We’ve decided to pull novice participation at CIRC, so novices, please do not register for this regatta.  You are more than welcome to attend and be a spectator.  Experienced rowers are still encouraged to race at CIRC, as we will still be holding to that 2K test as part of the next battery of tests.  We may have novices do another 2500 metre test with rates capped instead of the 2K—we haven’t decided this yet.  Apologies for the confusion–we weren’t prepared for being told we can’t hold any practices–even optional–during quiet week or exam week, so I’m still revamping the program to make sure we’re doing the right things coming out of exams.

The reasoning for the decision on not allowing the novices to race at CIRC is as follows.  We weren’t able to erg this past week because of the schedule and the rain day.  That means your next opportunity to get on the erg will be Friday, February 3rd.  As novices, you don’t have the technical base yet, to be able to get back into it properly and jump right into speedwork, and we felt there was a real risk of injury, as well as the likely possibility that you would not be in position to make a big improvement from your first one, for those who pulled at Leander.  So when we get back on the erg after exams, there will be a real push towards first, building back the base, then second translating that to speedwork in preparation for Ontario’s at Ridley.  We will encourage ALL rowers to enter Ontario’s at Ridley.  If you race at the Ontario Indoors, you will be exempt from both the 2K and 6K erg tests later that week.  (RADAR athletes will still be required to do a 6K).