It has now been a week since Sarah and I raced in our Olympic final, and it feels like it has been months! So much has happened between last Wednesday and today that I can’t believe it has actually only been seven days. To all of my fans and supporters who were diligently following my blog leading up to racing, I’m sorry for taking so long to write my next post, but it has been CRAZY here since crossing the finish line.
The Pain Cave like I have never felt before. Entire body consumed in the lactate burn.
Last Wednesday morning, Sarah and I were ready to go. We were rested, eating well, mentally prepared, and very excited to race. After watching the race on video today, a week since it’s all been over, I am actually very proud of the way we rowed that race. I would be happy to break the race down bit by bit for everyone later, but overall, we rowed that race very well. Were we at our technical best? No, not quite. Did we tactically race it the exact way we had planned? No, things were not perfect. But we took the situation we were presented, including conditions, lanes, a slower start, and a fast leading crew, and we rolled with it the best we could. When the race was over, I was sure that I had rowed a terrible last 250 meters. But I think the video shows otherwise. We were racing hard, and aggressively, and we just came up a bit short. It is easier for me to deal with an aggressive, early sprint that faded than a sprint that came too late and ran out of room.
Don’t worry, already smiling two days later. No time to waste upset, we’re at the Olympics!
The two days following our race, I was heartbroken. To be so close to a medal and then have it slip away was a very hard reality to face. But now that the initial pain has settled, and I’ve had time to reflect upon what Sarah and I accomplished, I’m beginning to look at this experience in a different light. We finished fourth in the world, and we did this as a completely unknown pair that no one expected any strong results from. We almost didn’t even make the Olympic team, and then really seized the opportunity to gain as much speed as possible and be in the medal hunt. I am disappointed that we don’t have some hardware to bring home, but this experience has been completely life changing, and I think we have put ourselves on the international map as strong, really tough competitors. We left it all out there, and you have to be proud of that. Maybe it’s fate that I will leave London slightly unsatisfied…Rio 2016?
Since Wednesday, Sarah and I have been keeping very busy. Check out my twitter to see all the events we’ve been attending and people we’re meeting.
On Saturday morning, Sarah Zelenka and I lined up against some of the world’s best for our heat in the pair. We raced Romania, Argentina, Germany, and Great Britain. Sarah and I had a solid performance, and finished second behind GB’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, which shot us directly to the final (we get to avoid the last chance round) and a chance to race for Gold. I think Sarah and I did a really great job of approaching the race in a level-headed manner…we were just excited and ready to have a good time. If you watch the coverage of us at the start, you can actually catch us chatting and laughing at each other a bit. I know I’ve said this before, but it is really hard to NOT have a good time when we are in the boat together!
We have a few days off from racing before the final on Wednesday at 11:50am (6:50am EST). We’re using this time to prepare for a very fast, very different final, when we know all the big guns will come out and really show their stuff. I can’t wait to see what we’ve got.
For those of you that are looking for a better way to follow all of our racing and the media that comes along with it, make sure you check out Row2k’s Olympic Coverage. This is the premier rowing news website, and they are doing an amazing job covering the games. Check out their albums for pictures of Sarah and I, and articles summarizing our racing.
Also, make sure to follow my twitter page @SaraHendershot, because this is where I am doing all of my quick updates on things I’m seeing around the rowing course and how things are going with us. Thanks again for all of the support! I love reading all of your messages and emails — they mean so much to me!
Sarah and I after our heat finish that advanced us directly to the final
Tomorrow morning at 9:30am local time (that’s 4:30am EST), Sarah Zelenka and I will be competing in the VERY first heat of the Olympic rowing program, racing the women’s pair in Heat 1. We will be matching up against Romania, Argentina, Germany, and Great Britain. Great Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning have finished second only to New Zealand’s Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown in the last two world championships. Glover and Stanning are unbeaten this season. Also in the heat is the pair from Romania of five-time Olympic Champion Georgeta Andrunache and Nicoleta Albu. It is definitely a challenging draw, but we are excited to see some of the top dogs early on in the regatta. Cross your fingers for a great race and fair conditions!
There is something special about the sport of rowing and the camaraderie that competing in a team boat creates. Every crew is different, and the chemistry of a line-up can have a lot to do with how a boat clicks and performs on race day. For most of the ten years I’ve been rowing I have competed in eight-man boats, and some of my fondest memories come from these line-ups. When you compete in an eight, you instantly have eight other women on your personal “team,” willing to back you up in any scenario, and it can sometimes feel like many other sports do, with a field full of players. Since I graduated college a couple of years ago though, I essentially left the eight boat behind, and while sitting at the line of my 2010 NCAA final, I realized that this could potentially be my last competitive race in an eight.
Joining the USA Women’s National Team was my introduction to small boats. I can count on two hands the number of times I rowed in a boat smaller than a four in college, so training every day for two years almost exclusively in one or two-man boats was a big, big change. I learned quickly that rowing in a double or pair requires the ability to adjust and adapt, and the longer you take to do so, the further you’ll be left behind. Every partnership is different, and each individual has specific preferences, styles, and ways of thinking about rowing. During my two years with the team, I had the opportunity to row with almost every starboard in a pair, and almost every sculler in a double, even if just for one practice. Each of these experiences taught me something different and made me a better rower. I believe that every partnership I’ve had leading up to the Olympics has taught me how to be a better partner now in my current boat with Sarah Zelenka.
The thing about the pair is…well…it’s just you and your partner. The chemistry in a two-man boat is very different than the chemistry of an eight. If you don’t get along perfectly with a teammate in an eight, there may be two, or three, or seven seats physically separating you in the boat which might be enough to create a buffer between the two personalities. A bad relationship with your pair-mate though, can easily be enough to crumble a duo. If you don’t get along with your partner in the pair, they are right there for you to stare at, or breathing down your neck, every stroke of every practice. The Canadian Lightweight Women’s double proved that bad relationships in two-man boats are not so uncommon when they made headlines this year for splitting up, as Olympic shoe-ins, because they sited their relationship as being “toxic.” So…things can be tough in the pair. But they can also be really, really awesome.
Me and Sarah on my birthday!
Sarah Zelenka and I get teased a lot by our teammates because we are such good friends. Sometimes our friendship can seem a bit like an elementary school friendship, where little girls run to each other with exciting news, or a joke, or just because they want to laugh. We’ve gotten to the point where she knows exactly what I mean from just one word or a look, and I can read her the same way. I feel so lucky to have Zelenka as my boatmate, for many reasons, but a lot is because we complement each other’s personalities so well. Sarah Zelenka is from Itasca, Illinois. In many ways, she is a stereotypical Midwesterner. She is patient, kind, and as easy-going as they come. If you have an idea that sounds fun or exciting, she is on board. But what’s funny is that behind her sweet demeanor is a ruthless, scary competitor who will take you down if you are in her way. I call her the Silent Assassin. Trust me, you want to be her friend.
I am the more type-A, high strung one of the relationship. I like to analyze, and I like to think. I wear all of my emotions right out on my sleeve, so if I am angry or upset, everyone around me knows it. I am also very openly competitive, and I know I have pissed off a few people along the way because I can’t seem to bury my competitive nature in any laid back environment. Yet as different as we are, something about my partnership with Zelenka clicked on day one. Maybe it’s because we both love to laugh, and she’s an easy one to get giggling, which always makes me feel like I’m funnier than I am. Or maybe it’s because our personalities fill each other’s gaps making us like a really awesome married couple (although no, it’s not like that because we both have boyfriends who we love very much ). I think Zelenka has helped me to unwind a bit, and I like to think that I’ve toughened her up. Whatever it is, it really works, and it makes rowing together very fun.
During the two year stint that we have trained in the pair, I think together we have experienced only three very frustrating moments. Each of them came when we were overtired and not completely ourselves, because normally we just don’t function that way. When we have off rows, it never seems to faze us. An off row is an off row, and nothing more. We are very good at keeping the other one positive and eager to improve, and I think that’s the attitude that got us to London. In about 50 hours, Zelenka and I will be sitting at the line of our Olympic heat. I will be staring at her back, knowing that she’s got mine. This is probably the last week that we will ever row together, and we can’t wait to make every stroke count.
College uni day passing the rings at the 750m mark!
We are two days out from the start of the Olympics, and things at the rowing village and course are buzzing! Everyone has finally arrived, with GB, NZ, and Canada being some of the last ones to reach London. Almost all of the teams are staying at the rowing village, although some have found hotels closer to the course with less of a commute. I’m not sure exactly which teams are in the hotels, but I know GB, Canada, and some of Australia’s team are not in the village with us.
“The Hub” – Where we eat our meals in the rowing village
So a little update on how everything has been working for us rowers. In the morning, everyone who wakes up in the rowing village heads to “the Hub” and grabs some breakfast. The dining hall is pretty big and has been able to accommodate all of the teams so far. Here’s how I roll – grab a plate of eggs and a big bowl of yogurt, fruit, and granola. Then maybe a muffin or some toast if I’m still hungry. Then grab a cup of coffee to go (the stuff in the d-hall hasn’t really been doing it for me, so Coach Volp was kind enough to get the Sara(h) pair a French press and some real coffee) and drink it on the bus ride over. The bus is still about a 40 minute bus ride, but now the buses are full of athletes from different countries! This has been the easiest way to meet people from other teams since during the rest of our time at the village and at the course, we’re pretty much in our own zone and focused on doing our thing.
Then once we get to the course, it’s go time. We drop our bags off at the athlete bag drop, and start our warm-up for the row. Today the course was full, full, FULL! Traffic patterns can get kind of crazy when there are tons of boats out and everyone is trying to take hard strokes at different points in the course. If you are moving too slowly down a lane and a faster boat is coming up behind you, it is your job to get out of the way and keep your boat safe (the faster boat always has the right-of-way). Today, we did some 2k step pieces at pretty high rates, and it was quite a site to see…basically we were running down 1xs left and right while trying to stay on rate and keep our speed consistent. Admittedly, I love the chaos. I made a call that we were “passing Mahe on port!” (Mahe Drysdale is NZL Men’s 1x favored to win gold, and quite a legend). Riding the lightning!
Ice bath time! Adrienne Martelli (W4x) and Sarah Zelenka (W2-)
Once we’re done with practice, our job is to RECOVER. Fast. So on a day like today when we took some hard strokes, we put the boat away, grabbed a quick snack and water to refuel, and immediately got some stretches in. Then once our bodies are feeling loose again, we hit up the team ice baths set up by our athlete tents. As soon as ice baths are out of the way, we head to the athlete cafeteria to eat lunch. The food at the course has been really good and has been making all of us very happy Today, I got some physical therapy at the course during our rest time, but many of the other girls just relaxed at the athlete lounge checking the internet, reading, or closing their eyes. After a couple hours of break, we head back out onto the course for our afternoon row. Then it’s onto the bus, and back to the village. Nap in the afternoon at the village if there’s time, shower, and then 6:30pm dinner for the USA women (we eat all our meals as a team). After dinner there’s not much time for more than winding down and heading to bed.
As you can tell, our venues have been pretty limited. It’s essentially, village dorms, dining hall, bus, and race course. I’ve had a few questions asking if I’ve had a chance to meet any athletes from other sports yet, and the answer is No. We are a little bit isolated in the rowing community right now and will be until racing is completed. As soon as my Wednesday final is over though, I pack my bags and head for the main village.
One of my teammate’s tweets. So true.
A couple of other quick notes before I head to bed:
-Yesterday was college uni day! All of the USA women wore their college unis to practice which is always a ton of fun.
College uni day!
-There are 3 giant 2000 meter cables that are hanging high above the length of the course. A television camera will be zooming along these cables, catching our every stroke during our races, so be prepared from some great coverage. The camera has passed over us a few times during practice, and it’s surprisingly loud (but much quieter than the alternative of a helicopter). Here’s a video of the view from the top:
-I am really starting to feel the taper! I’m trying my best not to start bouncing off the walls with pre-race energy, but I’m getting there. In an effort to conserve energy though, Sarah Zelenka and I have been taking our taper to the fullest extent. We’ve both downloaded the Voxer app (proud sponsor of USRowing!), which allows your phone to act like a walkie-talkie. We have been sitting in our individual rooms, about 2 feet from each other, using Voxer to communicate instead of getting up to walk to the other’s room. This is the true meaning of staying off our legs!
Here’s the lastest album of shots I’ve taken from around our sites.
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2 days to go!
-Sara
P.S. I’m so happy that Cole Hamels just signed a 6 year $144 million contract with the Phillies so I can stare at his beautiful face for 6 more years!
One of the really special parts about this Olympic journey that I am enjoying is how it’s connecting me to new people, and reconnecting me to old friends. My best friend from elementary school and I have just recently been back in touch, and it’s so nice to catch up! We were literally joined at the hip in middle school (imagine a hysterically tearful scene set to Vitamin C’s “Graduation (Friends Forever)” when I moved away at age 13). My friend Jaki is now a special ed teacher at a Boston public school, McKinley South End Academy, and their summer school program theme is the Olympics. They just sent me a list of questions about rowing and the Olympics, and I thought I’d take this opportunity to give them some answers! Here we go…
The WS4 class from Mckinley South End Academy! Jaki sent this to me and said it was their “Go Sara” picture!
1. What is training like? – Carlos S.
Training is a lot of good, solid work. We row on the water for most of our training, but also use the rowing machine and weight lifting as other tools. On average, we train for 5 hours a day, 6 days a week.
2. How much sleep do you get? – Aaliyah I’m a big sleeper, so I get more than most of my teammates. I need 9-10 hours of sleep a night (and sometimes a nap during the day), so that means very early bedtimes since I’m usually up around 5am for our first practice!
3. Is it hard to row, or is it easy? – Alex
Some days it’s easy, and some days it’s REALLY hard! The goal is always to make hard work feel as easy as possible so that you can be efficient with your energy and keep pushing for more.
4. What is your job in the race? – Brittaney
My job and my partner’s job are a little bit different. I sit in the bow seat (I cross the finish line first and look at my partner’s back) and my partner sits in stroke seat. It’s my job to completely match and follow my partner, Sarah. She sets the tempo, and I do whatever she does. It’s also my job to call our race plan, which means that I will tell her when I think we should make a big push or when it’s time to sprint!
5. Are you nervous about the Olympics? – Jordan
I am definitely a bit nervous to race, but at this point, I’m just excited! I think I got a lot of my jitters out earlier in the week and now I’m ready to get on the line and show my stuff.
6. How long have you been rowing? – Carlos V.
I’ve been rowing since I was a freshman in high school, so this is my tenth year of rowing!
Fun fact: In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, Gladwell theorizes that in order to completely master any skill, you need 10,000 hours of practice. I did a rough calculation of the time I have spent rowing thusfar (I’m including erging), and I’m still only at about 6,000 hours. In order to hit your 10,000 hours in rowing, the easiest way to do it is row collegiately and then complete a full four year cycle on the elite level. Even then, you can still be a little short on 10,000.
7. How did you start rowing? – Alex
I was encouraged to start rowing in high school because I am pretty tall. I was a swimmer in high school before I tried rowing, and a lot of swimmers end up being good rowers.
8. What are you most excited about? – Ms. Fishkin
I am the most excited to sit at the starting line of my heat, take a deep breath, and then represent my country the best I can! I am so honored to be a part of Team USA and want to make everyone from my hometown, my university, and my country as proud as I possibly can!
So keep working hard, class WS4! Find something that you love, and stick with it. Hard work will get you further than you could ever imagine.
Olympic rowing course. Smaller body of water on the left is warm-up zone, larger water on right is 2000km racing course. Finish line is close, starting line far.
Yesterday was our first day of rowing on the Olympic race course! The rowing, canoeing, and kayaking venue is at Eton Dorney in Buckinghamshire, which is about a 40 minute bus ride away from the Rowing village when there is no traffic. Because of the long ride to the course, we will be spending our days at the course resting, eating, and napping between our practices (3 hours to and from the course in a day would be too much). Yesterday we arrived at the course around 9am and then spent much of the morning acclimating. We all found the equipment we will be racing in, and then spent some time adjusting the boats and oars to match what we are used to. The USA rowing team keeps a fleet of boats stored in Germany for all of our European racing, so although Sarah and I will not be rowing in the exact hull that we were practicing in while in Princeton, we have an exact copy of the boat and oars from home.
Traffic pattern on the course
After adjusting all the equipment, Sarah and I went out for a quick row. The boat felt great! It was really nice to get out all the stiffness from the trip. We spent the morning row checking out the traffic pattern on the course and looking around to figure out what everything looks like. Guess what? The Olympic course looks just like any other race course Conditions were actually pretty nice yesterday — the wind was strong, but the water was still flat, although we’ve been told to not get our hopes up yet because the chop is likely on its way. Lots of rain though, and we’ve been told this is normal. So family who is on the way — bring your umbrellas, there is no covered grand stand section!
After our morning row, the team got some lunch and then rested in the athlete lounge. We are the first big team to arrive at the Rowing village and the race course, so it has been nice to spread out and adjust to our surroundings while everything is still quiet and slow. After a quick break, we hopped back in the boat and went for another row. Then back onto the bus and home to the rowing village for dinner and bed! All in all, everything went smoothly, and it was very exciting to experience my first Olympic race course! After a big day of distractions the day before, you could feel all of our focus come back as we got ourselves back into a boat. Racing is so soon, I can’t wait!
I’m off to breakfast now and another day of practicing at the course, so here are some pictures from yesterday, and I’ll update again soon!
