Indiana University Athletics
Rowing Winter Training Trip Journal: Betsy Hibbard, Jan. 4
1/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Jan. 4, 2007
With Indiana's rowing team in Tampa, Fla., for its annual winter training trip from Dec. 31-Jan.6, members of the team will be checking in with IUHOOSIERS.com each day to share how the trip is going. Below is senior Betsy Hibbard's account from the road.
Everyone in the sport of rowing pulls hard. Rowing has to be more than pulling hard in order to win races and compete. One of the biggest advantages to having a week like this of just rowing is the hours of opportunities to make technical changes. If a rower wants to be fast, she must learn to make these changes.
This morning we took out two eights with (head coach) Steve (Peterson). We focused on both the ends: the catch and the finish. For the catch (when then blade enters the water) to be effective, we must place them in on the way up. If we wait to put the blade in at the top of the slide, then we waste time sitting in the back end of the boat. If we put the blade in when we already turn the seat around, we waste time our blades could be in the water and then throw our weight toward the back instead of the finish line.
With the finish, when the blade releases the water at the end of the stroke before we return to take another, we must work to keep the blade from surfacing the water and release together at the same height so the boat remains balanced.
So there's some rowing junk that I tried to explain clearly that we, along with other teams, are constantly drilling. :)
This morning we practiced drills to help these areas, then applied hard pressure. It's easier to make these changes while not pulling, but those who go fast learn to apply their knowledge while racing. There were lots of strokes during our hard pieces on which we saw the changes made! Yeah Hoosiers! But there were also lots of strokes on which we can improve to gain speed.
In the afternoon, we took out two fours with (assistant coach) Carmen (Mirochna). We focused on placing the blade in before we got to the catch, along with making the boat jump and glide together effectively. We did more drills, a couple of new ones, that the rowers got excited for. Afterward, we just took some strokes, focusing on boat feel. The rowers found that with these drills combined with only body pressure (less pressure), they were able to stretch out and relax their bodies on the recovery. They also found out they were able to coach themselves better on their own technique flaws.
Our Hoosiers are absorbing knowledge and making changes this week. If we maintain this discipline and focus throughout the end of the week and all the way through the season, then we will see the changes toward our competition happen. With each change the rowers make, it's another inch or so we gain on other crews. We're all fired up and excited to see what this team can accomplish and what standards we can raise for our program!
GO HOOSIERS!!
Betsy
