I had two great races this weekend at the second National Selection Regatta.  This regatta is just one step in making the US team that will compete at this summer’s World Championships where we will hopefully qualify boats for next year’s Olympic Games.  The way selection works, one could potentially make the team right now!  The winners of the women’s pair, double, and lightweight double if they make the “minimum performance time standard” or faster of course, have until July 17 to accept a bid to the team in that event! 

 

In my race, the women’s pair, there were five entries.  We only had to do a race for lanes on Saturday and then the final yesterday.  I am paired up with Megan Cooke.  She and I rowed together last year and placed fourth at the World Championships.  We have been rowing with different partners much of the year and are just getting into our groove together.  We have both learned a lot from our teammates and have brought new skills to this old partnership.

 

On Saturday, with beautifully flat conditions, we got out to a quick start.  With this early lead, we were able to relax into our base rhythm and pull away from the pack.  Coming across the last 500 meters, we stayed steady knowing we had another race the next morning.  We did have to pick up the pace though because coming fast was Caryn Davies paired with Caroline Lind.  Megan and I won the race in 7:09 with Caryn and Caroline right behind in 7:10. 

 

On Sunday, even though I was much more nervous!  Again, Megan and I got out fast.  With all of the anxiety, I couldn’t feel anything for at least a minute.  I had to keep telling myself to breathe.  By the first 250, we again were in the lead.  I slowly brought us back down to race pace which was a bit higher as there was a slight tail wind.  We inched out to about a 3 seat lead at the 500 meter mark.  We continued to push the pace and at the 1000 meter mark, had a 2.5 second lead.  With 500 meters to go, we had pushed out to open water. 

 

Of course, our races aren’t 1500 meters long and we had more work to do.  Things got tight as the buoys turned red.  Caryn and Caroline were coming and we had to hold steady to win.  We keep our heads focused, stayed straight in the lane and kept the blades clean as we rowed through the light chop.  We crossed the line in first in a time of 7:07.19.  We were closely followed by our amazing teammates Caryn and Caroline, 7:08.99, Lindsay Shoop and Anna Goodale, 7:12.18, and Brett Sickler and Portia McGee, 7:14.11. 

 

I am so pleased with what Megan and I accomplished this weekend.  It has been a hard year so far with many ups and downs, but we are happy to be back as a pair and it is going well!  As my coach says, we are very much looking forward to not racing each other anymore.  Bring on the world!

 

Now, I bet you are wondering if we said yes to the bid for the team.  Well, we are not going to make our decision right now.  At the end of the month is the first World Cup Regatta in Linz, Austria.  After we race some top international crews, along with our trusty teammates, we will see if Megan and I are still competitive.  If we perform well, which I know we can, we will at that point accept the bid. 

 

For now though, I am enjoying my day off and the joy of a well rowed race.  As always, thanks for reading and all of your support.

Ahh, yes, winter continues well into the middle of April.  This week we weren't kept off the water by high winds, but by a noreaster hit with over five inches of rain fell in Princeton.  My parents were visiting and we were in New York as over eight inches of rain fell in Central Park!  That is a lot of water.  So, the rivers rose and the lakes flooded their banks, and the poor Princeton boathouse was surrounded. 

 

Thank goodness, there wasn't too much damage and all the boats seem to be fine.  There was about two feet of water in the boathouse.  We are now a part of what I like to call "The Princeton Boathouse Regatta."  Princeton students, the Carnagie Lakers, and all of us training for the US daily launch from the parking lot.  Things are slowly returning to normal as we did a tour of the huge lake in an eight last night.  Today, we were able to go out in small boats and the boathouse is being powerwashed with a firehose.  Rumors abound about when the electricity and running water will return.  Until then, we head home to warm up!  I was drug tested today, and so rather than use the port-o-pottie... we headed home.  

Just a quick update to say that due to the extreme cold, high winds, and unfriendly rowing conditions, our women's pairs race for this weekend has been canceled!  I am actually fine with this as it really is not pleasant out there on the water right now.  I do prefer to row without poggies, a hat, two longsleeves, vest, jacket, long pants, wool socks...   I am instead rowing either on the erg or in an eight, followed by an afternoon weights session.  It is not a total holiday.  And I am sure that next week, the seat racing will continue.  My heart goes out to those single scullers who are warming up to race right now! 

Call me crazy, but I thought it was spring.  I just had my birthday (March 21^st), the Magnolia tree’s are in bloom, and I’m racing this weekend.  However, it was snowing during our afternoon row today.

 

Our women’s sweep team is preparing to race the pair this weekend at the first National Selection Regatta.  For our group of six pairs, we are using this race as pretty much, just another practice.  We raced each other all week with some really tight margins.  I am excited to only have to do one race Saturday morning (8:40 am at Lake Mercer)!  It will be just like old times because I am rowing with Megan Cooke.  We were pair partners all last year.  Even though we haven’t been training much together this year, I know we have enough experience together to have a good run come Saturday. 

 

The women’s pair will have a chance to be selected come National Selection Regatta II at the end of the month.  This regatta is big for those hoping to earn the rights to the single!  All eyes will be on Michelle Guerette who dominated the US scene last year and placed fifth at the Worlds.  She needs to win her A Final, plus reach the minimum performance time.  I think it will be quite hard to hit that standard this weekend with the water being so cold (not very fast conditions), but I won’t ever underestimate my strong friend!

 

For those of you that will be checking for results, head to www.usrowing.org and follow the links for the US National Team/National Selection Regatta I. 

 

Let the 2007 elite racing season begin!