Our workout this morning consisted of drills and steady state up to the top of the inner coastal and moved on to twenty stroke add-ins and leap frog: attack and defend on the way back. We each got a chance to improve our technique during the drills and steady state, which will help us dramatically once we reach racing season in the spring. It is always a challenge trying to change and maintain the changes in your rowing stroke but it will only help you get faster. The twenty stroke add-ins were also a challenge this morning. Each pair had to row against a strong head wind that would catch your blade and push against your back. Even though it was a challenge with the wind each boat still made strong moves to push the other boat. 

The final part of this morning’s practice consisted of leap frog: attack and defend. Our two boats lined up single file rowing at a strong steady state. Once the pieces started the boat trailing would bump the rate up to a thirty at full pressure and try to pass the boat in front. However, to make things more challenging for the trailing boat, the leading boat would bump their rate up to a twenty-six and row at a strong pressure. Their goal was to make it difficult for the trailing boat to pass. This workout was extremely difficult but it was also a fun inner team competition. The hardest part of this workout was being the leading boat because you got to drop the rate and wanted to drop the pressure but you couldn’t because you didn’t want the other boat to pass you at a faster time than your boat did. 

We were all sufficiently exhausted after this morning’s practice and now have a well-deserved break until 3pm where we will start training all over again. Each day is continuing to bring new challenges but we all know that we are each getting stronger individually and as a team each day. It is great that I get to experience this with my teammates, as a senior, and can definitely say that training for the past three days in the wind and rain is 10x better than rowing/erging in Philadelphia where the temperature is a freezing 15 degrees.

-- Kelly