Throwing Lips and Another Double

Today, a storm front threat washed out plans to row with a friend who competed in a college 8. Dang thing was aiming right at us when we wanted to hit the water, so we canceled. Ding-dang thing tracked from the southwest to the northeast and went to the north of us. Kathleen and I waited until we knew of the miss, then went out. Unfortunately, it was 11am and didn't take long for the powerboats to start up. To avoid fighting wakes on a long run back, we didn't go too far out. As it was, the 40ft yacht was out making wakes for the owner's kids in jet skis. Kathleen has been timid about the wakes - as if we'd be washed to South Carolina or something. She's improving. I keep telling her that we won't be tipped as long as we have our oars out. She says the reassurances are helping - kinda. They do look scary coming right off the boats, but they mellow into rockers by the time they hit us. I find them fun to ride.

Instead, we worked on bits of our technique again. I tried remaining pitched forward, using wrists at the finish, to develop a feel for a straight back angled properly on the drive. I'm not there yet, but, as indicated in the previous post, I've decreased my lean to a sway. Kathleen was asking me to slow down on the return too. This didn't seem so hard before, but it does now. I pause on the finish/recovery, rush on the return, then go back strong on the drive. I know I'm not doing the right thing because my oar blades are frequently not quiet. Water is coming over the blades because I'm driving faster than the shell is moving. And I'm sure I'm "throwing a lip" with the release. (I love that expression) Gotta keep working on all that. For Kathleen's part, she's struggling with keeping her wrists flat, grip relaxed, and has the blisters to show for it.

One good outcome of going out so late, we encountered the other double on the lake. Kathleen had met Kelly earlier at the YMCA so we knew someone else sculled. Today was the first time out for her and Sonja this year. We could only talk so much in the middle of the open water. It will be nice to have another local pair to connect with.