My family and me.
About the furthest you can row on the Cam (unless you go over Baits Bite to Bottisham) is Baits Bite lock to Jesus Lock; and that seems to have become our regular monday evening practice. Warmup, spin, down to Jesus Lock, steady state to Baits Bite, then a piece back. It is about 5 km I think; Baits Bite to the Motorway bridge must be ~30 strokes, then it was (tonight, slight following wind, rating 24) 530 strokes to Jesus Lock (and a rapid stop to avoid going under the weir). The rowcoach said ~1:55 split average, maybe a little better. We need to learn to take the rating up; the first half was at ~22 or a fraction under; we ended at 28. This is semi-deliberate to settle us down.
Does that fit? 560/24 ~ 23 1/2 mins. 5km (and against the stream) in 23 mins would be over 2:00, so maybe it is more like 5.5 km. Hmm, and if I put the rate at 25 and say only 20 strokes to the Motorway bridge from the lock? Maybe. Next time we should just time it, that would be easier.
Meanwhile, if you want to see a very rough crew do their first bumps start of the year, try http://www.spannerspotter.com/v/specials/drjpstag/post-drjp-stag-night-5.flv.html. The title is a clue. Note that this was the first time 3 had done a bumps start; in fact it was the first time 3 had rated above 30, let alone 35.
Comments
Ah, memories! I rowed 2 for the second 8 at High School in the UK in the mid-60's. We placed 154th one year in the big annual series (whose name escapes my right now). Middle range. Highly shellacked wooden boats in those days, probably a bit heavier than today's. We put in just below Hammersmith Bridge, and in the winter we had to break the ice to get the hulls afloat. I'm guessing that is not an issue these days.
What really triggered me to comment is bumps starts. Where I caught my one and only crab ever, at about stroke 7, and of course it was in a real race. We called it "take ten", not bumps starts, but the same thing. It was a bit choppy, but even so I was too hasty dropping my blade. Next thing the handle whipped past my nose and I was lying between 3's feet. I was lucky, went down fast enough it did not catch me on my chin. Was able to get back up, recover my oar, and we finished ahead. And then I got the dressing down.
Memories. Every so often I think of joining the row club here on the Island. When I lose that midriff. Someday.
Posted by: Gray Gaffer | February 8, 2010 9:03 PM
Surely some kind of warmist joke. We all know that a new ice age has descended since 1998 and Great Britain is iced over in the grip of the fiercest winter since the earth was created 6000 years ago.
Noone can row in these conditions .
John McManus
( the world's first private , consulting climate detective )
Posted by: John McManus | February 9, 2010 8:47 AM