Training Update: The road is long & sometimes bumpy

Heres a short clip of the four from this week on the Nepean River. Its a cool feeling rowing up among these surroundings.

As for training well it wouldn't be a real champagne without a few bumps along the way. This week we have had it all. I have had to manage some thoracic issues. Fatigue levels got pretty high by the end of the week. We have had state team training. We have shifted out of one accommodation and into another and then back to our original accommodation. We have aimed to test boats but this may not happen this week now. Working through a team dynamics has us asking questions of ourselves and discussing what this all means and what we need to be the best we can be.

The difficulty I am finding is the time away from family. I understand we have committed to this by coming away as a four to have absolute focus on our job of making this boat as fast as we can, yet its still hard at times when on the phone to my wife and kids back home.

Here are some photos taken during the last week while in Penrith.

Cobber 'The Boss' O'Brien

Joshua Dunkley Smith - JDS 

Duncan Free the crazy man with a limp

Nepean Rowing Club Boat Shed

Wilber, Duncan & Josh catching a breather on the ferry during one of our rides

Joshua saving a turtle from sure death on the road to the regatta centre

Getting supplies from the super market

At the Olympic Regatta Centre

Duncan, Will Lockwood - Wilbur & Joshua needing breakfast

Nepean River

Joshua in the zone or asleep 

Duncan trying to work who he's going to row with today

Wilber, Joshua & Duncan assuming the position after a long day

The boys heading down to train but not before getting coffee

One lone timber handle oar amongst all the kids sticks with their rubber grips

Ergo training in the late afternoon which was bloody hot

Just one more stroke together

Hanging in there until the next lactate sample