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
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.
CONGRATULATIONS on a FANTASTIC day of racing. Mike and I are very proud of all of you. Regardless of whether you made a final, there was a lot of good rowing today and a lot of goals that were reached in terms of technique and comfort level in the boats.
First and most importantly:
All parents and athletes should check themselves thoroughly for ticks. One of our athletes had ticks on their body after the regatta, and they can carry Lyme disease. WHERE TO CHECK (everywhere, but especially these spots):
-neck
-hair
-back of knees & ears
-armpits
-toes/feet
-groin (that region in general) WARNING – BEFORE YOU REMOVE:
The tick’s heads buries under the skin, so do not pull a tick off your body directly – you need to secure the tick between your skin & it’s body (do NOT squeeze the tick’s body) and then pull the tick out of your skin. If you have regular tweezers, you need to pull slowly and directly upwards. You should only twist to remove IF you have a specially designed tool to remove ticks that requires twisting to facilitate the process, as seen here. WARNING ABOUT SOAP/ETC.:Although covering the tick with soap/shampoo/chemicals will cause the tick to suffocate and remove itself from your body of its own accord without any pulling, it CAN cause the tick to vomit into your blood, and if the tick carries Lyme disease then this can result in the disease being passed on. This is the same reason why you should not press/pull a tick from its body (it will likely vomit). MORE INFO ON TICK REMOVAL HERE.
Second, but also very important… ARRIVAL TIMES: Coxswains: 6:30am
Women’s Jr. 59kg 4+: 6:30am (for weigh-ins)
Women’s Jr. 8+: 6:30am (these girls will later race in their Jr. Women’s 4x)
Men’s Sr. 4x: Arrive at 7:00am
Men’s Jr. 1x: Arrive at 7:30am
Women’s Jr. 2x: Arrive at 7:30am
Women’s Sr. 8+: Arrive at 8:40am (in time for first race of the day) (11am at the very latest)
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.
A few notes from our parent reps/coordinators for the Chili Cookoff this Thursday:
1) Food Signup – Please, We Need Some More Help!
We are still in need of more people to sign up to offer a food contribution if you haven’t already signed up or contacted Dina. Many of you have mentioned that the Google Doc wasn’t working before, so it should be working now & everyone should be able to sign up here: FOOD SIGN UP
2) Setup Volunteers – ARRIVE AT 4pm
Anyone who signed up to volunteer for setup & initial tasks should arrive by 4pm (or as close to that time as possible). The event begins at 6pm. You can check to see what you’ve signed up for by checking the following sheets (and you can still sign up for a shift if you want to volunteer): a) ATHLETE JOBS b) PARENT JOBS
3) Ticket Money Collection – At morning & afternoon practices Morning Athletes: Ticket money ($160 for each group of 8 tickets) can be submitted to Brock Gadsdon just before your morning practices at Leander. Parents or athletes should see Brock before the practice begins. Afternoon Athletes: Alessandra will collect your ticket money on Tuesday (tomorrow) or Wednesday afternoon.
4) Wine Donations – Drop Off Location Morning Athletes: If you haven’t had the chance to bring in your bottle(s) of wine, Brock Gadsdon will be collecting donations at morning practices everyday up until the Chili Cookoff. Brock will be in the parking lot, so parents can drop off the wine with him there. Afternoon Athletes: Alessandra will collect any remaining wine donations from parents on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. If parents are unable to bring the wine at this time, please connect with Alessandra for an alternate drop-off option. *please do not send your child with alcohol to school/practice – we request that parents bring the bottle(s)*
5) Food Rules/Guidelines – If you’re bringing chili, salad, and/or dessert Chili: All chili must arrive hot in crock pots (make sure it’s already been heated thoroughly) Salads & Desserts: Salads and desserts must arrive already prepared & ready to go (there’s no prep area in the hall) ALL FOOD: All food items should have a list of ingredients accompanying them (helpful for dietary restrictions) ALL UTENSILS, PLATES, & POTS (ETC.): Please label all your items so that they can be easily identified & returned to you at the end of the night.
6) Share the Event with Friends, Family, Teachers, Peers, etc. – Facebook Link
A Facebook Event Page has been created so that any & all can share the Chili Cookoff information with their friends, families, and peers (etc.). Please circulate to your networks & encourage people to come. Tickets can always be purchased at the door for $20 if they haven’t already obtained a ticket through a rower. Click here for the event link: Westdale Chili Cookoff Facebook Event Page
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)
Now that you’ve had a weekend to get over the adrenaline rush (and potential fangirling) of being free from school for a whole entire week, we thought it’d be super fun to post a wicked awesome list of workouts you should totally do 😉
…but seriously. These workouts will help you maintain your aerobic base & general fitness required for when we come back and complete erg testing (#lolwut). Yes. Erg testing upon return.
To our credit, we’re giving you lots of workout options so that you can manage this training with your schedule/location(s). If you’ve already spoken to me about attending a rowing-specific training camp (e.g.: SCRC/BrockU March-Break Training Camp), then please just keep me posted on your progress & be sure to train smart (no injuries).
Now that we feel all warm & fuzzy inside, here’s the workout plan (including an overview for tomorrow’s supervised practice at LBC):
_______________________ MARCH BREAK TRAINING:
Monday, March 16th – 6am @LBC (Leander Boat Club)
All athletes should arrive at 6am for a 2hr practice at Leander Boat Club (6-8am). We will rotate through ergs, tank, and core, with a strong emphasis on tank-work. This will be your only supervised practice this week, so please attend. It will give us a chance to check-in and ensure you’re set for the rest of the week with the unsupervised training.
Tuesday, March 17th: *ST. PATRICK‘S DAY* Option 1: warmup; 40min erg castles (Cat 6 = 6km split + 14s); 1×300 circuit; stretching (at least 10min) Option 2: 60min steady-state run OR 90min cross-country skiing; stretching (at least 10min) Option 3: >4hrs alpine skiing (as an alpine skier I’m sad to report that it’s just not as good of a workout as cross-country, so you need to get more hours in); stretching (10min at least)
Wednesday, March 18th: Option 1: warmup; 3x12min ski ladders (22/24/26/28/30/32 -> should be Cat 4) with 8min rest in between; stretching (10min at least) Option 2: 30min run + 5 stair runs (total of about 45-60min) OR 60min cross-country skiing; stretching (at least 10min) Option 3: 3hrs alpine skiing PLUS home circuit (jump squat pyramid 25/50/75/50/25; 3×20 pushups; 3×20 crunches; 3×10 glute contractions each leg (this is the physio exercise we normally do)); stretching (at least 10min)
Thursday, March 19th: Option 1: 20min run; 300 circuit (1.5m rest between sets); stretching Option 2: 20min erg (5min castles @22/24spm, CAT 5 pace – 6km split + 8s); 300 circuit (1.5m rest between sets); stretching Option 3: 90min cross-country ski OR 4hrs alpine skiing; stretching
Friday, March 20th: Option 1: dynamic warmup; 2x30min erg with 3min rest in between (Cat 6 pace = 6km split +14s); stretching (at least 10min) Option 2: 60min run (or 10-12km distance) OR 90min cross country ski; stretching Option 3: alpine-ski your butt off for at least 5hrs
Saturday March 21st/Sunday March 22nd: OFF
_______________________
…that’s it, folks!
See you all tomorrow morning @6am at Leander Boat Club,
Alessandra
1) Parent’s Meeting – Thursday, March 26th @7pm in the WSS Library
Mark your calendars: Thursday, April 16th will be the night of Westdale Rowing’s Infamous Chili Cookoff! PREPARE YOUR CROCKPOTS. GET READY FOR A SHOWDOWN. EMPTY STOMACHS WILL BE FILLED. The winner is still to be determined…
The parent’s meeting on Thursday March 26th at 7pm in the WSS library will address the Chili Cookoff (which has been organized by the Parent Reps), as well as important outdoor rowing information (fees, waivers, regatta dates, safety requirements, practice schedule/training requirements at LBC).
2) March Break Training – Monday, March 16th from 6-8am @LBC
There will be one official “At LBC” practice held over March break this year. The team practice will run on Monday, March 16th, from 6-8am at Leander Boat Club. The rest of the week will be comprised of workouts that athletes can complete at home on their own time – these workouts will be posted to this blog. If athletes would like additional assistance with technical development on the erg or on the tank aside from Monday’s practice, then they should contact Alessandra with their availability & the name of a partner that would join in the practice (there must be at least 2 athletes for an extra practice to be held).
3) Welland Tank Session – Sunday, March 29th from 12-3pm @WIFC
We will be holding a mandatory tank session for ALL outdoor rowers on the Men’s & Women’s Teams. The tank session is booked for Sunday, March 29th, and will run from 12-3pm at the Welland International Flatwater Centre (WIFC). Plan to be there for the entire session, as we will be rotating athletes through the tank & the gym (for information on the facilities available, click here). Directions can be found here, but will also be posted closer to the session date.
See you all tomorrow for the coach-swap,
Alessandra
If you haven’t signed up yet for tomorrow’s team lunch at the Mandarin (12:30pm, Upper James location), then please sign up today on the Doodle poll & click “save” so that your response is recorded here: http://doodle.com/wstu5fvupw47xi32
Mac 2×4 Shirts – If you have not already collected your Mac 2×4 racing shirt, then coach Mike will distribute them tomorrow morning in the racing area (McMaster University Student Center Atrium). If you did not purchase a shirt this year but are racing, then please bring last-year’s racing shirt. All athletes are expected to wear their unisuits & Mac 2×4 shirts for the event.
Mac 2×4 General Info – I’ve already posted info about the 2×4 below, but here’s a short overview (*waivers NOT required*):
1) All athletes arrive at 7:30am in the McMaster University Student Centre Atrium (Google “McMaster University Student Centre” to find directions).
2) Check-in immediately with coaches & weigh-in if required (weigh-ins open at 7:30am)
3) Injured athletes are encouraged to attend to cheer on their teammates
4) Athletes must bring: water, food (breakfast + snacks), *DUCT TAPE & CARDBOARD FOOTSTRAPS* (coordinate with your team for this part), racing unisuit & Mac 2×4 shirt
5) Schedule of events can be found here: Mac 2×4 Event Information – 2015 Schedule
8:00am = Jr. HS Women & Jr. HS LWT Women 8:40am = Jr. HS Men & Jr. HS LWT Men + Coxswain Race 9:20am = Sr. HS Women & Sr. HS LWT Women & Club U19-JR Women 10:00am = Sr. HS Men & Sr. HS LWT Men & Club U19-JR Men 10:40-11am = Highschool Awards & Trophy Presentations 12:30pm = Team Lunch (All-You-Can-Eat) at the Mandarin (please sign up asap so I know numbers here: http://doodle.com/wstu5fvupw47xi32) Cost is $19.99 (about $25 total when including tax & tip).
This is our final indoor race of the season, but our first team/crew race, so we’re faced with our first racing opportunity to really push together as crews – not just as individuals – against other highschools in the Golden Horseshoe region & GTA/Hamilton-Wentworth. A big part of the race will be determined by how well you work together as a team through transitions and motivating one another, so let’s use this as a good challenge: talk with your teammates, figure out what gets them motivated, and communicate as a team so that you’re smooth on those transitions.
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.
Westdale Rowing Community 