Pre-bumps assessment 2024

Following on from Pre-bumps assessment 2023.

Another year rolls round, and it does feel a bit like it this time; rather more "here we go again" than bright perky excitement.

Adding to that, we've been a bit thin on outings, going out two or three times a week and never hitting the dizzy heights of four.

This is reflected in all kinds of ways; we're not as tuned up as we've been in previous years. Our starts might hold up, they might not, but we certainly haven't done enough to iron out the rough spots. And of course for me the years roll round: my 2k is up to 7:31 despite a winter's worth of erging, from 7:26 last year.

We are: cox: Theo von Wilmowski, stroke Harry Bulstrode, Jon Hachett, Conor Burgess, Jonathon Pilgrim, Lars Okkenhaug, David O'Loughlin, Me, Klaus Okkenhaug. No fresh young blood from Kings (though Lars is young and fresh), and JP in for Ralph Hancock at the lastish minute: Andy Southgate in M2 broke thus opening a gap, and Robs menfolk as a whole broke, thus freeing JP. And we're back in Christ's nice Filippi.

That said, our starts are consistently below 1:30 and we don't immeadiately die thereafter. Though I don't think we've rowed the full course: that isn't the plan, one way or another.

Any predictions would depend on knowing the boats around us, which I don't. I'm going to count going down two or less as a success; any bumps up a definite bonus.

Actual

Tuesday: GPS. Harry's GoPro. Grey, stopped raining, river up. Arrived early for warmup on ergs and quick starts together. Good start outside Plough (1:25). Four minute gun just as we came onto station, mild panic but plenty of time. E there to watch. Ever so slightly over-angled at start, but start good, held City much better than expected, got 1 1/4, perhaps 1 length at end on Press, but alas they were by no means slow. But around First Post City got their act together and started coming up, and they got us between the Plough and Ditton.

Wednesday: GPS. Harry's GoPro on my rigger. 6:59 (1:46). Nice Wx. I'm feeling slightly hassled due to my marshalling stuff-ups, but much less nervous than yesterday. Less faff on meet, but did some starts on the ergs. Decent row down, and the race... went all according to plan. Which doesn't often happen at bumps. We stayed on station with City for a while, they took out Press later than I expected, where they got us, and Nines weren't ever a threat.

Thursday: GPS. Harry's GoPro on JP's rigger. 7:02 (1:47). Another nice evening, perhaps even a touch on the warm side. The race again much as expected: in that - alas - we didn't catch Press or even get close; perhaps slightly unexpected was Nines rudely charging at us towards the end, but they did not pose a real threat. If they get encouraged and start their run-up a bit earlier tomorrow we might have to work harder.

Friday: GPS. Harry's GoPro on Theo's back. 7:02. A slightly duff start: we hit the end of the chain, bounced and turned a bit, and a slight wind blew us towards the shore, so that Harry's first stroke got a little caught on the weeds and we went down to bowside (this felt huge at the time but you can barely see it on the video; though it is obvious on Jo's from the bank). We recovered, but one or two more less-but-still-slightly duff strokes got us a not-tip-top start. However, it didn't matter: despite my unvoiced fears, Nines behind us did exactly the same as yesterday and wited until too late. Ahead, we didn't really sniff Press. And after the start we settled nicely, I front-loaded my effortly slightly as an anti-Nines anticipation.

See-also: post on Chesterton site.

Post assessment

And onto Monday morning. The drink has worn off. I spent Saturday doing almost nothing, wandering into town, drinking coffee. Sunday was light too. How does it all feel now? Still good. I can remember how joyful and insubstantial I felt, going home past 3 am, pissed but happy.

Now I look, I realise we were a bit slow this year; my PR is 6:33 in 2018 (1:40; blog); this year's best was 6:59 (1:46). Some of that may be river; there was a decent flow and the river was high.

Looking back, overall: we were a bit light on training, and perhaps lucky that (bar City 3) it wasn't a vintage year on the river; but we did well.