Hola Amigos! Que pasa?

Hola amigos! I have just returned from an amazing week with friends in Miami, Mexico, and Belize and am ready to get back to work, coaching, and blogging! Just to prove my love and affinity for the water and rowing, I spend 5 nights on a cruise ship, erged three times (on a sweet new Model E!), paddle boated and jumped on a water trampoline in the ocean, went cave tubing, and took a ride on a catamaran. I also got to go ice skating, zip lining through the jungle, and did so many other fun things. Did I mention my old coxswain was on the trip with me?

Yet I am so excited to get back into my launch with the team and to get to row again this summer. Since this marks the end of my exciting Spring Break trips, I thought that I would do a final farewell picture recap of SU Spring Break before moving on to the racing season.

Here I am coxing the BEYOND AWESOME new Vespoli DS V1 on the last day of Spring Break. You can also see the lovely Tess Graham.

Freshmen Chris Ballway(1) and Justin Yedibalian (2)

Chris Chizeck during his first time in the single.

Chris Chidzik once more.

Sarah Hawk (1), Megan Butts (2), Lauren Seamon (3), Christine Magee (4), and coxswain Justin Yedibalian

Stroke Tomas Prestamo and coxswain Rob Penaherrara

Paula Trinchera (1), Erica Mall (2), Lauren Moore (3), Kate Strangfeld (1), and coxswain Chris Chizeck

Here is a time progression of our Men's 8 on the last day of Spring Break. They start out looking pretty good: I saw solid rhythm, early squaring, and nice hand levels...

Then they got a little tired and had to take a nap... Or maybe they were just sunning themselves. Your guess is as good as mine.

Then they turned into bandits or ninjas or some other shirtless band of mercenaries...

Rob Penaherrara (1), Nick Fritz (2), John Adams (3), Devin Thomas (4), Stephen Hyde (5), Tomas Prestamo (6), Joe Klass (7), James Hendershot (8), and coxswain Jon Fellin.

Overall, it was a trip to remember with good friends, good times, and even better water!

Erika Mall

Lauren Seamon and Megan Butts

Our hard working trailer loading team...

Spring Break 2010 Photos Part 3

Surprise... even more Spring Break photos!

Spring Break 2010 Photos Part 2

Surprise... more Spring Break photos!

Our fearless leader, Head Coach Jim Grose

Coxswain Chris Chizeck, Christine Magee, James Hendershot, Sarah Hawk, and John Adams

Freshman Lauren Moore in the double (Katie Messler not shown)

Blogging Vacation

SU Crew competed against F&M and Bryn Mawr today - results pending.

I am going on vacation this week, so the blog will be taking a short hiatus. In the meantime, if you'd really like to surprise me upon my return -- LEAVE SOME COMMENTS! Also in my absence, photos may still post during the week I am away.

Also, please enjoy a small selection of Spring Break Training photos - with more on the way!

Novice Kate Strangfeld - her first time in a single. Look at those guns!

Seniors Sarah Hawk (2) and Christine Magee (1) in the double

Sophomore Stephen Hyde as cox, John Adams, Chris Ballway, Justin Yedibalian, and Rob Penaherrera

Sophomore Devin Thomas as cox, Kate Stranfeld, Lauren Season, Meghan Butts, and Jonathan Fellin

Coach Rachael Gebely in the single, sophomores Devin Thomas and Stephen Hyde

Spring Break 2010 - Eat, Sleep, Row.

Yesterday we went for one last row, packed the trailer, and headed home. The weather had cleared and the water flattened up for us to give us a good send off, although I think that a lot of people could have done without the mud. When non-rowers thinks of crew, it probably seems so dignified and classy. Real rowers know that there is a lot of dirt, mud, geese poop, sweat, blood, oil, and potentially polluted water involved. But we love it anyway.

In order to accommodate the 22 rowers that traveled with us to Tennessee, we had two 8's, four 4's, one double, one single, and two launches (with motors) on board the trailer with a lot of odds and ends. Thanks to our Trailer Maststress, Christine Magee and the imaginative engineering of Coach Jim Grose, everything fit and arrived home safe and sound late on Saturday night at the boathouse.

The week was full of a lot of great rowing and great memories. I may have mentioned this before, but I laughed so hard that I almost cried many times this week. I learned a lot of new things related to coaching and teamwork, but also about life. On the lighter side, I learned that it is physically possible to get a piece of toast stuck up your nose (and then blow it out), that there are many midwesterners studying abroad in Vienna with thick accents (dontcha knough?), Olympians are confused when you ask them for an autograph in a TN gym (although gracious), oar locks don't work very well when they are backwards, it is possible for a fresh water fish to grow to the size of a large goose, the best way to recuperate from a hard day is to sit in a $4000 Brookstone massage chair, I'm a "nice lady," a bus can have the air conditioner and the heat running at the same time, don't publicly advertise that you have a jacuzzi bathtub in your hotel room when the pool is closed, electric lighting is not natural in a cave, if you tell someone to do something for good luck they may go a little too far, and much more. What was your favorite or funniest Spring Break memory? Don't forget to post it in the comment section. Also, I need photos to post this week on the blog, please send me some at rgebely@gmail.com!






We did a lot of eating, a lot of sleeping, and a lot of rowing. Throw in some Frisbee, team bonding, and checking out other teams and that is the summary of our Spring Break.

When It Rains, It Pours Friday

This morning we beat the bad weather by getting in three 8 minute racing pieces. All of our boats are progressing well at this point in the week and I had the opportunity to film some more of their rowing. As a little preview as to what is to come, here are some SU boats and part of the Canadian National Team (with a few Olympians and a bronze medalist in there somewhere!).



During our optional 11:30am practice, I got to drive the van by myself and coach by myself. I guess I am moving up in the ranks. Nothing beats a week of intensive launch driving and practicing as a crash course into coaching. I certainly feel more confident with the motor and megaphone than I did last semester. I'm still learning a lot each day, but it feels nice to have something to be challenged by as much as rowing once did for me as a student.

"I think that's why I coach.. I used to get up early every morning with a clear goal in mind of how fast I was going to be. When I stopped rowing, there was a void in my daily routine. Now I go to bed at night and get up morning with a clear goal in mind of how fast you are going to be." -- Chris Allsopp, freshman coach, United States Military Academy

The sky looked ominous on the way over, with a bit of rain, but we were determined to go out anyway. Devin Thomas took out a single after one practice in the double. Nick Fritz and Chris Ballway took out the double with limited experience as well. We stayed on the 2000m course, so that we would be close to the dock. The wind kicked up a bit across the course and just when we thought the storm may have passed, lightening struck. Luckily each boat and the launch made it safely back to the dock in the pouring rain. Kudos to the guys for rowing in adverse conditions and still having a great time.

We spent the rest of the afternoon indoors playing "cards." Each team member was dealt five cards and the sum represented the number of reps or seconds the team had to perform of the exercise of their choosing. We had a wide range of exercises from yoga, burpees, mountain climbers, diamond push ups, air squats, jumping jacks, ab work, jumpees, and much more for a total of over 40 different kinds of exercises. We finished our session with some pilates, yoga, and stretching. We also reviewed our film footage from this morning and watched a great technical breakdown on Row2k regarding front and backsplash. We also got to distribute our sweet Spring Break tshirts.


After cleaning up, we had a spectacular dinner at the Flat Water Grille which overlooks the Oak Ridge 2k race course. The food was excellent, the portions monstrous, and the company divine. You can tell we are a tight knit crew team when we have no problems eating off one anthers' plates! I think that I almost laughed until I cried today and found out that you can actually snort food out of your nose. Luckily I did not personally experience this phenomena. It will be sad to say goodbye to Oak Ridge tomorrow and return to regular life. The good news is that the racing season has just begun and who knows what is in store for us for the rest of the semester!

Put Me In Coach Thursday

Today we raced North Park University. We fielded a mixed novice/varsity women's eight, varsity men's (almost lightweight) four, and a novice men's four. We also had our double on the water. It's fun to get out and see what the crews are capable of at this point in the week.

It makes me very excited for racing season, as I have been away from Sprint racing for four years. There is just something about head to head/side by side racing that is more intense and captivating than head race season. Sprint race season is when crews race 2000 meters (1.25 miles) in lanes right next to each other. There is a competitiveness and "do or die" mentality about it, unmatched even on the ergs. After all of the practices and preparation, crew's do what they have trained for -- what we live for.

"The feel of a good row stays with you hours afterward. Your muscles glow, your mind wanders from the papers on you desk and goes back, again and again, to that terrific power piece at the end of the workout when it felt as if you and the boat were flying, as if you legs were two cannons and your arms were two oars and the great lateral muscles of your back were pterodactyl wings and the brim of your baseball cap was a harpoon." -- Barry Strauss from Rowing Against the Current

Good rowing is a feeling as much as it is a physical output. A rower will chase the feeling of a good row for the entirety of his or her career -- be it one stroke, one piece, one practice, one race... It feels like sheer perfection when a crew finds itself in sync with one another and at peace with the water itself. A good crew can make racing look good. Peaceful or serene even. However, there is a lot of training, guts, and sheer determination that helps them accomplish that. Outside of the boats it looks like a finely orchestrated ballet, inside however, there is often blood, sweat, and gut wrenching toil.

"The rower need to know technique and has to be in shape. He won't wrong by using strategy. Yet what it takes to win races is the ability to reach inside and pull out something to keep you going -- no, to go faster -- when you have nothing left to give. There's a word for what that takes and the word is not magic, the word is guts." -- Barry Strauss from Rowing Against the Current

Unlike other sports, there are rarely surprises and upsets in rowing. Essentially, you can only be as fast as you practice. Sure the pressure of a race can help you reach a little bit deeper or hold out a little bit longer, but racing is simply proof of how hard you have been working.

"In the early months of training you're thinking 'What the hell is all this for?' Because the race is so far off. There's so much tedium and discipline and brutal effort to hammer through. You have to resist the subconsious desire to put an end to all this self-inflicted hardship. But as the days pass and you feel yourself getting stronger, you begin to live for the next day. You punish yourself if with a will in training, because you know you're facing a race that will suspend your life. Somewhere in the race, you will find out what it is you've been working for. And your asking big questions of your body, and when the right answers are coming back, it's a feeling you know you will never forget." -- Dan Topolski from TRUE BLUE, The Oxford Boat Race Mutiny

Slow But Steady State Wednesday

It's Wednesday and everyone is starting to drag a little bit. It was obvious today that more than a few of us could use a little more rest. Everyone is experiencing some kind of stiffness, overuse soreness/injury, or being just plain tired. We were a little slower to the bus this morning for practice, but all in all had a great practice. Every day we seem to make it a little bit farther downstream. Despite being tired, I saw some great energy on the water and some boats really starting to move together.

After returning to the hotel, several team members and I did some more yoga and stretching to help combat soreness or just being generally tight. Today we experimented with a little music with our yoga. Rob Penaherrera showed us all how to "move [our] hips like yeah," to Miley Cyrus. It is hard to concentrate on deep breathing when we were laughing so hard! I also showed Katie Messler and Tess Graham how to do the "Single Ladies" attitude hand movements later that day. It's a real shame that we don't have a karaoke machine down here or a crew team dance off! We are a versatile crew in so many ways.

I found my way to the gym afterward, but I hear that there was a fairly intense game of Ultimate Frisbee going on before everyone showered up for our afternoon off. We took the bus to the Lost Sea, America's Largest Underground Lake. Almost everyone tried to catch a snooze and get some much needed rest. Even going to bed early doesn't seem to cut it at this point in the week.

I was convinced that we would see a Fraggle in the cave and was woefully disappointed that no one had ever heard of Fraggle Rock -- Jim Henson's muppets that lived underground and liked to sing a lot.


We did however get to stare down the "Devil's Hole," learn about prehistoric jaguars and moonshine distilerys, touch/hug/kiss the "Bear's Paw" for good luck (again I wish I had some photos downloaded to post!), and take a ride on the lake in a glass bottom boat. Our tour guide gave us a little guff for not rowing on the lake, even giving us two boat paddles. We did however practice our set by rocking the boat back and forth. It was a pretty cool trip.



After that we hit the mall in Knoxville for some food and more fun. Katie, Tess, and I spent about a half hour in Brookstone on their most excellent massage chairs. It's amazing what a little massage can do for tired and achy muscles. I think we could have fallen asleep right there in the store. Even Coach Jim was hooked.

Tomorrow we race. We are going to do some practice racing against North Park University. Bring it on!

Victory Squat Tuesday

Today we logged a lot of excellent miles on the water. This morning I had an opportunity to cox a mixed four, which is the first time I have been in the John M. Thumm. As a Vespoli DL, the coxswain's seat is nice and roomy to accommodate the snow suit I have been decked out in this week. Although the weather has been fantastic, it always feels colder as a coach or coxswain. While the rowers are dressed in shorts and tshirts, the coaches really layer up and in some cases can be seen sporting brightly colored survival suits. I really do miss being in a boat, and if coxing is what gets me one back into one, I will happily comply!

Speaking of coaches: yesterday Coach Jim dropped his megaphone in the water and I am happy to report after letting it dry out, it is working just fine. My megaphone is still on the fritz, but it usually straightens out after a good bump or two in the launch. Between the megaphones and the motors, there is always something to worry about. It is easy to miss the simplicity of powering your own boat that rowing affords.

"I think that's why I coach... I used to get up early every morning with a clear goal in mind of how fast I was going to be. When I stopped rowing, there was a void in my daily routine. Now I go to bed at night and get up morning with a clear goal in mind of how fast you are going to be." -- Chris Allsopp, freshman coach, United States Military Academy

We have been spending a lot of time in small boats such as the fours and double, in an effort to hone our technique. While the beginning of the week focused primarily on drills, we are now moving into more power pieces. We sent seven rowers, one coxswain, and an observer out during our optional 11:30am pratice. Everyone is itching to try out the double or single and making great progress at that! The afternoon was spent practicing racing starts and longer power pieces.

We finished up with an extended yoga and stretch session, as everyone is starting to really feel the week's efforts. Although some of our teammates thought it looked a little awkward to outsiders, it was much needed. Pictures are definitely to come once they get uploaded! We stuck with the usual -- victory squat, tree, plank, and chair and added some new twists, such as the mermaid and egg. Although thoroughly grass covered, I can say that we all benefited from our poses. A few team members headed to the gym before dinner to get some lifting in.

We ate dinner at Olive Garden and went through many baskets of breadsticks and bowls of salad. Everyone was full and tired by the ride home. Wednesday is our "fun day," which means that we will row in the morning and then take the afternoon off in favor of a fun activity. Until then, SLEEP!

Sounds Like Somebody has a Case of the Mondays

On Sunday we finished the day with a team pizza party and videotape viewing in the hotel banquet room. It gave us a great opportunity to step back and see the coach's perspective from a launch and focus on the improvements we can make in the coming days. Already today I noticed rowers making small changes and adjustments based on the feedback they received yesterday. Our goal is to videotape one more time and compare/contrast our performance once they week is through. I will post videos once I return to a better internet connection.

We completed our second full day on the water today. You might ask, what does a typical day look like?

• 6:30am: Wake up, get dressed, and eat breakfast at the hotel
• 7:00am-9:30am: Load the bus to drive to the river. Rowers take oars down to the docks and return to carry the boats while the coaches fire up the launches. Practice drills by pairs and full boats. Watch coaches' motors die (several times) and hope they can get started back up.
• 9:30am: Load the bus to drive to the hotel. Eat second breakfast. Thank our hostess who always makes sure we have plenty to eat. Play Frisbee/take a nap/work on homework.
• Optional 11:30am: Drive in the van to the river to take out small sculling boats (double and single). Stay out until 1:15pm, dock, and return to the hotel for a quick change or snack.
• 2:00pm-5:30pm: Load the bus and get ready for a second (or third) row of the day. Fill the launch gas tanks. Change line ups. Begin by practicing drills and get into racing pieces. Watch coaches' motors die (several times). Watch coach's megaphone die and have to shout over the motor roar. Stop to observe a large dead fish. Turn, race some more and then dock. Strap all of the gear down, secure the launches for the day.
• 5:30pm: Return to the hotel, shower up and get ready for dinner.
• 7:00pm: Eat dinner as a team. Copious amounts of food are always appreciated and expected. Congregate in the lobby to play cards, games, or just hang out. Have coaches check hands for blisters. Sleep.

We take rowing, eating, and sleeping very seriously. Often times in that order. Even if we are serious on the water we also always try to have a good time. That is usually accomplished through humor. Rower Chris Chizeck wants to share a joke with you that he created today. What do motorboats and coffee have in common? They wake you. The only down side to rowing on a beautiful stretch of water is that others find it attractive too -- such as fishermen and recreational boaters. Traveling a great speeds, they create large wakes that can make it difficult (or sometimes impossible) to row through.

Back to the eating part. We ate at Ryan's Steakhouse this evening which is an all-you-can-eat buffet. As a crew team, the restaurant presented us with a boat paddle (like the kind the coaches use when their motors die) to sign as a team and hang on the wall. "Ryan's Appreciates Rowers" and proudly displays a paddle of each team that eats there.

Sunday Morning Row

We just completed our first row of Spring Break 2010. We wanted to send a message to all of you out there, so check out the video below:



We spent the morning exploring the water and video taping. Tonight we will dissect it to see what improvements we can make as the week and season go on.

Safe and Sound

To our friends and families: SU Crew arrived at 10:30am in Oak Ridge, TN --- safe and sound. After a long bus ride (we left PA at midnight on Friday) and quite a few rest stops, we had some lunch, set up our boat site, got together for Ultimate Frisbee, and had a gut busting Mexican dinner. We plan to row at least two times each day and will leave on Saturday stronger, fitter, and more technically proficient.

Finally, off the ergs and back onto the water!

If you are interested in keeping up with us this week, try checking out the Oak Ridge Rowing Association marina web cams. You will undoubtedly see many teams out looking to capitalize on the great weather and water Oak Ridge has to offer.

Spring Break - HERE WE COME!

Watch out Oak Ridge, SU Crew is coming to town on Saturday!

For those of you unfamiliar, Oak Ridge, TN is like a rower's mecca. Plenty of reasonable accommodations, affordable and delicious places to eat, as well as miles and miles of gorgeous water!

So the weather may be a little unpredictable -- snow last year anyone?

But we are ready to hit the road and then get out on the water. More pictures and hilarity to ensue. Stay tuned!

Spring Break Planning

Spring Break is quickly approaching. Here are a few reminders:

We will be traveling to Oak Ridge via bus. Unlike our race buses, this one will not have a bathroom, however we will be stopping at rest stops or gas stations as needed through out the night for gas. There is plenty of storage for luggage underneath of the bus.

Don't forget to bring:

• Refillable water bottle
• Sneakers (for running or other activities)
  
• Swim Suit (to utilize the hotel's pool)
  
• Medications and Inhalers
• Insurance card
  
• Clothing appropriate for different types of weather
  

As far as weather goes, the lows are expected to be in the mid to upper 30's. The later parts of the day are expected to be in the mid-50s. There could be rain, snow, or some other form of freak weather, so be prepared! My freshman year we started out in snowsuits and ended up in t-shirts and tank tops. Remember that we will be rowing two times a day and you may be asked to cox at some point. You will want clean clothes the evening for dinner. Also, sage traveling wisdom states that you can never pack enough pairs of socks or underwear.

Additional items to consider:

• Blanket or pillow for the bus ride
• Board Games for the hotel
• Cellphone (don't forget the charger!)
  

There will be three Canadian preparatory schools and four colleges joining us at Spring Training in Oak Ridge. The rowing venue is quite large, but be prepared to experience boat traffic, especially if the local crews are out as well.

• Upper Canada College
  
• Branksome Hall School
• Havergal College
• Notre Dame Women and Men
  
• Marquette University
  
• University of Buffalo
• North Park University

More info to follow about our fun day!

Some Friendly Reminders

Three things (in case you didn't read my email):

1. SPRING BREAK
I really hope that if you haven’t already thought about our Spring Break Training trip that you highly consider this AWESOME opportunity for early water time, conditioning, and team bonding. Although some people might like to spend their Spring Break basking on a beach, the water on Melton Park Lake is better than any ocean I can imagine! Why spend thousands of dollars on a cruise, when you can spend $250 (plus a little more for dinner and maybe some Epsom salts) to spend time with the people you love, doing what you love.

We are staying at the Hampton Inn in Oak Ridge, TN. We get a full hot breakfast and in the past they have kept the food available for lunch too! There is a small fitness room, an indoor pool, and a hot tub.You can find information about our rowing venue and pictures of the course and river.

A typical day includes breakfast, rowing, lunch, (maybe napping), rowing, dinner, hanging out with friends, and sleep. Eat, sleep, row; repeat. One day during the week, we will be having a "fun" day or day off. Last year the team went on a hike to the Smokey Mountains. Please take a second to vote on our fun day activity on the side of the blog if you haven't already.

2. THE SU CREW BLOG
Every few days I am posting new rowing resources and team history on the SU Crew Blog. This season I hope to keep track of the races we attend and will highlight usable information. I would encourage you to check it often and even get involved in posting.

I'd like to add information about packing for Spring Break, using music as a training tool, taking care of blisters, and much more. If there is something that you are particularly interested in, let me know. I ALWAYS need photos. Eventually, I think it would be great to get parents to visit the site and alumni.

3. PRACTICES
I am really proud of the accomplishments and strides the team is making on the ergs. From the hard work that I saw on Tuesday and particularly Wednesday this week, I can tell that you are committed to continual improvement and pushing yourselves further than you think you can go. I think my favorite saying that came out of the day was that "you train the brain to push past the pain." I know that rhyming is a little hokey, but I hope that you will remind yourself often that it is your brain that is telling your body that erging hurts and not the other way around. Our bodies are capable of so much more than our brains want to give us credit for and just like we are conditioning our muscles, we need to condition our minds!

For those of you that Coach Jim and I haven't seen around lately, I really want to emphasize the importance of these winter practices. Races are won in the "off season" more so than on. All of the work that we are doing now is going to translate to speed and endurance on the water. Not coming to practice now can effect your ability to earn a seat in the boat later.