First Regatta of MY season - Occoquan Memorial Sprints

Well, I survived!  My first regatta of the season.  It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible.  I was so nervous and felt so much pressure, especially being in the "fast 4."  It would be so much less pressure if I was just in the Women's 8 and the Mixed 8.  So I was torn, excited to be in the fast boat, but oh the pressure.  Those ladies are so gracious and have been so kind about having me in the 4.  I know they keep telling me, that they wanted me in the boat and that I belong there, but they self-doubt is high!  Anyway,  I didn't want to let them down.

The 4's race was first.  Wouldn't you know that just as we were launching...the wind picked up... oh how the wind picked up!  It was pretty brutal.  So, bad that they weren't using the start platform and we weren't even supposed to get close to it, because it was so dangerous, so that made the start truly wonky.  They tried to line us up... but that was pretty futile, so as soon as it was even close they started us... with very little prep...crazy!

We raced hard, but the wind was just crazy.  Ended up coming in 3rd out of 4th.  So not..DFL!

The 8 went pretty much the same way.  The wind was still crazy, but it didn't throw us off as much in

the 8, but I think the set was a little worse.  Hard to get real traction in the water.  We were 4th out of 5.  Again...not DFL!

John and Zack paddled out to watch my race!

I would say we were all happy, but not satisfied.  Hopefully, we'll get a chance to practice more and the next one will be even better.  I'd really love to get some bling!

Head of the Charles

What a great weekend!  The Head of the Charles - the largest regatta in the nation... like the Superbowl of regattas.  I was very lucky to be able to go, mainly because there were only 8 of us that could go, so it's not like I earned my seat, but nevertheless, I got to go and I was going to make the most of it.
I was a little nervous because the hotel rooms are very expensive, so not only was I sharing a hotel room, but I was sharing a bed!  As a general rule, not my favorite thing to do... but I'm a team player...plus I was sharing with Jay (my bowmate) and the other 2 girls in the room, would have been my choice as well.  So, I was optimistic.

At the airport.

I gave everyone rowing socks as a HOCR party favor.

Our hotel was beautiful.  The weather was cold and windy.  We got there on Friday and had time for a quick practice on the water.  The course is curvy and pretty amazing, lots of bridges and scenery, of course when you're rowing you can't really look around.  We had a great dinner on Friday night, right in the hotel and then it was a pretty early night since we were rowing the next day.   We didn't row until 300pm, so in the morning, we had breakfast and then did our souvenir shopping and watched some of the races.  It was pretty nerve wracking... everyone was pretty revved up about how they wanted to do.  I guess in the past, the women's boat has done pretty well, but this year we were rowing in the 40+ category (instead of the 50+) which is a very competitive category.  I just wanted us to not be "Just Not Last (JNL)!"   It was a very exciting race (for me anyway).  It was cold and brutally windy, right off the bat we were passed by 2 boats, but one of those went on to win.  Then we passed 2 boats, and were neck and neck with another boat the whole last 750-500 meters, and held them off.  Unfortunately, our coxswain, wasn't able to take the best line and at one of the turns, we went way wide, but if we're being honest, it wouldn't have mattered.  I think we ended up finishing 24/25...so we weren't last!  

Afterwards was when the fun began!  These women can party... the bar hopping began.  I think I stayed up later and drank more than I have in years and years!   But it was fun and I enjoyed being with all these ladies.  Once again, I felt very honored and priviledged to even be allowed to go with them and row with them. 

Occoquan Chase

Oh Yes We DID!!   Champions of the Chase!  Been there, got the t-shirt!

Don't even know how many boats were in our category, but again, don't really care!  We still crossed the finish line first!  Zack's boat as well again.  The men are on fire this year and I can only attribute it to the amazing coxing they are getting! :o)

Bow Pair... still together...I've pretty much claimed 2-seat as my own!  Being "Bow-sized" helps I guess.  No one really begging to be in 2 seat.

Once again I survived 2 races, only this time one of them was in a 4!!!  I've only ever rowed in a 4+, maybe twice my novice year!  Never once, this year.  So, first time in a 4+, plus I was in the "young" boat (which means with the faster ladies) in a race!!  All I have to say is....never again... didn't like it, not one bit.  "I like big boats, and I cannot lie!"  

Occoquan Challenge

Our first regatta on our home turf, turned out pretty awesome.   My Women's Master 8+ came in FIRST!!!  Oh Yeah!!! ***Hands up in the air, dancing like I just don't care****.  Does it matter there were only 3 boats in our category... NO.IT.DOES.NOT!  1st is 1st!!

Zack coxing our Mixed 8 that came in 5/10 overall, but if they'd broken it down into age categories we were FIRST in the 50+ category!!  Woot! Woot!

Zack's Men's 4 also came in FIRST!!  Lot of bling around the Oxford Boathouse today!

Head of the Potomac

Our first real regatta of the year... would it be cancelled?  would it go on? GAME ON!

Zack and I ready to head out together for our first regatta of the year.  I'm racing in 2 races, the women's 8 and a mixed 8.  I guess when you row for the racing women, you always do 2 races.  Little nervous about that, I hope I have 2 races in me.  Seems like an awful lot of work! :o)   It's funny that no one even asked if we wanted to do 2 races.  The fun thing, Zack is coxing my mixed 8!

All calculus all the time! Such a good boy!

He seems so grownup and like such a man!

Best bow mate ever!  Jay and I are like 2 peas in a pod, probably going to get in trouble if they keep us together!

I made it through both races!  It was tough, but not as bad as I expected it to be.  Probably because in the mixed 8, you have the guys helping row so it makes it a little easier.  Our Women's 8 came in 5/9 and out time was 20:34.4.  I don't even know if that's a good time or a bad time, but I'm fine with it.  The Mixed 8 was 4/6 and our time was 20:10.2.  Seems like our women's time was pretty good if it was only 24 seconds slower than the mixed 8's time.  Zack is a most excellent coxswain!  It again amazes me how good he is.  I don't know why I'm always amazed when my kids do something great, but I am.  He was so calm and decisive.  My favorite thing that he says is, "Stay with me, Stay with me."  It always makes me want to push harder.

I love this picture from Sport Graphics.  I know I'm not really, but it makes me look pretty badass!!  So, I'll just pretend!!   Here's to surviving my first regatta with the Racing Women without embarrassing myself or crying like a little baby!! :o)  Let's see what happens next!

Running and Rowing and Run This Year - 800miles

My running funk is still going strong, but I've been trying to fight it.  I signed up for the Dulles Runway 10K, figuring it would give me some incentive to up my running.  Not so much.... Hadn't run in over a month, when I set out to run the race.  I thought to myself, how bad can it be, it's on the runway, it's flat, how bad can it be.... Well, pretty bad! :o(   I walked WAY MORE than I hoped to, but I did finish it, to be honest I don't even remember my time. Something like 1:12.  I just don't know what my problem is... even a year ago I was doing great and now, its just like torture!  I did hit my 800 mile mark for Run This Year.

Most of the miles lately have been rowing and erging miles, but I guess there's nothing wrong with that.  Rowing is a great workout as well.  I also found the Hogwarts Running Club on line.  It's a virtual running club. They host all these virtual races with Harry Potter themes, you pay to register and you get a really cool medal for doing the race and part of the registration fee goes to various charities.  They also use this app called Charity Miles.  You use it when you run, walk, bike or in my case row... and for every mile you complete they contribute money to a charity of your choice.  It's pretty darn cool.  For instance, this month all my miles are going to the World Wildlife Federation.  Each month I'm going to pick a different charity and run/row for them.  You also compete for the "House Cup" after you get "sorted" into a house, I'm Hufflepuff, then all your miles go toward that was well.  I talked Brenna into joining with me, she's going to run on the same day that I do for the virtual 5K's.  We'll be running the Patronus 5K on Oct 3rd.  Anything I can do to get motivated.  

On the rowing front... things are hot and cold.  I still feel like I'm doing all I can to just keep up with these ladies.  They all seem so much stronger, fitter and like better rowers than me.  I still find them pretty intimidating, on the water anyway,  they are very nice and mostly fun off the water.  I'm sure a lot of that is just my low self confidence.  I just keep trying as hard as I can to improve what Coach Jeanette points out.   Just when I was feeling pretty low... I did have one glorious moment.  Last practice we were getting ready to put the boat away and Coach Jeanette called me back down to the dock and made me get in the boat and demonstrate my stroke.  Apparently, my body angle and sequence was "perfect" and I was opening my back up at just the right moment!!  So everyone had to gather round and watch me... SAY WHAT???!!!   Not only did I get a warm fuzzy, but she I got it in front of everyone!   I was pretty high on life for quite awhile... until the next sucky practice anyway. :o)  We have a regatta tomorrow.  Head of the Potomac... I'm really sort of dreading it.  We haven't practiced in our lineup, we haven't practiced at race pace except for today and that was for 4 minutes.  Since I don't think we can row 5000meters in 4 minutes, I'm not sure how helpful that was.  I have no idea what that bodes for tomorrow, except that I know I'm dreading it.  Not only that, but we've been told we're racing two races!!  I guess we'll see what happens, but I feel woefully unprepared!  One good thing... the second race is a mixed boat with the men and Zack will be my coxswain!  That will be fun!

Smokey Jacobs Regatta

Finally!!  We made it through and entire regatta and everyone got to race!!  They played fruit basket upset on the boys varsity side this week.  Seems like there must be some kind of rule or regulation in the "crew lineup handbook" that says nothing good can stay the same.  This week they raced a Junior 8 and a Lightweight 8.  Zack is back stroking the Lightweight 8, separated from some of his friends, but back and reunited with others.  He's had a really good attitude and said that the boat feels really good and pretty fast.   So, off we went to the regatta.  An absolutely beautiful day!  It turned out to be quite successful for most everyone...  The Junior 8 took first.  Zack's boat was 2nd, the Novices were 2nd after catching a crab and recovering well, they would have been 1st without a doubt.

When did my baby boy become such a man!?!

Then there were my freshman..... I was so extremely proud of them.  They raced their little hearts out.  The last 100-200 meters they were neck and neck with Woodson.  Literally each stroke the boats took, had them squeak ahead of the other one.  I was at the finish line, standing next to the Woodson coach and we were having heart attacks.  My guys were edged out literally by a stroke.  2 seconds between third and fourth.  Woodson may have gotten third but they had to really work for it!  Last week Woodson beat us by 47 seconds!  This week 2 seconds!  I'd say that's a freaking success!

What a crazy season.  One more regatta and then it's States, then Stotes and then god willing Nationals!  It's like a whirlwind! 

Darrell Winslow Regatta

We almost made it through a whole regatta this time... but not quite.  It was the wind this time, instead of the cold or rain.  We got all the races done except for the Novices, which is the worst.  Those poor guys still haven't raced.  It didn't make ONE BIT of sense, they sent the freshman and the novice 4's down the race course - but they cancelled the 8's.  What??!!?!  Anyway, we had quite a few disappointed rowers and just as many upset parents and rightly so...  But as for those that did race, it went pretty well.  Zack raced as a 1st 8 and they made it into the finals and ended up 5th.  Not too bad.  I think they felt pretty good about that.

Rowing is hard work!

My Freshman did get to race and it was pretty exciting.  They did really well... everything you want from a freshman first race... they made it down the course, they didn't run into anyone, no one fell out of the boat and they weren't last!!  I think it was a pretty insane day for them, the wind was crazy so they had a very difficult time at the start platforms, the wind blew them into another lane (but they weren't the only ones) no penalty and they didn't impede anyone. 

I think they felt pretty good, getting one under their belts.  Now they can focus on getting better and it won't be so scary next time.... for any of us! :o)   

Al Urquia Regatta

Art and Karen came down for a visit, Brenna is home to AND.... she brought her boyfriend home to meet us!!  Cameron Baumgardner!  He's very cute and very nice!  We like him a lot - big props to anyone who will come home to meet her parents AND her grandparents.  He hung in there like a trooper, even though when Karen found out he was a geology engineering major, she brought every rock she found at the regatta to him to identify! :o)
The boys raced a Light 8 again and came in 2nd (out of 3) but who's counting!   I think it's easier to just recap in pictures!

Getting his coxswain on for the row back - he is so damn handsome!

Cameron - such a good sport

Blowing the Viking Horn

The whole gang

These boys crack me up!

There's only one real coxswain in this picture and she's a good sport.  I hope all the boats make it safely!

Smokey Jacobs Regatta

Once again, Spring Break has passed in a blur of practice and rowing and I don't even know what else.  I've only run once... I'm not sure what I'm doing with my time!  Smokey Jacobs Regatta... rowed Light 8, but in the 2nd 8 category and came in 4th by a hairsbreath!  As a matter of fact, even the boys thought they came in 3rd.  Good Showing.  Still having fun coaching although most of the time I just feel like I'm following along not really serving any purpose, but Mike and Beca don't seem to mind, so I'll just keep on keeping on!

More puppy piles with go-gurts!

Right in the mix, so amazed every time I see a close up picture like this!

Darrell Winslow Regatta

And the regattas just keep rolling on!  It's like a never-ending hamster wheel... Work, practice, regatta, work, practice, regatta.  In between we try and live a little bit of normal life. It's mainly a blur!
Shook it up a little bit this regatta and rowed a Lightweight 8 this time. Zack still rowing the stroke seat.  They came in 4th, with their goal of staying close to TC Williams.  They were within 6 seconds.  Making strides, making strides.
Finally some nice sunny weather and good rowing!

I have never in my life seen a group of boys as comfortable with intimacy as these boys.  Every regatta they are like a big pile of puppies, snuggling under the tent all on top of each other.  There are definitely no personal space issues here.  As a matter of fact, we've been trying to determine if issues of "purple" apply to the boys. (boys are blue, girls are pink - if they mix together to closely they make purple.  No purple allowed) If they were boys and girls we wouldn't allow it, but if it's all boys or all girls, should we intervene?  Personally it doesn't bother me, I think it's kinda cute.  I'm glad they are all that comfortable with each other.

Walter Mess Regatta

Not sure what to even say, except that Mother Nature is just a vengeful witch of a deity!  Today is was wind!  The guys got their heat taken care of... 3rd so on to finals... but then the winds came down!  Or I guess came up and they cancelled the remainder of the regatta.  Sort of unsatisfying!

But the heat was exciting!!

Regional Regatta

And the rain came down... first the fog... then the rain!  I wasn't sure we were even going to be able to find the Point in all the fog.  If the boats got too far ahead of you, you lost them in the fog, just a little bit creepy.

Once the fog cleared, then the rain came down.  I haven't been that wet in a long time.  It seems Mother Nature is just throwing everything she can think of at us.  But we won't be defeated!  Zack stroked the 2nd Eight again.  They came in 3rd in their heat and made it into their final!

Despite the rain, they kept their positive attitudes as they waited for their final to come.  The fog cleared, the rain stopped, but then....the crabs came! :o(  Poor Brock caught one of the biggest crabs I've ever seen.  

 
It was awful!  But they recovered and still came in 4th!  It was a crazy, day - but we all survived!

Polar Bear Regatta

We actually made it out on the water.  The kids had a grand total of about 7 days on the water, but they didn't let that stop them.  It was cold, but not unbearable (no pun intended....Polar Bear...unbearable!)  Zack stroked the 2nd Eight and they took 2nd place!  Pretty exciting!  I discovered it's a little difficult to be a coach and a fan at the same time.  I spend most of my time following Coach Cox around helping to launch and recover boats, so it's hard to be over by the tents cheering.  But I'll get it figured out.

Such freaking goofballs.  I love these boys!

So proud every time I see him row!

Game face!

The other exciting/horrific thing that happened to me... first regatta, first time driving my own launch and I had to make 2 separate rescues at sea!!  I had to rescue one of the Gar-field coaches who's launch had stalled right by painted rocks.  I tied a rope onto their launch and then had to tow it back to our docks.  Really scary!!

Here I'm smiling, because I know the folks in this launch and I'm going back to our boathouse.  So, I got them safely back to the boathouse and headed back to the regatta, but before I could get there... ANOTHER boat signaled me for help!  Seriously....???!!!

Here I'm not as smiley, because these are strangers and I have to tow them to the Coaches Dock at Sandy Run.  So, I'm towing strangers, to a dock with all sorts of VASRA muckety-mucks, coaches, refs and who knows who else!  TERRIFYING!!  But I did it with only a little bit of "holy shit, I'm going to crash" when I got to the dock.  Everyone was safe and secure and I headed on to The Point to watch the rowing!  Whew, what a day!