Banyoles Report

Between the 17-23 March 2008, the J15 and the whole senior squad travelled to Banyoles in Spain to train on the olympic course.

We arrived in the evening of the Monday, tired yet excited for the upcoming week. The outside of our Hotel looked worst for wear, but was pleasantly surprised on the inside, with large plasma TVs, soft beds and excellent food.

The Rowers woke up at 6 15 am, for breakfast at 7, still sleepy from yesterdays excitement. We rigged our boats, which Doug and Ashley brought all the way from England with the trailer. The day comprised of three sessions, two mornings and one evening, with a couple of hours of break in the middle. We rowed across the pristine water, with the sun gently dazzling our eyes with its magnificence. For four of the rowers however, they had to do a 2k Ergo test for the British trials, which is not pleasant, but fortunately, they all performed well, and joined the rest of the squad by the 2nd session.

The 2nd day proved to be the most painful. The weather was cloudy, with occasional rains and some wind. The coaches decided to do seat racing, which meant racing against each other in small boats to obtain a ranking for individual members. This involved a series of 1000m races, total of 12, through the whole day for the unfortunate seniors. The J15 also rowed with us in the eight, showing the seniors their speed. Emotions were strained at the end of the day, with exhaustion taking place already; the coaches gave us some sympathy and allowed a later start for the Wednesday.

The couple of hours of extra sleep did wonders for us, despite still feeling sore from yesterdays battering; however high winds made paddling in boats dangerous, so after 4k paddle, the seniors did a 4k on the ergo, while the J15 participated in a gruelling biathlon. After the seniors used the weights sessions (with some fairly large Russian Internationals) the seniors split into two, one group running 6k, the other on exercise bikes, before trying our luck again on the lake, with limited success.

On Friday, the weather returned to its sunny and mild weather. We did the morning sessions, with some technical paddling and some starts and burst, before going off to visit Barcelona. Unfortunately, it happened to be Good Friday, so most shops were closed; however we were treated with some nice stalls and out door entertainment, and had an enjoyable time tasting some Spanish culture.

Saturday was our last full day, and we rowed 12k in the mornings and planned a fun session in the evening, mixing the senior crews with the J15s. However, it started to pour down with rain, soaking us to the bone, so while the J15 enjoyed an evening off, playing on the Wii, the seniors had to de-rig the boats, and then run 6k through the thunder. It was actually quite fun, with wild singing, climbing through barriers, and jumping through large puddles and streams. We finished off the run by jumping into the lake, and realising afterwards how freezing it was. The hotel manager was not best pleased when we walked into the hotel, covered in mud and water, but it was worth it though.

On Sunday, it was our last day, but we were not led off that easily. The seniors had to finish off the day with a 2k ergo test, which was tough, but many got personal best, which is all the more impressive, due to fatigue gripping the crew. The J15, always keen to impress, performed another 60 min biathlon. Finally, by 2.30, we were all in the coach and travelled back to the Airport, before departing back to England. We were used to mild temperatures, so were surprised to see frost and snow, ah…good old British weather.

As all rowers know, training is always relentless, and we only have one day off before going back to our usual 4 hour training for 6 days a week. In total, the rowers have rowed for almost 100, 000m. The training camp, has improved technical ability, endurance and strengthened our friendships with each other.

All the rowers would like to thank the coaches: Ashley Carter, Doug Barrel, Chris Williams, Mr and Mrs Brown and Ally Brown for making this wonderful Training Camp possible.

Johnny Luk

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   Wallingford Head