Dynamic & Athletic

Well we have had our little camp and in the main it went pretty well. Certainly the foundations are in place for a great season ahead and we need to ensure we keep the progress going. Now I say in the main because we probably tried a few things technicly that we didn't get the benefits from in the camp period. This create a challenge because we have to make sure we stay aware of the critical step we were taking for when we get back in the boat together.

One thing that stood out for me about where we are at is the lack of dynamic and athletic movements that we aim to produce. During the camp we upped the anti on the volume and were feeling the effects of the increase and I think it had a negative effect on the movement we aim to create in the boat.

When I say dynamic I mean the overall speed of movement and change of direction. Athletisim is in reference to the intent of being athletic. To explain further I feel athletic is about understanding how to stay on top of things and to not get bogged down. It is about being light, easy and flowing and concentrating on creating these types of actions particularly when things start to become heavy, weighty and potentially sluggish.

We capture a fair bit of video and certainly found it of benefit to revue and to also compare to our best work from last season. I will put something together from the camp soon.

Another couple of words that came to mind during a long ride were quiet simply, fast and smart. Both hold great relevence to riding and rowing I think. The order is important too. Fast and smart, is a cyclic and rhythmical marriage of two words which are simple and yet truly challenging to live. Fast and smart relates to being dynamic and athletic, they all combine to make a compelling view of what a perfect performance can be. So our camp has been a foundational step and one that has reminded us that we need words do describe the movement we aim to create. The camp has sharped our focus and re-calibrated our mind sets while at the same time stimulating adaptation from the obvious increase in volume.

We also made clear our plans for the remainder of the season and with the open discussions about our team and plan I feel we have brought the picture in to focus. Each step needs to be done with deliberate purpose and be fully energised to ensure we make the most of our opportunity.

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