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Head of the River Race

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in General Chat
It aint gonna get read in Sports and Fitness so....

On 25th March 2006 I (dr_carter) will be rowing in the esteemed 'Head of the River Race' on the Thames, between Mortlake and Putney (Boat Race course going the other way) along with 420 other crews including most of the GB VIII and many other international crews.

Hopefully I won't freeze my bollocks off and will actually be able to row well and look damn good in my lycra...

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ooh good for you!
    Is it sponsored or just doing it for fun?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We're doing it to win! We will too! Novice pennant here we come!

    Not really - competitive boat club, it's the biggest race on our calendar.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    erm people do read the sports thread

    or did you mean "nobody who i want to see it reads the sport thread"
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I really meant 'i'd like people to see it and comment, not notice it in a few weeks when they're really bored...'
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What kind of comments would you like?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    'God I love rowers, James Cracknell is so fit and I want to marry him and if you're like him you must be so fit too...'

    Or alternatively:

    'How can you say it's the biggest race in the world? Why have I never heard of it? Why're you wearing lycra? What's the point in going the other way to the Boat Race? Why're they letting you out in a boat? Untrained wannabees like you are dangerous...'
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    All of which are most appropriately expressed in the Sport & Fitness forum, doc.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    dr_carter wrote:
    Not really - competitive boat club, it's the biggest race on our calendar.

    Do you row a lot then? I know you said it's a competetive boat club but just belonging to a club doesn't make you a brilliant rower :p

    Biggest race on our calendar (Marathon Kayaking) is the Devizes to Westminster race, it's 125 miles long and is over the Easter weekend. That's our longest race, our most important races are the Hasler Finals and the National Championships.

    I tried rowing at uni but I didn't like it (read: couldn't do it)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We row a reasonable amount - this year entered/entering Cambridge Autumn/Winter, Fours Head, Hammersmith Head, HORR and WeHORR (womens head of river), Henley Head, Kingston Head, BUSA regatta and possibly Henley Regatta for the hell of it - plus also small inter-uni competitions (sprint race, head race, bumps race :D:D:D)

    I row for the 2nd VIII currently - hopefully moving to the 1st VIII next year with some much...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've raced at Henley 3 times ;)

    (People are usually impressed when I tell them that - I don't tell them that it was in a kayak race over a different course at a different time of year!)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    That's cheating!

    I'd be happy with simply qualifying for Henley right now!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How long is the Henley regatta course? I only know my one, which is just short of 4 miles (Standard Hasler race is 4 miles), we go from outside the Scout/canoe/rowing club, through the town and under the bridge, down to Temple Island, going round the back of the bigger part. Then back again. Trickiest bit is not falling in, the cruisers give out so much wash. At one point last time the back of my boat was on the top of a wave and the nose of the boat was paddling down into the next bit of the wave. I stayed in though!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's just over 2 kilometres - roughly 1 mile 550 yards in old money... like all regattas it is basically a sprint race.

    Sometimes people exit a boat on purpose - check out this, Harvard's crew from 2004 Henley!

    http://www.bigblade.net/~bigblade/events/2004/hrr04/harvard/index.html
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote:
    erm people do read the sports thread
    Surely nobody reads that section. :p
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Wow, I wouldn't like to fall in at Henley! I fell in at Worcester on the river Severn in September on the start line, the worst part was I was in the lead and I had to wait for 40 boats to go past me before I could rescue myself.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    He didn't fall in - he jumped out! Normal procedure in top crews if you can't row due to technical failure - not in the Thames in January thanks!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I know he jumped but still! What I mean is - I wouldn't like to be in the river sans boat at Henley.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Try Chiswick... or even worse Putney!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    dr_carter wrote:
    Try Chiswick... or even worse Putney!
    Actually today I tried the canal at Gailey. Not on purpose but I assure you it was very cold. Brrr.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I got thrown in the Thames for my birthday - i've decided those responsible are going in over Chiswick Bridge - with a strong ebb tide... ching ching!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hello, it's all over and my quads are aching like buggery!
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