Where are the RowStars

During this holiday period Abby and I could not be experiencing more opposite climates. Abby has Idaho snow and skiing as daily life and I'm having South African sun and swimming as necessity.

Hard day for the RowStar Team

Today Abby and I placed ourselves on that start line. Today we were to complete a stepping stone to get to that precious final. Today our affirmations read that we are 2010 World Champions Lightweight Double Gold Medalist Rowers. However, the door on this semi-final closed on us. And the disappointment sets deep.

Abby has raced before in the double, and has placed in B finals. Today we knew our potential was nothing short of A. I was unable to race in the world champs in Poland last year, and Carlos and I have waited for a long time to get to this point. We were the favourites to win. Our grandstand had our parents watching. And in our hearts we had all the people following us from all over. But from the start the greeks and brits took a lead. We stayed focused in our boat working to get it back. By the 1500m, we were within a second, having the fastest third 500m. The last 500m, we were holding on for all we could muster, but as they say, 'one man's cross is another one's church', because our loss in speed in that last 500m, gave the homeground favourites, the new zealanders a chance for the final. The crew took us in that last 500m, and placed third to make the A final. And we will have to defend our position from the B final.

Its a hard reality that plagues in sports. But it is also the basic truth that one any given day the best lose, and we need to pick ourselves up. We played really hard to get here, and the challenge now is how we can get smarter from this. This journey is still an incredible one, with many battles. This win would have calmed a few storms, but what the heck, bring on the rough water. We seem to do better in the waves it seems, judging from our heats. I left Lake Karapiro today, hearing the Terminator.... We will be back!

Thank you again for all your support and belief and hope in us. We are not giving up. I hope neither will you!
Ursula
Abby
Carlos

We have arrived in New Zealand!

We've made it to the other side of the planet!  New Zealand is beautiful.   It's so green, sunny, and we've felt so welcomed.  It's especially fun being able to feel the excitement and support in the community about the upcoming event! 

Our boat is great, we are making all the necessary adjustments, and got a good long row in this morning.

Racing starts Sunday, October 31st (which will be Saturday afternoon for those of you in the US!)

More updates and pictures to come soon!

Thanks to everyone for all your support...it's so amazing to be here and be so close to the culmination of so much hard work!

Joining us on the Journey

We have had a few visitors over time that have joined Carlos in the motor boat and reviewed practices, including Joel Rogers who has given us some great photos to remember these training days by. It's great to bring fellow coaches and athletes on board and have them excited to share in this journey. It also made me think of our rowing as a performance. A skill, that we love to do, and then having the grand finale be the race. I'm hearing the 5th, blasting with fireworks as we cross that finish line (if only in my head!)

Today the Western Washington girl's crew came by the house and we shared mostly on nutrition. Laying down the foundations of Paleo seemed startling. Because its so simple, we can't believe it and make it harder than it is. Fruits, Veggies, Lean Meats/Seafood and Nuts. That's it. So why does our brain still linger on to the pretty packages with things in there you can't even pronounce. Such is capitalism right, but that's too much for here.

After the Western girls left, Abby made us a slaw salad, posted on the Bellingham Quad Blog, and we talked about the college rowing experience. It was interesting to hear from Vic, Kristin and Abby about there college rowing days, and then what Carlos observed with his volunteer coaching at the UW. Read more about the recent press release from the UW here >

We have sent out our first Newsletter! It's a start; building the momentum!

The final countdown...

It's hard to believe that after months of training, our trip to New Zealand is right around the corner!  These days, it's all about quality.  Every stroke, as perfect as possible.  Every moment on the water, completely focused and feeling the boat.  And even off the water, we are constantly thinking about how everything we do can impact the upcoming big races.

Another great day of training on Lake Samish!

Thank you Living Tree Community

When looking at what we eat, the reading of labels goes deeper into where does what we eat come from. Buying food is such a great way to help our environment. If you feel guilty for not having money to donate to wildlife funds and environmental groups, then know that what groceries you buy is the biggest donation, for good or bad. For example, if you buy local you are supporting local farmers who will keep cultivating the soil. If you buy organic and grass fed you are saying I'm supporting a better way. If you buy things that have traveled further than most families ever do on vacation, then you are supporting more gas, oil and taxes involved in that. So when the items costs a few cents more on the shelf for local farms, in the background the damage is far worse.

I guess that is why I looked at Living Tree Community and felt connected to their farming practices and pursuit for unpasteurized almonds.  Living Tree also donates wonderful products to us, and we are so fortunate to have them partner with us. Their support is wonderful! Thank you!

Going to New Zealand, leaving October 21

In Bellingham we are.
On Samish we row.
Believing we do.
Stroke for stroke,
Day by day.
The desire and willpower to get to New Zealand
And stand on that stand
For USA
Gold
The journey goes on.

TRIALS RESULTS!

This morning Ursula won her heat, and now it's on to the finals on Thursday!

Click HERE to follow results.  Ursula is in the LW1x and the LW4x with the rest of us Bellingham Bandits.

A brilliant man...

Sadly, Cas Rekers, the inventor of the RowPerfect, passed away yesterday morning in the Netherlands.

I never met Cas, but I feel he deeply influenced my life, even in just the few months I've been training using his brilliant invention.  I frequently heard his voice over Skype as he, Carlos, and Ursula talked, and knew right away he was a very special person--not only because of his ingenuity, but also because of his warmth and kindness.

The RowPerfect has been an incredible breakthrough in my rowing, and I wish I could've thanked Cas personally.  I know he will be in my thoughts every time I get on the erg (and that is quite often!).  THANK YOU, Cas, for being a crucial influence as I work toward my goal.


-Abby

A favorite recipe...

Today I was inspired by our abundance of kale in the fridge, that must get eaten up before we leave for trials on Sunday.  So, I decided to make some kale chips...yum!  This is one of my favorite recipes, and it's super easy and surprisingly addictive!  Give it a try!  (I've found that kids really love them too!)

1 bunch Kale, washed and dried well
1-2 TBS Olive Oil
salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Tear kale into chip-size pieces, and put into a large bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
Mix well (I find that using my hands works the best, so you can get all the leaves evenly-coated with olive oil.  Be careful not to over-salt!  The kale will bake down a lot, so you need less salt than you may think.
Spread out onto 2 baking sheets, and bake about 15 minutes, tossing midway through, or until chips are crispy and starting to brown on the edges.
Yum!

:) Abby

New Zealand - Preparing on all platforms

Ok, as New Zealand starts getting more and more ramped up, in the media, in our minds, in our training, we want to make sure we prepare and cover all the bases. So we are eating our kiwi's, (the fruit), excited to see our first kiwi's (the bird), and then we are practicing the HAKA. 

Origin of the Haka (The source and more info here >)
According to Maori ethos, Tama-nui-to-ra, the Sun God, had two wives, Hine-raumati, the Summer maid, and Hine takurua, the Winter maid. The child born to him and Hine-raumati was Tane-rore, who is credited with the origin of the dance. Tane-rore is the trembling of the air as seen on the hot days of summer, and represented by the quivering of the hands in the dance.

Haka is the generic name for all Maori dance. Today, haka is defined as that part of the Maori dance repertoire where the men are to the fore with the women lending vocal support in the rear. Most haka seen today are haka taparahi, haka without weapons.
More than any aspect of Maori culture, this complex dance is an expression of the passion, vigour and identity of the race. Haka is not merely a past time of the Maori but was also a custom of high social importance in the welcoming and entertainment of visitors. Tribal reputation rose and fell on their ability to perform the haka (Hamana Mahuika)
Haka reflected the concerns and issues of the time, of defiance and protest, of factual occurrences and events at any given time

Watch the HAKA >

A few little updates from Abby...

This evening I got some dinner to go and found a beautiful spot on the beach to watch the sunset and enjoy some of the last precious sunshine of the season.  Bellingham is such a beautiful place!

Last weekend we visited some local farms.  My highlight was getting to hug a sweet little goat.

Fun on the goat farm

I think we need an attack rooster for our dock.

Thanks to Ursh for her great last couple posts!

Seeking Sport's Sponsorship

In an ever unyielding effort to seek sustainability to this training lifestyle and Olympic-Gold-Medal-Goal, it is interesting to read about the trends in women's sponsorships. In the Harvard Business Review / Sept 2010, there was an article called: Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women. 

My sense from the article and listening to the author was not so much about gender equality, but more about aligning yourself in a favourable position to get sponsored or promoted. I believe in action, strongly, and hope that our journey and partnerships, through sponsorship can cause a ripple effect to many other social issues that Abby and I are passionate about. For example, Abby about promoting unlimited strong women, and I would like to tackle promoting paleo-friendly eating thoughts, especially in children.

In our lifetime, it is going to be such a gift to give back and inspire others on their paths to self-actualization.

Strength to Strength

Abby and I, while driving to the bank, jokingly called ourselves rowing nerds. It seems that we can not get away with conversation that does not include rowing. What we are finding out more and more, especially as we row with Carlos individually, and then come back to rowing with each other, is that our differences are highlighted. We talk about how we feel the boat acceleration, and where we are putting our impulse to make that thing move! I told Abby, now that I know where her strengths lie, when rowing with her, I try to max those, and not get frustrated on the parts of the drive where I feel we are not as one. I have come to think about rowing this double as not trying to look like a mirror of each other. If you looked at the Romanian LW2x winners in Athens, they looked very different rowing. But they moved the boat together. And so this is where I feel how making huge leaps and bounds. We are going to move this boat with our different strengths, and not give them up simply to match/mirror. Rather understand where they are, and use them. I believe this is a higher level of relationship building. Where you don't lose your identity in the other just to match. Rather you both keep your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses, together.

More beautiful veggies!

Yum!

The other day we took a trip to the Bellingham Farmer's Market - a beautiful spectacle of colorful and abundant produce, as well as a great glimpse of the B-ham locals.

Yum!

We are so fortunate to live in a place with such amazing things to look at and to eat...all local, organic, and grown by farmers who are passionate about the planet and what they do.






Filling our bodies with "super premium unleaded jet fuel" is such a huge component of the row-fast formula!

Yum!

Yes we have no bananas

Now that there are five of us plus Carlos training here at Lake Samish, I've been put in charge of doing the grocery shopping. I used to think that just shopping for myself was a project...I'd plow through more groceries in one week than any of my non-rower roommates would go through in two!  But put together six hungry rowers working out 3+ times per day and you've got some serious food consumption.  Even as lightweights, with the volume we are doing, eating often, and very healthfully, is a priority.  Some of our staples include, bananas, applesauce, apples, carrots, yams, chicken, fish, and of course, KALE!  

YUM!

Long but good day!

Another interesting training device!

A morning windy row in the double was followed by another windy row in the quad, and then Ursula went out for another windy row in her single (while I napped!).  Then after that, SpiroTiger (see picture), altitude, and off for a hike!  We did a nice mellow hike to Fragrance Lake in Larrabee state park.  (I am disappointed to report that there was only a slight pond-like fragrance and the lake didn't quite live up to its name), but was beautiful, nonetheless.  Carlos and Kristin went for a dip in the Pacific, and we all finished off the Northwest experience by picking and eating some blackberries.  yum!  Time for bed!

Shuttle Legs

For all you rowers out there, I'm sure you're familiar with jumpies.  Jumpies are a classic rower exercise that entails starting from a squat, jumping straight up into the air, and repeating...again and again and again. Well, here at Lake Samish to make our legs stronger we use a machine called the Shuttle (generously donated by Shuttle Systems - my legs don't thank you at the moment, but the rest of me does!).  Using the Shuttle is similar to doing jumpies, but in the same direction as you would push with your legs in the boat, and with resistance and rhythm. Ouch.  Since training here, I have started using a new phrase:  "Shuttle Legs."  All I can say, is that this house is incredible, but there are a lot of stairs. :)
Shuttle, I will appreciate you so much when we're on the medal stand, but tonight, I must just say "Ouch!"

The New Addition

The Samish Center has a new something, something so walker-bys can clearly see what's so special about 931. Well firstly, its about those rings; the excellence they bring, and then the company it houses: stars in training. A project that Abby and myself did to surprise Carlos. I was out there banging the nails in eight 'o clock at night. The neighbors all heard the new box go in for sure, and commented on it this morning. It may need a little help from Dave (Bellingham Bay Builders) to make sure it stays there. Hey I can paint pretty. I'll stick to what I know.

-Ursula

Cross-Training with a View!

A great thing about Coach Carlos:  He loves the mountains, and being amidst some of the most beautiful mountains in the world here in Bellingham, we get the privilege of exploring them as cross-training.  Not exactly your typical leisurely stroll upon a trail--more like trudging up 4000ft elevation gain as fast as possible, non-stop, dripping with sweat, and then running down--but gorgeous, nonetheless!  Last week, Church Mountain, near Glacier, WA.  Many switchbacks open up to an incredible meadowy bowl full of wildflowers and little streams, with a view of Mt. Baker and Shuksan right in your face.  Ursula and my favorite part?  The run back down.  I turn into a little 10-year-old playful kid, bounding over the roots and rocks.  I got a little head-start on Ursh, but knew I was the rabbit and had to run as fast as I could so I didn't end up as her lunch!  :)

Yesterday: Heliotrope Ridge, in the Mt. Baker Wilderness Area.  Not as tough as Church Mountain, but just as beautiful.  After trudging through the trees for a while, the trail steepens and you find yourself in a sea of vibrant colors:  paintbrush, lupine, monkey flower (my fave), all amongst a backdrop of the jagged turquoise Mt. Baker glacier.

Fields of paintbrush, with the glacier in the background

Lupine!

Our team!  Kristin and Victoria have joined us to form the Quad!

I always hike with a mascot.  Here, smokin' rabbit chills on the glacier.

I dawdled on the way down to take a zillion pictures, then began to run to catch up with the group.  I passed a couple of young adult guys, and noticed just after I passed them, that they too had started running, and were hot on my heels!  When I caught up to the group, they ran past and I couldn't help but ask, "wanna race?".  So off we went, bounding down the trail to the parking lot.  My favorite part was when Ursh joined us in running and let me tell you, we gave those guys a run for their money.  :)  So fun.  We made some new Bellingham friends, and although we turned down their invite to play poker that night, maybe we'll see them on the trails again for another challenge!

-Abby

Filippi Site Headlines

Our boats have been sent to New Zealand. Thank you to Filippi for the help. We are gonna rock out in our Italian Stalions! The technical aspects of these boats rewards good rowing with fast speed. That's what every rower can only ask for in the fine crafted carbon beauties. Carlos has worked hard in communications for Filippi HQ. We are excited that all the things are in place. Now we just need the mares!

http://www.eliterowing.com/

Training continues...

Day by day, stroke by stroke, getting ready for New Zealand!

Fundraising

Trials for the lightweight women's quad and single are taking place in Princeton, the end of September. The team will go represent. Then its onwards to New Zealand for the World Champs the beginning of November. Check out our Bellingham quad blog >

Launching the new team

RowStar Project was created three days ago by striving Olympians Abby Broughton and Ursula Grobler. With a brain storming session helped by Todd Packard from Shuttle Systems, the name RowStar Project stuck. It embodied all the vast pursuits we are chasing and working everyday to accomplish, such as striving to uplift the sport of Rowing in the USA by training better, smarter and with unlimited determination; by following a dream that reaches all the way to Olympic Gold.

Read more on our site >