Things come in 3’s…

The dreaded 2km ergo test needed completing before 23^rd December for me to be eligible for this season to continue with the GB Rowing trials.

To say bad luck has hovered over me for over a month now, surely 2013 will bring some luck my way. If you are wondering what I am on about then you must not be aware that I have been unable to complete my 2km ergo test due to straining my abdominal muscles. The only way I can think this has happened is due to the terrible cough I had for some weeks with my previous illness.

But this last month doesn’t just stop there with a bad cold and a muscle strain. Just as I was starting to get back slowly into training I came down with the stomach bug that is spreading across the country. This lasted a few days and once recovered I did one days training (finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel) to wake up the next morning with a muscle pain in my abdominals. I was fed up to say the least! As this got gradually worse over the next two days, I went to see a physio who helpfully gave me some advice on my injury and wrote me a medical note so that I can continue with the GB process this year.

So that sums the process up so far for me…fingers crossed for a healthy 2013 and successful rowing season. I can’t wait!

Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year.

24hour Row…Team Derby Rowing must be MAD!

At 8am on Thursday 6^th December saw the start of Team Derby’s Rowing Club 24 hour row challenge. It was in aid of the Paddley centre in Derby and to help the club achieve more with the sport.

 

The race began with the teams men’s senior 4 consisting of Tom Garner, Tom Dawtrey, Toby Jarvis and Theo Carter-Leay completing the challenge between them against the rest of the rowing team. I participated and did 2 one hour slots at 8:30am and 3:30pm. I did find these one hours difficult as I was still struggling with a cough and my heart rate was high for a gentle 60min ergo.

 

At 7pm the team moved from the university grounds to continue the overnight part at Derby Rowing Club where there was more comfort from sleeping in between stints (I can only presume as I didn’t actually participant in these deadly hours, instead I was fast asleep in my comfy bed!)

 

Everyone helped achieve this challenge and the boys did a total of 338km beating the rest of the club by 43km. The amount raised is still yet unknown as the money is being collected after Christmas. Fingers crossed for a big sum J

 

All I can say now is WELL DONE TEAM DERBY ROWING!

Disaster strikes before trials!

Saturday 24^th and Sunday 25^th November saw the first stage of the GB rowing trial process.  This is an intense weekend of performing a 2km ergometer test on the Saturday followed by a 5km water test on the Sunday.

I have been training for the 2012/2013 season since I came back from a server injury in August. The weeks before this trial I had been feeling very strong and prepared myself both mentally and physically for the weekend; looking forward to the start of a new season where I want to make the U23 GB rowing team. Unfortunately, two weeks before this event I came down with a cold, it was underlying so I continued training hard not letting it distract me; however on the Thursday before the trials I woke up in pain surrounding my neck and ears. Little did I know that I had a viral infection and later that day I would be sat in the doctor’s surgery waiting for a written medical exemption form for the first stage of the trials process. Devastation doesn’t even begin to explain what I was feeling. After months of preparation and fighting every cold or illness that has come near me I was unable to go!

On a positive note, the Sunday 5km water test had to be cancelled due to the crazy flooding we have experienced. For me, this was a delightful thing to hear about and being ill saved me the torturous and monotonous journey to Boston just to perform a 2km ergometer test. I will be completing a 2km test sometime before Christmas when I am fully recovered and fit to train again – I really want a PB of 7:20 or lower so recovery and resting is best for me at the moment. I’ll keep you all posted with my progress of shifting this viral infection and my completion of the 2km J