Interlude from Crappy-row, or a blog for H1.

About this time last year, I wrote a blog entry about my trip to Twizel (Twizel sticks) for the NZ Rowing National Championships with the crew that I coached. The season coaching was great, the week in Twizel was fantastic, the results on the water..... ok. 



So, determined not to get another stinky fourth, I thought I’d start recruiting for another crack at the national champs this season. A  handful of rowers-to be met me outside the Wellington Rowing Club one evening last winter and we started to do a bit of fitness work. Of that group, a couple made it through the season, many more joined, a few left, and some didn’t show up in the first place. Last month, the remaining 9 women, Toby the crazy coxswain and I traveled up to lake Karapiro for the 2012 National champs. The girls had worked extremely hard throughout the season and had a successful season so far, cleaning up all comers in the Wellington region. Anyway, long story short, the crew got a silver medal at the nationals in our target event, the Women’s Novice 8. A huge achievement given the resources at the disposal of their opponents. (access to flat water and professional coaching staff).

What’s this got to do with the boat you may say?  Go on, say it…



Wellinton RC Novice Women get their medals after rowing a mere 2k of the mighty Waikato.

  Time, that’s what it’s got to do with the boat. I was coaching on Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday evening, Friday morning, Saturday morning and Sunday morning. On top of that, Chris attended a lot of the training sessions to lend me and the crew his experience. Spending early mornings in the coaching boat was a good test of our ability to sit in a boat together I may add. Two control freaks, one steering wheel, one throttle, one crew, two opinions. Actually it worked quite well, and Chris deserves a big chunk of my medal. Except I gave it away. 


Anyway, add to that three training camps and at least three weekends away at regattas, plus the week at nationals, I just didn’t have the energy to devote to the boat. I think I can speak for Chris when I say that he had used up his quota of favours at home and his ability to get over to work on the boat was diminished somewhat every time he came along to a rowing session.

Anyway, Nationals is over, and we still haven’t finished the boat, I’d better start thinking of another excuse.

Why "a blog for H1" I hear you ask ?

Not telling.

See ya later Karapiro.