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Cambridge at Lympstone The toughest torture

It is the enduring scene from True Blue But the Boat Race offers different Martin Gough – the film in which the Oxford crew challenges, and perhaps that is why so overcome the adversity of a mutiny by many of the very best take part. assesses what it their best oarsmen to win the 1987 Boat Race – and it makes it clear that an This year’s Cambridge squad may have felt takes to compete in impressive rowing pedigree isn’t enough to like mutinying in October, when they were triumph in this most unique of events. taken to the Royal Marine Training Centre the Boat Race I learnt with a little disappointment at Lympstone in Devon. There they took recently that the scene didn’t really part in an assault course (of which you will xford coach Dan Topolski stands happen. Topolski told me it was inspired by see more in the BBC TV coverage on race on Henley Hill in the pouring rain an exercise he did himself 20 years day) and endured ‘self-motivation circuits’, as his star-studded squad race previously when part of the Oxford crew, a particularly sadistic version of the gym Opiggyback relays up and down. and that it wasn’t raining at the time – but circuit training which any rower will be When a mud-spattered and irate American it made the point perfectly. familiar with. asks why they are doing it and what this To get to the top in rowing, to compete “Everyone had some pretty unenjoyable can possibly have to do with rowing, at the Olympics – as three members of this moments there,” says Henry Pelly, CUBC Topolski says, “You have to learn what it year’s Oxford crew have – you have to put President last year who is in the six-seat takes to win the Boat Race!” your body through the toughest torture. this year, as R&R went to press. “We were

30 Rowing & Regatta | April 2010 what it takes

woken up in the middle of the night, made pre-race toast to ‘The Tab slogging’, says: to do a circuit and they only stopped us “The animosity towards the other side is when they thought we were exhausted.” quite intense, until after the race anyway. There is an element of building mental There is much more of that harsh intensity.” toughness. As Pelly says, “You can endure Pelly rationalises through the passion anything if you can concentrate and want this race generates, as he explains: to do it.” “Physiologically the best way of crossing But perhaps more important is the lesson the course is to do an even split, a the trip offered about unpredictability – continuous pace. But it’s very difficult if the something that is nothing like as much of a crew next to you knows they can just go a factor for international rowing on rectangular, length ahead and physically slow your boat 2000m courses with still water. The Boat down. That makes the Boat Race a difficult Race is from Putney to Mortlake, with its challenge in terms of getting yourself in the three huge bends over four-and-a-quarter right place to understand you’re going to The winner takes all and will be the winner for the rest of his life miles, and is run on the worst water possible go a lot further than you ever have in a – the fastest bit of the incoming tide. rowing race, side by side.” “The training that they all do is pretty To take on this challenge, these students similar but bring in the contours of the have all been training since September, which race, the unexpectedness of the course, might seem like a huge period of time for one those kind of things are a surprise,” says race, but in fact it is much shorter than the Topolski, part of the BBC commentary international season, which usually only allows team for this year’s event. for just a couple of weeks off after the World “And it’s a personal battle. Whereas in Rowing Championships, usually in August. 2000m racing you take on yourself and go as fast as you can – without any extraneous Sean Bowden, who last year coached a crew things going on, but the Boat Race is all many believe was more powerful than some about extraneous things.” of the Olympic finalists in Beijing, is charged As an international, you take on five with helping some of the world’s best other faceless crews. In the Boat Race, you rowers understand just what this unique can look across and see the whites in the event involves, and how to succeed at it. eyes of the man opposite. He points out that having to fit training Sjoerd with the trophy in 2009 Topolski, whose crews used to drink a around studying often presents a physical as well as a mental challenge, giving a lie to any lingering suspicions that foreign crews to measure themselves against each mercenaries are imported by the other and to have a second chance if their universities solely to row. plans go awry. None of that happens when However, New Zealander George Oxford face Cambridge each year, without Bridgewater – already the owner of a world any clear idea of how good their opponent is. gold and an Olympic bronze medal – set Oxford’s President, Dutch Olympian new personal bests in his tests on the Sjoerd Hamburger, says: “For a World Cup, rowing machine at Oxford last season, you build through the weekend, with the while studying for a Masters in Business heats and other races. The Boat Race is one Administration that included exams in the go. If you stuff it up for the first race, you’re week before the race. done, you’ve worked an entire year for “They’ll struggle with the academic nothing. That’s what makes this race unique. commitment and the fact that perhaps That’s why it’s such an amazing event. they can’t produce what they’re used to “At the Olympics, every seven minutes because there just isn’t the time to do the there’s another final, another gold medal. training,” says Bowden. This is one, one per year. There’s no silver Pelly, who has rowed for Great Britain at medal. The winner takes all and will be the World Cup regattas, says: “When you’re a winner for the rest of his life. The loser student your recovery is hindered won’t get anything.” dramatically. It’s more difficult to cope with two sessions a day as a student than it is to row full time, when you train three Martin Gough is an assistant editor at the BBC Sport website – bbc.co.uk/sport sessions a day but are able to have a BBC1 will be showing the Boat Race live in the UK, including build up from around 2pm, recovery in between.” visit www.bbc.co.uk for more information Henry Pelly The longer international season allows

April 2010 | Rowing & Regatta 31