Gold and Bronze at the Welsh Champs

Having not been in the best shape recently I simply set out this morning to have a good time, meet my friends and enjoy the fun of the racing. Did that alright and still managed to take home two medals, love it!

2k - plan was to put in a sub-7 and just row by feel. I thought 6:49.9 may be there if I put myself in with a shout. Did the first 5 strokes with eyes shut and hard but not flat out, looked up to see I was up there with Pete Marston and Jon Goodall. Started to let the pace bleed off and it took a few hunndred meters before I settled into a race cruise at around 1:42 ish. Because of the start I was still below 1:40 as I passed 500m which took some pressure off. Relaxed and just stuck it on 1:43 and aimed to hold it until I felt like the end was near. Picked it up again from around 200m out I think. Didn't put in a flat out sprint as I had the 500m on my mind

1:39.8
1:43.2
1:43.2
1:40.2

6:46.8 - 1:41.6 - df99 - happy with that, confidence boost. Reckon sub 6:40 is there again when I want to put the effort in.

500m
Aimed to row a 1:23 which was about where I saw myself. didn't want to overcook it and blow so just settled into a sensible pace that I could manage. Was rating around 35-38 I think after a hardish start down to 1:13 and then gradually bleed back to 1:23-4 when the average pace had got down to 1:20.

250m - 1:21.8
250m - 1:23.8

500m - 1:22.9 - df 146 - Bronze

Happy to break 1:23 on race software again. Could probably have attacked it a bit more but I still wouldn't have had enough today to beat either of the Russians. Just pipped Matthew Vanstone into 4th by 0.2s. Sergei did 1:19.2, Evgeni did 1:20.9.

3000m sprint relay - 8:11 - 1:21.9 - Gold

I got invited to row with Sergie, Evgeni and Jon Goodall for the sprint Relay at the end of the afternoon. I jumped at the chance, despite having done a 2k and a 500m beforehand. We practiced upstairs and got the hang of the changeover with Niall holding the footstraps. By the time we went down to the arena they said that helpers were not allowed so we had to get used to doing the straps ourselves which made it a little harder.

The plan was 10 hard strokes and swap. We should do 11 rotations with around 36 seconds rest each, each time. Jon and I aimed for around 1:16-18 and Sergei and Evgeni did whatever they felt comfortable with. We all managed to keep within 1:14 and 1:19 for the most part and didn't fade too much it's just the changeovers where we lost a little time.

at the end:





Well done to TAF ATTACK for grabbing Silver by about a second ahead of the Bronze team in a nail biting finish - awesome.

Great day - lots of friends caught up with and a few more new ones made, you have to love our sociable sport!