An incredible 5 weeks have come to an end. While the time flew by, life before the program seems so long ago. To think I was taking final exams the day before I left..
On my last day, I asked Malcolm to give me a lecture on rigging. I learned about setting the spread, pitch, oarlock height, foot height/angle and rowing through the pin. I took many notes and I'm excited to experiment with what I learned when I get back home.
In the afternoon I did one more 2k. I had hoped to break 6:50 but it did not go so well. I held 1:42 for about 1250 meters but then lost control and ended up with a 6:53. The fact that I stuck for my race plan so long makes me confident that I can do better after some more training.
After my 2k I was in a rush to get directly to the airport. I ran out of the boatshed with one shoe and a sock but everything worked out fine in the end.
I just arrived in Los Angeles after flying from Dunedin through Auckland. The long plane ride gave me a lot of time to reflect on the time I spent in New Zealand that I want to write about before my flight to Philadelphia.
Over the course of 5 weeks I worked with one of the best coaches in the world, Malcolm McIntyre. On a technical level, Malcolm helped me drive with the legs first, keep my body angle during the drive, squeeze out my finish and keep the handle moving at the catch. I've noticed a big increase in speed, both on the erg and the water from these technical changes. I also spent a lot of time in the bow of sculling boats, and practiced keeping my course straight.
On a personal level, I became much tougher and more resilient. Wet launching every day in the worst elements, biking to practice in the rain and hail made me feel a lot tougher by the end of the program. I also made many new friends along the way.
While it's a shame I couldn't set a PR on my very last 2k, I did make a 7 second improvement the week before. That was the 2k that the training plan was actually set for (I came late and stayed extra). I think this puts me on track to meeting my goal of 6:45 this summer.
I also learned how to work with a training plan, how to write my own, how to rig and some physics behind rowing. In this way I feel as if I have come closer to the sport.
Many thanks to everyone who helped me along the way here, and many thanks to you for reading my blog. It got well over 800 views so I imagine it was at least mildly interesting at times or that we know each other well enough that you felt compelled to power through it. It's been fun.
To anyone reading this in the future who may be considering applying for the Sparks Rowing New Zealand program I can only recommend it. It is definitely something that will have a lasting effect on you. While it may take you out of your comfort zone for a while, if you're the kind of person that thrives on intensity and pushing yourself to your own limit (likely the case if you're a rower) then it is the place for you. You wont be spoon-fed the sport but will instead learn to take control of it and improve yourself independently.
More photos and videos will come shortly.
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