Not Rowing

So this is the longest period of time I have not rowed since 2008.  Yesterday I did sit in an 8 to show some kids the difference between placing the blade WHEN you get to the catch and placing the blade AS you get to the catch.  But, that's it.  I've gone cold turkey.

Cold turkey is a tough way to go.  I've spoken to members of my family who used to smoke.  They tried many different ways to quit.  It was cold turkey that did it the best.  If I were to go out in a single three times per week I might start to think I could add a fourth day and then that would snowball into rowing six times a week and I just can't do it.

Actually, it's been nice.  I get to go out with Shaunnah whenever I want.  If we want to go out and get a drink at 9 pm we can!  Every other weekend for the past four years I was always thinking about rest and trying to do my best to be ready to rock n roll the next day.

However, I do have a lot of energy.  Those who know me, know that I'm like my Dad (post later on the scary notion of turning into your parents) and am not good at standing still.  I need something to do, something constructive.  I think sometimes it drives Shaunnah a little nuts, but I'm just getting her back, haha.

SOOOOO, I've been running.  Running a lot.  I'm not really training for anything; but I have developed a routine of working out and think it's important.  Everyone should force time into their schedule to take care of themselves.

I've also been on the job hunt pretty aggressively.  Networking, writing cover letters and refining the resume are daily adventures.  I'm new at all of it because in the Navy you don't really need a resume.  You give them your listed preferences and then they order you to go somewhere.

So basically, I'm doing my damn-est to keep busy and not go crazy.  The most comforting part is that I'm fine.  I miss rowing, a little; but I realize that rowing has never and continues to NOT define me.  My definition (whatever that is) made me a good rower, not the other way around.

Now I'm going to meet my wife for lunch.  Have a good one.

- Jimmy

The end... I think not

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning.  The end is where we start from."  - T.S. Eliot

My journey to the Olympics has officially ended, and with that, my rowing career.  I was sent home in the final cut of the lightweight men's four selection camp.  I was upset, mostly disappointed that the end had come.  I left everything I had on the water and that's all I can do.  

I feel the important part is not to focus on the end of this dream, that would have ended happily or unhappily in three month anyway.  My focus is now on my new beginning.  

My brother Patrick and I with Katy Perry
before her concert at USNA!

For the first time in two years I get to live with my wife for more than two weeks at a time!  We are both elated and so eager to move on.  I'm now able to go out whenever I want and celebrate with old friends.  Family events (weddings and reunions) are now part of my schedule.  Excitement does not begin to express the emotion I have when I think about enjoying my brother's bachelor party and wedding!

So yes, I am extremely disappointed that my rowing career has ended.  However, it has allowed me to begin the next chapter earlier than expected.  The end of my rowing career is where I'm going to start from.

- Jimmy

Spring Cleaning

The Vernal Equinox has come and gone.  Winter has left us and the rains are supposed to begin.  Even more exciting is the rowing racing season has begun, to include a National Selection Regatta in pairs for us lightweights.  BUT, one thing that always needs to be done is a little spring cleaning.

As a transient, I don't necessarily have a house to clean.   My Gmail inbox however was a MESS.  I think it's important to stay organized.  Shaunnah and I have files for all of our stuff and when it comes time to find anything it takes seconds and not minutes or hours.  I try to keep my email inbox the same way.

On USS FORD, I had folder after folder of stuff in my inbox and kept it pretty neat most of the time.  Organization on the ship made my life much easier.  I have tried to implement that in to my Gmail experience, but folders are not Gmail's forte.  So, like many people, I go in waves.

The cool thing about email is I can see when the chaos began.  This time around I had over 600 emails in my inbox and they ranged from last July to yesterday!!!  I laugh as I write this, but it's kind of pathetic and not funny.  Last July was a tumultuous month.  We traveled from OKC to Princeton and then to Hanover, NH.  Our plans were never concrete and I kind of gave up on the email order.

Over the past few days I just started clicking and sorting/deleting emails and placed them where they belong.  Proudly, my inbox went 600+ to 2!  I have successfully done some spring cleaning.  Get started on yours!

- Jimmy

P.S.  The pics are from the recent NSR.  My pair partner was Anthony Fahden

Down Time

With any job there is such thing as working too hard.  Whether you are running a division on a warship, training full time for the Olympics or operating your own company, you need to take some "me" time.

There are many different ways to do it.  When I was on the ship I would work out.  In my current "job" working out is not a great way to get away from my job, working out.  I know a certain business owner that likes to sit in tree stands, sitting quietly for hours and waiting for a deer to become vulnerable.  Each person has their own methods.

I recently went for a long walk through a canyon to a beach in La Jolla, CA.  It was beautiful and therapeutic .  The sand stone forming the canyon and at times, natural steps brought me back to Hubbard Hall, the Navy boathouse.  It is a sandstone building with intense structure and beauty.  It is amazing how hard rock, such as sandstone can so easily be carved in to.  Below are some pics:

You can see the carvings in the sandstone to the right.  Thankfully, midshipmen don't feel the need to do this to Hubbard Hall.

Have a good one.

- Jimmy

Contrast Bath + Lightweight == Cold

I was a math major so I can only hold back the nerdyness so much.  The equation in the title needs some explanation.  Volp kicked the training plan in to high gear three weeks ago and we have been doing a lot of pieces.  With those comes the need to recover and I'm trying to coax my body into faster recovery mode any way I can.

When you think of rowing (or when I think of rowing) the first image that may come to mind is a tall, lengthy guy with a body fat % less than six.  That is by no means always the case.  Some of the best heavyweights in the world have a little bit of an energy belt that gives them some reserves when they need to go to the well.  Lightweights don't have that luxury and as we near the upcoming selection regatta and the first weigh-in of the year our "energy belts" are dwindling.

Yesterday we did some racing and afterwards I was feeling pretty wrecked so I decided to make use of the recovery baths at the training center.  There are two jacuzzis; one filled with 55 degree water and the other with 110.  You start with two minutes in the cold bath and then transition to one minute in the hot bath.  To get the maximal effect you should do three - four sessions in the cold and two -three in the hot, but making sure the cold is the last stage.  You can read about it here for more clarification.

There are a number of reactions your brain has when going through this process.  I say brain because I don't think your body actually has pins and needles in it.
FIRST:  COLD.  When you enter the cold bath the shivering onsets about 40 seconds in and hating life comes to mind.  Then with about 20 seconds to go you start thinking about that nice hot tub just two feet away!

SECOND: NOT HOT.  When you enter the hot tub your mind wants it to feel like paradise.  It doesn't!  The first thing I thought was, this isn't hot and then the tingling started.  Pins and needles enter your feet and legs and then after about 45 seconds you start to get comfortable, just in time to get cold again.

THIRD:  COLD... again
.
.
.
Repeat

LAST:  My body fat percentage is relatively low right now and the last two minutes in the cold water definitely left an impression on my body.  First of all, I did feel better.  The science is not completely sound and not specifically proven, so it may have been a placebo effect, but I felt better.  Secondly, I was cold for the next 4 hours.  It took my body a long time to regain it's warmth.  I even rowed for 1.5 hours and I was still warming up towards the end.

I will most likely do this again.  After all, I feel it helped and I've always seemed to return to the things that are painful (i.e. rowing and every August when I returned to USNA, haha)  But if you are healing from a surgery or some physical activity, consider contrast bath therapy.  My only advice is to bring a blanket.

- Jimmy

San Diego, German for ...

Anchor Man was a huge hit when I was in college.  Every time I enter San Diego County that movie is what first comes to mind.  After our last practice in Oklahoma City, Nick LaCava and I began the 1300 mile trek from OKC to Chula Vista.  We left on Saturday morning and arrived Sunday.

We started the trip at 5 am on Saturday and 2 - 2.5 hours later the sun was rising so I couldn't resist snapping a pic.

We got through Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle pretty quickly, despite a severe headwind that was eating up gas as if we were driving through downtown NYC.  Once we entered New Mexico the wind shifted to a nice tailwind and we finally didn't have to stop every 2.5 hours for gas.  

 I believe this picture is in New Mexico.  I wasn't really trying to get the truck in the pic, but thought is was cool once I downloaded everything.

This is Arizona on Sunday morning.  Throughout the Arizona portion of the trip I was surprised by how beautiful it was.  Texas and New Mexico were so-so, but Arizona was definitely a site for sore eyes.  Then we entered California...  

Chula Vista is gorgeous, but the eastern 200 miles of California is literally desert.  Here's a picture of some sand dunes.  There a little hard to see, but it was a pretty barren landscape. 

We arrived at the training center around 11 am PST and were pretty beat.  We had the day to recover and met Monday morning to unload the trailer and start getting the work in.  The atmosphere here is great and really forces you to remember what this is all about; fighting for medals at the Olympics.  There are more residents here than athletes.  A racoon was sniffing our dirty laundry on the patio the other night.  I don't think he found anything he liked.


Hope you enjoy the pics and have a good one.

- Jimmy

and then there were 8.

Just wanted to give an update on selection for the LM4-.  I try not to think about the process as "selection."  I try to go out and move each boat I'm in as efficiently and powerfully as possible.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  The cream will rise to the top in the end.

There has been a group of 13 guys here in Oklahoma City for a while and we recently found out that eight of us will be traveling to Chula Vista, CA this coming weekend until the boat is selected.

It's exciting to know that the light at the end of the tunnel is near.  Everyone in the group has gained speed and continuing to do so.  The combinations we put together are getting faster each time and the rowing as a whole is more unified.  Confidence is building within the group that we can put a fast 4- together and get the job done in May and later this summer in London.

Above is some video of the remaining 8 in an 8.

Have a good one,
Jimmy