Turning east out of the rowing centre ten boats shift steadily across the glass calm lake, the most distant vanishing behind the early morning mist that rises from the water. Above the sky is blue, the temperature is noticeably cooler.
The big corner east of the course is the starting point for a steady two minutes at eighteen, two minutes at twenty. Boats depart in order, based on their times from yesterday's pieces. The girls singles move off first, chased down by a novice sculler, then the intermediates and finally the pairs and senior sculler. Over the course of the session I get to work on a few boats as they find themselves at the back of the pack and under the bows of my launch. Changes are made, not in a dressage fashion but as demonstrated by stern moving away from coaching launch. The objective of this session is to work off the other boats and keep at it. An early push will be absorbed and a late push is just losing by less. The intensity must be there for the duration just as it must be over the course of a race. With the other boats and my launch as a guide and the rate kept at a constant any speed changes must be down to better effort or better technique or perhaps the ability to do both.
After seventy minutes the piece is done, this session will increase in volume as the athletes build their ability to maintain quality through improved conditioning.
The second session is drills in the bay opposite the rowing centre, some excellent work is done. More importantly the athlete feedback demonstrates that they know what they are supposed to be doing. Something that is not as common as you might think with athletes in training in any sport. This session also provides us with the first member of the UCCRC Swimming club 2012/13, Mr Peter Williams proving that loitering at frontstops is a dangerous place to be, not once but twice. Falling in is not a bad thing, it shows a willingness to get into positions that you're not comfortable with- an essential quality if one is to make changes.
With the morning over the experienced group depart and it is time for round two of day one with the beginners. Over twenty newcomers are assembled, briefed and sorted into crews. Today the wind has got up a little above that which is safe to release totally novice boats but John and Jonny still manage to coach boats held to the landing stage. By the end of their first session strokes are being taken confidently, the boats are put away safely and all bodies leave the lake in one dry piece.
Another weekend in the life of UCCRC is over, 50 people have tried the sport that have never been in a boat before and the Seniors and Intermediates have got several more kilometers under their belts. Another thirtynine of those and we'll be there (for this season).
The big corner east of the course is the starting point for a steady two minutes at eighteen, two minutes at twenty. Boats depart in order, based on their times from yesterday's pieces. The girls singles move off first, chased down by a novice sculler, then the intermediates and finally the pairs and senior sculler. Over the course of the session I get to work on a few boats as they find themselves at the back of the pack and under the bows of my launch. Changes are made, not in a dressage fashion but as demonstrated by stern moving away from coaching launch. The objective of this session is to work off the other boats and keep at it. An early push will be absorbed and a late push is just losing by less. The intensity must be there for the duration just as it must be over the course of a race. With the other boats and my launch as a guide and the rate kept at a constant any speed changes must be down to better effort or better technique or perhaps the ability to do both.
After seventy minutes the piece is done, this session will increase in volume as the athletes build their ability to maintain quality through improved conditioning.
The second session is drills in the bay opposite the rowing centre, some excellent work is done. More importantly the athlete feedback demonstrates that they know what they are supposed to be doing. Something that is not as common as you might think with athletes in training in any sport. This session also provides us with the first member of the UCCRC Swimming club 2012/13, Mr Peter Williams proving that loitering at frontstops is a dangerous place to be, not once but twice. Falling in is not a bad thing, it shows a willingness to get into positions that you're not comfortable with- an essential quality if one is to make changes.
With the morning over the experienced group depart and it is time for round two of day one with the beginners. Over twenty newcomers are assembled, briefed and sorted into crews. Today the wind has got up a little above that which is safe to release totally novice boats but John and Jonny still manage to coach boats held to the landing stage. By the end of their first session strokes are being taken confidently, the boats are put away safely and all bodies leave the lake in one dry piece.
Another weekend in the life of UCCRC is over, 50 people have tried the sport that have never been in a boat before and the Seniors and Intermediates have got several more kilometers under their belts. Another thirtynine of those and we'll be there (for this season).
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