one week to go

one week to go, and it couldnt come sooner.  Last week was awesome; the weather was idyllic, the boat was running, teammates were relaxed.  This week; the weather is steadily going downhill, everyone is getting nervous, and the coaches are starting to overcoach.  I think coaching rowing must be incredibly frustrating, because it is incredibly important, yet coaches have absolutely no control over race day.  Hence, you often see rowing coaches going a bit nuts in the week leading up to a big race, as they feel control slipping out of their grasp. They start trying to change everyone's stroke, change the line-up, change the rig, change everything.  

This can be incredibly frustrating, as any change  in rowing often makes the boat slower before it gets faster.  After 6 months of trusting the coaches with everything regarding our training, we, the athletes, must begin to discern what is good coaching and what is nervous coaching.

Fortunately we have some pretty experienced coaches, who are adjusted to the race week nerves.  Still, I can definitely feel the escalating tension, more in the coaches than in the athletes.  Got to stay cool, got to stay positive.