Henley Day Three

A day of emotional ups and downs, some competition, a beautiful day, and a little surprise.

The 2V, 1V, and 4+ practiced at different times today according to what they had decided upon the previous day and it was good to see them take ownership of the process. The 2V practiced at 9 AM after getting a little more sleep and made a game attempt at learning the intricacies of double dutch rope jumping - here is a video of how adept we are it...After coming off the water the mood of the practice changed considerably and I probably could have reacted better because I thought the rowing was a huge step in the right direction for the crew with their speed work and base tens looking truly excellent.

The 1V returned in the afternoon around 1 PM for their one practice of the day and it was great to have our full lineup together again. I think we have a good shot at managing injuries well the remainder of the way. After a cox box snafu the crew did a short block of strong steady state and then returned later in the evening to do a brush with an American D1 crew and acquited themselves well. We were overstroking but were able to move out which seems to be our modus operandi this season. Let's hope it keeps working.

The 4+ also 'brushed' an American 4+ and showed some improvement over the course of the pieces. Understanding a new sense of intensity will be key for these athletes as they attempt to qualify.

Awesome lunch today - German smoked ham, a British green apple, spreadable goat cheese, and a Cornish butter scone with mature cheese made for an excellent sandwich. Thank you Waitrose for making it happen and to Patrick for the usage of the roof of his house boat. I hope to post pictures in the days to come.

Dinner tonight at the Rose and Crown - congratulations to Rebecca and Craig on their 10 week old baby boy George -growing up in a pub has got to be a great way to make it happen. He'll certainly have his share of barroom chatter and conversation.

Off to bed - a brush with University College Dublin tomorrow for the 2V at 8:30 AM - I hope we'll make a good run of it!