Top Ten Things to Bring on a Training Trip

1. Heating pad/The Stick

Training trips make you sore – that’s why they are called “training” trips. I’ve found that anything to alleviate soreness is useful to pack. Back stiffness is something that happens a lot on training trips and our room usually has a lineup of people to use the heating pad. The Stick is the same and probably the best $25 Christmas present I’ve ever gotten. Very useful for rolling out calves and hamstrings or – if you have a particularly nice teammate – glutes and forearms.

2. Sunglasses

This easily forgotten item (when it’s barely over 32 degrees at home) is a training trip necessity. Eyes need sun protection just like your skin does. Six hours a day on a bright sunny lake is not good for your eyes. I love Oakleys but I know a lot of people who also like Rudy Project. Just make sure they have UV protection – good sunglasses are worth shelling out the extra cash.

3. Pepto/Tums

I’ve never been on a training trip where someone hasn’t had stomach problems. The change in food and the extra workouts can magnify any minor issues. Last year it got so bad that our team – who celebrates such training trip holidays as Wacky Wednesday and TieDye Friday – dubbed one such day Poop Your Pants Thursday. Beautiful, I know. I personally carry Tums everywhere, but for those who don’t, pack some for the trip.

4. iPod (with new music)

One of the best things about a training trip is spending every minute of every day with your team, however, it can be one of the hardest things too. I like bringing my iPod because it gives me a little bubble of alone time – when the headphones are in, people usually don’t bother me. Training trips can be a tough time mentally as well as physically and listening to music helps keep me sane.

5. PreWrap

This cheap band serves two purposes: It can help warp a sore wrist or ankle, but it is also a stylish hair accessory. And by stylish, I actually mean functional. This is the only hairband that can keep my hair out of my face (I think that’s due to the fact that I have an abnormally small head). Our team usually wears red, but it comes in all different colors and patterns, like floral, leopard print, and tie dye (above) .

6. Epsom Salt

Whether you bring this or buy it en route, Epsom salt has always had a place on training trip. We’ve perfected the art of healing blisters: get the ice bucket, fill with warm water, dissolve Epsom salt in, put blistered hands in concoction and commence swearing. Epsom salt – as I’ve mentioned before – is a great way to keep blisters clean and on the right track to becoming callouses.

7. Extra Water Bottle

Of course you’re going to bring one nalgene, but are two really necessary? I think yes – hydration is vital to good performance and water bottles get lost constantly. Is it in the room? The cafeteria? On the dock? Did it get left in the boat? Did the coxswain accidentally drop it in the water? Just bring an extra and even if you don’t lose the first one, you can have one for water during practice, and one for your -ade of choice after. Or you can be nice and lend it to your pal who didn’t follow my advice.

8. Raingear

Training trips normally take place somewhere that’s always warm and sunny, right? Wrong. I thought that until it poured the first three days of our trip my freshman year. I ended up having to go to Walmart to buy pants because my only pair was constantly soaked. Fashion aside, water proof jacket and pants are good choices. Bring them.

9. Team bonding activity

Whether its Apples to Apples, a deck of cards or copious amounts of OPI nail polish, doing something the team can enjoy together is smart. There is down time on these trips and although napping and watching TV may seem like a better choice, you’ll miss out on that time that your teammate hilariously pronounced “mucus membranes” as “mu-chos mem-bra-nays”…and thought it was right. 

Getting excited during an intense game of Ninja last year!

10. Positive Mental Attitude

Training trips are hard. I wish that someone had told me that when I went on my first one – all I heard about was how much fun you have. Yes, training trips are fun, but it’s important to be prepared for a lot of work. When it’s 90 degrees out and you’re on your fourth of who knows how many five-minute seat racing pieces, it’s going to be a PMA that gets you through. Training trips put everyone through a lot of scrutiny, whether it’s through video, seat racing or just a lack of privacy. It is important to be positive about the work that you are putting in and how it’s going to help the team during the regular season. Because, really, that’s what you’re there for.

Honorable Mentions

Pillow and blanket for the bus

Good bus movies (usually easy to follow with same volume all the way through…Inception is not a good choice)

Team gear (a given)

Every pair of spandex you own

Every pair of socks you own

A scale to make sure that you’re not losing or gaining too much weight during this intense spike in training (and eating!)

And.....

....love for your teammates!

On the Road to Boston!

Last weekend I participated in C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints in Boston, MA. This was the second year I have gone, and like most second year events I think it went better than last year. My score won’t tell you that, but well, that’s what this blog is for.

I like going to C.R.A.S.H.-B’s because it gives a more definite purpose to winter training. I love competing and as much as I enjoy competing against my teammates, it gets kind of old to me fairly quickly. C.R.A.S.H.-B’s feeds my need for competition and helps break up the time until we race on the water again. I also believe that the more experience I get competing in different areas against different people will help me to be more mentally prepared to race in any situation on the water. All that being said, I raced pretty terribly in Boston this year.

           

Everything was set for me to do well. I was much smarter with my diet than last year and felt very strong despite my weight loss. I had great pre-regatta workouts, including a 2k only one second off of my P.R. from last year. I had four great nights of sleep before the race. I weighed in with minimal stress (well, less stress than last year, anyway). I had a fantastic pre-race playlist. I warmed up well. I had a good coxswain. I was less stressed about the race than I was the year before. But I just couldn't hack it.

           

The thing that I like about erging is that there are no excuses. I didn’t have a bad race because six seat rushes her slide or the coxswain didn’t take a good line or stroke seat didn’t keep the rate up or the set was off. I had a bad race because I raced badly. I think that’s why it has taken me so long to write this post; because I accepting that I did poorly is not something I do particularly well. It’s even harder when I had to return to a team full of people who watched me taper throughout the week and who were rooting for me.

           

However, I’m not upset I made the trip. I always try to learn from my mistakes. I know I have to be a lot more focused on my own race, rather than let the environment and the speed of the people around me scare me into going out too fast. I have to use my cardiovascular strength to keep the rate high when my legs get tired. I have to be able to turn a bad first thousand into a good piece. At this stage of the game, a PR isn’t going to come unless I want it 110% of the time, whether I'm at on the water, on the water, in the weight room or in my kitchen contemplating eating six cookies for lunch instead of a salad. 

At least my erg face isn't so horrible...but Clarkey kind of looks like Mario in that red hat!

       

I also enjoyed the trip because, being the huge rowing nerd that I am, I just love being around rowing people. Because I’m a nice person (a.k.a. wanted to keep my gas costs down) I drove three freshmen guys to and from the race. While providing a great deal of amusement, they also jogged a lot of freshman year memories that I had forgotten about. Sometimes I feel that dealing with senior captain stuff gets in the way of me appreciating how much I truly love the sport of rowing and it was great to be reminded. I also enjoyed spending time with Marist alumni who make me realize that if I work hard, I can have a future in rowing after I graduate. I also got to spend some quality time with my often pair partner and housemate, Angie, which is always fun (and she had a great race). I think that I can learn something from every “generation” of Marist rower, whether it’s about the sport of rowing or just enjoying myself with new friends.

           

But at least my taper wasn’t for nothing. I destroyed my 5x5' PR the Monday I got back, so I got one good erg piece out of the weekend. It just wasn’t the right one at the right time.  But, as things go in the rowing world, there will always be more 2ks and as many more bad pieces I will likely have, I hope they teach me how to have more good ones.

Special thanks to Catherine, Sopko, Fish and Victoria for letting us crash in their dorm the night before the race and good luck to Harvard Swimming at Ivies this weekend!! Go Crimson!

And for your listening pleasure, here is my very girly pre-2k playlist that I am pretty sure no one else in the entire world would like. Haters, keep hatin'. 

1. Fixin' to Die - G. Love

2. Rolling in the Deep - Adele

3. Redneck Woman - Gretchen Wilson

4. Dirty Talk - Wynter Gordon

5. I Wanna Dance (With Somebody Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston

6. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson

7. Turn Me On - David Guetta & Nikki Minaj

8. Blackout - Breathe Carolina