Indiana University Athletics
Spring Break Stories - Megan Robb
3/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
March 16, 2006
CLEMSON, S.C. - The Indiana rowing team is currently training in Clemson, S.C, for its spring break training trip from March 12-18. The Hoosiers will write in to IUHOOSIERS.com from time to time to let everyone know how the team is doing. Sophomore Megan Robb is the fourth to report in from Clemson.
We began on a chilly note in Clemson, S.C., on Wednesday. Although the temperature had dipped, the morning was still beautiful during the optional run to the lake, however. We spent the morning on the race course, pinning down our warm-up routine for race day and giving our coxswains a chance to feel out the course as well. Rowing down the empty race course, it was difficult to imagine that in less than three days it will be filled with dozens of sleek shells and race-day adrenaline. It is easy to get distracted with possibilities, hopes and fears as race day approaches. But encouraged by our capable coxswains and the advice of our coach Carmen Mirochna, we kept our focus on the task at hand, intent on making what improvements were possible during that practice, at that moment.
Maintaining a powerful steady-state for the length of the course, we continued our effort to come together on each stroke as one powerful crew with one catch, drive and finish. Now is the time when we apply the fitness we have gained over the winter by erging, weight-lifting, and running to accomplish our ultimate goal: to move a boat and move it fast.
In the afternoon, the novice boats returned to the water for start sequences and several short power-pieces. We practiced the crucial transition from base race pace to the final sprint at the end of the race, focusing on keeping control at high stroke rates. For many of the novices, Saturday will be our first 2k race piece. We are excited about applying the positive changes we've made not only in the past three days, but in the past several months as well, to a strong race piece. After a boisterous dinner at the Clemson dining hall, we met with our boats again to decide our race plan for Saturday. The coxswains will review this plan several times before Saturday, so that they will be prepared to lead us effectively with calls for pride, power, and focus.
The countdown to Saturday has begun, and it is apparent that the women of the Hoosier rowing team are milking this experience for all it is worth. We are eager to gain experience in all aspects of rowing, and Saturday will be one more opportunity to practice working together as a team while we lay it all on the line.
