Men's crew basks in Texas warmth

By Andrew Neils

While many teams completed their winter training on the East Coast, the men's crew team traveled to Austin, Tex. to get ready for the spring season.

From Jan. 10 to Jan. 16, the team rowed on Towne Lake, pushing themselves to row 135 total miles, with 30 of those miles tallied in a single day. The oarsmen practiced for five hours each day, with an early morning and late afternoon practice. The 70-degree weather and scenic environment was the perfect background for the team to develop its endurance and technique.

The impetus for the training trip to Texas was to get as much time rowing on the water as possible. When winter sets in, the unaccommodating weather sends the rowers indoors, where they train on the indoor rowing machines, or "ergs."

While the athletes can increase their level of fitness on the ergs, they will inevitably lose the feel and rhythm of what it is like to be on the water and have eight people moving together as one.

"It gives us an excellent opportunity to reconnect with the water and develop our skills in a relaxed and focused environment, so the learning that goes on is occurring at a really high level," Head Coach Paul Bugenhagen said.

"It also gives us a chance to harness the strength and fitness we've been working so hard on back in the gym and on the erg since Thanksgiving. The result is your first glimpse at your spring racing speed and a really thorough evaluation of where you stand at that moment.

Austin not only had great training facilities, but was also very accommodating, with a great atmosphere. The team enjoyed a scenic lake and a very easy commute from its hotel. In general, most crews training in Texas do so in Austin.

"It was a beautiful area," Frank Rosenthal '07 said. "Upstream of the dock was a secluded stretch surrounded by thick forests and rocky cliffs, cutting us off from the city."

The Bison were not the only rowers at Towne Lake; boats from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Kansas, Syracuse University and the University of Texas were all present.

While the Bison did not have a formal race during their stay, they did get the opportunity to practice with the University of Texas and row against the other squad in short, un-timed sprints. The encounter was a great chance for both teams to get simulated race experience.

The training trip was not a cakewalk by any means, but it was undoubtedly a rewarding experience for the rowers, who were able to walk out of Austin with confidence in their abilities.

"The training trip was a big mental and physical challenge," Garrett Samuels '06 said. "Each rower was forced to confront their own veritable demon at one point or another, as exhaustion was inevitable. It took a new level of toughness and courage to get through the week."

Samuels was positive about the benefits of traveling to Austin.

"The experience was a formative step for our crew because we collectively improved and developed," Samuels said. "On top of being in peak physical shape, spring racing requires attitude. In Austin, we found it."

During its last practice in Texas, the team had an intra-squad race around the perimeter of the lake. The race ended up being 17,600 meters long, much longer than the 6k they raced during the fall season, or the 2k they will race during the spring sprint season.

It was a climactic end to a solid week of training, and a testament to the sheer amount of distance the team rowed over the course of its stay.

The team's first competition will be held on Feb. 18 when the Bison host Erg Armageddon, an indoor rowing regatta.