It was a dark and snowy night...

Tuesday was just very cold. Wednesday there was ice, and the mixed VIII had to be cancelled. Today day was warmer, the ice meleted, but as we pushed off a gentle snow started. By the time we got back...



Unfortunately I don't have a photo of either Simon or Fio: both looked like snowpeople after a bit; at least we rowers were moving. And warm(ish) snow beats -4 oC any time. Apparently the night-time coxing was easier, too, because the banks were more obvious.

As to the rowing: 3 reaches, with a very pleasing enthusiasm from the crew for the third reach. Short pieces up to the railway bridge up each reach; from my fallible memory, the best was the last (at 26), the worst was the first (at 28) and the 30 was tolerable. We have a problem with rushing; at 30, the natural rush-rate mostly corresponds to the stroke rate, but we're not properly in control. At 28, nasty things happen (so we should try to do this more and get it right). At 26 there was a pleasing amount of control coming forwards, and more power.

Winter chronicles, continued: Saturday

Reports varied as to the actual temperature, but all agreed that it was f*ck*ng freezing - literally so; at 8 am there was about a centimetre of ice on the river. My car said -10 oC; James H reported the Cambridge weather station at -12. Anyway you looked at it, ergs were inevitable, and that is what we did. The good bit, though, was that we did them as a matter of course.

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning if you ignored the cold: heavy rime on all the trees and absolutely still.