Racing on the Brda

Here in Poland we have been off of the water for some time, doing all of our training in the weight room, on the ergs and running. Training like this is fine, but any rower will tell you that it is all about being on the water and actually making a boat move. So naturally I have been doing a lot of reminiscing of actually rowing in a boat on the water, and while doing so, remembered an intersting experience.

I think it was in October and we were doing a lot of work in pairs. I was stroking and as such had the toe (which means I steered the boat with my foot) and my partner, sitting in bow, would look over his shoulder and tell me where to steer. Normally, on a race course or a waterway with lots of straight-ways the bow seat does not need to look over his shoulder, but rowing on the Brda where there is only about 200 meters of straight course at the longest before encountering a turn, the bow needs to be in constant communication with the stroke.

So one day we were doing race pieces in the pairs, racing against each other. I think there were four pairs total. The first piece, my boat came in second, finishing about a seat down to the first place boat. We start the second piece and my boat and the boat that won the previous piece jump out ahead and its going to be a battle between us again. We are exchanging the lead but for the most part holding even. About halfway into the piece, we enter a rather long turn, slowly curving to port (so left when looking to bow). The other boat has the inside of the turn, so the advantage, but my partner and I suddenly click and find a rhythm. Not only are we keeping even with them on the outside of the turn, but are slowly starting to pull ahead! As we inch ahead, both of us are just thinking about the coming straight-way where the other boat won't have the advantage of the turn and we can really do some damage. Coming to the end of the turn, we are laying down these powerful strokes that are sending us ahead. We are completely in tune with each other, putting all of our strength into each stroke and then boom! We go from moving at light speed to a complete dead stop!

Apparently, since we were in such a good rhythm and pulling away, my partner stopped looking over his shoulder and didn't think to check our course. Since he didn't say anything, I kept us on the slow turn to port, but it wasn't enough. Just as we were about to get onto that straight-way and really pull away, we crashed into some bushes that were hanging over the bank of the river. I was pissed that we couldn't finish the piece, but couldn't help but laugh at the comical situation. To go from full speed to a dead stop made the situation a bit amusing. It took us a little while to untangle ourselves from the midst of the bushes. No harm done to the boat nor to my bow seat who took the full force of the branches to his back. We re-adjusted our course and finished the piece, well behind the other boats.

But though we lost the piece, we gained a great story and a good laugh.