Just a little older and fast times.

Coach's turn, again.

Yesterday, I turned 33 years old. The above picture is from the sushi restaurant where we celebrated. In the picture is the WLWT 2x, myself, and our Virginia family: Jill Clifton as well as Doug and Nalini Rhea. It was a wonderful evening of food and conversation.

While at dinner we were exchanging rowing stories: novice adventures, sculling victories, and masters' determination. In one story, I was relating some of my steep learning curve in coaching a Master's Women "E"8--E meaning the average age was 55+--at Station L Rowing Club in Portland, OR. E-level, masters rowers often want to train just as hard and focused as other rowers; but, in my experience, they do not wish to be placed under the same training duress as elite-level rowers.

Lisa, hearing the story, and thinking I was speaking of my first collegiate coaching job at SPU, mentioned, "But, Josh, weren't you just a little older than those women?" To which I responded, "Hmmmm . . . yes . . . just a little older." Much laughter ensued.

Long before dinner, in the early hours of the morning, the WLWT 2x faced off against an Occoquan Boat Club 2x and 1x for our final practice 2000 meter scrimmage. This outpouring of support from the OBC, even for training, has been typical of our time here. Bob Spousta and Carol Dinion picked us up at the 1500 meter mark and put in a blazing fast time (what's more, they don't even practice the 2x). And the 1x rowed the entire 2k and bested his recent time posted at the Independence Day regatta.

The U-23 2x did a little over steering, but they corrected well and turned in a time of 7:18.9. Now, it may be that the time from the Speed Coach XL we are using stopped a few strokes early. As a result, we are thinking we turned in an actual time of 7:20-7:22. This time puts us right about last year's US Rowing time standard. So, with the ensuing physiological taper, the women's lightweight Fillippi hull awaiting us in Brandenburg, and the renewed focus of the 2x to ratchet up their performance for international competition we are confident that we will race well in Germany and make the USA--all of you--proud.