Olivia undefeated by crashing waves
The disappointing result at Fours Head sent the Oxford Brookes University Women’s squad back home with more determination to train and turn these results around. We’ve been completing 16km rowing machine training sessions twice a week, where we set the clock for 20 minutes and see how far we can row flat out. For anyone reading this and wanting a challenge, the boys have to hit 6000m and the girls are aiming for around 5500m… let us know how you get on!
I’ve had no more events to race at since my last update but I have been working on trying to improve my fitness steadily over the winter months, improve my strength and trying not to get ill again!!! I’m keeping a food diary and have been advised by my coach to buy specific recovery powders to mix with water so that I can recover from each session quicker and more effectively; and of course to eat more vegetables.
I spent the weekend of 26th/27th November in Nottingham on a combined camp with the World Class Start programme and the Under 23 triallists. The weekend consisted of two 1500m pieces on the lake in our singles; physiotherapy work; psychological analysis; video analysis; 1km rowing machine test;, 250m rowing machine test; then rowing in doubles about 12km on the river in those combinations. The next day, after a late night writing an essay that was due in on the 28th, we woke up to howling winds and rain. The lake was closed so we had a bit of spare time to work, sleep and eat. Eventually we were allowed out onto the lake to complete two 2km pieces in the double combinations at varied rates.
The weekend went okay, despite the appalling weather conditions and the stress of my essay. I managed not to fall in when I was in my single, even though waves were crashing over my head at one point, and I completed the 1500m to finish in the top quarter of the rankings. The rowing machine tests weren’t quite as successful, but hopefully I’ll pull a good score out of the bag tomorrow when I complete my 2km rowing machine trial.
Fingers crossed and I’ll let you know how it goes.
Olivia