Mike, Tom, and Peter have kindly allowed me to write a post to all of you in light of the upcoming CSSRA races this weekend, so here it goes 🙂 :
Throughout this past year I’ve had the privilege of seeing the blog updates from Mike and Tom in regards to your hard work, training, and racing results. It’s been incredibly awesome (in the true “awe inspiring” sense of the word) to see how much you’ve all developed athletically and progressed.
I’ve missed coaching you at Westdale, but I know that this year’s team has been doing a great job – both the athletes and the coaches. As you move into your final regatta of the school year, I want to leave you with this:
You’ve worked so hard for this. For many of you, you’ve been training multiple years for this. “Good luck” is something that I could say, but I reckon that “luck” is not as important as executing what you already know and have been trained for. You KNOW what to do. Go do it. Make it yours. And have fun. 😉 Knowing that you’ve left everything you could on the water after rowing to the best of your capabilities as a team is the most important thing. Yes, even more than your final numerical placement on a scoreboard.
I’ll be cheering for you, across a different kind of pond, in a slightly different continent. My heart is at the regatta this weekend.
Miss you all… and sure, I’ll still say it: GOOD LUCK!!! Alessandra
Today was a tough day of racing: the first day is when we meet our competition (from across the continent!) and determine conditions for our heats. The changes in wind direction (from tail to cross to head) definitely tested our crews, but everyone pushed despite the weather.
We have two crews from today’s races that have proceeded to Saturday’s Semifinals: the Sr. Men’s 1x and the Sr. Men’s 4x. We had some close calls as well, with a few boats missing the semis by just 0.6 seconds or 2.6 seconds, but we pushed hard and we’ll now look forward to doing our best tomorrow and cheering hard for other crews that are just starting their competitions.
Without further ado, here are Saturday’s Racing Times:
Sr. Women 63kg 8+ – Heat 1 @9:52am
Jr. Men 1x – Heat 1 @10:55am
Jr. Women 63kg 8+ – Heat 2 @11:44am
Sr. Men’s 1x Semifinal – 12:40pm OR 12:47pm (TBD by draw)
Sr. Men’s 4x Semifinal – 2:04pm OR 2:11pm (TBD by draw)
Jr. Women’s 4x – Heat 1 @3:42pm
Sr. Women’s 8+ – Heat 2 @5:27pm
Women’s Arrival Times:
Mike has already spoken with crews about your arrival times. Coxswains and Midweight crews must arrive earlier to weigh-in with Mike. Women’s crews that race later in the day should either arrive in time for the first race (9:52am) or at least 3 hours before your race if you’re racing at the end of the day (Sr. Women’s 8+).
The time has come! It’s the day before the races. The boats are rigged, washed, and ready to go. The blades are set. You should all feel confident that you’ve done absolutely everything you can to prepare for the regatta – because you have. As coaches, we know that you’re ready for this.
As it is a Westdale tradition, I’d like to leave you all with two short clips to watch before your races. Remember: this is your time. Go out there, give it your best, and have fun. Anything is possible.
Versus:
Inches:
…bring your passion, bring your spirit, and bring your A-game. You CAN do this.
Now, for the arrival & race time information: General Info:
-Weigh ins are open from 7-11am. You ONLY weigh-in on the day(s) that you are racing.
-Coxswains must weigh-in with their coach (or crew, if applicable)
-All athletes must bring current, valid student ID or photo ID (driver’s license, passport), team unisuit, sunscreen & water
-It is strongly recommended that athletes bring a tent or place to stay in the shade
-Additional information is listed here
Arrival Times for Athletes that ARE NOT racing on Friday = 9:30am
We ask that all athletes that have Friday “off” from racing arrive at the course by 9:30am. This is to support and cheer on the other crews racing, in time for the first race of the day (the Sr. Men’s Double). For the women’s team, this includes anyone racing in the eight races (Jr/Sr/Mid/Open) and in the quad
Arrival Times for Racing Athletes: *if you agreed to bring food, please ensure the food arrives for its deadline too
Sr. Men’s 2x (Max & Kieran) – 7am
Jr. Women’s 4+ (Stephanie, Tristan, Kate, Drew, Hannah) – 8am
Sr. Men’s 72kg 2x (JJ & Cooper) – 9:50am *in time to cheer on the Sr. Men’s 2x race
Sr. Men’s 1x (Luke) – 11am
Sr. Women’s 4+ (Arnaud*, Lauren, Allie, Victoria, Taylor) – 11am *Arnaud will arrive earlier to weigh-in with Mike
Sr. Men’s 4x (Erik *others have already arrived) – 12pm/noon
Sr. Women’s 1x (Madison) – 1pm
Jr. Men’s 2x (Harrison & Lucas) – 1:30pm ***times listed indicate the LATEST time by which you should arrive. Athletes are always welcome to arrive earlier to support and cheer on the other crews***
A reminder that food should be brought to the Parents’ Tent by the time indicated on the sign up sheet here.
Final Notes: Jackets will be distributed tomorrow at the races. City Champs medals will be awarded at our year-end party (yes, the medals have arrived!), and the 70th Anniversary CSSRA pins will also be distributed at our year-end party to athletes competing at this year’s CSSRAs.
That’s all, folks. See you all tomorrow on the Island.
It’s been a while since our last post, so we’re happy to say that we’ve got all sorts of fun info for you in this one!
INFORMATION!!! YAY!!!
Info for Mom!
First off, THANK YOU to all athletes for being so patient while we addressed equipment changes/availability and boating changes these past two weeks, including changes to race entries. We appreciate that you’ve all been very understanding.
Next here’s everything you need to know for the next two days:
Saturday, May 9th – Practice & Trailer Loading @5:45am at LBC
All athletes should arrive at 5:45am for a final practice before trailer loading. Practice will run from 5:45am-7:30am. Trailer loading will begin at 7:30am, and ALL boats must be fully derigged and loaded by 8:45am. The trailer will leave the LBC compound at 9am.
Sunday, May 10th – Mother’s Day Regatta (THANK YOUR MOM’S)
The Mother’s Day Regatta will be held on Henley Island in St. Catharine’s, Ontario (close to the Port Dalhousie area). Full information about event times and directions can be found here at Regatta Central.
Directions can also be found here on the Westdale Rowing blog, or here on Google Maps. *Directions say 45 min (approx.), but plan for 60-75min just in case you get lost or encounter traffic. This has happened to at least one athlete every year that we’ve coached.*
The Final Race Draw hasn’t been posted yet, but will likely be made available tomorrow on Regatta Central. Based on the Regatta Central preliminary schedule, these are the race times:
Event 6 – Sr. Women’s 63kg 1x – 9:10am (finals at 2:25pm) Event 7 – Jr. Men’s 72kg 4+ – 9:24am (finals at 2:32pm) Event 14 – Jr. Women 63kg 8+ – 10:20am (finals at 3:21pm) Event 15 – Sr. Men’s 72kg 2x – 10:34am (finals at 3:28pm) Event 18 – Sr. Men’s 1x – 11:09am (finals at 3:49pm *HOTSEAT REQUIRED) Event 19 – Sr. Women’s 4+ – 11:30am (finals at 3:56pm) Event 23 – Sr. Men’s 4x – 12:12pm (finals at 4:24pm) Event 24 – Sr. Women’s 1x – 12:19pm (finals at 4:31pm) Event 29 – Jr. Women’s 4x – 1:15pm (finals at 5:06pm) Event 12 – Jr. Men’s 1x – 3:07pm (straight final *QUICK CHANGE REQUIRED) Event 35 – Sr. Women’s 8+ – 5:48pm (straight final)
“Hotseating” is when an athlete goes straight from one race into the next race, and the boating change is made on the dock. “Quick change” is when an athlete has a tight turnaround time after their first race, but still has enough time to return the boat before launching in their next race.
Weigh-Ins: There are NO weigh-ins at this regatta. Instead, the regatta runs on an honour system.
A Message for Moms: If your athlete’s crew makes their final and finishes top three, then moms are invited to give the medals to their athletes. Please stick around if you can 🙂
Arrival Times: Athletes in the Sr. Women’s 63kg 1x & Jr. Men’s 72kg 4+ should arrive by 6:30am. All other athletes should arrive AT LEAST 3 hours before your race (or in time for the first Westdale race of the day, which is at 9:10am).
Supervising Coaches: Alessandra will coordinating/supervising the Men’s Team, Eben Prevec & Anise Truman will be supervising the Women’s Eights/Singles/Fours, and Peter DeNew will be supervising the Jr. Women’s Quads. Tom Beshoff will be assisting in the morning.
Rigging Post-Regatta: Please plan to rig boats on Sunday evening when we return to Hamilton. There MIGHT be an option to rig on Monday morning, but this will be dictated by the Club Manager (Steffan Wagner). We’ll let you know as soon as we have information.
What to Bring:
-Unisuit
-Long-sleeve top to race in UNDER your unisuit (often requested by race officials if weather is cold, windy, or rainy *the forecast is thunderstorms, so please bring this just in case!)
-Change of clothes (and extra socks – trust me!)
-Student ID
-Water (lots of water)
-Healthy snacks (trail mix, nuts, apples, granola bars, cliff bars, etc.)
-Lunch (and breakfast if needed)
-Rain gear/weather appropriate clothing (*BOOTS ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
-Sunscreen (*HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) *CHECK THE WEATHER – BRING BOOTS FOR THUNDERSTORMS*
What We Expect of You: You are expected to rig your boat, bring your blades down (when required), and ensure your crew is together. You should also know your race plan & be prepared with water/race-gear/food. Please be & remain with your crew once there’s 1.5h left to go until your race. If you have any questions, please find me (Alessandra), Eben, or Peter and we can assist you. Generally speaking, you should go to your primary coach if you have a question.
Resources for Parents: Our lovely parent reps, Dina & Brock Gadsdon, have kindly put together some informational material for parents planning to attend their athletes (what to expect, how to get there, Henley Island rules, how to avoid heat stroke, etc.). Please see the following documents for useful parent information:
1) Mothers Day Parent Information
2) Heat Stress Awareness Guide
First off, CONGRATULATIONS to ALL of you for a fantastic job during your first week on the water (yes, we’ve only been on the water for a week, and we’re already ahead of where we were this time last year!). I’m proud to say that Westdale is one of the few schools that has not yet capsized, and that all our crews have been picking up the on-water rowing technique quickly.
Now that we’ve had a chance to settle into the swing of things, there are a few important things to note:
1) Launch Times & On-Dock Rules
Athletes are expected to arrive at 5:15am, set up the coach boats/oars, check their crew boats on the stretchers (this is mandatory), attach your lights, sign-out in the WSS log book, and then be ON the docks by 5:30am. Crews should be pushing off no later than 5:35am. For the Men’s Team, I’ll be timing your crews. If you need more time, then you should discuss an earlier arrival time with your crew. Launch time is 5:30am.
Please remember that running on the docks is not permitted. Crews are allowed 1 min 30 seconds on the docks (an absolute maximum of 2 minutes), so please be efficient and work with your crew to get on and off as quickly as possible without running (it IS possible). The reason for this time limit is to prepare you for regattas, where officials will limit your dock time, and to ensure a smooth flow of boat launchings at LBC. No crew wants to wait around while another crew sits for five minutes on the dock and prevents others from launching. Let’s try hard to meet these time limits – I’m confident that all of our WSS crews can do this, so let’s do it. Excellence is a habit, and it starts with what you repeatedly do on a daily basis at your own club.
2) Chili Cookoff Fundraising Tally
I’m happy to announce that our Chili Cookoff Fundraiser has raised a WHOPPING grand total of $5136 in profits. This is an HUGE accomplishment, as it is $1397 higher than last year, and the funds can be used to purchase new ergs, cox boxes, and much needed rowing equipment upgrades. A BIG thank-you to all of the parents involved (especially our coordinators, Brock & Dina), and to all of you – the athletes – for assisting in running the event so smoothly. We couldn’t have done it without your volunteering and ticket selling. We really appreciate it!!!
3) Clothing Orders
A friendly reminder that athletes interested in purchasing “swag” orders (i.e.: for optional rowing clothes/crew kit items), your order forms and money are due tomorrow at practice (AM or PM). Order forms can be found here: Westdale Rowing Apparel 2015 (Order Forms)
Please print them & return them during Monday’s practice if you’d like to receive your swag before our first regatta (this is the date by which Regatta Sport needs our order numbers). Feel free to contact Alessandra if you have any troubles with the deadline or have any questions about the orders
4) Training Plan (This Week & Monthly Plan Update)
The finalized monthly training plan will be posted later this week, but this week’s training plan can be found below. You can expect poor wind conditions this week during both AM and PM practices, so please remember that you should be bringing running shoes & appropriate clothing to every practice in case of a dryland training day.
Trying to carry a boat in the wind, it’s like…
We’re already ahead in terms of “number of days on-water” in comparison to where we were last year, but we still have a lot to accomplish despite this advantage. Improvements can be made during dryland workouts too, so just remember that every day between now and CSSRAs is important – regardless of the wind conditions that greet us. You can make a difference by committing to each practice. This is our opportunity to really push ourselves as a team and work hard to reach our goals, both on-water and off. You know what you want, both personally and as a crew. Let’s work for that.
*This week’s boating lineups (i.e.: crew members) for the Sr. Women’s 8+ training days can be found here.
Monday: Water – (FOCUS=POSTURE): Warmup; C6 Row 60min; 2x6k r20; add C1 8x(10-10-10) (1/2 boat takes 10 hard strokes, other 1/2 takes 10 hard, all take 10 hard together) *low rates Dryland Backup – Men on tank/weights first half of practice (60min), Women on run & stairs (60min); then switch.
Tuesday: WATER –(FOCUS=SHIFTING RATES TOGETHER) Warmup; C4 row 90min; 2x”Bridge-Blockhouse-Lifts” (BBL), rates 18/20/22; 20/22/24 (rates “lift” at bridge and blockhouse; start in Valley each time). Dryland Backup – 60min LDR followed by “House of Pain” using track near LBC.
Wednesday: Water – (FOCUS = DISTANCE & HAND LEVELS) Warmup; C6 row 70min; 12-15k, steady state; add trip of (10-10-10) on square Dryland Backup – Ergs (2km) & Core & Run
Thursday: Water – (FOCUS=ACCELERATING TOGETHER ON THE DRIVE) Warmup; C2 row (2x8min; 22/26spm); C6 Tech Row Dryland Backup – fartlek runs + 7 sets of stairs at highlevel bridge; stretching & core
Friday: Water – (FOCUS=BODY SWING & SHIFTING TOGETHER) Warmup; C5 row 70′; 2xBridgeBlockhouse-Slip Pyramid (BBSP) (rates 18/20/22/24 both times; change rates at bridge, blockhouse, and entrance to slip) Dryland Backup – 300 & 40′ run
Saturday: Water – Intro to Race Day -Skills (Turning, Backing, Start Sequencing, Technical Row) Dryland Backup – 45min run; Core Circuit 1; Flexibility Session
5) Men’s Team Boating Schedule for Primary/Secondary Boats *2x from Mike’s crews will join as required:
Monday AM – Sr. M4x, Sr. LWT M2x, Jr. LWT M2x (L/H)
Monday PM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J), Erik 1x, Jocelyn 1x,
Tuesday AM – Sr. M4x, Sr. LWT M2x, Jr. LWT M2x (L/H)
Tuesday PM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J), Erik 1x, Luke 1x, Jocelyn 1x,
Wednesday AM – Sr. M4x, Sr. LWT M2x, Jr. LWT M2x (L/H)
Wednesday PM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J), Erik 1x, Jocelyn 1x,
Thursday AM – Sr. M4x, Sr. LWT M2x, Jr. LWT M2x (L/H)
Thursday PM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J), Erik 1x, Luke 1x, Jocelyn 1x,
Friday AM – Luke 1x, Erik 1x, Sr. LWT M2x
Friday PM – Jr. LWT M4+, Erik 1x, Luke 1x, Jocelyn 1x
Saturday 5:45AM – Luke 1x, Erik 1x, Sr. M2x, Sr. LWT M4+
Saturday 9:30AM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J)
Sunday 5:45AM – Sr. M2x
Sunday 9:30AM – TBD as required
Crew boats are as follows (a reminder):
Sr. M4x = Luke, Max, Kieran, Erik
Sr. LWT M2x = JJ, Cooper
Jr. LWT M2x (L/H) = Lucas, Harrison
Jr. LWT M2x (W/J) = Will, James
Jr. LWT 4+ = Arnaud (coxswain), Lucas, Harrison, James, Will
Sr. LWT 4+ = Arnaud (coxswain), Lucas, Harrison, Cooper, JJ
Sr. M2x = Kieran, Max
Singles = Erik 1x; Luke 1x; Jocelyn 1x
*If availabilities change, then this schedule will be ammended. I’ll explain the schedule in person tomorrow morning, so if you’re uncertain about something, then please ask me questions and I can explain it all at practice.
I hope you’ve all had a relaxing long-weekend. Now that the docks are in we are officially able to get on-water this week. Our first on-water day will be Saturday, April 11th. This is based off of cold-water rules arranged with Steffan, as well as the timing of boat rentals arriving (some of which we require to get on-water). This week is also the coaching swap, so the women will be coached by me (Alessandra), and the men will be coached by Mike.
We’re switching!
A friendly reminder to all parents & athletes: Outdoor Fees must be paid before getting out on-water. Please ensure that you speak with your athlete’s primary coach if you require an alternate payment plan, or if you have any questions about the outdoor fees. Chili cookoff sign-up sheets will be made availabletomorrow as an online Google document, so keep posted for that, and I will also be posting an overview to the blog of the important info from the Chili cookoff presentation tomorrow at that same time.
Training Plan: Monday, April 6th (TODAY, OYOT): ALL ATHLETES – 50-60min run on your own time (long distance, category 6, cardio workout)
Tuesday, April 7th: 6:30am @WSS *coach swap* Men – 10min warmup jog in middle gym; 20min stair run (basement to 4th floor, in stairwell nearest weight room); 30min House of Pain (3rd floor in partners); stretching & debrief with Mike Women – 10min warmup jog in middle gym; Juniors = 2km erg testing; Seniors = cardio circuit (TBExplained at practice); stretching & debrief with Alessandra
Wednesday, April 8th: 6:30am @WSS *coach swap* Men – 10min warmup run; dynamic stretching; 2x30min erg w 5min rest (Cat 5 – 6km split + 8s); stretching & debrief with Mike Women – 10min warmup run; 20min stair run tag-team game (3rd floor); 30min House of Pain (3rd floor in partners); stretching & debrief with Alessandra
Thursday, April 9th: 6:30am @WSS *coach swap* Men – 10min suicide & core switches (warmup); Day 1 Weights (original circuit – NOT intensification phase); 20min run (time pending); stretching & debrief with Mike Women – Goal Setting Discussion & Crew Challenge (on the erg) with Alessandra; stretching & debrief
Friday, April 10th: 5:30am***LATER FOR THIS DAY ONLY @Leander Boat Club Men (ALL) – Boat Cleaning & Final Rig Checks; Crew Run & Stairs; Team Meeting with Alessandra Women (AM athletes only) – Rigging of the Rental 8+; Team Meeting with Mike
Saturday, April 11th: 5:45am @LBC Men (AM athletes only) – practice from 5:45-8am Women (AM athletes only) – practice from 5:45-8am Men (PM ATHLETES ONLY – TODAY ONLY DUE TO FIRST ON-WATER DAY): 10:00-11:30am
Welcome back from March Break & to the official start of outdoor season training! 😀
WOOHOOO OMG WOOHOO
IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARENTS & ATHLETES:
-Wednesday, March 25th, 3-4pm:SWIM TEST FOR ALL NOVICES @ Dalewood Swimming Pool *mandatory for all new rowers* athletes must wear cold-weather clothing for the swim test in order to mimic falling in the water during the outdoor season – this means LONG SLEEVES & LONG PANTS. Due to the timing, rowers completing the swim test are asked to leave their last period class about 10-15minutes early to give enough time to walk to the pool. -Thursday, March 26th, 7pm:Parent & Athlete Meeting (Outdoor Season Waivers/Chili Cookoff/Training Schedule) @ WSS Library *mandatory for all* -Sunday, March 29th, 12-3pm:Tank Session (*mandatory for all*) @ Welland International Flatwater Centre (directions here: https://goo.gl/maps/ZLgb9) -Wednesday, April 1st, 3:30-5pm: Women’s Team Rigging & LBC Rules @ LBC *women’s team only* -Thursday, April 2nd, 3:30-5pm: Men’s Team Rigging & LBC Rules @ LBC *men’s team only* -Saturday, April 4th, 9-11am+ CREWLUNCH: Docks In @LBC, followed by a crew lunch (whole team). Coxswains & bow-persons will be taken in the coach boat during the docks-in session for a loop around the harbour to observe traffic patterns & safety spots if clear. If required, I can provide a ride for coswains & bow-persons to the crew lunch (if your rides have already left). ***Steffan will also hold a special coxing/bowing clinic from 1-3pm for new coxswains & bow-persons only. I highly advise new coxswains & bow-persons to attend (you can go right after the crew lunch).
NOTE: To the men participating in the MCC exam, I also have my OSCE dry-run on April 2nd at 6pm, so I can bring you all to McMaster Hospital if you need a ride post-rigging at LBC. Just let me know in advance.
TRAINING PLAN MARCH 23rd-29th: *Testing & Movement Screening Week*
Monday, March 23rd: Men – Team Meeting, 30min Erg (20/22spm) + 10min Tech Erg, Stretching & Debrief Women – Team Meeting, Warmup Run, Weights, Cooldown & Stretching/Debrief
Tuesday, March 24th: Men – Warmup in Lower Gym, Overview of Movement Screening; Weights/Movement Screen; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief Women – Warmup; Tech Erg Rotations with Core Circuit (300 circuit/25min tech erg); Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief
Wednesday, March 25th: *Swim Testing @3pm (Dalewood Pool)* Men – Warmup in Middle Gym, 2km Erg Testing, Core Circuit, Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief Women – Warmup; Weights; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief
Thursday, March 26th:*Parents & Athlete Meeting @7pm (WSS Library)* Men – Warmup in Lower Gym, Weights & Movement Screening; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief Women – Warmup; 2km Erg Testing; Core Circuit; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief
Friday, March 27th: Men – Warmup in Lower Gym, Cardio & Core Circuit; Movement Screening; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief Women – Warmup; 25min Tech Erg Rotations (run/erg/core); Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief
Saturday, March 28th: OFF
Sunday, March 29th: *Tank Session in Welland* ALL ATHLETES – 12-3pm Tank Session at the Welland International Flatwater Centre (directions here: https://goo.gl/maps/ZLgb9)
Based on our team debrief this morning, you’ll find all the information regarding Ontario Indoor Champs included in this post. This includes race times, recommended arrival times, directions, what to bring, what to expect, and what’s expected of you.
Race Times: 2015 Ontario Erg Draw (online version available here) *WOMEN’S TEAM: If you are concerned that you have been entered into the wrong weight/racing category, then please contact Mike immediately.
Arrival Times: See your event listings below for your arrival time in red. Lightweights should arrive early for weigh-ins, particularly if you want to test your weight before weighing in. The lineup to weigh-in can be long. Weigh-ins are open from 7:30am up until the time of your race. If you’re able to arrive to cheer-on athletes in the first events then that is preferred, but the times listed below are based on the LATEST arrival time you should have based on your own personal race & category.
8:15am – Jr. HS Men (Heat 2 – Erik H) & Jr. HS Women (all heats) *arrive by 7:30am
10:05am – Jr. HS 150 Men (Heat 5 – Talal A.) *arrive by 8am
10:20am – Jr. HS 165 Men (Heat 1 – Lucas A. & Harrison M.) *arrive by 8am
10:50am – Jr. HS 135 Women (all heats) *arrive by 8am
12:10pm – Jr. HS 145 Women (all heats) *arrive by 9am (or earlier if concerned about weigh-in)
1:45pm – Sr. HS 165 Men (Heat 2 – Evan W. & Cooper W.) *arrive by 12pm (or earlier for weigh-in)
2:00pm – Sr. HS 135 Women (all heats) *arrive by 12pm (or earlier if concerned about weigh-in)
3:00pm – Sr. HS Women (all heats) *arrive by 12pm
3:35pm – Sr. HS Men (Heat 1 – Luke G. & Kieran G.; Heat 2 – Max M.) *arrive by 12pm
Directions: (From WEST) From the QEW, exit at 406 South. Go 4 km to Fourth Avenue exit and turn Right at top of ramp. At 2nd Traffic Light, turn Left onto Louth Street. Go 1 km and turn Left on Ridley Road (before crossing train tracks). Take 1st Left into Ridley parking lots. (Online directions can be found here)
What to Bring: –WAIVER FORM (MANDATORY):Ontario Ergometer Championships Waiver(online version available here)
-unisuit
-running shoes
-change of clothes (to stay warm afterwards)
-water bottle (with lots of water and/or sports drinks)
-food (LOTS OF HEALTHY FOOD – think breakfast, lunch, and snacks)
What to Expect:
-Lots of athletes, coaches, and spectators (more than at previous regattas)
-Vendors (clothing, pogies, food – though the food is usually NOT healthy and NOT very good… please bring your own!)
-University Scouts (talent recruits from Canadian & American universities)
-Warmup Ergs
-Racing Ergs (section is closed off to coaches & spectators – coaches & spectators must remain behind a line of tape)
-Podium for Medals (given out at odd intervals throughout the day)
-Your teammates & coaches to cheer you on 🙂 Your coaches are here to support you, so please talk to them to discuss your goals and race plan.
We expect all athletes to arrive on time, ready to race with their waiver & unisuit, and adequately prepared (food/hydration). You must check-in with your coach upon arrival. Find them when you arrive (they will be busy, so please scout them out!).
GOOD LUCK WESTDALE!!!
Remember: this is just another race. The important thing is personal improvement. You’ve trained for it and you can do it. So let’s do it.
See you all tomorrow,
Alessandra
PS – Athletes that are injured are still encouraged and welcome to join & cheer on the team.
This week marks the final five days before the Ontario Indoor Rowing Championships Regatta. The Ontario Indoor Rowing Championships Regatta is the largest indoor regatta that we’ll be attending. Although the Canadian Indoors involve nation-wide competition, the Ontario Indoors have a much higher attendance (this will be the largest/biggest indoor regatta you attend this year) and it often attracts university talent scouts from both Canada and the USA.
That said, the Ontario Indoor Rowing Champs is just another 2km race. The purpose of this event is to provide you with more racing experience and an opportunity to improve your 2km racing score. Awards are given to first place finishes (gold medals) and top ten finishes (t-shirts), but the most important thing is for you to have your own best race – whether that’s as a PB, improved focus, or a well-executed race strategy. As coaches, we will be looking to see and record your own personal improvement.
This week’s training is focused on preparing you for the Ontario Indoors.
Training Plan: Monday, Feb. 23rd: Men – Ergs (10min warmup; 6x500m pieces; stretching; 10min tech erg; cooldown/debrief) Women – Weights (10min warmup; 60min weights; cooldown & stretching/debrief)
Tuesday, Feb. 24th: Men – Weights (10min suicide & core warmup in lower gym with partner; 60min weights; cooldown & stretching/debrief) Women – Ergs (10min warmup; 6x500m pieces (2 starts @32, 2 body @30, 2 finishes @32+7ups – 2km split); stretching/debrief
Wednesday, Feb. 25th: Men – Ergs (10min suicide & core warmup in Lower Gym with partner; 3x2000m race prep w 5min rest (NOT at steady 2km split); 10min core strength; stretching & team discussion) Women – Weights (10min suicide & core warmup in Lower Gym with partner; 60min aerobic weights (LIGHTER, MORE REPS); cooldown & stretching/debrief)
Thursday, Feb. 26th: Men – Weights (10min warmup run; 60min aerobic weights circuit (LIGHTER, MORE REPS); 10min cooldown & stretching) Women – Ergs (10min suicide & core warmup in Lower Gym with partner; 3x2000m race prep w 5min rest (NOT at steady 2km split); 10min core strength; stretching & debrief)
Friday, Feb. 27th: *SHORTER PRACTICE ALL ATHLETES – 30min Fartlek Run; 30min guided core session; 20min team prep for Ontarios & final requirements with primary coach
Saturday, Feb. 28th: ONTARIO INDOOR ROWING CHAMPS @RIDLEY COLLEGE
Complete information will be listed in a separate blog post later this week once the draw is released.
A friendly reminder that tomorrow’s practice will be at Westdale Secondary School at 6:30am.
These are our final 5 days before the Ontario Indoors (the biggest indoor race of the season), so it’s very important that you all attend the practices to ensure you’re properly prepared. The full training plan for the week will be posted tomorrow.
Westdale Rowing Community 