Competitive Intelligence

Competing in Madison’s Mid-Winter Meltdown Indoor Satellite C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints Regatta

Today’s blog is pure fun and games, as my brother Derek (left, above) and I competed in Madison’s Mid-Winter Meltdown Indoor Satellite Regatta for Concept II’s C.R.A.S.H.-B. sprints. I hadn’t done this is almost 15 years – since I was on the UW-Madison Men’s Crew team, in fact, and it was Derek’s first time out ever. Making it all the more remarkable was our relatively strong showing.

We arrived early for the Men’s Heavyweight Open flight and the Men’s Heavyweight Master’s was about to begin, but we hadn’t intended to row TWO 2,000-meter pieces. Still, it’d be a good warm-up if we didn’t kill ourselves and it was awhile until the Open started, so we decided to row it. Now, if you’re not familiar with the Concept II ergometer, pictured behind us in the photo above, competitors row 2,000 meter sprints and try to cross the finish first. This amounts to something between a six minute and nine minute workout, but it’s all-out, pull-as-hard-and-fast-as-one-can to win. It’s a challenge that needs to be trained for to really do well... which I know I didn't really do enough of. ;-)

Of a field of six competitors in the Men’s Heavyweight Master’s flight, Derek took the gold medal with a 6:29.6 final time (that’s a 1:37.4/500-meter split, which is how you pace yourself). To put that in perspective, the world-record time is something substantially south of 6:00 and a 1:25/500-meter pace – those guys are animals. I came in fourth with a 6:58.4 (a 1:44.6 pace, representing Derek’s fitness and leverage superiority over his big brother). ;-)

Next, after recovering and stretching, we were astonished to see the next flight coming up in just minutes, so we got motivated after cheering along a few other sprints – Men’s and Women’s Lights and Heavys as well as Veteran classes and Juniors. Then, it was the Men’s Heavyweight Open race, with eight guys on the deck, counting Derek and I.

Through the pain and sweat, the crowd was fun to listen to as they cheered us on watching the virtual boats on the monitors above us. I lost my pace at about 1,000 meters to go, but recovered and finished with a sixth-place 7:02.4 (a 1:45.6/500-meter split), and Derek won by seconds with a 6:25.6 overall (a speedy 1:36.4/500-meter pace), putting him in the gold medal for a second time the same day. To row two of these sprints the same day is gutsy enough, to win twice within an hour of each race is pretty cool, but to do so on the first day you’ve ever competed in the sport is pretty extraordinary.

As you can all tell, I’m awfully proud of my baby brother. Way to go Derek!

- Arik