CBC Coverage of PanAm Games!

It looks like CBC will be covering the 2011 PanAm Games.

Have a look:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2011/09/29/spf-panam-coverage.html

My Pal Andy

I have been thinking about this important point to bring up for a while and I should have done it a long time ago; My pal Andy. When I started with Victoria City Rowing Club (VCRC), a nice, funny and very speedy dude was showing up consistently to every morning practice. For the first three months of rowing there wasn't even a remote possibility of keep up to this guy on the water, he was so fast. As time went on and he gave me pointers on how to speed up the boat and I was able to work on my technique with my Coach Doug White(and stopped flipping the boat), I was able to start to work together with Andy and we could competitively train together. Little did I know at the time that this guy was the fastest lightweight in Canada, that was not on the official National Team. He was the first Canadian lightweight at the 2010 National Rowing Championships! (3rd overall). What are the chances that the small club-team that I pick to row with last August, happened to have the fastest, nicest, and wittiest man in Canada.

Andy is now back in the books completing his Masters in Architecture at UBC. He moved to BC from Ontario a few years previously, first in Vancouver, and training with the UBC team, then on to Victoria. In Victoria he lived a block from the boat house with his lovely wife, Kim, and trained full time with the "big group" at the Victoria Training Centre. A big setback which started as a small shoulder injury, quickly turned for the worst under heavy training. He was forced to quit training with the group due to inconsistent participation but the biggest frustration with his injury was that he had little to no access to therapy! His injury had no resolve, and he still has flair-ups of the same condition over a year later. After leaving the VTC, Andy, I'm sure, had a serious life changing experience about his focus with rowing/career path. He went back to work as an Architectural Tech, and then came back to rowing, for the pure love of the sport with VCRC - the same time I joined VCRC.

I was able to spend some time with him outside of rowing as he is also and avid road-cyclist, tree-crushing mtn biker, foodie, is into indie music, and owned a truck and helped me move. On-top of being a super-nice guy, he has let me use his Fluid racing shell (single sculling boat), as he left it in Victoria at the boathouse while he is away at UBC. It was very important for my August time trial to help me reach previously unobtainable time standard (91% GMS) That is important for that endless RADAR testing.

Some day I hope to row and possibly race with him again. He mentioned 2016 Olympics....

Lightweight Status

Now it is coming into the final weekend before we depart to the PanAm games. Our training has dropped the volume to relatively manageable levels, the intensity has bumped up again to consistent race-pace and race-pace++ stroke rates. And now the one last thing, specific to lightweight status, is the body mass. International standards for the avg boat weight is 70kg (154lbs), Which means that there can be a person over 70kg in the boat but someone has to counter balance that weight with below 70kg.

This is my first full experience obtaining international standards of weight. My body is in the "happy zone" around 74kg, where I can eat as much as I want, whenever I want, and then train as hard as I want and maintain that weight. This dropping of weight is tied into a long-term subtle decrease in daily caloric intake, with keeping training loads at high level. I really wanted to hit a healthy weight loss plan, but I now get to experience what it is like to try and cut the weight down. This all applies to increase the Power-to-Weight Ratio, a good article to help explain. The less weight with a high power output will move the boat with the highest velocity. Check out the physics here.

My fiancee is a healthy-food specialist and we have combined together and with proper research based, nutritional information approved, plan to cut weight. On the whole, it has worked excellently, but I do get bouts of hunger-frustration. On multiple occasions, I have caught myself pacing the kitchen; opening fridge looking for an easy snack, then closing the fridge and moving to the cracker and peanut butter cupboard, then on to the pantry shelf where the trail mix is... then moving to the cereal shelf above the sink and then in the end just grabbing a pint of water and filling up my belly with pure H2O. Not as sustainable, but working.

We are going to bring our home bathroom scales with us to Mexico, to be able to weight-in in the comfort of our hotel room. The official weight-in is 2hrs before the start of the race.

My Favorite; PB and banana on an slice of Dutch pumpernickel.

Support

The most important detail in allowing this adventure to move forward is the support I receive from the people all around me.

First, it is the guys I row with, and their endless patients with my back-to-basics questions that must seem completely elementary to them. Terry, Travis and especially Eric, have helped me out immensely. The PanAm Games lightweight coach, Chuck, has put in many solid hours helping us move forward (literally), sorting out our differences, and then spent more time at home editing, analyzing, and distributing video from the long days. His descriptions of how to get a certain technique or point across is sensational! Paul is the main Pan Am coach, and also one of the Development go-to guys at Rowing Canada Avirons, always solid comedy but focus at times of need.

I have really appreciated the long chats to my parents, Don and Reg, who have helped to ground me and take a step back from all the focused hard work. Same to my bro, Karl, who recently moved to Victoria, and is always open to meeting up and helping me get my mind off training, not to mention a good laugh. My two dear sisters, Christy and Lisa, are always there when I need a good chat (or listen) and both have exciting things going on in their lives.

The most important person, of all the previously mentioned, is my dearest lady-friend; Amber. Not only is she my personal chef, house-organizer, and laundry service, she keeps healthy food in the fridge and cookies in the jar. On most days, there is fresh baked muffins/scones/cookies when I walk in the the door from morning practice. And I love it! Did I mention she also works full-time as an Optometrist! She is my future wife and my best friend.

One Week to Departure

Next Tuesday, Oct. 11th the PanAm Games Rowing team boards a flight to Mexico... Well, it turns out it will be 4 flights getting to stop-over in three different airports, making our way to Guadalajara. A day in the PanAm host city, and then we board a bus to Cuidad Guzman, on lake Zapotlan, a town of 80,000, 2hrs to the Southwest.

I'm getting very excited, but also a bit antsy about how everything will go down. We have prepared well, and the guys I'm in a boat with are in very good shape. There is nothing more that we can do, except keep our technique perfect and work on short Race-pace rates.

In the past few weeks I have noticed my body is starting to handle the high volume and intensity of full-time training. Even the "sweep" technique of twist/rotation around one pivot point has started to become familiar. I know immediately if the set of the boat is off, and I usually can key into what needs to be fixed if it isn't.

I explain to my patients at work (Lifemark Sports-Medicine) that I recommend it best NOT to use repetitive, rotation/twisting motions for long periods of time. Yet, this is exactly what rowing (not sculling) with one oar is! How do I justify this? Well, I feel that is important for me to go through the experience of what my patients feel during the course their conditions. I will put my body through obnoxious situations to find out what it exactly feels like and then describe in detail later on what has happened and come up with the best solution and treatment is to the problem.

Roadie

I recently went in a NON-Rowing activity. Seriously, it happened. I went for a nice evening ride around the Saanich peninsula with my pal Emrys. It was one of those warm fall days that feels like summer but the leaves on the trees say otherwise.

Bring it together

This past week has been spent bringing the intensity up on the pieces we row. It has been increasing the stroke rate into unchartered territory for me. In a single I would try to hit race-pace rates of 32-34 Strokes/minute, sometimes up to a "crazy" 35. But, in larger boats and when the rhythm is all coming together the rates can bounce up surprisingly quick. As more time passes at these high rates, upwards of 38-40, I feel more and more comfortable (in a relative sense). I have lots to work on still, and my top-end "catch" is still problematic. Have a look, I still like what I see. This was part of a 250m on/250m easy, fartlek style workout.



Video by CM - Thanks

Packing up the Boats

This morning we had to spend some time after practice to de-rig the boats, and pack all the seats, shoes, blades and any extra parts into a semi-truck trailer. All the supplies need to depart today for the long trip down to Guadalajara, Mexico.

 

Seen here is my two (of three) crew partners, Travis and Eric. What a duo! These Ontarians have uprooted their lives and univeristy degrees and transplanted themselves to Victoria. They are roommates and both come from Brock University (St. Catherines, ON). Often caddy with each other I enjoy a good chuckle whenever they get into bickering about any situation under the sun.

Travis is a well stylized and always classy Bow seat. He makes the key calls in the boat to get us to move in unison (which doesn't always happen). I enjoy his chipper attitude and able to talk his way into and out-of any situation. Almost everyone knows him and he keeps up with all the details around the rowing world. He is starting his Masters degree in Public Health at UVic.

Eric, who is also my Pairs partner, is a very focused and mature beyond his years 4th year University Student. He is driven in all aspects of his life; rowing, school, and girls. He will, I mean, will not shy away from a fight if someone gets in his way. Eric is taking four classes at Uvic, mostly to do with European and World history.

Well, it's Official.

The 2011 Pan Am team is officially named for rowing.


And the Canadian Olympic Committee has put together at PanAm Site

The Rowing component will held on Lake Zapotlan, near Cuidad Guzman, Mexico. This is about 120km southwest of Guadalajara.


View Larger Map

Sweeping out the Cobwebs

This past week I have been re-learning how to row, but one step ontop of that is rowing with a sweep blade; just one oar per body. I'm on port side, the right side of the boat looking from the front. Each rower has subtle differences in technique, from previous coaching style or personal preference, but the basic rule is; The boat will move through the water fastest when everyone in the boat has the same technique. Many little movements can change the overall set (balance) of the boat. After catching some video of myself in the 4- from this past week, I see that I have tons of little abhorrent movements that should be cut out, and a few movements/motions that I should be doing. Both these things will slow down the boat. I know that the guys I row with are powerful enough, we just need to work on matching up techniques. Overall, I'm very happy with the first week, and the things we are working on I understand completely.
I have 6 new blisters, completely due to sweep oars. And, my body hurts a bit, getting used to the twist/rotation around the oarlock pin, but I will get some active therapy this week to sort it out.


From the front: Travis, Me, Eric W., Terry
Video by CM.

Technique Rebuild

This week I have spent completely rebuilding my stroke from the start to finish. Due to my prior training and line of work, I had the (wrong) idea for the "perfect stroke". This week, with the help of my coach and my teammates, I have re-designed my rowing stroke.

As you can see, it's obvious from this simple, straight-forward picture, I need to keep my back locked in for the duration of the "drive-phase" - (This probably only makes sense to me). Brought together, a short clip of me focusing on JUST the Drive phase. (Still more things to work on)

Video to Watch NOW

Inside the Olympic Dream - By Cam Sylvester

Inside The Olympic Dream from cameron sylvester on Vimeo.

He just qualified for the 2012 Olympics with his results at 2011 Rowing World Championships in the Lwt Double.

Admiration for the Championship Rowers

This week, Aug. 28 - Sept. 4th, is the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia. Canadian rowers across a broad spectrum of events have been close or on their way to qualify for the next summer Olympics in London 2012.

My pal Jerry Brown is included in the powerful men's 8+. He is a bit of a hero/idol in my world. He had been training with the VCRC group for 2009-2010 and was there for 4-5months when I joined up before he made the jump to the National Team. To hear someone go from regular recreational athlete to future Olympic rower is an awe inspiring feat of determination and drive. A few things he said was, first, to commit 100% focus and second, work when your old, fulfill your goals now. Jerry is the tall guy in the 3-seat (numbered from the front of the boat) below.

Photo: The Canadian Press @ CBC

ONE YEAR AGO

 

One year ago - On August 26th, 2010 I arrived in Victoria, BC. A few days prior, I had packed up my life, at least what gear I thought would be important for the next stage of my life, and headed west. I literally drove to the end of the road, Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada highway. And beyond that, I drove all the way to wild west coast of Vancouver Island. My car, loaded down, is seen here at the Sooke Spit, looking out towards Japan/Russia.
This momentus day, also marks my first time in a single sculling boat. I joined in to the Victoria City Rowing Club (VCRC) group row 5:30-7:30am Monday through Saturday, for the next year.

I think back on the things I learned. First, staying upright in the boat (I flipped three times that first month) then on to getting my technique decent enought that I could keep up with the training group. I also thought of the hilarious mistakes I made thinking that I was doing the right thing, such as putting my seat on the slides with the indent forward...learning 10 minutes later that the indent is supposed to be backwards and I had just sustained a new blister in a location previously thought impossible. Or, when I grabbed two port sided blades and tried to row with one on port and one on starboard (incorrectly).

One last thing. I'm more excited now about the future possibilities than I even thought obtainable a year ago. I can't believe I put this plan together one day in Oregon while at Univeristy, a short-term/long-term goal setting session, and it is all coming true. I just needed to break down the goals into tiny obtainable steps.

August 2011 Radar finished

And it is official. The Aug. 2011 RADAR is finished and submitted to Rowing Canada Aviron. I'm happy with with results, but I already know that I can improve on a few key tests. Have a look:
Peak Power (190 Drag Factor) 861 watts 01:14.1 [25]
Peak Power (Testing Drag Factor) 816 watts 01:15.4 [72]
1 Minute 364 metres 625 01:22.4 [47]
2000 Meter 06:22:4 time 401 01:35.6 [74]
6000 Meter 20:31:4 time 324 01:42.6 [74]
60 Minute 16529 metres 271 01:48.9 [25]
Time Trial 2000 Meter (1x) 07:20:6 time 01:50.1 [98]

The [brackets] mean points. And the totaled up score is 415.... That is 75 points more than last time. It is greater than the 350 that I was trying to hit, but the next level for me to hit is 600. A total points >600 would hypothetically mean I should be a regular at the National Training center (In theory).

My personal thoughts on this round, now my fourth, is that I dread these six tests for weeksmonths in advance unknown of my ability and motivation. At the same time, I really enjoy the feedback of systematic testing and being able to compare to others. A few distractions this round; I was able to directly "compete" against my rivals, sitting right beside them on the erg or in the water, these same guys are also now my team-mates*. They brought the best power out of me, and I hope I helped them push harder too. This is where the team dynamic comes together and makes everyone work harder.

This RADAR score gets applied to my future funding for travel to the National Rowing Championships in Welland, Ontario November 11-13, 2011. I hope it was enough.

* - Selections and confirmations for teams are not completed until early September.

Full Time

Hey, I have taken time away from the posting here, directly due to the fact that I didn't want to hype/psych my testing that occurred this week. I just wanted a regular no-pressure routine for the past 10days to get through the psychological battle that is RADAR testing.

So, as I mentioned before, the tests are as follows:
Erg
Peak Power (10 stroke max watts)
1minute (distance in metres)
2000m (time or split/500m)
6000m (time or split/500m)
60min (distance)

Also, an on-water time-trial is happening on Aug. 27th. (2000m)

Everything, so far, has worked out as planned, except for the 6000m test. There is a chance I may redo the test next Monday, which is the last possible day before the scores are submitted.

Aug. 22nd, Monday, was my first day joining "The Team" - the PanAm group training full time till the Games start in Guadalajara, Mexico on Oct. 15th. So far, I have had so much fun. It feels like summer camp, except for very hard working grown-ups. We joke a bit and tell stories, then go through a few "activites" then stop and joke a bit more and tell crazy stories... I'm having just a blast. I know that there is real physical exertion to be done for me down the road, and I need to work extra hard to catch up to the other guys, but I'm very excited for the possibilities.

The photo below is what Erg tests are like, in the Spracklin Room at the Elk Lake boat house, except all the Ergs are filled with sweaty beasts and a couple lightweights sprinkled here and there. (more on that later)

Taper Week - Pre-RADAR

This week (well, five days actually) Aug. 8-12th, is a lower-volume workout for conserving energy for the very important RADAR testing week. Starting this Sunday. The RADAR has been put together by Rowing Canada to measure overall performance on a variety of tests; Aerobic capacity w/ 60min and 6km Erg tests, Anaerobic Max power 10 stroke test, Anaerobic threshold with a 1 minute test, and the very important race distance 2000m erg test. Included in this will be an on-water time trial. The results from these six tests are compared to a "gold standard" and with a complex equation converted into points. The points are added up and need to reach a 350 cut-off. This, among other things, will determine if an athlete becomes "carded" and obtains funding.

I'm very excited to get the testing started... I feel very good going into this round of testing, as compared to last time. This is the most important RADAR testing for me so-far. To supplement income (and pay student loans) it is very important to qualify for some funding.

Sunday, Aug. 14th: 60min test (Erg)
Tuesday, Aug. 16th: 6km Test (Erg)
Thursday, Aug. 18th: Peak-Power & 1min test (erg)
Aug. 22 - 2km Erg Test: with other National Team athletes
Aug. 27 - 2km on-water Time Trial (Burnaby or Elk Lake TBA)

The 60 minute test, also called the "Hour of Power" is the least important (worth the least amount of points) but for me, is the most grueling. Who wants to sit on an indoor-rowing machine for 60minutes? Sweating profusely, no breaks for water or food. This will be my kryptonite and biggest chanllenge yet.

Ride the Hurricane

A road bike ride from Port Angeles Ferry Terminal to the top of Hurricane Ridge, Washington. Today, Aug. 7th, the 17mile road will be closed to cars! Only cyclists can head up between 7am-12pm in an annual fundraiser to keep the road open for the entire year. The money raised goes towards the snowplowing needed in the high alpine.

This is a community "fun ride" not a race. From the Port Angeles Community

A rower, Josh Morris, whom I have met a few times in the past year was interested in heading up with me. We caught the early ferry (Blackball) to Port Angeles from Victoria, departing at 6:10am. We arrived into America and proceeded through US customs with no problems, and continued about 2miles up the road to the Ranger station at the base of the hill. I dropped my pack and extra layers at the bottom and just went race-light, one poly-pro longsleeve and bike shirt, shorts. I was plenty cool on on the ascend and warm enough on the descent. We started easy and after 10min started pushing the pace. All said, 1:42 to the lodge (5200ft) from the Ranger station, or 1:11 from the toll both to the lodge. Josh and I continued on a goat path past the lodge up to Hurricane Hill view point. The top elevation was 5757 ft. I really enjoyed this ride. A good challenge with a steady climb all the way up, actually not one flat spot the entire 17miles. New and clean pavement made for easy rolling and comfort on the screaming descent. I will do it again.

Canadian Royal Henley

Champions are not formed overnight. While the world sleeps, champions are forging their dreams into reality; straining every muscle, expending every ounce of energy, investing weeks upon months upon years for the sake of bettering their time by fractions of a second. When we see them rise to the podium, medal in hand, sweat clinging to their brows, know that this moment has been years in the making. Join in the pride and fulfillment of accomplishment and witness the spirit and courage of capturing a dream

Above is the opening quote to the Royal Henley in St. Catherines, ON. Possibly the biggest regatta in the racing calendar in Canada. It is a week long race with most of the top teams, crews, and individuals attending. I did not. Alas, the working world blending with my athlete world do not always intertwine perfectly. Some day I will be there. Next year?

Top results:

Rosie DeBoef 1st Open women! Sensational