2009 USRowing U-23 Trials Blog: Entry 1
6/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
Rising seniors Sarah Gribler(Marysville, Wash./Marysville-Pilchuk) and Ashley Kroll (Edmonds, Wash./Kamiak) are currently in Oak Ridge, Tenn., where they are attending the USRowing 2009 Under-23 National Team Camp. The camp began last week and will run through the USRowing Under-23 World Championships Trials, July 6-10, in West Windsor, N.J. Out of the camp, USRowing will choose the women's eight and quadruple sculls that will represent Team USA at the 2009 FISA World Rowing Under-23 Championships in Racice, Czech Republic (July 23-26). Additionally, the camp will choose a four, pair and double sculls that will compete at the USRowing Trials for the opportunity to qualify for the World Championships. Gribler and Kroll will be blogging about their experiences from Oak Ridge. Up first is Gribler.
When you enter the world of college sports you are with the best of the best from the high school level. You are forced to always perform at your best. At the United States Rowing Under-23 tryouts everyone is the best of the best at their schools. That idea became very intimidating to me since I spent the 2009 season in the second varsity eight at Michigan. I am the only one at camp that didn't spend the season in the first varsity eight. It makes me feel like I need to prove myself a little more than most people, which is an attitude that you need to survive the U-23 tryouts.
A typical day at camp becomes very exhausting. Ashley Kroll and I start the day with an early wake-up call at 6:30 a.m., although in rowing standards this is sleeping in. We say goodbye to our host family and head out the door to practice. Once we arrive at practice we head off for our 30-minute "warm-up" jog, which to me doesn't seem so warm-up-ish when everyone here is so competitive that it turns out to be a race! We end up back at the boat house out of breath and soaked in sweat. We then head out on the water in our trusty pairs, straight fours and quads.
So far at camp I have yet to row my strongest and favorite side, port. I have been rowing starboard and sculling. This challenge adds a whole new element to the stress that is selection camp. After a long row we meet up for the 30-minute death circuit; we have nicknamed it for the constant high intensity and boot camp feeling. After the morning work outs Kroll and I somehow find a way to get home and shower and crawl back into bed to sleep off the morning's row only waking up to eat. After some facebooking, blogging, and attempting to make contact with the outside world we head back to practice around 4 p.m.
The afternoon row is a little less intense by selection camp standards but still is no walk in the park. After working hard on our technique and developing a few more blisters on our hands we hurry home to our host family, Reeva and Martin, who kindly cook us dinner every night. If it wasn't for them I don't think Kroll and I would make it through the day. Our head coach Steve Perry told us every day is going to be harder than the one before. Now that the head national team and Olympic team coach Tom Terhaar has arrived the seat racing is about to begin. The Wolverine plan that runs our training at Michigan has prepared us well for what is about to come.
Players Mentioned
