Can You See It?

Lots has happened since my last post.  Could I see it coming?  There were surprises, ones I hoped for, and some I had no idea were going to happen.  But that doesn’t mean I didn’t plan, or adapt the plan as the year went by.  Some people are confident and sure of themselves without a plan, but that isn’t me.  I need to see where I am going.  I have learned: Planning and preparation lead to confidence.

Let’s start with entering the single at the Head of the Charles in 2021.  I was told a few years ago that racing a single at “The Charles” is something every single sculler should do.  My plan was to wait a few more years, but I decided to enter in 2021 as I had spent most of the time since March 2020 training solely in my single (even more than usual, as many of us did).  August 2021, I received the email notification that my entry had been accepted.  My heart rate jumped up.  And then the planning began.  

Could I see it?  Could I see myself in the basin in a single?  Could I see the bridges as they came?  I watched the YouTube video of the champ single race from 2019 – it was done with a 360-degree GoPro, so I could move it around and watch either where he was going, the view he saw, or look at the landmarks and the buoys, at each point of the course.  I studied this over and over.  I mapped the course in Google Earth and noted on my paper map the meters between the bridges.  I overlaid the course on Penn Cove and visualized the bridges and the turns as I trained.  

By the time I got to Boston in October and took the Fluidesign single out to practice, I had my line memorized, and it was a matter of actually rowing it.  That night what did I do?  I look at the video I had taken, looked at the map, studied what line I would take given the opportunity, and what line would be the alternative.  I planned, I prepared, I visualized.  I was ready and confident.  And terrified.

Friday morning was great weather (this you can also plan for – but falls under the “focus on what you can control” portion of planning).  I actually enjoyed the race, even though my rowing was a bit tentative.  I found that at race pace the bridges came faster, and I was through them quicker, meaning I had to prepare my line sooner.  (I should have known this already, but I do now!)  Brushing oars with other rowers, finding my line, it was all exciting.  When I finished my first thought was – I want a do-over; do it again, but better, and faster.  I had found some confidence.  

Fast forward to 2022 – new challenges, new exciting opportunities with Chinook Performance Racing.  I went to England and raced with my team in two 8’s at the Henley Masters Regatta.  This was really a dream come to life.  The antique wooden chase boats gave free rides down the course.  The camaraderie and sportsmanship of all the teams made it a very special experience.  

Two months later we went to France, and I raced 9 events at World Rowing Masters Regatta.  (Two 1x, four 2x, one 4x, and two 8’s.)  

Weather conditions for the single events were iffy, and the boats we were using were not familiar to me.  I repeated to myself the advice from Lindsay Dare Shoop: “Control the controllables” – keep my head, and don’t spend too much time worrying about what I couldn’t change.  I learned what made the boat more tippy so I could manage it better.  I thought about how to approach choppy conditions.  I planned and prepared.  

At the end of the weekend I looked back on great races with my teammates, and identified what went right, and what are some things I can improve upon.  

Boston this year was a bit more sane, as I was in a 4+ and a 4x.  Our quad boat had some steering issues when we went out to practice, so we turned around and got it back to shore and fixed it.  Lesson learned – always check toe steering to make sure the straight is marked on the shoe and it’s not canted wildly in some weird direction.  We also changed our line up to match the strengths of the people in our boat.  The result – we had a great race.  We do this for fun, right?  I was grinning all the way down the course.

OK, so what was next?  I checked the Head of the Hooch entries on Regatta Central and noticed that no one had entered the Womens Lightweight 1x 55+.  I checked my team entries and found that I could fit it in.  So I made the late entry, arranged for a single from Fluidesign, and oars from dear friends at Lookout Mountain, cleaned up my diet so I was sure I could make weight, and began to visualize again.  Studied the map.  Watched videos.  Asked questions of friends.  I heard stories of how rough the water could be.  Control the controllables.  Have a plan for anything.  I was prepared.  I was terrified.  

Saturday was windy.  My mixed 2x partner and I headed out to our race and encountered rolling waves just after we launched.  The chop got a little less, more or less manageable, as we made our way towards the start line.  We stopped three times to bail, as the water was sloshing around in the cockpit.  He told me he had been concerned we were going to swamp.  Halfway to the start the refs stopped all the doubles and sent us all back.  They ended up allowing the mixed doubles to race at the end of the day, but each of us was in other races at that time, and we couldn’t complete our race.  The good news?  My partner and I had just met that morning, and in rowing in the rough water and picking up the speed on the way back, we found we were well matched and excited to enter more races together.  

The forecast for Sunday was much better, and indeed it dawned nice and calm.  As I waited near the start line, the next event gathered after me – the Under 15 men and women.  I listened to them chat and learned one of them was 13 years old.  Wow.  What presence of mind to be in a single in a head race at 13!  Then rowing through all these youth came Dan Tanhauser.  I pointed out to the young men that he is 89.  What a shame I didn’t have my phone with me to grab a shot of the age range. 

The single race went well.  I kept to my race plan to move along nicely, but save some for the quad that afternoon.  I only needed to complete the course.  I finished strong, pleased with my line, and also happy with my results compared to the non-lightweight entries.  I was ready to bow the quad.

Could I see it?  Yes and no.  I had only bowed a quad in one sprint race, and after the disastrous practice in Boston, I was a bit nervous about the toe steering.  So we had it locked down, confirmed where straight was, and off we went.  We made it to the start well, getting comfortable with each other and finding our flow.  What I had not envisioned was how exciting it was to bow this race.  I was stoked.  It was challenging, it was a bit stressful.  There was strategy, there was hard work.  There were boats that came close and we yielded, but they never moved closer – holding us off the best line.  There were boats that just wouldn’t move over.  My calls during the warm-up had to be repeated by two seat.  But not during the race.  I found my voice.  Can I see myself doing this again?  Absolutely.  I am planning more practice with bowing and toe steering a quad.  

As 2022 rolls to a close, I reflect on what visualizing means to me.

Can I see it?  What can I visualize for a particular race? How can I prepare in the weeks before? How can I prepare the day before?

• Study and visualize the course
• Practice in similar weather and water conditions
• Practice with my mirror – actually be able to see where I am going
• See myself launching, warming up, at the staging area, in the chute, at the start, going through bridges, crossing the line, and recovery

Can I see the future?

• How will I plan and prepare?
• Where am I going?  
• What is the path to get there?

With a new year and a new racing season starting up after winter, I use this time to train for and visualize the goals I have for the next year and beyond.  I work with my coach to pick the focus regattas, and develop a plan that will help me chase my goals. I have outlined my Strengths, Weaknesses, Assets, and opportunities To improve that I learned from racing and training all year. There will be lots of time on the erg and cross training to visualize for 2023.