Dear Rowers,
We had quite a constructive staff meeting (yes zootie clad of course) this morning where Nicole and I raised some important issues regarding the club and our members. I faithfully made notes and have documented these below.
PA thought for the week: Took a certain senior rower out for a row last week. Unfortunately this raised certain concerns regarding our underground club project regarding the deepening of the Yarra river by RRC rowers, all eyes in the boat noticed that Annalise err this rower, used minimal effort to bring her oar through the water and contrary to true gondola form did not burry half of her shaft to deepen the channel and assist us in our continued search for Sandra’s missing Havianna. If we keep this up, P&O and the Spirit of Tasmania will NEVER be able to dock in Richmond or Hawthorn, let alone Warrandyte, so I beg you all to use this efficient style only when you have coaches eyes on you. It is best to dig deep also when rowing at regatta’s you may have noticed that the lake at Corowa is a little low, so give them a hand so they don’t end up like Ballarat with the expense of bulldozers in there. Do you sport a favour and dig deep. Yes it drastically cuts boat run, but most of that can be made up for by rushing up the slide. It will help to build up extra large muscles which are helpful in opening jars when your partner is away for work and enables you to loosen the nuts on your tires without having to be a fairy princess and wait for the RACV.
HOR thought of the week – it’s from one of the podcasts I listen to when driving and it was meant to describe curling but think it works really well from all the rowing we do at RRC: “Sport is at it’s best when it involves a whole community.” It has been and will be a few huge rowing weeks at RRC and none of those would be possible without the help of rowers, coaches, coxes, trailer drivers, tinnie drivers, boat race officials, and so on. Well done to all who have raced at Barwon, States and Club Races. Your efforts have been impressive. For more details, check out the blog – for the male and female perspective on the weekend.
Things to look forward to:
1) ROWER and COACH development: Coaching Camp this weekend at Essendon Rowing Club. Talk to your coach to get your squad time and directions, please show up and be time. Don’t forget your club lock, also it’s going to be hot on Sunday so sunscreen up and wear a hat or your burn your head and it will peel and people will think you have dandruff.
2) ROWER DEVELOPMENT: Training camp Friday March 12th evening, all day Saturday and Sunday 13th to 14th. Please let your coaches now whether you will be coming by March 1st, so we can plan your pain. So that is 3 and a bit weeks away, just enough time to flop with exhaustion after your warm ups (get past the boat houses though in case any hotties are around) in coming week’s and rest part way while carrying oars to the water or washing the boat (complaining loudly of exhaustion), make sure your standard is set as slow as possible. Might be a good idea to put your oar in to the water at a completely different time to your other crew members so you can spend a few days working on timing (and nod favourably when roll-ups are suggested, boring as bat sh*t they might be, but they won’t give you blisters) much easier than working on race starts.
3) FUNDRAISING for Fleet: Trivia Night and Auction (very classy stuff on auction) March 20th, please bring lots of friends – especially those with money. We will also be running a chocolate fundraiser, because Lent is a great time to be generous and eat chocolate – stay tuned more details to follow shortly. We ran both events last year and they were a huge success and as a result we have new fleet in the shed. I think it’s high time we replaced the 70’s style floating cubby house (whatever that brown one is called), word on the street is that after almost 9 years of solid training, thanks to our dedicated coaching team, the B team may soon be ready to graduate to a NON tub 4!!!! So we have high hopes for an appropriate and stylish vessel. Even if you know nothing, eg grew up in Iceland in an igloo with no radio and bears for company (to use one club member as an example) Or you grew up in Wagga raising pigs with your nana and being home schooled with the Bible (old Testament only) come anyway. There will be plenty of know-alls at your table that will jump in early and claim the glory and noone will know that you don’t know your left hand from your right.
4) BOXERCISE Monday nights at 6:20 pm – if you weren’t tough enough at States or have been eating too much chocolate – RFC John will fix you up.
Not sure if you saw the footage on the news a few weeks ago when the incredible B team defeated the men’s 8 with only a 10 minute head start from the 2km mark. What an effort B team, the wind generated by the ferocious race actually picked up a small dog and it’s owner his flight friendly parachute material tracksuit and blew the pair into the Yarra, rather than be annoyed the damp jogger was in awe of the performance he was witnessing.
Katie Gray
Aka: PANS