Day 3

Tuesday, Nov 23 - 1 minute power test.

I strategically slept in this morning to get some nocturnal recovery from big 2 days and SI injury. I worked and had an easy 30min run in the sun near the Ocean. Beautiful! I just went to the boathouse with no expectations this is another power test that I already know I need to work on. But, I still had to try my hardest (without more injury).

20min+ of WU with 3 layers of clothes, probaby -2 in old Erg room again. With Andy and Jerry and we just started and completed all at the same time.

1:23.5 split, 600W, 387m - NTC standard is 1:22 split. I was happy with this.

Afterthoughts: Need do it one at a time and get someone to sit on the erg to hold it down... it feels like it is bouncing all over the place and going to tip over. Second, need to hold onto a high rate, I lost it for the last 15 seconds. The critical time of anaerobic (lactate) and aerobic (O2) energy conversion.

Day 2

Monday, Nov. 22. AM peak-power tests (3stroke max. 10 stroke max) and 60min test.

5:35am: 10 min warmup, very cold in old erg room (-5 prob.) and I feel very cold. The test involves 2x of 3 strokes max power this is completed at two erg drag factors (Lightweight men of 120DF and 190DF). The second part is a 10 stroke max with a record of the first stroke and max stroke within the 10 stroke limit.

These are estimates - I need to get the exact watts from Coach Doug

A. 3 stroke test

1. 120 DF a) 650 b) 660

2. 190 DF a) 704 b) 630*

B. 10 Stroke test

1. a) 230 b)730

2. a) 255 b)806

* - at this point I tried to over extend my backwards to get extra watts and I sprained my R. SacroIliac joint (hip) this is my "achilles heel" and has been a re-current flair up over the past 3 years. I have been doing active rehab for it, but I need some active therapy (massage and regular chiro).

PM - 60min max. Now my back was hurting all day and it was a blizzard snowy day in Sooke. Roughly 10cm fell and the schools were cancelled. Tons of new patients walked into the clinic though, but that means extra lifting with physical exams and treatment. I enjoyed it but was worried about my hip! I got Dr. Brandon Cali to give me some treatment and it seemed to help immensely. After work I headed straight to the Elk Lake boathouse for a chat with coach Doug too see if I was fit to row....I felt that it would hurt too much to row. But, I did the WU to see how much restriction and pain I would be in, but it was great. Nothing really at all. So I started the 60min with Andy, Jerry and Dave. And had stop times at 20 or 30min if it hurt too much. All in all, 30 minutes down and I was feeling good. I wanted to maintain a split of 1:49 /500m and I did. The second half some compensating muscles in my back started to strain a bit - but I just maintained. Finish: 1:49.7 split avg, thats 16407m or 265W. Just fractions away from the National training centre time.

Afterthoughts: Morning power test is what I know I have to work on with a strength coach at the gym but it is really nice to get a baseline. Pissed off at my back strain - I don't, DO NOT, want this to be my limiting factor. Need get another opinion instead of just self-diagnosing myself. Afternoon 60min was a really good feeling to get it done even with a sore back. It showed me that I could blow the Gold standard out of the water. I know that is a cocky comment, but I truly feel that I could move it even more. It is mostly mental at this distance.

Time Trial Winter style

RADAR Day 1: 2km Time Trial.

Elk Lake, 2" Snow, 0 C, frozen ground, cross-wind of 10km/h.

This "race" was a bit of a redemption for me, I wanted to show that I could pull (literally) it together on the water and show that I could move the boat.

In my mind, the rough conditions were a sketchy subject, I'm not that stable on the best of days but in a cross wind I'm sloppy! Also, I have been having this issue with my right forearm extensor muscles seizing up (dead-arm, wood-arm, bunkarm, spasm).

The race started at 11am, with a meeting at 10am. The weigh-in was at 9:30, I was luckily just under, 73.65 kg (74kg is max). I got to meet Paul Hawksworth, the organizer of this set-up, a real positive and motivating guy. I went for a 15min WU run on the Elk Lake trail, with 4 layers and gloves, to get my body temperature going. I was the last one on the water to head to Point 1 start, but I feel that was a good thing. I wore all my clothes and gloves to keep warm all the way over.

The time trial started, I was placed in 6th starting position, behind Jerry, Andy, and a guy called Aubrey. Everyone is started on 30sec increments. It was calm water the first 500m, no wind really, and I felt like a had a good push. Once we got to the open water the wind East to West, was blowing strong. I just kept repeating Clean, Clean, Clean... and I was anything but! You could say I was almost dirty; Splashing, dis-organized, and knuckle cracking on the handles. Some how, my right arm seized up again, but I found out afterwards - most people had that - it has something to do with gripping the handle tightly in windy conditions. The finish was strong and just trying to hold-on, I was able to pass the guy ahead of me, but he had some problems with taking water on-board. Lucky he went straight, so I just followed him down the track.

Afterwards, I stuck around to find out what the results were. Unofficially, it turns out I was at 78% of a gold standard. I will have to figure out what that completely means, but I will post on this later. I was about 3-4th on the list compared to everyone.

Calm Before the Storm

I have been active working toward my goals within rowing world. Early row on the water, work for the day, and row/erg/weights after work, go to sleep early. I have felt that motivation has been high, with the occasional bump in the road, even with Erg and weight-lifting session that I previously ignored.

I have come to a new realization/reality, and that is I need a more knowledgeable and motivating leader in my life that can direct me in the gym; focussed weight sessions with goals and plans. I have done significant studies and research on my own, I'm currently in the processes of becoming a certified Strength and Conditioning coach (CSCS), but having the expertise of another individual may be priceless. Next week I will look into this.

2 big things On Deck.

1. RADAR week: An entire week dedicated to testing for Rowing Canada athlete monitoring program: Includes, 2km on-water time trial, 60min Erg test, 1min Peak power test, 6000m erg test, 2000m erg test, 3 stroke-peak power test, and 10 stroke-peak power test. Pffeuf. It will be an exciting week. It is good for motivation, and also a systematic approach to see where I compare and also what I need to work on (strength or endurance, most likely the former) New data explanations have been amazing coming out of Rowing Canada Avirons athlete monitoring program. On a side note, I met Mr. Chuck McDairmid today, and it was a really good experience and he seems very knowledgeable and a good connection to the development teams.

2. Working at Pacific Institute for Sports Excellence (PISE), as a Chiropractor at Lifemark Sports medicine, I get not only to see very interesting sports injuries and treat National team athletes, but I get a lifetime free membership at the GYM! A world class gym build just in 2008! Bammo.

Road Bike Ride - Oct. 23rd

Biking with the group.
A regatta on Saturday prevented our regular row so we went for a bike ride around Elk Lake and the "observatory" a big hill (AKA - The Centre of the Universe) do to intervals on. Jerry, Andy, Camille, Theresa, and I were there to push it hard. 5x a roughly 6:30-7min loop.

HOE - Head of the Elk

On Halloween, Sunday Oct. 31st I completed my first race since moving to Victoria. It was what is called a "Head" race. It involves each boat combination (8's, Quads, Pairs, doubles, Singles) starting out in single file roughly every 15seconds to complete a longer-distance race. The HOE is 8km, but people said it is more like 7-7.5km. It circles the lake in a counter-clockwise rotation starting and finishing at the boathouse.

It was a glorious sunny warm day. I felt great as my heat was starting at 12:30pm, a nice sleep in. Warm-up and set-up was good, just a short loop around Hamsterly Beach. It was a bit chaotic with all the boats waiting in a group for the start.... boats pointing in every direction. Just as my start was pointed to go the wind picked up... in my mind to a white-cap-esque velocity heading north. It wasn't bad rowing with the wind, but it was the side-wind across the north side of the lake that I was really effected. I caught 5-10 crabs, missed every 5th stroke and at one point dropped a blade and was just balancing with one. After some frustration with my (lack) skills I tried to pull it together (literally). After turning around Point 1 (northern most point on the Lake) I found it much more relaxing and able to get into a rhythm. I did, for the rest of the race, have a spasm of my right wrist extensor muscles... I could not feather/square the blade correctly since the windy section. My balance was there, but I just had no dexterity with placement of the blade - I found out after it is common Head Race condition called "dead-arm" or "wood-arm". I passed 3 or 4 doubles, and a quad over the last 3-4km and finished with a strong push. I could not really get my legs into full power and I know I can go faster.

Lessons: work on balance in boat (in the wind), forearm strength and endurance, keeping calm.

Overall a great experience - I want more.