Chipping away

Hello to you all,

I have a few thoughts I wanted to share with you. In June 2013 I set myself the goal of competing at the World Championships this year. Unsinkable Episode one shows me speaking about this. I am currently at this event in Amsterdam, just not in the capacity I had hoped for. Today I have a race, it is the 'spares' race, it is a race for all the reserves at the event. I have high expectations for this race. Not in regards to where I finish, but in that I want to execute the best race my year so far, and produce a performance I am happy with. This is important to show that the training I have been doing over the last few months is working and that for each month i move further away from surgery, I move one month closer to returning to full health and my full capabilities as an athlete. A strong performance today for me in the single is also important for myself moving forward to next season and my goal of being on the right side of the fence post selection trials next year. I have made some good progress with my training over the last 5 weeks since returning from our short trip to Holland Beker, Henley and Lucerne 2 months ago where I produced some solid performances. However over the last 4 weeks the most promising aspect has been the reintroduction of long ergo sessions 2-3 times per week of 3x30 minutes which is something i haven't completed since 2011, and also the reintroduction of strength weights in the gym. I have not been in the squat rack since 2011 either, but over the last month under the watchful eye of John and Harry in the VIS gym I have made some good progress with my strength which has really helped my boat movement and specifically given me some more leg speed in the drive which is helping me with the rhythm of the boat. I am excited for my race today and I will be fired up on the start line. I am also excited to be a part of the team and support them in any way I can, it really is great to be a part of the international experience again. 

Cheers, John 

one year on...

One year ago i was here.... having these removed....

 

Exactly one year ago Dr. Bill Campbell removed both of my Plantaris muscles from my calves. Today I arrived in Amsterdam ready to race in the single scull at the Holland Beker regatta this weekend. For me it seems like an eternity ago that I was under the knife having surgery, so much has happened since that day, lots of which you have been privy to as a result of this blog and the web series.

Today I am where I want to be, with the aussie team in Europe, it is what i have wanted and already it has been fun. Being here has allowed me to reflect in a big way as I am now able to look back from a different perspective on the events that have transpired in the last few years.

It is a great feeling being back in Europe with the national team, it is something I have craved for, something I would say I ‘obsessed’ over since having such a great time with the M8+ in 2011. I have come a long way physically since 12 months ago when I was crawling around on the floor for a few weeks. To say it has been easy, or that it has been enjoyable though would be bending the truth. Every single day has been a challenge for me in some way.  It is this comment which now finds me reflecting on everything I have learnt in the last 12 months and even more dating back to surgery in march 2012. I have come to understand that it is so important to find other areas of your life to be happy with when something you are passionate about is not going as planned. On reflection, I put so much emotional and physical energy into my rowing that at times I neglected some other important areas of my life and became somewhat wayward with my life balance and management of behaviour. At times I had the mindset 'everything will be fine once my rowing is where I want it to be', this turned out to be a dangerous mindset on occasions. And if only it was that simple... 

 As a result some mistakes were made,  I have had the experience of learning from these. Experience can be brutal, but you learn, my god do you learn. My one regret from my experience over the last few years dealing with various setbacks inhibiting my rowing is that I never truly took a step back and took it for what it was, and really got stuck into other areas of my life. This would be the one thing I would change if I was to have my time again. Don’t get me wrong, I would still give the exact same commitment, but I would find a better balance to ensure other areas of my life still flourished which would have made today even more enjoyable than it already is. Take that as my words of wisdom if that is of any help to any of you. Be happy with the things that are working for you even if something isn't where you want it to be. 

You may wonder why I am choosing to write this way and why I am saying the following, it will make sense by the end of this (I hope).

From where I stand today there are so many people who have helped me get here and I would like to thank them. Firstly my parents and family for always being there for me. I couldn’t have done it without my Mum and Dad by my side. I know it was hard on those close to me seeing me so frustrated and they were very much at the center of this small core group of people. My emotions were spilled onto them, and they were amazing. Everyone at the VIS, the staff, support staff, fellow athletes and special mention to Harry for helping me find my feet again (multiple times). To those who have been particularly close to me and witnessed the (potentially untold) ups and downs you deserve special mention as you have seen the true challenge that I have faced and you know better than most how challenging it has been for me. I am sorry to those who I hurt at times. 

The rowing scholarship group within the VIS deserves a mention, you made me determined to get back, just so I could train alongside such a great group of guys. It was hard seeing you doing what I wanted to do, but it drove me to return in some ways simply to be there to have breakfast on southbank post session, even if all we did was share stories of who kept their heart rate the highest for the longest. Thanks to my friends for all the support and encouragement and thanks to all the supporters of ‘Unsinkable’, each comment of support has made a difference. Big thanks to Lachy for helping me share my story so well, I never envisioned it to be of such quality and I know I speak for a lot of you that you have enjoyed the web series and the insight provided.

I am extremely excited to get stuck into the next 3 weeks. I race here at Holland Beker this weekend, at Henley Royal Regatta next week and lastly World Cup 3 in Lucerne, Switzerland (All of these in the single barring injury/illness in the quad). As much as I am excited to spend a few weeks away I am also looking forward to my return back home. The last few years have been challenging to say the least, I have endured 3 major procedures on each calf plus hip surgery since I last travelled in 2011 and with that came some horrible lows of which I never want to think about again. In regards to returning home, I want to get home and relax, reflect on what I have experienced and the learning which has taken place and make sure I learn from my experiences.  However after touching down in Melbourne on the 15^th July I want to close the book on that chapter of my life. Of course I will share the story and my experience to those who I speak to with my role at the VIS and I hope that through my experiences I can help others manage challenging circumstances, however it is time to leave the injuries and that part of my rowing career behind. I recently turned 26 and fortunately have finally woken up to myself and decided that whatever happens with my rowing from here on in. Nothing will ever hurt me as much as my experiences over the last few years. It is time to stop looking backwards and being annoyed about lost opportunities and the struggles, but time now to live for the now, and plan for the future.

I will try post a few updates over the next 3 weeks while I am away, And I will try and share this experience with as many of you as possible, in some way each and every one of you reading this has helped me on my journey so I hope the ongoing insight offers something to each of you. 

For now its time to get stuck into it!!! 

Cheers, John 

Frustrating times trying to be an elite athlete...

Hi there,

Been a while since I have written an update so I thought I should share with you where things are currently up to. Since the selection trials one month ago I haven't actually been able to hit the water and get stuck into training the way i had envisaged after being named the reserve for the M4X. For the last month I have only been completing lots of hours each week on my road bike and in the gym on the wattbike. Check out the strava link on the right of the blog to see what riding I have been doing if you are interested.

Unfortunately for me what was suspected to be a rib injury which first arose 8 weeks ago has now been diagnosed as a shoulder injury which was referring pain into my pectoral muscle and across my ribs. The good news is it can be easily resolved after an MRI scan assessed the shoulder and found it to be simply heavily inflamed. This is suspected to be as a result of a combination of factors including previous surgery and injury, lack of adequate recovery over the first few months of this year but mostly as a result of the ongoing leg injuries over the last few years and lack of time in the boat, which meant that when i went to put my foot down this year and attempt to achieve a high training load on the back of a very limited rehabilitation period a weak spot in my body developed and over time my shoulder became more and more problematic. What is interesting with this is that I never suspected my shoulder was problematic, however analysis of the scans showing an inflamed and irritated joint. I was injected with cortisone last Thursday and tomorrow morning I will row for 30-40 minutes in the single scull in what will hopefully be a gradual return to rowing over the next 14 days before I complete two 'moderate' weeks of training before heading to europe on the 24th June to race.

Cortisone Injection in to the left shoulder joint under imaging 

It has been frustrating for me over the last few weeks to have come to understand what has transpired recently. Particularly for me in the last 9 months to have spent so much time effort and energy rehabilitating my legs to the point where they were in reasonably good condition, only to be struck down with a shoulder injury which I last had surgery on in 2009 and had been 100% since. On reflection I became so 'obsessed' with the health of my legs that I potentially neglected the rest of my body in some way. Every physiotherapy and massage was targeted at improving my calf muscles. However it was the rest of my body that needed the attention also. To have worked so hard to get my legs in good condition only to have something else fail in some ways sums up my luck a little bit, and really does refer back to the aptly chosen title "Unsinkable- The race to recovery" which following this latest episode really does highlight to me just how much of a race against time it really was for me. For me this has served as a gentle reminder that when you are pursuing excellence in any field be it sporting, academic, professional or even personal there is no room for short cuts and no escaping hard work. Not implying I took short cuts by any means, however I was only rowing full time for 4 months prior to the selection trials and what ultimately occurred is that the training load was to much for my body to cope with at that particular point in time. I guess what I am saying in short is that perfect preperation prevents piss poor performance, and if you have not built solid foundations underneath you in whatever area it is you desire excellence, eventually the foundations may begin to crumble beneath you. You may be strong for a period of time, such as I was earlier in the season where i gained a seat in the M4X for the sydney world cup, however basically from that moment on the wheels came off and the results I achieved post this when reflecting are by no means surprising to me and it is evident where things went wrong and how the preparation can be improved (building stronger foundations).

Touch wood the shoulder will be fine from here and I can progress back in the boat over the next month and head overseas ready to support the M4X should they need me.

Cheers John

Unsinkable: Episode Twelve (The Finish Line)

The final episode to the Unsinkable Series.

Unfortunately this episode does not have the ending I so desperately desired.

However, as I mentioned in my previous post things did not go as planned over the last few weeks.

Leading into a selection trials when you are on the cusp of being selected/missing selection you need things to be perfect and unfortunately for me as you will hear in this episode things did not run smoothly which is largely a result of my disrupted last 3 years and the effect that has had on my body. I am already back into training with my rib/back injury finally starting to settle and I am excited to race at the 3rd world cup in Lucerne.



Please feel free to comment or ask questions, as always this is an honest insight....



Cheers, John

National selection trials wash up. Speaking honestly..

Hi all,

This is not the post I envisaged I would be writing post trials...

No beating around the bush, unfortunately last week things did not pan out as I had hoped and I was not selected onto the Australian Rowing Team. Instead, I was nominated as the reserve for the men's quadruple scull. I understand that this is a good accomplishment, and just prior to sitting down to write this post I watched  Unsinkable: Episode Three and reflected on where I was during the middle of last year: being unable to walk, let alone contemplate rowing. However, I have always set high standards for myself and will continue to do so which means currently I am coming to terms with the fact I will not be racing at the 2014 World Championships later this year. I need to reset my goals going forward; which are now to get back into training and find some improved form prior to traveling to Europe to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta in the UK, and then World Rowing Cup 3 in Switzerland where I will race in the single scull. Following this I will return back to Australia for another training stint prior to heading over to Amsterdam to support the team in any way they need me. Essentially my role is to support the Australian men's quadruple scull and make sure they are always able to hit the water in training if one guy is sick or sore for a session or two. 

**Please do not  misunderstand the following - what is written may be interpreted as excuses but I call it reality and I understand why things occurred**

So, things are not all bad and it is important I focus on all the positives in my rowing. However I cannot help but touch on the last 6 weeks and talk on how things panned out for me. Following the NSW state championships and selection into the World Rowing Cup 1 team where I was able to perform well and win the men's quad (as shown in Unsinkable: Episode Eleven), unfortunately the wheels came off. During Nationals in late March I became unwell and as a result was withdrawn from the Australian men's double scull. Upon returning back to Melbourne for training and getting over the illness I was struck down with a chest injury, initially suspected to be a bone stress fracture. It turned out to be muscular/joint problems in my back referring pain to my chest and making it very uncomfortable to even simply take a deep breath. I missed 10 days out of the boat and unfortunately it was at a crucial time just prior to the national selection trials regatta. As a result of the injury I 'lightened' my rig in the boat and essentially geared it lighter to prevent any more injury. This changed the feel significantly in the single scull and unfortunately with just 6 rows with this new set up prior to racing I struggled in the race and didn't meet my performance standards. Then moving forward into the double scull rotation I struggled to find the rhythm and feel I was so desperately searching for that I had found just two months prior. Due to the illness and injury I had not spent any time in the double in the previous two months, so I was slightly off my game and as a result finished last in the rotation and subsequently find myself where I am today. In this sport at the highest level it's a small margin between success and failure.

Since 2011 I estimate I have rowed for less than 33% of the time until earlier this year. In 2012-13 I didn't row for more than 3 months of each year. Therefore my body simply was not able to cope with the training load that was placed on it upon my return to training. I felt earlier in the season I was able to perform at a reasonable level and feel good physically, but as the season progressed the lack of conditioning over the last few years caught up with me and bit me in the bum. This was especially the case when I went to put my foot down and train hard for trials, where my body just said no and essentially packed it in! In the end, the result is far from a disaster, and as I mentioned above I will continue to set high standards and perform to the best of my ability and give it all another go next year. 

Stay posted for the 12th and final Unsinkable: The Race To Recovery web series episode this Monday, giving you a first-hand account of the most recent period of my life. 

Thanks for all the support over the last 10 months as I have opened up and blogged about my journey so far. Every like on social media or comment of encouragement I have received really makes a difference and I appreciate your support.

Cheers, John 

National selection trials start tomorrow

Hi all,
Tomorrow is an important day, every result this year counts for nothing and it's game on. We begin the selection trials for the world champs team.
We start the racing with a first and final in the single scull. This will begin the ranking for the 8 of us contesting for seats in the sculling team.
I am looking forward to the racing, although I would much prefer not having to wait around until 2pm for the race. Occupying the time waiting over the morning can be a challenging time and it is important not to waste any energy on unnecessary nerves. I am looking forward to finding out where I sit within the group and see what has changed since the national championships last month.

In sport you must make the most of your opportunities, however it can be frustrating when things in preparation do not go to plan. Unfortunately for me a week after nationals I managed to pull up sore from a 25km training row. I presented with a rib issue and medical staff gave me 5 days out of the boat to let it settle. But, 7 days later still no better and I was sent for a bone scan to assess if it was structural damage. Fortunately it was all clear, however I did miss 10 days out of the boat during an important training block leading in to trials. In the overall scheme of things though I cannot complain as I have not even made it to trials since 2011 and a few days out of the boat is fine if it means I can race now, and compared to the extended periods of time I have sat on the sidelines over the last few years, this is a small blip in the preparation.

Time to rest up and get the mind and the body prepped for tomorrow.

Cheers, John

Unsinkable: Episode Eleven (World Rowing Cup 1)

After a scratchy performance in my first two races at the National Championships, it was good to be a part of a successful result in the quad with sasha, cam and nick. The race was my first ever quad scull race, so i was rather pleased it all went according to plan. Unfortunately the footage of the race is copyrighted, so we couldn't include the race footage in this episode- but you can view the link to the race by following this link.



This particular race was a long time coming, it was an emotional day for me. I appreciate that adversity is very much an individual thing and what may seem frustrating to one is not to another. However I do know that my parents have lived every moment of it with me (barring the operation I underwent prior to informing them) and have witnessed first hand the frustration, so to have them watching me once again competing at a high level and sharing my enjoyment was a memorable moment for me.



Cheers, John

Unsinkable: Episode Ten (Nationals)

This episode focuses on the first two races at the Sydney International Rowing Regatta, the open mens single scull and the interstate kings cup. In both of the events I missed my goals, however I now have 2 weeks to get things back on track before the national team selection trials.

Thanks to Fergus Pragnell and Drew Ginn for the input to this episode.

Hope you enjoy.

Cheers, John

The Kings Cup and World Cup One (911 days since my last International Race)

Hello to you all,

Just a short post with a wrap of the Interstate VIII (Kings Cup) and World Cup 1 in the M4x.

The Interstate VIII for 2014 did not turn out to be the year for Victoria to take it back from NSW. They beat us by a solid margin, and full credit to SA who got across the line in second place leaving us in 3rd. We had full intentions of blasting from the blocks to go with the speed we knew the NSW men would set, however it wasn't enough on the day and they were too good leaving us for dead and sending us back to the drawing board for another year even hungrier again.

The World Cup on Sunday was something I had been looking forward to for a very long time. Not specifically this world cup, but simply having the opportunity to wear an Aussie zootie. It had been 911 days since the final at worlds in 2011 in the 8 where we placed 4th. In that period I have had 4 major operations: a hip arthroscopy post worlds in 2011, major leg surgery april 2012, major leg surgery february/march 2103 and the final op on my legs in June 2013. To have overcome the challenges associated with these physical and emotional rehabilitation periods is something that I am proud to have achieved, and also happy that the effort was all for something.

World Champs 2011. M8+

The race in the quad at the sydney world cup ended as well as it could have for me as we crossed the line in first place beating the Chinese and the second Australian crew. As a crew prior to the race we spoke about doing the best job we possibly could have and seeing how fast we could go, while hopeful that would win us the race. I was fortunate to have been placed in a crew with three talented scullers making my job in the bow seat very simple. The win keeps my perfect record of quad scull racing alive (1 from 1). 

World Cup 1, 2014. M4x

Out in front in the race and praying I don't stuff up. 

Feeling Good

 It was a good way to end the week of racing after a disappointing effort in the 1x final and the kings cup result.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow and the following monday to catch the next two episodes of Unsinkable: The race to Recovery featuring all the insights to the racing at the National Championships, Interstate Racing and the World Cup.

Lastly, I just wanted to thank all of you who have supported me since I began documenting my recovery in June of last year. It hasn't been easy to always share things, but I hope that you have enjoyed it so far and that it may have helped you to not give up on your dreams and to take on the big challenges.

Cheers, John

Open Mens Single at National Champs

My result yesterday in the final of the single scull was not what I had hoped for by any means. I finished a disappointing 8^th and was significantly off the pace. Having had 24 hours to reflect I am well aware of what I need to do better prior to selection trials in a month to give myself the best possible chance to avoid a similar outcome. What is frustrating for me at the moment is that my performance yesterday was significantly hindered by how I was feeling physically. During the warm up of the semi final on Tuesday I knew that something was not right, I was not getting any easy speed and I just felt off. This is compared to the heat on Sunday where I felt great and was on top of my game both in the warm up and in the race. However, through 1250m of the semi I 100% knew that something was not right at all. I was in a bad place physically and I was struggling to just keep moving, it was something more debilitating than I had never experienced before. Fortunately I was able to hang on and finish 3^rd in a tight race and qualify for the final and such for the world championship selection trials in April. However post race I was in another world of hurt. I managed to limp back to the nearest pontoon but not before being incredibly sick over the side of the boat. For a good hour I was struggling to just move. For whatever reason, I had scraped the bottom of the barrel to get across the line and it would cost me the following day.

Semi final 

As athletes prior to a major final, you have the ability to convince yourself you are ok and everything is as it should be, but in reality yesterday I was in struggle street and mid way through the race I was completely spent and was limping home to the finish. The result is what it is, but the most disappointing part of this is that I wasn’t able to physically get stuck into things. What I do know is that my preparation needs to be better next time and it is a reminder of how fickle it all is, that if you make a few small errors by not taking care of yourself in the weeks leading into the regatta, the cost can be huge.

Thankfully I have time to recover and have been allowed some down time prior to the second half of the regatta comprising the Men’s interstate 8 (Kings Cup) and the world cup events of which I am competing in the double and quad scull.  Last night I slept for over 12 hours and hopefully after a quiet day today I will be recharged and ready to go for the race for lanes in the double scull tomorrow but most importantly the interstate 8 on Saturday before the finals of the double and quad scull on Sunday in the world cup. These 3 finals are sure to provide some entertaining finishes and I am really looking forward to being a part of it and seeing what is possible.

Cheers, John

The King's Cup (a real love hate relationship)

Hi readers,

The 8th-10th of march was spent in Johnsonville on the Tambo river in Gippsand, Victoria. I was there on a training camp with the Victorian rowing team men's 8. In Australia, one of the most prestigious, if not the most prestigious domestic race, is the 'King's Cup'. Each state is able to enter a men's 8 for national honours held as the final race in the Australian Rowing Championships (as part of the broader interstate regatta with events across various boat categories). In 2008, while still eligible for the interstate youth 8 race, I was fortunate to have been selected into the King's Cup crew. It was a crew stacked with superstars such as; James Tomkins and Drew Ginn ('Oarsome Foursome' members and Athens Olympic pair champions), David Crawshay (won Olympic gold in the 2x in Beijing that year), James Marburg and Cameron McKenzie-McHarg (won Olympic silver in the 4- in Beijing), Karsten Forsterling (won Olympic bronze in the 4x in London last year), Tom Swann (member of the 8+ in London) and myself. Unfortunately, the NSW crew was stacked with just as many superstars and beat us across the line by 0.21 seconds to claim a win and begin their dominance in the event that has stretched on for the past six years.

Coming into the line in 2008, me in the bow seat hanging on for dear life as Drew in the stroke seat kept winding it up. 

Kings Cup podium 2008

At the time as a young and confident (somewhat cocky) athlete I was bitterly disappointed with the defeat. However I can vividly remember thinking to myself that I would have multiple chances to win the race over the next 5-10 years...how wrong I could have been....

• 2009: I barely rowed for the first half of the year due to a shoulder reconstruction in late 2008 following the U23 world champs and therefore wasn't a chance to row in the King's Cup. 
• 2010: following good rehabilitation from the shoulder injury I was selected into the crew, only to have been struck down with my leg condition for the first time just two weeks before the race. I was in hospital for surgery ten days before the race and obviously didn't get to the start line.
• 2011: I got my second chance at the King's Cup but we were beaten by the NSW boys by 2.5 seconds who won in the slick time of 5:22.08!
• 2012: I had been selected into the crew only to be struck down with my leg condition for the second time just three weeks before nationals and was subsequently unable to race. 
• 2013: experienced some serious deja vu having been selected into the crew and was stroking it in training, only to be struck down with my leg condition for the third time just four weeks prior to the race. 

So as I mentioned earlier, I was on a training camp with the crew earlier this month. We were rowing along the Tambo river (see video below) and I was distracting myself from the physical effort while we were some 80kms into the 130kms we would complete over the 3.5 days. Anyway, rowing along and my mind started reflecting on all the experiences I have had with this boat and this historical race, the two occasions I was involved in, and the times I watched from the sidelines/hospital bed. I thought how lucky I was to once again be back in this boat considering the significant periods last year where I wondered if I would ever row again. I may have become a little emotional...prior to slapping myself in the face and getting stuck back into what I was doing!

On March 29th I will race (touch wood) in the King's Cup for the third time. The outcome is yet to be determined, but if I was a betting man I would say that it will be a nail biter between us and the NSW men once again. Be sure to keep an eye out for the results and a follow up post. You can catch all the live results through the Unsinkable: The Race To Recovery Facebook page and Twitter account. 

Cheers, John 

Unsinkable: Episode Eight (New Year's Resolution)

An interesting period of my rehab, the coaches became frustrated with me, and indicated that I would be under review for my scholarship with the Victorian Institute of Sport at the end of January to review my progress and consider if I was deemed worthy of continued support. A tough reality for me, but something I used to help motivate me in training on a daily basis to show those around me I could fight back.



My first long distance time trial in the single scull, did not end well...

Summer break in Lorne on my bike loving the Great Ocean Road.

And January training camp in Falls Creek Victoria.

All signs in my legs point to a great recovery while doing some long climbs on the bike.

Enjoy!

Unsinkable: Episode Seven (Testing The Waters)

My first row in almost 10 months. A lab test on the bike suggests my legs are progressing well, and Bill Tait head coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport reflects on my character.

Selection for World Cup One!!

Hello all.

Hope you enjoy the insight.

Over the weekend the NSW state championships were held. This regatta doubled as the selection regatta for the first world cup. Specifically for male heavyweight scullers the first four doubles in the final would earn selection into the world cup team so the pressure was on and the stakes were high.

The progression to the final of the double scull was as follows.
Heat of the single scull with top three progressing to the A final. Double scull combinations would be set based on results in the final of the single. Eg, 1st and 2nd sculler row a double together. 3rd and 4th sculler row the double together and so on. The doubles needed to progress through a heat to make the final. And then it was the big one!

Below is a summary of the racing.

Single Scull- Heat

Raced on the Friday afternoon. A heat or Semi-Final can be the most nerve racking racing experiences of the regatta. For me this was no exception at all especially having to sit around all morning and wait for the race to actually arrive.. The thought of faltering in the heat and missing out on the final is one which takes some mental capacity to overcome. Fortunately for me nerves were put aside and I put together a reasonable row and placed second in the heat to progress directly to the Final. In regards to the row, technically I felt strong, however not great physically which I put down to having done too much in the week leading in to the regatta and not being strict enough on my recovery and down time (partly as a result of starting university that week and also being busy with school coaching). 

So I got to bed very early that night prompting comments from my room mate that I was weird and there was something wrong with me. Anyways, I went to bed praying that I would wake up feeling more energised and energetic for the big saturday ahead. 

Single Scull- Final

I felt great prior to the final of the single. I was excited to see where I sat in the field. I think the best summary of the race can be shown through the following two images: showing the results and the splits down the 2000m race. And the photo at the half way mark of the race with me in second. (I was going well until the last 600m where I just ran out of legs and Purnell and Girdlestone went through me like a steam train with nothing I could do). Alexander is a force to be reckoned with at the moment, the guy is flying! Overall for me 4th is a pretty pleasing result considering my experience or lack of in the boat class. 

Pictures don't lie. Need to sit up at the finish.. 

Double Scull- Heat
I was paired with Nick Hudson for the double as Nick Purnell had opted to tackle the world cup field in the single scull so did not race in the double to ensure selection was straight forward. Following only a few hours from the final of the single the body was slightly depleted of energy reserves for this race. And as such was raced as a 'heat'  by doing enough to get through to the final and not much more which we were able to do.

Double Scull- Final

First stroke is always a nervous one. Once its over though the next comes so quickly you don't have time to think and from there blink and you are gone so its game on. 

From the heat of the double to the final we had approximately two hours, feeling tired I quickly got some food and fluid on board, found a stretching mat and with headphones in slept for 40 minutes. As soon as I woke i felt so much better and was ready to race.

The final of double was one of the most enjoyable races I can remember. Maybe that is partly because all the others are a distant memory... But for me this race was fantastic, In the warm up I couldn't help but remind myself of the outcome that may lie ahead, but secondly all the recent memories associated with my extended injury history and the frustration over the last 2 years of watching from the sidelines. Needless to say, I was going to give this race absolutely everything to ensure I gave myself the best result possible. The results page below shows the final outcome, without giving you the full run down of the emotion felt as we crossed the line in second place i will leave it by saying I was emotional, and as much as i tried to hide it from Nick in the boat with me I am sure he would have had some idea of what was going on..

And after only my 4th ever 2km single scull race and 4th ever double scull 2km race I managed to gain selection into the Aus 2 mens double scull and the Aus 1 mens quad scull.
WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
To view the Rowing Australia official media release please click here.

To everybody that has encouraged me, supported me, cheered for me, calmed me down when I was frustrated (crazy), congratulated me, helped me in the VIS and VIS gym, removed plantaris muscles from my calves, given me physio/massage treatment, liked facebook posts, been my parents, retweeted posts, watched Unsinkable epsiodes shared my blog, fixed my bike at BikeNow or purchased from here and lastly supported my journey so far in any way. Thank you so much. It all helps significantly.

Cheers, John

NSW State champiosnhips

Hello all,

This afternoon the NSW state champs kicked off at the Sydney international rowing course.
I raced in the heat of the men's single scull. There were three heats in this event, with top three from  each heat progressing through to the final tomorrow morning.  In Australia this regatta is used as the selection  event to pick the team for the first World Cup to be help on Sydney in late march. As a result racing is tough and to a very high standard with everybody keen to give themselves a chance to make this team.

I came 2nd in my heat, and was reasonably happy with my form. It is always nice to get the first race out of the way which usually causes more nerves than the final due to the worry of missing the final in the first place.

I'm excited  to give it everything tomorrow and see where I sit, however I know the rest of the field and even the guys in the B final are out to do the same. Blink and you are gone is a good way to explain the intensity of elite racing in that one small mistake and you are busting your ass to get back on terms. This is what we train for so embracing it is the best way to go.

Will touch base tomorrow.

Cheers, John

Racing review: first time in a (very) long time

Hello everyone,

Following on from my last post talking about the 720 days between competing in a 2km race, I managed to break the drought and race at the NSW Small Boats Regatta. The day of racing completely knocked me for six, and it's taken me until today to sit down and compose myself.

At the NSW Small Boats Regatta the heat of the men's single scull was not until late morning so I had some time to reflect during the lead in on how nervous I was*. In particular, reflecting on how I am sharing this journey, creating some build up in terms of getting back to racing and how embarrassed I would be if I came last by a country mile and therefore reassess my short-term goals. Obviously not the best mental preparation for a race, however just prior to and during the race I was able to tune into some of the technical focuses I had been working on while training at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
*Although the concern was present, by no means am I implying this completely overcame me and reduced me to a feeble mess prior to racing. I just feel it is important to continue sharing with you the honest insight into my thoughts.

Fortunately I was not last, in fact I managed to win, as the results below show. Not a bad way to calm the nerves following an extended period on the sidelines:

Upon qualifying for the final and achieving my goal for the day, the pressure was somewhat reduced leading into the final as I had nothing to lose. I could give it my all and see where I stood within the sculling group in Australia on this particular day. My goal was to go as hard as I could in the first 800m and see if I could maintain speed with the frontrunners in the race. As it turned out, I was with them for about 0.06 of a second before they blasted away from the blocks never to be seen again. So I simply put my head down and bum up and rowed as well and as tough as I could. The results below show the outcome:

Having these two races in the space of around 90 minutes most certainly took the sting out of my legs (or put the sting in my legs, whichever way you choose to look at it) and following that I would have been happy to get on the plane and fly back to Melbourne. To look back to 7 months ago when I was sliding around on the floor of my house barely able to stand up, let alone walk, to go to consecutive races following limited speed or competitive work in my training leading up was certainly a shock to the body.

I followed that up with racing the double scull with Kieren Kobelke later on in the afternoon but for multiple reasons it didn't fire. Needless to say I was ready to recuperate and head home.

Going forward from here we head to Sydney again this weekend for the NSW State Championships Regatta which also doubles up as the selection event for the Australian World Cup 1 team to race at SIRR 2014 from March 23-30. I will talk more about this later in the week so stay tuned. But for now I need to get to my last University class for the day, head to the gym and complete the day's training before getting an early night to continue recovering from what has been a big few weeks. Things have ramp up considerably.

Thanks for all your support and kind words.
Cheers, John