The Cheeseball Moment

Man, do I ever wish life was like the movies. In a sports movie, there is always the practice montage in the second act, and the team struggles through difficult training in terrible weather conditions. The coach gives some nasty little speech to the gathered team after a terrible day; mud is splattered on their faces, they are wet and downcast. The speech is usually some form of "Dagnabbit, you are better than that, you have the talent to be champions, you just have to drop the egos and trust each other." And so the movie continues on, with lovely little moments of the individual players staring out to the field (or river) or sitting alone in a darkened locker room. Then the act closes with the team having more positive practices until there is the moment. That wonderful moment when the sun is shining, the music swelling, the team working perfectly together, the coach smiling and the teammates slapping hands and shouting their readiness to take on the world.

Wouldn't life be nice if it was that easy? Add a cheesy soundtrack, grumpy coach and sullen players who suddenly pull together to win some huge, climatic championship. Pure Cheese. Too bad that's not how real championships are won.

True champions work hard, all the time. They usually get along. They trust each other and their coach. Champions have good practices and do the little details right. Winners do the extra work and take care of their personal lives so they are in the best position to be champions when the time comes in that climatic event.

Champions don't wait for the big Cheeseball Moment in practice. They create little, positive moments every practice. They work to extend those moments longer and longer as the practice season drags into competition, so that they can summon that positive moment at will.

Today, my novices had a good, positive moment in the second session. Boat swing was created. Suddenly, the boat skimmed over the top of the water rather than plowing through. It looked light and powerful. It was a great little moment. I need them to remember how the boat felt then, what they did to make that happen. Most importantly, practice this week will focus on creating more moments like that, so race day can be a Cheeseball, winning moment.

STILL off the water.....but not for long

Well, this year's flood has lasted longer than most, and doesn't look to be going down anytime soon. Well into next week, it looks like. So, we're moving.

The "other" river here in Pittsburgh, the Monongahela, comes up from the south and has a fraction of the flow of the Allegheny. Off we go on Friday for a weekend of "wet launching," mud, screams and (finally) rowing on the water.

I'm realizing now how fortunate I was rowing in Cincinnati all those years. While we did drive out to East Fork State Park every day, some guys in the car for an hour, we at least had good water 95% of the time. There was never a safety concern, even when the lake flooded, because there wasn't any current. Wind was our enemy, but there were always sheltered shores to get miles in.

Once we re-located to the Licking River in Covington, the drive was much shorter and the water polluted. We did get flooding that spring, like any mid-western city. But we rowed on it anyway. I can't imagine going out in that type of high water here in Pittsburgh, I'd get drawn, quartered, and shot. Back then, it was just an adventure to conquer. One and a half hours upstream, and 10 mins downstream. I'M NOT KIDDING! I've never gone that fast past the shore since in a rowing shell. Good times!

The problem now is sitting on shore, thinking about all the other teams that we will race in the spring who are rowing on lakes or other protected water right now. I've got a clock ticking in my mind, and it's counting down to our first race in less than two weeks.

The Yearly March Flood

Well, here it is. Every year, we get out on the water in early March or late February. I'll usually get about two weeks of good rowing in, and get excited about the progress I see my crews making. Then the heavens open up for two straight days and the river rises.

And here we go again.

Again.

Last night, just to emphasize the point, we had hail. It hasn't stopped raining since.

This just makes me crazier than I usually am. I can't stand it. After an entire winter spent feeling the air stirred by the ergs, back we go to the machine. I was doing my workout outside two days ago, and there will be snow flurries this weekend. No wonder I'm getting grey hair.

This is the third most challenging time of the season, after the early February blues and the first row blahs. Going back onto the erg after feeling the water is a nightmare scenario for any oarsman, but we deal with it every year here in Pittsburgh. I don't ever look forward to this, as morale usually slides quickly. Really, who wants to erg when you don't need a coat outside? I start warning the kids about this in January; perhaps a little expectation that it will happen will lessen the blow.

The emergence of other crews from their winter sleep only aggravates the situation, as we all end up bickering for erg time and tank space. I get snippy when asked how long we'll be on the machines by such people. I wonder "Where have you been all winter? Now you want to train? Too late for you, I'm not here to help you out!"

So I trot out some workouts I haven't used that much, just to keep the minds working a little more. I'll join the boys on the erg today and let the coxswains correct us all. I'll make a new playlist on my iPod so there isn't the usual music. And I'll fume. And brood. And stare off the deck at a river that has never cooperated with my plans. I'll tell stories of Todd and "the old days when a little flood didn't stop us" and sound like a nut case. And grit my teeth. Perhaps I'll also find some time to talk to the boats.

Quicky Post

I've got other stuff in the works, but haven't put anything up for awhile, so here's some thoughts.

We're on the water now, and it is a very good thing. The flow and weather have cooperated so far, despite a few REALLY cold days. Guys have made some technical progress, but I'm looking for more, as always.

But, as always, attendance has raised it's ugly face with the return to the water. One guy out sick throws the whole team into chaos. The last two days we've been missing three. The reasons are legitimate, but the results are not.

Next week will start seat racing and selection. I call attendance problems during seat racing "self-selection." But after the boats are selected, problems with practice attendance can still kill a promising season. Read this post. I learned the importance of letting a boat "gel" together a long time ago. Boats just won't win in the spring without consistant practice together. Let's get all these sicknesses out of the way now and get back to rowing.

The parent's equipment list for regatta attendance

Chair: There isn’t anywhere to sit at a regatta. Chairs are very important when the only alternative is sitting in a mud puddle.

Book: Races run late. There will be long periods of time with nothing to watch.

Warm clothes: It’s springtime in the Midwest. The weather will change. Dress in layers, warmer than you think you need.

Money for the kids (T shirts, etc): There aren’t ATMs at racecourses, and there are plenty of opportunities to spend money on regatta stuff.

Rain clothes: It’s springtime in the Midwest. It is going to rain. All day. It will be a very cold rain. Rain clothes include something to cover your pants, because you will be out in that rain all day.

Binoculars: Even coaches forget these.

Contact a parent coordinator and transport some food, equipment etc: The parents in charge of food and the traveling circus that a rowing team is need help. Transport some equipment, help set up the tent, help cook some food, because these heroes deserve it

Did I mention rain clothes and warm clothes? I love my survival suit for a reason.

Change of clothes: There is nothing nastier than finally getting in your car for the drive home, but your clothes are muddy and soaked through. Warm dry clothes after a nasty day are almost as good as a hot shower.

Sun screen: Eventually, the sun will come up, and regatta sites usually don’t have a lot of shade. Get some sweat-proof sun block, because your son is guaranteed to forget to bring some for himself.

Sun glasses: Sunlight reflected off a river or lake isn’t fun to squint into. Polarized sunglasses are the best.

All this stuff in a waterproof bag: Assume that the ground you will be on will consist of 4 inches of freezing mud. You have a lot of stuff, and you will need to carry some of it to the tent. Have a bag that can sit in the muck and still keep your cell phone dry.

Rain/mud proof boots: Rain clothes are worthless if your feet are soaked through. Who cares about the weather when you can slop through the mud with no worries?

Comfortable walking shoes: When the weather is decent, you will realize the regatta site has spread out over a large portion of the race course. Then the distance the kids have to race over suddenly doesn’t seem that short. Launch docks are rarely close to the boats, which are rarely close to the tents, which are never close to the parking area. Be prepared to walk about 5 miles on a regatta day.

Hitting the bottom

There's nothing more terrifying or disheartening that pulling an erg piece and finding no energy. Despite the greatest will and drive, there just isn't enough energy to pull the score an athlete knows he/she is capable of. Sometime this happens because of sickness, lack of sleep or the coach.

It is a hard place to be. It's also hard for the coach to know just how far to push. We have to get the athlete to that point of "nothing left" so the body system will recover stronger, with more reserves than before. If the coach over-estimates the athlete's reserves, most of the crew will fail. Nobody goes home feeling good in that situation. If the workout is too easy, the athletes will accomplish the work, but the benefit won't be as great as it could be.

When the crew has a few days off coming, coaches start to up the intensity of the work. The athletes will get a few days to recover energy reserves and rest sore muscles. So, that final day will be the culmination of previous workouts that were very hard to start with. It will hurt, and if the coach has been right, the first few pieces will be on target and the real struggle will come in the second half.

I think that we got it right today. The last of the 5x5min this morning saw a few guys unable to hit their goal splits. Rather than be frustrated, I'm happy with the result. They're at the bottom of the barrel, getting there right when we wanted. Overall result was a success; the vast majority went faster that they ever had. The long-term result, that coaches think about, was also what we wanted. The guys pushed all the way past the last of their reserves, so they will come back stronger next week. A good, hard week. They should feel some accomplishment, having survived the worst the coaches could dish out.

Slip n Slide

You know the weather has gone bad when both crazy Central coaches can't make morning practice. Just about everything in Pittsburgh is closed today, and I think the whole city is staying home. The ice/slush/rain/evil that fell from the sky last night ruined a wonderful snowfall. Now it's just a mess out there.

And now it's starting to snow again. Great. Snow, ice, then more snow. Great mix. My satellite dish is iced over and can't get a signal. It's on top of the house, and I have no idea how long that will take to thaw out. Emily and Will are not happy.

On a rowing note, I tried out a "max power" workout published in Rowing News' most recent issue. The listing described it as a very intense workout. Though the intensity of the strokes was really high, the fact the boys were able to speak afterward disappointed me. Remember, I'm in the pain business. Also, apparently I've got the most powerful novice crew ever assembled, as two boys put results into the "senior college" level. We'll see if I bring this workout back. I think I'm more interested in 8x500m.

Happy Valentine's day to everyone!

Movie Day

Well, they have earned it. I am pleased with the performance of the CC novices on Saturday's TRRA erg sprints. Results are in the link to the right to Three Rivers Rowing. I'm also pleased that the guys made their academic goals. We're starting the real "push" month of winter training, so it is a good time for movie day.

Sometimes I don't announce this event ahead of time. It's nice to have a surprise. But somehow I think the boys will be excited about a practice with no sweat tomorrow. It might be a better lunchtime conversation than "I wonder how many 5oos we're doing today...."

No matter how much they whine, I usually control the selection myself. There is usually a reason for the film offered. Any who have rowed with me before can predict tomorrow's movie.

However, there will be a special screening before the feature presentation. A rare film short, with yours truly having a role. Yes, there is film evidence that I actually did race. I'm easy to find in this film, as I've got bleached blond hair. Ask Emily, it took 3 treatments and 5 hours to get it that color. My eyebrows remained brown.

I've always made questionable decisions with my hair. Here I am with my Henley medal in 1996. I'll let the hair speak for itself.

Notional Weather Service

Let's see. Total predicted snow accumulation for the last three days: 2 to 5 inches. Total actual snowfall: perhaps an inch. I can still see grass in my front yard.

I know that weather predictions here in Pittsburgh come either from Accuweather or the National Weather Service. I know that the people working at these services are experts and try their best to give close forecasts. This terrible miss this morning just poured salt into a festering wound. Really, if weather man is calling for 2 to 4 inches and there isn't anything, what is a coach supposed to tell (understandably) nervous parents? Assume we're not practicing? Assume that we are? Wait until that morning and see how far off the guess was?

The problem has become the desire of local news jokers for higher ratings. One easy ratings boost is the threat of a storm, with school closings and possibly snow-covered roads. I simply can't believe the local news dizzies aren't pumping up these storms. After all, it's been a mild winter so far and they much be feeling a ratings pinch.

Non Sequitur

Couldn't resist. Just too funny.