Here is the race schedule. Remember—we are at ST. MARY’S SCHOOL in the main gym. (200 Whitney Ave). For novices, race day is exciting, new and a bit nerve-wracking! There’s a basic protocol to follow so that you aren’t scrambling and your coach isn’t running around trying to find you. Also to note, please stay around until the end to help with cleanup. Many hands make light work and we should all be finished at 1PM at the very latest.

1. Please be there about 50 minutes before your race. First, you will need to register at the front desk. Remember to fill in the waiver that I posted a link to yesterday.
2. After registration, take a few minutes to look around, watch a race, and get a feel for the venue.
3. 35 minutes before your race time, the coaches would like to meet with you. We will give each of you a target split that we would like you to aim for. This is based on your 2.5K tests and performance. It is essential that you try to stick to this as closely as possible.
4. 25 minutes before your race starts, start stretching. Walking lunge twists, hammy stretches and arm flings/stretches.
5. No more than 18 minutes before your race time is the erg warmup.
Five min light rowing
Five min med rowing
3 x 10 strokes at max rate & 90% pressure with 10 strokes off in between
1 x 15 strokes at max rate, max pressure with 15 strokes off
1 x 30 strokes at max rate/max pressure
Paddle lightly for 4 minutes or until race time

6. Go straight from the warmup erg to the race erg. You will have been assigned an erg number. You must race in that erg. It’s called a “warmup” because you should be “warm”. You’ll be given a chance to take a few strokes on your race erg, which I would recommend. Make them light. They help to defray nerves.

7. Have a GREAT race!!

For novices, The BIGGEST piece of advice I can give is to BE CONSISTENT. Find a pace and a rhythm and stay with that pace. A long distance runner doesn’t sprint/walk/jog during a race. They look for a pace they can sustain and they hold that pace. We’ll be asking you to go at a faster pace than your 2.5K tests, because you’ll be rowing at about 30 strokes a minute (which is 8 strokes more than the pace we allowed you in December). This race is also 500 metres shorter than those ones. So you should be able to sustain a better 500 metre split.
Strategy is simple for novices: Take 7 FAST & POWERFUL strokes at the start as hard and as fast as you can. On the 8th stroke, find 30 strokes a minute and your prescribed pace and simply hold it. DO NOT TAKE A LONG TIME TO SETTLE INTO THIS PACE—the longer you take, the more effort it will take out of you.

ARRIVAL TIME RACE TIME
9:25 10:15: Robin, Serena, Maura.
9:40 10:30: Liam, Ethan L, Owen, Geon
9:55 10:45: Ryann, Celina, Maddy D, Liv, Maggie
10:10 11:00: Sequoia, Maddy B, Fiora
10:25 11:15: Kevin
10:40 11:30: Caroline, Kate M, Becca, Zaiga, Alia, Victoria
10:55 11:45: Max
12PM: Awards/medals
12:30: Clean up