Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport’s Post

Even today, my Dad, David Plekenpol, who rowed at Dartmouth College in the early 80's, breaks down his tasks, big or small, into the 4 segments of a 2000M race. During my four years rowing at Loyola Marymount University, I began to understand why, and soon adopted my Dad's approach. The first 500M is pure adrenaline. The anticipation of all the training has led to this moment, head to head with other oarsman who have worked equally hard. We all understand what this race will come down to... who wants it more. The second 500M is all about establishing rhythm. Settling into your race pace as you are now fully into the endeavor. No going back, only forward. If you had a great start, and pulled out in front, you are pressing your legs off of the footboard as if it is the backs of your opponents... keep them where you can see them- that means you are head. The third 500M is where you start to soul search. Your body, with all of the built up lactic acid in your muscles, is starting to feel like it is on fire, while your lungs begin to feel charred by the crisp air coming in with every breath. You are now pulling for your brothers in the boat. Your coaches on the shore. Your family at home. The third 500M is where boys become men, where competitors become champions, it is where the guts of a person either lead to their glory or to their despair. Entering the final 500M, you have to leave everything behind you. There is no more race after this. It is time to "empty the tank". There is nothing more disheartening than the feeling that you could have given more. The story from the movie Gattaca always spoke to me in these instances- When the genetically imperfect brother defeats his genetically perfected brother, in the competition of who can swim the furthest out to sea, when asked how he did it, he replied, "I didn't save anything for the swim back." This is heart, and this is the true victory of all sports... to know that you gave your all to something, win or lose, you stepped into the arena and died to who you used to be, emerging as a new person each and every time... more acquainted with the depths of the passion, love, compassion, and fearlessness within you than you had ever known before. I am grateful for my time rowing, and it is an absolute treat to see the US Men's Four back on top in this Olympics.

You can’t win a race from the start, but you can lose it. The GB rowing teams have come away with a haul of medals in Paris 2024. Some were expected, some a surprise and some a slight disappointment. I’m sure with reflection, a bronze or silver is still absolutely fantastic. Sometimes the other people were just better on the day. I’m not an Olympic level rower or a coach to one, so as an interested observer I have noticed that several of the GB teams had slower starts, leaving them a length behind the other boats. The commentators repeated several times that the GB squads tend to have a strong middle 1000m and that is where they win races, but it kept pricking my mind about the start. What if, there was more work that could be done on the start? It would give them a head start and they could maintain their position & stave off the competition (just like the NED women’s fours). They wouldn’t need to win or lose by a few cm’s at the finish. “You can’t win a race from the start, but you can lose it.” I’ve seen comments previously that we should concentrate on our strengths and not worry about our development areas, but has that been proven? There would be no point in getting a racing driver to work on his grammar as it’s totally irrelevant. Or a young genius may have no interest in sports, so why make them train at the track? So, does the same apply to working on something within the race? After all, we know that strength work in the gym helps rowers & runner etc perform better. So, what if an explosive start would give them a head start? Perhaps it would wear them out too much that they couldn’t complete in the sprint finish. 🤷♀️ I’m now thinking of Kelly Holmes in Sydney 2000 where her race plan was to sit at the back and then sprint to the finish in both 800m & 1500m. It seemed to work for her with 2 gold medals. However, is that the same as not starting strong? Undoubtedly, the young genius would still benefit from track or gym sessions to improve his health and fitness. What are your thoughts on development areas in both sports and life/work situations? #strengths #development #CPD

Today marks two years with the Mammoth Track Club🦣, and I couldn’t be more proud of what I’ve achieved in that time. From becoming a 2x British Championships Bronze Medalist🇬🇧🥉to debuting for England at the Loughborough International🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🥇, the journey has been challenging but incredibly rewarding. Here’s a look at my progress over the last two years: 3K Steeplechase 9:45 (-22s), 1500m 4:18 (-16s) 5K 16:05 (-73s) 10K 34:04 (-4m5s) (*unofficial) 12th All Time in British Steeplechase rankings 1 broken arm and 2 collisions with barriers But behind the numbers is the story of dedication—going from balancing full-time work with training to fully committing to my dream of becoming a professional athlete. It’s not easy without financial security, but having the right support system has made it possible. Now, I’m reaching out to potential sponsors and connections who believe in the power of sport, determination, and ambition. If you're interested in being part of my journey, or know someone who might be, I’d love to connect and discuss opportunities. I also have a buymeacoffee.comStevielawrence ☕ for anyone that would like to support me in an way that they can. Every contribution makes a difference in my race to the top, helping cover essentials like travel, race entries, and accommodation. #Sponsorship #Athletics #Running #Steeplechase #OlympicDreams

New Episode of Running: State of the Sport is now out! We talk with Jacqueline (Jaqi) Hansen, one of the most important pioneers of distance running in the US. https://lnkd.in/egJPEcT4

Well done to the Team

Even if the starting line isn't the same..... ......The finish line is equal 🥇🥈🥉 👆 I said that It's funny isn't it, how we stagger a race to accommodate the bend, only to flatten out on the straight, to ensure its a fair approach to the finish line 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️ but we still create difference in lane placement It's all in the draw of the lane isn't it? 🤔 Everyone knows the middle lanes are the fastest right? Runners, swimmers....no one wants lanes 1 & 8 It's the fast lanes we want, right in the middle 3,4 & 5 but you know we have had medal winners in lanes 1 & 8, records won even....the mighty Bolt ⚡️won once in lane 1 Olympic runner Wayde van Niekerk unexpectedly won gold in the 400 meters from Lane 8, who? 🏃♂️ However, that's the exception rather than the rule. Fast runners run faster with less of a bend to contend with and swimmers less of a wake 🌊 There that's the science bit. Tall people don't run bends well...fact Tall swimmers have better reach from standing start positions... 🏊♀️... fact So as we often place sporting prowess as an analogy in the world of business achievement, we do, you know we do, let's not forget those that run at a different pace, the starters from lanes 1 & 8. Hampered by a bend, the extended curve, the trail of the wake 🌊 too tall .... The distance is still the same, starts may stagger, lanes may vary but the end goal, the finish line, is still the same...make it so 🖖 Its not always the fastest with record breaking finishes that deliver but slower pace will bring quality output that sets the standard for your next sprint ... Slow down to speed up ack:Melissa Eiser Make it fair, the winners may surprise you #slowrunners #techniqueandpace #focusonthelongterm #keepthepace #cuterrors #TracyRistaMediationServices 👈 DM for a free, confidential chat if you are trying to manage conflict in your workplace.....What's to lose 🤷🏼♀️

Reading the many race reports coming from athletes after this weekends racing, and brilliant performances aside, the thing that strikes me most is the super confidence athletes had before and during the swim. Nothing phased them. “Lots of women were dithering at the start, so I just ran and dived in and got on with it.” “I’ve learnt my lessons and I know I’m a quick enough swimmer to hold my own.” “Swim was a right scrap, loved it, never thought I’d ever say that about swimming!” “I could feel the fast swimmers coming up behind me, tickling my feet. Last year I would have panicked and slowed down. Not this year. My elbows and legs were out like Bruce Lee.” These swims are well-rehearsed, with many of the reports citing the prep work done in our open water swim groups. “The swim start was a rolling free-for-all, I just aimed my aim and swam (or is it swum?) my swim start. 15m or so of water polo while figuring the lines, gaps, etc then straight into the steady “2-stroke diesel” cadence while bodies, legs and arms were bumping, crashing and banging – no sweat, we’ve done this drill and the recent crowded dock sessions were busy enough to get the senses ready for it.” And I was delighted to read (in almost every race report) that swimmers included a variation of the phrase “started with some water polo strokes to spot the gaps and then went for it”. Awareness, composure, race day intelligence. Confidence. #openwaterswimming #triathlonswim #triathlonswimming #raceday #confidence #swimskills #racing #triathloncoaching #triathlonswimsquad

Motofish recently launched a new project with the University of Washington Men's Rowing Team entitled Rowtown, USA. The idea of Rowtown, USA was created to embody all rowing in Seattle, both its history and its future, ‘This small city in the Pacific Northwest has produced so many Olympic medals and national championships and we wanted to show U.S. Rowing and the rest of our nation that you can develop Olympic class athletes, not just in 1936, but also here in this day and age. It's something we're really proud of.’ - Michael Callahan, Head Coach, Men’s Rowing, UW All of this is to say that over the course of six months we spent a lot of early mornings on the water. We had some freedom to shape this project through what we saw and through an understanding of what would be valuable to the team. The feature length piece draws a line between the ‘Boys in the Boat’ team and the current program. We also provided the UW with snappy cutdowns for social and loads of stills. Writing and directing Rowtown, USA really allowed us to go deep. While there are very few of us that can produce 600 watts over the course of 2000m there are some universal truths including this last thought from Coach Callahan, ‘Of course, we want our athletes to win races and we want them to succeed. I think you learn a lot from the pursuit of success, but I think the most important thing is that you realize that the work developed you. The journey with your teammates will serve you for the rest of your life.’. Woof. https://lnkd.in/gfnfQWYu

I agree with Ryan Lean's perspective on the importance of focusing on missions and goals. It brings to mind a quote by Phil Jackson: "The team's strength lies in each individual member, and each member's strength lies in the team." The crucial aspect is not to prioritize what is already on your schedule, but rather to schedule your priorities and collaborate as a team. #teamwork

### Zola Budd vs. Mary Decker: A Collision Course Hey everyone, Remember the 1984 LA Olympics? The 3000-meter race was supposed to be epic with South Africa’s Zola Budd, running for Great Britain, going head-to-head with American champ Mary Decker. But it ended up being a total trainwreck. Here’s the lowdown: 1. **The Hype Train**: This race was billed as a clash of titans—Budd’s barefoot style against Decker’s world-class skills. Too bad it didn’t live up to the hype. 2. **Collision Course**: The two runners kept bumping into each other, and it wasn’t long before Decker hit the deck hard after a clash. She had to be carried off, which was a major bummer. 3. **Budd's Struggle**: Budd, who was visibly shaken by the incident, finished a lackluster 7th. Not exactly the performance everyone was expecting. 4. **Blame Game**: The media had a field day, pointing fingers at both runners. Budd took most of the heat, but an investigation later cleared her of blame. The crash wasn’t her fault after all. 5. **Decker’s Take**: Decker still blames her inexperience in pack running for the mishap. Sometimes it’s just one of those things that happen in sports. So there you have it—the race that was supposed to be a showdown ended up being a fiasco. Sometimes, even the most anticipated events can go sideways. #ZolaBudd #MaryDecker #Olympics1984 #RaceCollision #TrackAndField #SportsDrama #BarefootRunner #OlympicFiasco #RunningDrama