Monday morning, we are flying off on holiday to the USA later today on an afternoon flight so I decided to just do a long walk with the dog, rather than doing any rowing or skiing.
Our flight was an evening one that arrived in the USA at around 20:00 local time, we arrived at our condo around 22:00 and simply went to bed.
Tuesday morning, after a somewhat broken night’s sleep, I headed off to the resort’s gym, no rowing machine unfortunately, so walking/running it is for the next few weeks
Treadmill run, 15 laps of the virtual track, 1 lap warm up, 13 laps running, 1 lap cool down. 5.7Km total. didn’t record correctly on my watch.
Wednesday morning indoor treadmill run:
- 1 lap 3mph
- 14 laps 6mph
- 1 lap 3mph
- 6Km total
Thursday morning we went kayaking at Shingle Creek, a 2 hour session going south from the Paddling Centre.
Incredibly flattering crotch shot.
A turtle sunning itself on a log
Spinning around
Beautiful scenery
The family just ahead of me.
These are stills from the 360 footage, unfortunately the camera appears to have turned off about 45 minutes into the 2 hour outing.
Friday morning running 2:00 Intervals as follows:
- 4mph flat
- 4mph 15 incline
- 4mph flat
- 6mph flat
- 4mph flat
- 8mph flat
Prior to starting my current holiday in the USA, I reached out on the JL Ambassador forum for suggestions of clubs in Orlando I might be able to row with.
Lake County Rowing Association (LCRA) and Orlando Area Rowing Association (OARS) were offered as suggestions. I reached out to both clubs several times, but heard nothing back.
My contact on the forum had also supplied me her email address and so I contacted her directly and she then copied in people from each of the clubs in her response.
I was then able to connect with each of the clubs and arrange meet ups.
My first session was with LCRA at 06:10 on Saturday 22nd July, they row on Lake Minneola, in Lake County Florida. After a nightmare of trying to find their club house (the road is not on my SatNav) and hidden behind an industrial estate, they were very welcoming and assigned me the number 6 seat in one of the two mixed masters 8+ boats they were taking out.
The session was a largely technical session, both crews doing the same exercises whilst being coached by a single coach on a launch. rowing in sixes swapping pairs of rowers in and out and also building from a pair through four, six and finally eight, again starting with a different pair each time and also building the rate.
The water was lovely and flat at the start of the session, but by the time we were heading in the wind had picked up and there was also a wake boarder creating huge wake that was all making for more trying conditions, we had a fair amount of water in the boat by the end and I was soaked, however the water was lovely and warm, so it didn’t really register.
Unfortunately I forgot to take any photos, although I hope to go back next weekend, so will try and remember to take some pictures next time.
My second session was with OARS at 06:45 on Sunday 23rd July, they row on Little Lake Down in Windermere, Florida.
This club was much easier to find and I was to be swapped in to the masters mens 4+ halfway through the session, the first half I would be on the launch with the coach.
The coach was originally from Belarus and had coached their Olympic team through 6 Olympic games, 4 as their official coach and 2 as an advisor, so knew a thing or two about how to coach rowing ;o)
The initial crew did a variety of pieces, steady state and power, but nothing over about 24spm, one of them being an 8 minute piece.
I was swapped in as promised and they then proceeded to test how well I could row, apparently they get visitors who don’t even know how to feather an oar! I was in the number 3 seat rowing stroke side in their backwards rigged coxed four (bowside stroke).
I believe they were suitably impressed that after swapping me in, the boat was just as balanced as it had been with their original crew and that I was able to maintain whatever rate they set. The coach had us rating at 28 and then 30spm for a couple of pieces, I’m sure they were trying to see if I could keep up and/or would catch a crab – I am pretty sure I passed the test as they have invited me back to row with them on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
I have no GPX data for this session as the seat I was swapped into already had a SpeedCoach setup, although it seems he was not recording the session.