Thursday, January 2, 2014

14 Rock & Rowers participated in the Concept2 2013 Holiday Challenge. 


Together, we logged more than 1.5 million meters.  


In the category of On-Water clubs with 6-20 members participating, we came in 12th place out of 147 listed clubs.

Participants included Gail, Pamela Robbins, Monica, Don, Erica, Elliot, Roger, Hilary, Loretta, Tzivya, Pam Coffin, Charlie, Pal, and Hilary.

To paraphrase Ed Sullivan, who none of you are old enough to remember, what a team,  what a team!  - Frank


Affiliation Standings for 2014 Season (May 1, 2013 - April 30, 2014)

To link your logbook to an affiliation, please edit your personal profile.
[2013 Affiliation Standings]
Type# members
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Affiliation
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TypeMembersSeason Meters
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Meters/Member
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Holiday Challenge
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1Washington Rowing SchoolOn-Water Club207,051,509352,5752,865,260
2East Arm Rowing ClubOn-Water Club189,031,001501,7222,797,756
3Grand Rapids Rowing ClubOn-Water Club206,495,597324,7802,608,814
4Vancouver Lake CrewOn-Water Club173,343,815196,6951,653,282
5Jacksonville Rowing ClubOn-Water Club184,427,874245,9931,604,606
6Pocock Rowing, Seattle, WAOn-Water Club174,400,703258,8651,587,372
7Rocket City Rowing ClubOn-Water Club144,862,112347,2941,584,492
8Olympia Area RowingOn-Water Club163,604,532225,2831,574,156
9Rocky Mountain Rowing ClubOn-Water Club134,510,238346,9411,572,629
10Stockton Rowing ClubOn-Water Club123,643,927303,6611,535,809
11Litchfield Hills Rowing ClubOn-Water Club122,010,362167,5301,525,783
12Rock n Row, Marblehead, MAOn-Water Club142,906,233207,5881,505,949

Thursday, September 19, 2013

This morning's Sunrise row was fabulous!  Low wind, smooth water inside the islands, and not too cold yet -- what a joy.  Sarah, Howard, Eileen, Erica, Hilary and I got all the boats in the water by 6:02am and set off for Children's.  What a surprise -- the Harvest Moon was setting over Little Harbor as the sun was coming up behind Children's.  Could not have requested a more magical morning.

Thanks to our phone carrying photographers, we have this day captured.
Harvest Moon setting over the Boat Yard -- Sarah

Eileen and Pal waiting at the Harbor entrance -- Sarah
Little Harbor at 5:45 Low Tide -- waiting for the Sun - Erica
There goes the Moon over Children's -- Erica
While here comes the Sun beyone Children's -- Erica


Monday, August 5, 2013

Where to follow the teams for the Rallye in France

We, the intrepid pirates, are flying off to (invading?) southern France this week and launching our yolettes next Monday in Toulouse.  It will be exciting and I hope we all learn something new about ourselves, our rowing partners, and the world.  I also look forward to participating in an truly international event which will give us the opportunity to know our fellow rowers in both a competitive and a cooperative spirit.  But really, it's all about the food and wine!!

Here is our blog link that Shannon set up. 
http://www.readytorow.blogspot.com/

Monday, July 15, 2013

A RE-POST FROM ROCKNROW GOOGLE GROUP

I enjoyed reading Paul's recent message to the group that I thought it was worth sharing on the BLOG. Hard to believe we are in our 7th season and if it wasnt for the Blackburn Challenge, Rock&Row might never have been created. Enjoy
 
A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT BLACKBURN:

 

I think, although I am not absolutely certain and haven’t done the hard work to figure it out, that this is my seventh Blackburn Challenge coming up this Saturday.  

Yesterday, Stephanie and I did our last long row, the Grand Tour of the World: around Tinker’s Island, out to Halfway Rock, around Bakers Island, around Misery Island and home, basically outside everything in the neighborhood!

As we rowed through the cove on the Manchester side of Misery someone yelled to me wanting to know how long the boat is. 

“21 feet” I said. “And it weighs 35 lbs.”

“Wow”, he exclaimed turning to his buddy, “that boat weighs 35lbs!”

“We’re getting ready for the Blackburn Challenge next weekend.” I share. 

“My seventh and I’m 62 years old!”

I feel really good to be ready to go out and row this event again. Thankful for my body, teaching me, yet again, to pay attention, listen and take loving care of myself. In return I get to enjoy the blissful pleasure of being on the ocean in my rowing shell, day after day, mile after mile, feeling good in my body. What a gift!

Thankful for Stephanie, my rowing partner, she constantly invites me to go a little harder, a little longer, no slacking on her watch! Whenever I think I’m rowing well, keeping my boatspeed up to race pace, not falling too far behind, she disappears, later saying, “Oh, I feel light, like skipping over the water!”

 

For those of you getting ready for your first Blackburn, a few thoughts about preparation.

Rest, really important to let your body recover this week. I often don’t realize how much demand I have been putting on my body and how much rest I need to be fully recovered and ready to go. Planning to stretch, do a few easy rows, get a massage etc.

Fuel My body needs fuel during the race. I have tried a lot of different combinations for race fuel including one awful protein enriched mixture tasting like pancake batter that I fed to the fishes around mile 12. After years of fooling with different stuff I have settled on Cytomax drink mix and GU. It works for me. In several Blackburns I have hit the wall around mile 14, a few GUs and fluid does the trick! 

Hydration Again, I’ve tried a lot of different strategies including Camelback hydration systems velcroed to the deck of my boat and have found that for me the best strategy is to PREHYDRATE beginning Thursday before the race. Prehydration infuses that body tissue with fluids decreasing the fluid demands during the race. Then I row with bottles just like a regular row.

You can prehydrate by drinking alot of water, and I mean a lot, eat lots of watermelon and other watery fruits and veggies, to the point where you have to pee constantly. It works.

Pace You will row faster than you normally row. Just happens that way, caught up in the race frenzy with boats all around. Don’t forget it’s 20 miles! I’ve seen lots of Rock & Row’ers go out hard and burn out by Straitsmouth. I try to find a comfortable rhythm with good boatspeed knowing that the run from Milk to Eastern Point will be hard as it always is, good to have energy for the second half!

Course The first and perhaps toughest navigation challenge is the river. If you look at a chart you’ll see the twists and turns. Not sure yet what the current and tides will be doing but it runs hardest in the middle and the sides can get very shallow at low water. You can actually run aground in the mud flats! Following the channel is safe but slow as it corkscrews around. My recommendation is to study the chart and have a plan! (BTW, Capt Jack is the best river runner I know)

 

That’s it for this morning, Bertha will be at boathouse Friday at 5. If you want your boat on Bertha, be there. If you are not able to be there, talk to either Chris or myself, we’ll be happy to load your boat for you but you have to ask. If we do not hear from you and you do not show up Friday at 5 we will assume you are making your own arrangements. 

 

More later in the week about timing for Bertha’s arrival in Gloucester. 

 

And for those NOT rowing BLackburn...WHY NOT?

Come cheer us on!

 

Have a gentle week, 

 

Paul

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

New Seal Sighted -- Hilary's first seal!

It was a bit chilly this morning as a small Sunrise group (Hilary, Pal, and Bobbie) set off for a trip around Children's.  The whole harbor felt different -- hushed -- because of the fog further out beyond us.  There didn't seem to be any boats moving around. 

We were half way to Children's heading due East when a seal popped up just off Hilary's stern.  Unusual place for it since the water is so deep there but it was a delight to see one. It bobbed up and down for a minute checking out the odd boat and then left us. 

We finished the row circuit on a down wind course from Marblehead Rock to Little Harbor with the fog chasing us in.

Great morning.  Glad to see the sun came out, though.  The rain is starting to be a bit too much.

Happy 4th of July!!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

First Seal sighting of the season

I've been on the lookout for seals for about a week.  It's fun to think about something different out there at times and it adds a bit of a challenge -- It's often hard to distinguish a seal's head from one of the slimy buoys of the abandoned lobster pots (but they do behave a bit differently). 

I wasn't really watching for them this morning because the row was taking all my concentration fighting the SE wind that was blowing me sideways as we headed back from the Beverly green channel marker.  As a result of the wind, I was closer than usual to one of the islands -- specifically Coney Island -- so I was particularly focused on my leg pushes and not on the scenery.  As I was just past the island's south end I noticed a black buoy just off my stern and I thought -- odd, I didn't remember running over that.  Then suddenly the buoy turned and looked me straight in the eye and sniffed in my direction.  It was a good sized adult seal head -- very sleek.  As I was still rowing a strong stroke, I left the seal behind quickly but luckily Eileen was rowing near by and when I called out, she saw it, also. 

In years past, the seals have tended to be around the islands toward Beverly and around the ledge on the way to Tinkers.  So happy scouting as you row.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

STANS' FIRST ROW


To all,

Sheila and I went rowing for the first time this season: for me it was 20 months ago for Sheila last September. The row was a lot of fun and although the weather was terrible we had a good time.

What I wanted to relay to everyone is that the boat yard was very busy yesterday: one boat was going in the water when we arrived, another was put in while we rowed, a third was put in the water while we were washing the boats and one more was being picked up when we left. Also, the skulls are packed together very tightly, and the oars are somewhat inaccessible.

The personnel working were very courteous and helpful: made sure we had access to the dock, warned us before they were lifting  and told us when it is safe to walk around the crane. Also, we parked on the road not in the boat yard. Being so crowded we washed the boats on the dock.
We had to enter the water from the side of the dock, as there was a boat @ the front of the dock. However, we cut our row short when we saw that the front of the dock was clear and they weren't lifting yet. It was starting to rain anyway.

We cooperated with them and they cooperated with us. The important thing is to stay out of the way when they are lifting or moving a boat, and allow them access to move equipment around.

Thanks

Stan