold War or World War II, times our country stood under the greatest threat, the Constitution was not abrogated in such a fashion. The law was crafted to allow wiretaps before getting a warrant from a judge, as long as the judge was consulted within 72 hours. Any argument that somehow justifies this behavior merely attempts to cloud what seems a fact: the Chief Executive of the United States broke existing law as well as the 4th Admendment of the Constitution. That same President has stated in the public record that he will continue this behavior. How do we as citizens bring this Executive to heel within the law?

Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about oral sex in a civil lawsuit. If knowingly breaking the Constitution and continuing that behavior doesn't rise to the same level of William Clinton, then our political system is in deep, deep trouble. Those who agreed with Clinton's impeachment but justify Bush's actions are worse than lying hypocrites. They are traitors, actively working to undermine the basic governing law of the United States of America.

Categories: Politics

Risk Management

The ladies in our audience can stop reading now. Most of you. Some may need to continue, but you know who you are.

Guys, we as men somehow pride ourselves for being good behind the wheel. While we may not dress well, smell the best or have a photographic memory for conversations, all of us are confident behind the wheel. Perhaps a few of us are too confident. The real truth is that none of us drive as well as the young lady pictured below.



Now that I have your attention, I need to make a point before Emily decides to have a little chat with me.

Driving, lads, is about risk management. In the car, you are responsible for not striking anything enroute to your destination. Therefore, you make several decisions per minute in reference to managing that task. Things that can go wrong during driving (risks) must be managed so as not to accidently re-design your parents' automobile.

An item that we deal with here in Pittsburgh is snow. Snow is slippery. For those that don't recall, my previous employment was in automobile dealerships. Our bodyshop guys called snow "white gold." Anyone care to ask why?

Coaches cringe when we think of our athletes in cars. Athletes at this age are always a little keyed up, either about the other athletes in the car, the music playing or the great workout they just had. Even when they aren't driving to or from practice, we know these people. We know how they're wired. We know they might not be coxswains for a reason. We also know how bad our coxswains are at steering, and that makes me all the more nervous.

Please, please be a little more careful. Two accidents in one week, no matter how far out of control the situation was for the drivers, is two too many. Think about where you are driving on what kind of surface. Think about your poor parents, worried about your inability to return the car in the same condition. Think about your poor coach, worried about the effect on the carpool after you total said car.

Finally, just forget about all the stories you've heard about coaches driving boat trailers. Never happened. You didn't see the trailer go that fast.

Categories: Safety, FC

Pitt practice

Five-thirty is a little too early--
I'm asleep, my hair is still curly.
It's exam week I know,
but that goes to show
this team is a little bit squirrly.

It's a long drive down from my house.
No one stirs, "not even a mouse."
But if nobody shows up,
I'm s**t out of luck,
perhaps I'll just sleep on the couch.

Categories: Pitt, Training, Rowing

Suck week, or an opportunity to do something special

Some weeks are harder than others. I remember dragging into practices in February still sore from the workout the previous day. Classes and social life would collude to bring my mental focus to a nadir. Then I would realize that day's row was 5x1500m, my least favorite workout by a long margin.

But no matter how miserable I would feel on those days, nothing compared to the hopeless, never ending feel of the last week before a vacation, either Thanksgiving, winter or spring break. The workouts before a break are always just a little harder, as the coaching staff stuffs in as much work as possible. Monday's workout drags on and on, Tuesday brings a new definition of pain and Wednesday is unspeakable horror. Fridays would be marked by a 6k. Always.

Both of my crews face that "slog" week now, and I hope the workout schedule doesn't seem as bleak as I describe here, or this picture of the Antarctic wastes.


Like any coach, I see opportunity in such a challenge. Just getting through a week like this, surviving the workouts and defying the coach to do worse is a great exercise in mental toughness and discipline. I know that athletes at this age, college or high school, don't like the idea of more discipline, but the mental strength needed to push through this week's work is something to celebrate. Athletes who are still working, giving good efforts at the tasks put in front of them are the real foundations of any team. People working out hard this week, just before the break, can be counted on when races are on the line.

Rowing has a huge mental aspect, and like any other muscle group or skill, mental toughness must be trained as well. Just getting down to the gym on cold, snowy days like this is part of the workout. Keep it up, kids, your break will be here soon. And no, I don't plan on an erg test on Friday.

Categories: Training, Rowing, Memories, Coaching

The root of all evil?

Is the erg the root of all evil? I'm sure I believed that in the past, and I'm sure that the athletes I'm coaching loathe the machine at the right.

The real reason I never liked the rotten thing was how unlike rowing it really is. The sport is the ultimate team expression, moving a boat over water in groups. (I ignore single scullers here because, well, they are just strange.) Ergs simply don't reflect that team concept. The ultimate individual testing machine, the erg rewards garbage technique and gives no "boat feel" feedback. Then there is the screen.

There are only two types of feedback the machine gives an athlete. Either "you suck" if you're not pulling your target split or "you rock" if you're going faster than your pace. One or the other, that's all the feedback the machine gives. Then there is a lunatic coach who puts far too much importance on those numbers after he's been locked off the water for two months.

There really isn't an alternative to training over the winter other than moving to southern California. With snow in the forecast tonight, that's sounding rather reasonable right now.

Chin up, all athletes. Keep an even strain on the mental "rope" as we enter the depths of winter and fight these machines on a daily basis. I'm planning on getting out the sliders so some people can remember what we're doing all this madness for. If results really start taking off, I'll even..........maybe.......perhaps......give a ..........

day off?
.
.
.
nnaaaaaaa.........

Categories: Ergometers, Rowing, Teamwork, Training

Coaching Education

I know, I know, it sounds like an oxymoron. Sort of like military intelligence, honest politician and nice pit bull. Just doesn't sound right. After all, any moron can coach, right? The sport can't be that complicated, right?

Anyway, there were decent little points in our Level III course, and plenty of snooze time. Rather than boring the audience with a snore-by-snore account, I'll add in the stuff that nobody really thinks about when attending these sort of "professional development seminars."

The chairs sucked. They looked great, green, plush padding, matched the carpet, usual hotel stuff. The problem was they were perfectly flat on the seat. Think about whatever chair you are sitting on right now. Even portable steel folding chairs have some sort of curve for the sitters behind. These had none. My can was flat after the second section, and there was still six hours to go.

The food, when there was any, was terrible. Breakfast, usually sponsored by NK or CII, consisted of coffee with some stale pastries that any local gas station would reject. Even worse, the coffee would run out. Please, we're coaches here. We have needs. Lunch, served on Friday, was a large stack of box lunches consisting of a turkey club wrap, a cookie and some chips. I stole a second box when the minders weren't looking, because the wrap wasn't that bad, but we were allowed less than 20 minutes for lunch.

Some speakers were interesting and engaging. By that, I mean funny. After all, we're all stuck in the same blasted windowless room for an hour and a half each section. If you're going to drone on, even about rowing, please keep my attention with a decent anecdote or two. The athletic director brought in to discuss risk management (i.e. safety and cover-your-ass releases and waivers) was really amusing. Listening to him tell it, rowing is the most dangerous sport his college sponsors, and they field a rugby team!

Networking with other coaches is a good reason to attend the convention, and I did make some contacts.

I suppose the disturbing experience of the entire trip was observing how USRowing makes decisions. That is, indecisions. That also might be, decisions never announced to the membership, made outside the usual process of their own rules. I believe the lunacy surrounding the adjourned annual meeting serves to illustrate there are too many lawyers involved in rowing.

Overall, despite the complaining I've spewed out here, the convention was worthwhile. I learned a few things and picked up some ideas to talk to everyone about. The question, as always, will anyone listen as I blather on.....

Categories: Coaching, Rowing

It's not just the training

Three hours per day, six days a week. It's a grind. Of those three hours, perhaps 80 minutes average are devoted to working out. The rest is sucked up in travel, locker room stuff and a coaching staff that doesn't know when to shut up.

It's a very seducing formula: training for X amount of time at Y intensity will yield Z results. Wouldn't everything be great if training was so simple? Too bad it isn't. That's where everyone is getting tripped up. What is done in the erg room is an important part of training, but not the ONLY part of training.

Exercise breaks down the human body on a daily basis. After the workout ends, recovery begins. The system recovers to a higher level of fitness than before the work began, and that (put very simply) is how exercise increases fitness and capacity. The variable in this setup is the rate of recovery and how much "higher" the systems recover to. Does that make any sense? No? Example:

Two athletes, pulling identical 6k erg times, begin winter training in November. Both attend all their practices and complete the same training. At the beginning of March, a 6k is administered again. Athlete A beats athlete B by a huge margin. They have both greatly improved, but why the margin between them?

Yes, there could be genetic reasons involved. Possibly, genetics have a ton to do with all this. However.....

What if athlete B was getting three hours less sleep per night than athlete A? Add in athlete B's well-known weakness for the Original Hot Dog Shop, procrastinate-cram study schedule and the fact (s)he knows the bartenders at every club on the south side. Do the results make a little more sense now?

When athletes' nutrition is unbalanced, their lives are over-complicated or they aren't getting proper rest, the rate of recovery from exercise is slower. The body systems don't increase as much after every workout. The athlete has hamstrung her(him)self.

The lesson of all this, not so subtly, is that athletes don't train in a vacuum. The erg room doesn't equalize anyone; you bring all your stressors, nutritional fouls and sleepless nights in with you. How you live your life the other 21 hours of the day directly affects your body's recovery after exercise and thus the effectiveness of that exercise. No workout program ever invented can make anybody faster than somebody who's getting 8 hours per night when you are getting 5.

Now, I'm not saying that an Olympic-potential heavyweight will be beaten by a 45-year old lightweight if that club rower is getting more sleep. What I want to emphasize is that athletes have control over the other 21 hours of the day, and coaches do not. If my readers are as serious as they all claim to be about this sport, about going fast and winning races, they need to examine their lives outside of the erg room. Now, I'm not commanding everyone to suddenly become saints.

However, aren't we all just chasing that little extra 1% to put us over the top, to get that medal and win that race? Are you truly doing everything you can to pick up that 1%?

Categories: Motivational, Training, Fitness, Rowing

COMMITMENT

Commitment- a) A pledge to do,

b) Something pledged, especially an engagement by contract

c) The state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of

action or to another person or persons

Sixteen people have been absent the past two days. That’s one third of the team missing practice. I know peoples lives are crazy, I graduated from high school not too long ago, and with every thing that has been going on the past two weeks my life has been nuts as well. Some commitments your bound to, but after having a week plus off every one should have been able to get all those doctors appointments out of the way, gotten all the school projects done, and finished any college essays that you still have left to do. The sport of rowing is based upon trust. When you’re out on the water you have to trust every one in the boat. Trust is built over the winter. You all know what the boats are and who is fighting to get in them. I don’t know about you but if I didn’t see one of the guys from my boat wasn’t there I would like to know where he was. That’s where the responsibility falls on the guys that have been coming. It's your job get them there. I know Jay and I feel the same way, we like all of you but if you don’t want to do this then we will survive. Don’t try to save our feeling just because you don’t want to do this any more. I would rather have eight guys who live and die by the sport but have no talent then eight guys who have all the talent but don’t put the time in to harness it. As the definition says “engagement by contract” I haven’t talked to Jay about this yet but I decided that with the novices I am drafting a contract. That states

A) You will commit to row, and only row this spring. I understand people want to do other sports, that’s fine but I am not willing to train you all winter then have you decide this is not for you. Pick a sport you love and stick to it. This is not only limited to sports it includes, clubs, band, and musicals.

B) You will miss no more than four practices for the remainder of the season. Medical reasons being the only acceptable excuse. A missed practice is attending less than five practice sessions a week; six will be offered allowing a rower to choose the five they wish to attend.

C) Any changes, additions, or clarification will be brought forward to me at practice then voted on by the novice team with a majority vote being required to make alterations.

All novice rowers will be required to sign the contract in order to participate in practice. If the contract is violated then it will result in a one week suspension from practice and team activities. A second violation will require a vote from the peers in order to remain a member of the team with a two thirds vote being required to remain.

If this is what it takes to have the guys commit then so be it. I didn’t want to have to worry about this but I can see that it has become a problem. I love all of the guys on the team so much but to get to where we want to be its going to take a COMMITMENT by every one.

Categories: Training, Teamwork, Rowing