I often describe the difference between fall head racing and spring sprint racing to the difference between fall cross country and spring track. Red Bull has managed to improve upon this metaphor by actually combining the sports. Below is a video of what can only be described as "extreme cross country rowing." The event begins with a men's eight competition on the water in Switzerland, transitioning to land where the rowers carry their boat and oars through a challenging trail run, get back on the water and row back to the other dock, and then run their boat to the finish line. Check it out!
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
Friday, September 17, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Upping My Game
I very clearly need to up my game. To be honest, there is not a day that goes by that I don't remind myself I haven't posted on this blog for quite sometime. I had a whole list of excuses, but then I remembered that real rowers, "Row hard. No Excuses."
I thought that I would share a video that I came across this summer. I'm kind of in love with the Canadian Men's Heavyweight Eight national team from the 2008 Beijing Olympics who won the gold medal. I'm particularly infatuated by their coach, Mike Spracklen and his coaching demeanor. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so in a news story for the Toronto Star, the rowers were asked to impersonate their coach.
Adam Kreek (with more world gold medals than I can count) says in his Spracklen impression, "Well you may look tired Adam. You can go into the dark, that's fine. Not everyone can be a champion. Not everyone can be an Olympic gold medalist." The impersonation is so nonchalant it is almost insane that someone can talk about something so important in such a calm manner. However, it comes down to a set of choices that a rower can make. You can have excuses, or you can commit and find glory.
As a college rower, it is easy to let a lot of other things in life get in the way of rowing. IF you want to be good, IF you want to row on a strong team, you have to make the commitment. That means making every practice (regardless of your other campus involvement), working out at the gym outside of practice, and making every stroke on the water count.
"Success in rowing is based on the time that you put in." -Adam Kreek
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Like Nails on a Chalkboard
I began the summer coaching the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association in an intensive week long back-to-the-basics rowing camp. Head Coach Steve Loaiza and I created a "lesson plan," and spent each day with a different focus. The aim was to help experienced rowers dust off their skills and prepare rowers of all levels to have a successful summer rowing season. We received a lot of positive feedback from members and as a coach it was helpful to break things down to essential skills and sections of the rowing movement.
I coached a little more, until I went on vacation and returned to the river to find that someone had swiped my launch motor. At first I thought that someone was playing a joke on me or that the motor was being serviced. Unfortunately that was not so, but on a positive note, it did enable me to get back to rowing.
I spent much of last summer rowing in a double with a Bucknell graduate student who had rowed in high school and part of college. Physically and technically, Renee and I were a good match for each other. We even had the opportunity to compete at the Navy Day Regatta and the Masters of the Susquehanna. I say with great certainty that I am in no where near the shape I was in in college, but really appreciated the opportunity to compete once more. In between rowing the Empacher, I coxed a lot last summer, specifically for Learn-to-Row.
Each year, CPRA hosts two "Learn-to-Row" sessions, each session has five days to teach community members how to row. Adults of all ages sign up, usually out of their interest in kayaking, water sports, interest in exercise, wanting to do something for themselves, or having always had a fascination with crew. For some, LTR equates to a fun, week-long camp and a new skill that they learned. For others, their LTR experience encourages them to join the club and row for the rest of the summer (and future years).
This year, we had our first LTR session about three weeks ago. I got to cox and be an "exemplar" rower. I'm a bit of a Chatty Cathy, so coxing during LTR is always a fun opportunity to share stories with new rowers and help talk them through the motion. The nice thing about sitting in the coxswain's seat, as opposed to the coach's launch, is that you never have to worry about shouting over the motor, drifting too far away from the boat, or leaving the boat alone. The downside to coxing new rowers as an experienced rower is that sometimes you just want to do something yourself - like turn the boat around.
I have had to cultivate a certain kind of patience for Learn-to-Row, that I probably didn't have as a young rower. In college, my team had one coach. Every boat had to share one coach, and even with several practices a day, attention may have been difficult to come by in the fall season when it was time to teach novices how to row. Boats were separated and dived up to run land practices or teach in boats. Varsity boats were sent off to practice on their own. This is a common issue even today on the SU team, even when there are two to three coaches on the water. It was frustrating to want to get faster but not have the help, but it was also understood that this was a sacrifice that needed to be made in order to grow the team.
Back to the idea of patience --- I really think that in order to work with Masters rowers, it is important to be understanding, relateable, and positive. For many of the people who are taking LTR, this is the first time that they are trying something new in years. I liken it in many ways to what it is like learning how to drive. I remember being scolded by my driver's ed instructor -- "don't move your whole body to look in the rear view mirror". At the time, it seemed so hard. Now, how many years later, I can be looking directly at the road, subtly glance to my rear view mirror and have an understanding of what is around me without missing a beat. What I once had to train my brain and body to do is now natural. Rowing is very similar in that it takes time, but once you learn to row, it is ingrained in your muscles and brain. Just like riding a bike.
So, to learn how to row, you need to give yourself a free pass to make mistakes. A lot of women tend to obsessively apologize when they are in the boat. As an experienced rower in that boat, you have to help them understand that you are willing to give them time to help them develop their talent. While it is important to be personally responsible for what you are contributing to a boat, if you make a mistake, just make the next stroke better.
Now the part that can sometimes be more trying to me... listening to and feeling the boat are two very important sensory activities for a rower. As a rower, I fully recognize that I am chasing perfection, striving for equilibrium, and oneness with all things. The only things that I really want to hear are the smooth journey of wheels and squaring on the recovery, one crisp catch and strong drive, and a clean release, only to repeat again. You just know when you hear it. It's the sound as a coach that gives me goosebumps as I see a boat racing down the course. (Check out the 22-42 second mark of the Canadian Men's 8 video below).
Remember that I said "perfection." This is not something I'd expect to hear during a LTR session, so instead I usually hear blades flapping on the water, multiple different catches, a barrage of comments from the coxswain and coach with a motor humming in the background. Sometimes it seems like so much background noise I can't even hear what my own blade is doing. That is when things start to sound "like nails on a chalkboard." Bad rowing is painful to listen to, as well as experience. However, this type of experience has challenged me to work on my own skills (I'm not perfect!), rather than blaming or being accusatory toward new rowers.
Coach Steve looked at me last week and said, "boy, I can tell you are a Susquehanna rower from all the way down the course!" Apparently I have taken to pulling into my lap with my port blade close to the finish. He thought for sure I would catch it, just by listening to my finishes. With the LTR din of various sounds, it totally escaped my attention. It didn't necessarily "feel" wrong and I couldn't hear it. It was such a small change, but I definitely have to use my body markers to more consciously think about where I am pulling in to. With infinitely more sweep experience than sculling, I still have a bit more to learn and internalize before I acheive technical prowess as a sculler. So yes, I even need some paitience with myself, in addition to others.
I coached a little more, until I went on vacation and returned to the river to find that someone had swiped my launch motor. At first I thought that someone was playing a joke on me or that the motor was being serviced. Unfortunately that was not so, but on a positive note, it did enable me to get back to rowing.
I spent much of last summer rowing in a double with a Bucknell graduate student who had rowed in high school and part of college. Physically and technically, Renee and I were a good match for each other. We even had the opportunity to compete at the Navy Day Regatta and the Masters of the Susquehanna. I say with great certainty that I am in no where near the shape I was in in college, but really appreciated the opportunity to compete once more. In between rowing the Empacher, I coxed a lot last summer, specifically for Learn-to-Row.
Each year, CPRA hosts two "Learn-to-Row" sessions, each session has five days to teach community members how to row. Adults of all ages sign up, usually out of their interest in kayaking, water sports, interest in exercise, wanting to do something for themselves, or having always had a fascination with crew. For some, LTR equates to a fun, week-long camp and a new skill that they learned. For others, their LTR experience encourages them to join the club and row for the rest of the summer (and future years).
This year, we had our first LTR session about three weeks ago. I got to cox and be an "exemplar" rower. I'm a bit of a Chatty Cathy, so coxing during LTR is always a fun opportunity to share stories with new rowers and help talk them through the motion. The nice thing about sitting in the coxswain's seat, as opposed to the coach's launch, is that you never have to worry about shouting over the motor, drifting too far away from the boat, or leaving the boat alone. The downside to coxing new rowers as an experienced rower is that sometimes you just want to do something yourself - like turn the boat around.
I have had to cultivate a certain kind of patience for Learn-to-Row, that I probably didn't have as a young rower. In college, my team had one coach. Every boat had to share one coach, and even with several practices a day, attention may have been difficult to come by in the fall season when it was time to teach novices how to row. Boats were separated and dived up to run land practices or teach in boats. Varsity boats were sent off to practice on their own. This is a common issue even today on the SU team, even when there are two to three coaches on the water. It was frustrating to want to get faster but not have the help, but it was also understood that this was a sacrifice that needed to be made in order to grow the team.
Back to the idea of patience --- I really think that in order to work with Masters rowers, it is important to be understanding, relateable, and positive. For many of the people who are taking LTR, this is the first time that they are trying something new in years. I liken it in many ways to what it is like learning how to drive. I remember being scolded by my driver's ed instructor -- "don't move your whole body to look in the rear view mirror". At the time, it seemed so hard. Now, how many years later, I can be looking directly at the road, subtly glance to my rear view mirror and have an understanding of what is around me without missing a beat. What I once had to train my brain and body to do is now natural. Rowing is very similar in that it takes time, but once you learn to row, it is ingrained in your muscles and brain. Just like riding a bike.
So, to learn how to row, you need to give yourself a free pass to make mistakes. A lot of women tend to obsessively apologize when they are in the boat. As an experienced rower in that boat, you have to help them understand that you are willing to give them time to help them develop their talent. While it is important to be personally responsible for what you are contributing to a boat, if you make a mistake, just make the next stroke better.
Now the part that can sometimes be more trying to me... listening to and feeling the boat are two very important sensory activities for a rower. As a rower, I fully recognize that I am chasing perfection, striving for equilibrium, and oneness with all things. The only things that I really want to hear are the smooth journey of wheels and squaring on the recovery, one crisp catch and strong drive, and a clean release, only to repeat again. You just know when you hear it. It's the sound as a coach that gives me goosebumps as I see a boat racing down the course. (Check out the 22-42 second mark of the Canadian Men's 8 video below).
Remember that I said "perfection." This is not something I'd expect to hear during a LTR session, so instead I usually hear blades flapping on the water, multiple different catches, a barrage of comments from the coxswain and coach with a motor humming in the background. Sometimes it seems like so much background noise I can't even hear what my own blade is doing. That is when things start to sound "like nails on a chalkboard." Bad rowing is painful to listen to, as well as experience. However, this type of experience has challenged me to work on my own skills (I'm not perfect!), rather than blaming or being accusatory toward new rowers.
Coach Steve looked at me last week and said, "boy, I can tell you are a Susquehanna rower from all the way down the course!" Apparently I have taken to pulling into my lap with my port blade close to the finish. He thought for sure I would catch it, just by listening to my finishes. With the LTR din of various sounds, it totally escaped my attention. It didn't necessarily "feel" wrong and I couldn't hear it. It was such a small change, but I definitely have to use my body markers to more consciously think about where I am pulling in to. With infinitely more sweep experience than sculling, I still have a bit more to learn and internalize before I acheive technical prowess as a sculler. So yes, I even need some paitience with myself, in addition to others.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
SU In the Papers!
Today, the SU Crew team was featured in The Daily Item, the local newspaper of Sunbury, PA. Last week a reporter and photographer/videographer came to check out our team. They took some great photos and video of our team, that can be found at the links below.
Please excuse the fact that I sound like a total airhead on the video, but I was really nervous! When I first started coaching, I told Coach Jim that I would do anything but drive the trailer. Coach Jim has kept to his word, but is happy to have an assistant around to do things that he doesn't like. Apparently "other duties as assigned," includes being on camera, because Coach Jim is camera shy. (Jim, don't worry, I'm just razzing you).
The video features glimpses of our boat house, the novice women carrying their boat to the water, and the men's varsity four in action.
Please excuse the fact that I sound like a total airhead on the video, but I was really nervous! When I first started coaching, I told Coach Jim that I would do anything but drive the trailer. Coach Jim has kept to his word, but is happy to have an assistant around to do things that he doesn't like. Apparently "other duties as assigned," includes being on camera, because Coach Jim is camera shy. (Jim, don't worry, I'm just razzing you).
The video features glimpses of our boat house, the novice women carrying their boat to the water, and the men's varsity four in action.
Friday, March 12, 2010
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.
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!
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!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Preparing for the Races
Row2K just posted an awesome video of the CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Championships. Originally started in 1980 by several former US Olympic Rowers, the "Charles River All Star Has-Beens" are still the official governing body of indoor rowing.
We see the SU records almost every day, but have you ever been curious about the world records in our sport? The current record holder for the fastest 2k time is Rob Waddell of New Zealand, who posted a 5:36.6 and he won the CRASH B Sprints 3 times.
This year, the talk of the town was 18 year-old Felix Bach of Germany who broke his erg during the start of his heat with the junior men. He broke the chain and his machine was lifting off the ground, so he was forced to join a later heat with the lightweight junior women. He ultimately posted a 5:51.8, which was 25 seconds faster than the second place Junior Men's finisher. It looks nearly effortless. (Please note that the lightweight woman in the green shirt and pink shorts next to Felix is dipping her hands after she gets past the knees and it becomes particularly pronounced toward the end of the video.)
You can also see from the video that Felix has chosen a coach or friend to motivate him through the piece, especially in the last 300m or so. As you are thinking about Erg Armageddon, think about who you would like your coxswain or motivator to be. It can be a fellow rower, coxswain, or coach. Just remember that the heats quickly follow one another, so it would not be wise to choose someone in a heat before or directly after yours. Think about the key points in your piece that you need extra encouragement, share your race plan with that person, and also think about words or phrases that you really want to hear.
Everyone gets their motivation from a different place. Maybe you just want your iPod. Maybe you just want someone to sit quietly behind you saying encouraging words every now and then. Maybe you want someone to sit there an be quiet until the sprint. Maybe you want someone there shouting in you ear every second of the way. Maybe you want a whole bunch of people cheering for you. Think about what you need and don't be afraid to communicate that with your teammates, family, friends, or others attending the race.
Also, don't forget that our friendly neighborhood rowing association, the CPRA (Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association) is sending members to race. Please be sure to cheer them on as you would your own teammates! They still say glowing things about SU crew since we raced with them at Navy Day in Philly.
We see the SU records almost every day, but have you ever been curious about the world records in our sport? The current record holder for the fastest 2k time is Rob Waddell of New Zealand, who posted a 5:36.6 and he won the CRASH B Sprints 3 times.
| Category | Time | Split | Nation | Year | Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Men | 5:36.6 | 1:24.1 | NZL | 2007 | Rob Waddell |
| Lwt Men | 5:58.5 | 1:29.6 | DEN | 2009 | Henrik Stephansen |
| Open Women | 6:28.4 | 1:37.1 | FRA | 2005 | Sophie Balmary |
| Lwt Women | 6:56.7 | 1:44.1 | USA | 2000 | Lisa Schlenker |
This year, the talk of the town was 18 year-old Felix Bach of Germany who broke his erg during the start of his heat with the junior men. He broke the chain and his machine was lifting off the ground, so he was forced to join a later heat with the lightweight junior women. He ultimately posted a 5:51.8, which was 25 seconds faster than the second place Junior Men's finisher. It looks nearly effortless. (Please note that the lightweight woman in the green shirt and pink shorts next to Felix is dipping her hands after she gets past the knees and it becomes particularly pronounced toward the end of the video.)
You can also see from the video that Felix has chosen a coach or friend to motivate him through the piece, especially in the last 300m or so. As you are thinking about Erg Armageddon, think about who you would like your coxswain or motivator to be. It can be a fellow rower, coxswain, or coach. Just remember that the heats quickly follow one another, so it would not be wise to choose someone in a heat before or directly after yours. Think about the key points in your piece that you need extra encouragement, share your race plan with that person, and also think about words or phrases that you really want to hear.
Everyone gets their motivation from a different place. Maybe you just want your iPod. Maybe you just want someone to sit quietly behind you saying encouraging words every now and then. Maybe you want someone to sit there an be quiet until the sprint. Maybe you want someone there shouting in you ear every second of the way. Maybe you want a whole bunch of people cheering for you. Think about what you need and don't be afraid to communicate that with your teammates, family, friends, or others attending the race.
Also, don't forget that our friendly neighborhood rowing association, the CPRA (Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association) is sending members to race. Please be sure to cheer them on as you would your own teammates! They still say glowing things about SU crew since we raced with them at Navy Day in Philly.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Music as Motivation
I know that I have told some of you that I went to college "before there were iPods." I remember many afternoons in college running on the Isle of Que, on the "farm run," with my clunky portable CD player. I had mix CDs with Moby, Maroon Five, Britney Spears, Pink, Sum 41, LIT, and more. I remember many practices in the Green Room* with our stereo blasting, being educated in heavy metal, old school rock, blue grass, German techno, and the worst idea ever -- School House Rock Conjunction Junction. Thanks to Greg Giuntini and Brian Card, I got pretty schooled on Pantera, Coal Chamber, Soulfly, and other really angry metal songs. The upside to said songs are that the anger really does channel well into an erg piece. Thankfully Pete Haberkost was always able to lighten the mood with a little OAR, Jack Johnson, and always knew what was going to be popular way before it became mainstream.
My favorite song to play during erg tests was this crazy German techno song of Coach's that counted down in German. I also remember erging to Bill Joel's "Pressure" remix at Erg Armageddon one year. It seemed like an appropriate song at the time. Music has always and still does have a huge impact on me when I exercise.
Music is an awesome training tool that can help us more sharply tune our ability to focus, help us transcend pain, and push us further than we thought we could go. At the end of a long run, I always have go-to songs that I know will help me pick up the pace and finish strong. Equally, when I take an aerobics class at the gym, the instructor puts on a slower more mellow song at the end to help our heart rates slow down and to help us focus our breathing. These are some of my favorite erging songs (with enough energy to keep you moving!):
*The Green Room was comprised of where the ergs currently are and the section of the weight room next door. That section had fake green grass outdoor carpeting, which smelled pretty badly and pieces always got stuck on the back of your shirt -- thus the term Green Room.
My favorite song to play during erg tests was this crazy German techno song of Coach's that counted down in German. I also remember erging to Bill Joel's "Pressure" remix at Erg Armageddon one year. It seemed like an appropriate song at the time. Music has always and still does have a huge impact on me when I exercise.
Music is an awesome training tool that can help us more sharply tune our ability to focus, help us transcend pain, and push us further than we thought we could go. At the end of a long run, I always have go-to songs that I know will help me pick up the pace and finish strong. Equally, when I take an aerobics class at the gym, the instructor puts on a slower more mellow song at the end to help our heart rates slow down and to help us focus our breathing. These are some of my favorite erging songs (with enough energy to keep you moving!):
- Body in Motion - Wise Guys
- Just Gotta Get Through This - Daniel Bedingfield
- Jump (For My Love) - The Pointer Sisters
*The Green Room was comprised of where the ergs currently are and the section of the weight room next door. That section had fake green grass outdoor carpeting, which smelled pretty badly and pieces always got stuck on the back of your shirt -- thus the term Green Room.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Inspiration and Inches
In need of a little inspirational speech? In honor of Superbowl Sunday, here is a video about rowing for "inches" based on Al Pacino's speech in Any Given Sunday. Erging and rowing are about fighting for inches, and on the water every inch can translate into a foot. It is about trusting your teammates enough to know that they are with you every second of the way.
Strong competitors prepare as if they are going into battle. They trust in themselves and trust in their teammates. They have the desire and the fire to leave everything out there, to not save an ounce of energy, to not question their ability in the moment, and commit relentlessly to their goal.
On this team, we fight for that inch
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the f'ing difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.
I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know
if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.
Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy
who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.
That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the f'ing difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.
I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know
if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.
Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy
who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.
That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
Strong competitors prepare as if they are going into battle. They trust in themselves and trust in their teammates. They have the desire and the fire to leave everything out there, to not save an ounce of energy, to not question their ability in the moment, and commit relentlessly to their goal.
"Give them nothing, but take from them everything." - King Leonidas from 300
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2009
Pinsent versus Cracknell - erg surge
Great job on the workouts Ali and welcome to our team! Thanks to Lauren M., Nick, Jaime P., Colleen, Joe, Devin, Rob, Angel of Death, Paula, Chris C., Stephen, and Coach Jim for keeping us all updated on your winter workouts! - Coach Rachael
Great job on the workouts Ali and welcome to our team! Thanks to Lauren M., Nick, Jaime P., Colleen, Joe, Devin, Rob, Angel of Death, Paula, Chris C., Stephen, and Coach Jim for keeping us all updated on your winter workouts! - Coach Rachael
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