Saratoga Rowing Association Blog

DAY #6: North Fort Myers, FL to Cape Coral Rowing Club

Our last day on the water - what a week!  We pushed off from the beach at our hotel at 8:05 AM heading west to the Cape Coral Rowing Club.  Both crews were donned in their St. Patrick's Day finest - green shirts and shorts and a leprechaun hat for our coxswains.  Quite a sight!!

Our perfect weather continues to hold as the skies were blue, the sun shone brightly and the temperatures hovered in the 80's.  We had a following breeze which made our headway even more efficient.  Today's row as approximately 12.5 miles as we headed to Cape Coral, on the edge of the Gulf Inter coastal Waterway.  Chrissy and Wendy rowed the double while Tim, Laurie, Michele, Christy, and Joan rowed the quad. 

As we approached our destination we passed through a city owned lock, the first rowing shells ever to do so, just east of the Cape Coral Rowing Club.  Alis took many pictures as both shells and the launch passed through the lock and progressed the short distance to the rowing club.  Again, another luxury as we actually took out at a rowing dock rather than a beach  After washing the shells, launch, and oars, packing our accessories,and loading the van, we popped the champagne to celebrate our fantastic week - what fun!! We covered over 80 miles on our east to west trek (that's 130,000 meters for you ergers back home!)

We ate lunch at "The Joint" next to the Cape Coral Rowing Club and then headed back to the hotel for a little R & R, packing and socializing.

Tomorrow we head north with great memories and anticipating a return visit! See you all soon at SRA!     

DAY #5: W. P. Franklin Lock to North Fort Myers, FL

Today we docked out from the W. P. Franklin Lock Recreation area, just on the western side of the lock.  This park like setting was idyllic -perfect for launching - great spot!  We pushed off about 8:30 AM and headed west, again under sunny blue skies, flat water, and temperatures in the 80's. 

Today was an interesting row as the river was fairly narrow at the start, lined with opulent homes and spectacular yachts. As we progressed, the river became wider and we needed to pay a bit more attention to the channel markers.  About 2/3 of the way through our row we stopped on the south side of the river at the home of Alis Jordan, a superb oarswoman from the Cape Coral Rowing Club, who participated in the 3-day Masters Rowing Camp attended by Wendy, Christy, and Joan in January.  Alis could not have been more friendly and accommodating, inviting us not only to dinner but also suggesting we take-out at her rowing club tomorrow, at the culmination of our tour - needless to say we wholeheartedly accepted.  

We arrived at today's stopping spot - our hotel - after about a 13 mile row. We encountered minimal chop and all finished in good spirits. Today's crews were quad: Wendy, Michele, Joan, Christy, and Chrissy - double - Tim and Laurie.  Bean and Bob manned the launch. What a relief not having to de-rig and load as we were able to store the shells and launch on the grounds of the hotel.

The rowers spent the afternoon poolside while Bob and Bean headed south to Naples to visit Bob's aunt.

Our dinner at "Rumrunners" adjacent to the Cape Coral Rowing Club, was spectacular.  Our hosts, Alis and and her husband John were the best - a great evening enjoyed by all.  Su Sweeney, another attendee of January's Master Camp, also joined us for dinner.

Tomorrow we wrap up our tour, traveling from the beach in front of our hotel to the Cape Coral Rowing Club.

Day #4: Repositioning Day

Today, Sunday, was our day off from rowing which allowed us to reposition to our final accommodations in Fort Myers.  We left Roland and Mary Ann Martin's Marina in Clewiston this morning and headed west, a drive of about 65 miles.

We all seemed to want to get some provisions on the way, consequently we made the obligatory stop at the local WalMart where we did our best to stimulate the local economy!  After loading up on critical "necessities" (beach chairs, magazines, beverages, etc.) we again hit the road, stopping at Darla's Restaurant about 20 minutes east of Fort Myers. While some of us enjoyed the culinary excellence of the buffet, others decided on a la carte selections which, unfortunately, never arrived.  After a lengthy wait and culminating in no edible sustenance for some (not Bob and Chrissy!!) we left. 

We arrived at the Best Western Waterfront hotel in the early afternoon - clearly our nicest hotel with a great view and ideal location relative to our rowing route.

The gang was anxious to get to the beach so after unpacking we hopped in the car and headed to Fort Myers Beach- the recommended destination.  The combination of today being the culmination of the Annual Shrimp Festival and the fact it was a weekend day made the trip a long one - 2 hours to go about 20 miles!  The drive was worth it as the sun was plentiful, the gulf water bath-like and the camaraderie unparalleled.  The Braim's proved to be our daily heroes as, after they had left for a walk down the beach, arrived back at the sunbathers with pepperoni pizza in hand!! After charbroiling ourselves well into the late afternoon we headed back to the hotel for a relaxing dinner at Pincher's Crab Shack.  Joan Nichols, from OARS in Orlando, joined us today - great gal and she fit right in without skipping a beat - not an easy task with this group!!!

Our dinner was highlighted by the joke telling of Vinny, a 4'11" older Italian leprechaun from New Jersey sitting next to us, who had us rolling on the ground!  

Tomorrow we resume the rowing, planning to dock out from the W. P. Franklin Lock Recreational area.  

Day #3 Moore Haven, FL to Ortona Lock, FL

We started our third leg of the tour on the east side of the Moore Haven Lock, taking our first strokes at about 10:30 AM.  We rowed only a short distance before entering the lock chamber - our first lock through of the trip.  Upon entering the lock the lock operator asked us to stay near the rear of the chamber as the water inside was lowered about 3 feet - not a huge depth change but interesting nonetheless.  After the lock gates opened we rowed 16 miles to the eastern side of Ortona Lock, but did not lock through. We took out at Meadowlark Retirement Resort.  Clearly, aside from daily octogenarian tricycle racing, our arrival was the highlight of the season.......probably an understatement to say we were the youngest people they've seen in decades.    

Today's scenery included both upscale residential areas followed by long sections of "rural Florida"!  The wildlife was again plentiful but no "gator" sightings today - it seems the gators stay east of the Moore Haven Lock.

Our total rowing time, not including the lock through, was 2 hours 20 minutes.  We are making excellent time while rowing at half to two-thirds pressure - very manageable - although we are sticking to our 30 minute rowing intervals followed by a 5 to 10 minute "butt" break. .  Our stroke ratings are in the low 20's.  Everyone completed today's row in great spirits and we enjoyed a box lunch at the Ortona Lock Recreational Park on the bank of the waterway.

Today the quad was rowed by Tim, Laurie, Chrissy, Wendy, and Michele, while Bob and Christy rowed the double.  

The day was topped off by a good 'ol fashioned southern barbecue at the Clewiston Inn - an inn built in 1938 and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.  The lobby was paneled with cypress wood and oozed southern charm - very special.  The food, service, and hospitality were outstanding!

Tomorrow is our "off" day while we reposition our accommodations to Fort Myers and hopefully have some beach time!!

Clewiston to Moore Haven, FL

After looking at the foreboding width of Lake Okeechobee we decided that a 28 mile crossing would be a bit precarious.  Consequently we started today's row in Clewison, FL and rowed to Moore Haven FL, a distance of 15 miles, on the western shore of Lake Okeechobee. 

This was actually beneficial as after rowing almost 24 miles yesterday we were welcoming a shorter row.  We rowed the rim canal route which was plentiful with wildlife, including many, many alligators!!  Please look at the photos to get a glimpse of the "gators".

Interestingly, the gators are very dark colored, almost black, unlike the green color you'd imagine.  I drove the launch back from Moore Haven to Clewiston and saw at least ten large alligators on the shore - really incredible!

We spent about 2 hours rowing today so we were all in good spirits upon our completion.  Our accommodations are fun - Roland and Mary Ann Martin's Marina!! After a bit of room juggling we have found this resort to be very friendly and accommodating.

Tomorrow we begin the western leg of our journey.  We will start in Moore Haven and plan to row about 20 miles probably to Belle Grade.  We are presently eating at the Tiki Restaurant (waterside) and have been feeding the "resident" alligator - hysterical!!  " Here kitty, kitty,kitty...."  

Our equipment - the touring quad, the double, and he launch - have been superb!.  Today's crew was - quad - Tim, Chrissy, Christy, Wendy, and Michele.  The double was rowed by Laurie and Bob. We miss everyone at SRA and hope you all plan to do this next year!!  Checkout today's photos!! 

Day 1 - Port St. Lucie to Port Mayaca

We started our first leg this morning, taking our first strokes at 10 AM - a bit behind schedule due to some vehicular logistics but nonetheless we were off in good spirits, blue skies and temperatures in the 80's!  Todays leg was rowed on the Okeechobee Waterway, starting at the St. Lucie Lock and finishing at Port Mayaca on the shores of Lake Okeechobee.  Interestingly the Canadian National flat water kayak team was training at our launch site. 

Today we covered 23.7 miles and we spent 3.5 hours  actually rowing - not bad but many sore butts and blistered hands.  We rowed 30 minute shifts with 5 - 10 minutes rest - that system seemed to work well. It as difficult to stay hydrated as it was quite hot, the  breeze was a godsend.  

Bean, our launch driver, spotted our largest alligator, one the size of her launch (14 ft.!) but luckily he wasn't hungry.  Today's quad crew was Laurie, Tim, Chrissy Michele, and Wendy.  Rowing the double was Bob and Christy. We rowed on basically flat water or a slight tailwind.  Day 1 was a great experience and we're looking forward to Day #2!.   

Today I have 2 heroes

It has been a while since I posted on the blog (apart from the bike trip... for which I supplied the pictures), but today I awoke early with a strange desire to tell the world (or the 5 people who will read this blog anyway) of my heroes.  Their performances were so strong yesterday that is spurred me into action this morning.  Of course right now everyone is probably expecting me to say Michael Phelps...  but as AMAZING as his win was last night - Gold Medal number 7 by .01 of a second...  I am inspired by two other olympians.

Michelle Guerette:

http://www.usrowing.com/News_Media/AthleteBios/mguerette.aspx (Bio)

http://www.rowingnews.com/sub.cfm?section=blogs&authorid=2 (blog - albiet out of date)

Michelle is a friend of mine from Radcliffe and I had the honor to watch her train and listen to the frustration and elation that a single sculler must learn to endure while training in this lonely boat.  It has been amazing to watch as the seasons passed, some of which were a thrill ride, and some of which brought doubts if is was all worth it.  I have seen the effects of training and taper not only on speed, but also on physical and mental state.  I was fortunate to be in the office at Radcliffe as Michelle - the single sculler - made us her "team" by leaning on us for support, by sharing her elation as well as her fears.  I was mostly a bystander to all of this, but getting to know such an elite athlete and being allowed to share victory and defeat with such an elite athlete certainly changed me as a coach, and - this being the point of this blog - invested me deeply in her success at these Olympic Games.  Admittedly, I was a bit nervous through the:

Heats http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/RO/C73/ROW012903.shtml#ROW012903 as she battled long time nemesis and heavily favored Ekaterina Karstens (whom she has not beaten)

Quarter Finals http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/RO/C73/ROW012301.shtml#ROW012301

Semi Finals  http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/RO/C73/ROW012201.shtml#ROW012201 as she battled the up and coming Chinese Phemon about whom I have heard amazing physical testing results.

And then came the final.  I know Michelle does not have a great start, but she has tremendous power and feel, and when she finds her natural rhythm, she can move as well as anyone.  However, she had already lost to Belarus and China.  My hope held firm though... It looked as if she was conserving energy in the Semifinal and allowed China to pull through, while Belarus and Bulgaria battled for the win in the other Semi. 

The splits in the final can not tell the whole story, but until it goes up on youtube, or the dvd comes out, it will have to do.  4.5 seconds down at the thousand (I am very nervous) then comes one of the best 2nd thousands I have seen outside the french men's pair in Athens.  Michelle moves up to 2nd .44 seconds off the Gold medal.  http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/RO/C73/ROW012201.shtml#ROW012201

After watching Michelle for those 3 years, watching Charlie Butt help her reshape her stroke, and listening to Cory and Liz help her keep her focus and determination... I am beside myself with excitement for the best female sculler I know... the 2nd fastest one in the world.  G'Rette.

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My other hero...

Dara Torres http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=1172/bio/ (bio)

Dara was in her first olympics in 1984 at 17 yrs old.  She retired a few times and kept getting drawn back to the pool.  She is now 41 and may be a favorite for the Gold in the 50 free.  Imagine if she had not retired... She would have competed in 7 olympic games and probably medaled in all of them.  In a sport like swimming, that is amazing. 

Dara's early career was built on volume and natural skill; those have faded in her later years.  She cannot dominate by being the best natural athlete or by working harder than anyone anymore.  So, she is an example now of what you can do if you do it "right".  For example, we often replace stretching with more volume, or skip it because it is boring... Dara hired full time Stretching coaches and Message Therapists.  Since her body cannot recover as quickly on its own as it did in her youth, she needed to cut the volume and do all the little things (diet, stretching, message, etc...) to recover and be ready for another quality workout.  She is now only swimming once a day and actively recovering.  I would bet that though her swims are less frequent than most elite athletes, they are higher quality because she does the recovery "work" to make sure of it.  The other interesting thing that she has changed in her workouts is her weight training.  She used to lift heavy weights and increase muscle... she has now shifted her weight training to focus on the core muscles.  As a coach, I am always preaching the benefits of core work, and recovery activities (proper eating, sleep, stretching, etc...) but I will be the first to admit that I often take the young Dara approach and focus more on volume and overall strength.  Old Dara is a wake-up call to us all.  We can no longer dismiss core, diet, stretching, sleep, etc... as low priority.  We cannot just say "I know, I should eat better, stretch more, sleep more, get my core work..." We have to DO it.  Dara will prove it tomorrow (I really hope she wins the Gold).  Dara, at 41, by "doing it right" will show the world that those pieces of the athletes puzzle are not the decoration, but rather the framework of the athlete.  I am inspired to change the way I coach by Dara Torres.

The other reason Dara is my hero happened last night in the Semi of the 50 free.  As the swimmers were approaching the blocks Dara noticed that the Swedish swimmer was having difficulty with her suit.  Dara, showing tremendous sportsmanship, both tried to help her, and then delayed the race and got the officials to hold off long enough for the Swede to get ready.  I hope that we all as athletes can embody sportsmanship as well as Dara.  At the Olympics, rather than cutting everyone out and bringing all focus internal and hating her competitors, Dara saw a competitor in distress, and broke her normal preparation routine to help her competititor.  What an awesome person she is and a great role model for all athletes young and old.

Pictures from Day 4

Pictures from Day 3

 

Pictures from Day 2

The day started great... shortly after leaving the beach we ran into thunderstorms.  Very few pictures were taken.  We were rewarded with a faint rainbow at the end of the 90 mile day.