The sessions will be designed to boost your endurance and strength to get you prepared for getting back in a boat.  Sessions will be high intensity with some rowing specific work on the ergo but mostly it will involve circuit training, trunk strengthening and functional flexibility.
New for this year I have partnered with Rebecca Wilson from www.yogawillsavetheworld.com who specialises in working with rowers and those new to yoga – who may be a bit skeptical!  She will be running a session on Wednesday evening for the group focusing on hamstrings, hips and lower back stiffness.

The Facts
When – September 6th-10th, Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri Morning (6.15-7.30) and Wednesday evening at 7
Where – TRC
What – Circuits, trunk strengthening, yoga for rowers session on Wednesday evening
Cost: £40
How to sign up: Let me know you’re keen and transfer £40 to secure your place
Who: Open to all TRC members from any squad.

But!  We’ve just come to the end of our organised season – although there’s plenty of racing to do at some of the smaller regattas around, they are mainly self-organised, with the coaches taking a well-earned rest.

The new season will be kicked off on 19th September – more details to follow.

Our end of season party is on 23rd July – all welcome!

If in the meantime you are looking for somewhere to train over the summer (we have ergs, rowperfects, tank, weights room, access to lovely towpath for running) – we can probably hook you up with a gym membership and a training programme if you’re keen.  Please email me to find out more.

This is your opportunity to express your opinions or to offer yourself for election onto the COMMITTEE! That’s right, once a year, you (if you are in fact a member, and haven’t just strayed here by unfortunate google-related accident) have the chance to put yourself forward to help run the club (or at least attend the monthly committee meetings). I can’t find any of the actual rules so may well be making some of this up now, but I believe, if you can get yourself nominated and seconded, then you could oust the captain (who, evidenced below, has been particularly reticent in showing his club loyalty) or stand for deputy or some other position, none of which I know.

Alternatively, come along and have a beer and shout at said committee members in person rather than by email. It’s much more effective and they all enjoy it.

OR, you could come and say thanks for all their hard work, and buy THEM a beer.

Either way 28th July is when it’s at.

Thames (from bow): D Samuel, M Kordi, B Stokes, A Bowling, S Challen, A Lester, P McKinnon, N Szmigin.  H Watkins (cox).

(front picture: Thames race against Molesey on Friday)

HRR 2010

In case you’re interested who they are (I’m not sure they are in the correct order)…

Two crews of successful TRC oarsmen and women rowed past during the tea interval on the Saturday of Henley Royal 2010

Will Pressley, club captain, challenges the crews faced with qualification for HRR this week, “Some big performances required on Friday but all the boats are capable of progressing through the qualifiers so race hard.  We are all behind you.”

Ditto that.  Good luck Thames and race hard!

The first was in the intermediate club 8+ with Cox, Hannah Burke, and then from bow: Vicky Samson, Joanne Harris, Charley Phillips, Rebecca Campbell, Helena Green, Sophie Slaney, Jane Lupson, Emily Kippax.  A hard-fought final saw them cross the line just half a length ahead of the Mortlake crew.

The second was for elite single sculler Francesca Jus-Burke who also beat Mortlake opposition in her final, but with slightly more water between them.

The whole 3-day regatta was full of dramatic racing in all categories, and Will Pressley, captain, writes: “Firstly huge congratulations to the Intermediate Club 8+ which improved throughout the weekend finishing off by rowing down Mortlake and Anglian in the final taking 3/4 of a length in the last 300m it win by 1/2 a length equalling their course record set in the semi’s.  It was a win based on hard work and real belief.  Well done.

“Frankie provided the second win of the regatta leading from the start in the final of the E1x.  The harder race had been the semi where she held strong in the first half of the race, pulled out a 3 length lead with a massive mid race effort and held off a determined challenge to win by a length.

“The E4+ made the final but despite rowing a course record were beaten by a more powerful Brookes crew.  They raced extremely well knowing they had a 6 second margin to make up from the semis and lead to 500m.  They also fought extremely hard to the line finally losing by just over a length.

“In other races the Composite E8 were beaten in the heat by Drexel University who were the eventual winners and the Junior quad were likewise beaten in the semis by the GB juniors who went on to win the event.

“The 2nd inter club 8 progressed through the qualifiers and having slipped a length behind by half way fought amazingly hard to pull back level before finally being beaten by 1 foot.

“The Inter club 4 again progressed through the qualifiers and raced hard to get through the first round.  In the second round they came up against a very strong Royal Chaster crew who beat them and progressed to the finals.

“The second Junior quad went out in the first round having raced well.”

Congratulations also go to another long-time Thames member and my very good friend, James Renwick, for his victory with Sons of the Thames in the Senior 4+ event.  Some very classy racing and a medal that has been a long time coming.  Well done James and Sons!