BIRC and beyond

My BIRC race:
6:23.5, splits = 1:35.9, 1:36.5, 1:36.2, 1:34.9
No excuses, this was just about all that was there on the day. It doesn’t reflect my recent training, and so I am seriously considering going to Cardiff in 2 weeks time (if I can still enter) to put in a better time at the Welsh open.

Other Pete Plan Coaching athletes:
Shirley Godkin = Gold, W60-64H, 7:54.2
Georgina Price = Gold, W55-59L, 8:00.1
David Crawford = 4th, M40-44H, 6:23.0
Steve Smith = 10th, M45-49H, 6:37.8 (pb)
Paul Clucas = 8th, M40-44H, 6:29.3
Michael Wright = 12th, 40-44L, 7:09.9

Overall some great results there. Shirley successfully defended her BIRC title. Georgina with a BIRC gold despite losing her seat cushion prior to the race. David with another solid row, though like me not happy with the time. Steve a great pb and I think the row of the people I coach. Paul a solid race to just beat Warren Matthews. Michael’s race just looks like a painful last 300m from the stroke graph, and it hurts me to look at it – he will beat 7mins very soon though, perhaps the next time he is in the country we’ll have to get together!

Training now:
The BIRC to Boston training group begins 1 week from today. I have a number of people signed up for the group so if anyone else is interested you need to let me know in the next couple of days before we begin. My current plan is that I will go and race in Boston, and will train hard for that race over the next three months with this training group to maximise my performance.

BIRC weekend:
The BIRC weekend was great. It was the first time I’d stayed over in Birmingham, and this was a great decision. Dinner the night before with Doug, Shirley, Casey and Steve, and also joined by Michael and Huw for drinks. Then lots of old and new friends there on the day, but also lots of people I didn’t get the chance to meet or speak to unfortunately. It was good to meet Steve Backley (former olympic javelin thrower) and his friends, as Steve has been following some of the Pete Plan sessions in his training for BIRC (he was 2 seconds slower than me luckily, which I think was a pb for him). Also good to meet Pam of Rowpro fame for the first time, having exchanged many emails over the years. It was also great for the Pete Plan to get a mention in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday in the BIRC article! (If I find this online I will post a link, let me know if you do.)