Since college nationals the summer has been a fast spin of training between making plans for the next race. With Southeast regionals fast on the heals of College nationals and Club Nationals two weeks after here in Oak Ridge, I truly felt like all my time was spent here. Master's regionals found Aiken, South Carolina to be hot as is usual and I had much fun in races there including the master's single and 8+ (both with the whole field medeling) and a hard earned 2nd place in the open 2x.
Club nationals marked my biggest slump yet in training as we prepared Oak Ridge for the 5 day event. Volunteers pored in to keep the venue staffed and much time was spent doing this and that, but little of it was rowing. The rest of summer passed with lots of good water enjoyed and quality meters being logged. Sarah and I also competed in our first trail race, a 7 miler at Haw Ridge; it was an extreamly enjoyable race and I plan to do more. The next week was Master's Nationals in New Jersey (by now I'm into the beginning of August). I raced again this year with the Master's coaching composite group in two mixed 8's placing 2nd and 3rd in the finals of those. A hard heat in the single kept me to heats, but a blistering fast final only in the mixed quad with last-minute fill-in Joe Paduda was a great cap to the race (and another silver medal). I was beside myself some days after the race when I realized why the name Joe Paduda was familiar; he wrote the book 'The Art of Sculling' which has graced my coffee table for years. It was the closest celebrity encounter I have ever enjoyed without knowing it.
Another short week back in Oak Ridge and I was off to Michigan for a family reunion. I have found the time away from ergs and shells to be very stressful and running not nearly as much fun when doing it alone and as my sole form of exercises. I am very much looking forward to being in Boston for the weekend with the coaches of the All American Rowing camp to learn all I can about the Charles river as I am fortunate enough to be racing there in October in the club single.
