This is going a little far now

First there are breast size discussions, then there is an underwear debate.

To combine the two forums in a neat demonstration, I give you a photo from an exhibitionist (Miss Smith) at the Commando Challenge.

Released into the wild?

This is by no means linked to the previous story...

I am still endorsing the no pants approach.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4380276.stm

Gone Commando?

My God, what's happening to you all?

Gurtrude has just talked me through the concerns of what to wear under her all-in-one.

Do you wear:

a) big pants - the most practical, comfy, and warm, but too tight and you risk the "4 cheek" syndrome

b) a thong - not necessarily that cute little one with the fake diamonds on (!?! - ed), but something to avoid the Visible Panty Line. Gives a little comfort, and a bit more re-assurance

c) nothing - obviously for the more riske, and "body-brave". A look fully endorsed by the mens squad! (But better watch out for that stray hair poking through)

I will be conducting my own "guess who wears what" poll in the course of the next few days. Ideas on a postcard please...

Breast practise?

Gurtrude has been telling me that she has been part of an ongoing CBRC founded discussion regarding women's physique and the effects it has on their rowing.

I am told there is a school of thought being promoted that states that for those with larger appendages on the upper body, the "body over" phase can happen quite quickly. Once in motion these significant weights are difficult to control, which in turn leads to faster slide speeds...

Whether this is the basis upon which the captain will be selecting crews remains to be seen - but I am volunteering for the "Official Sizing Committee" which will undertake monthly appraisals.

Our first candidate?

Crusher!

The morning after the night before

Had one too many sherries? wished you had turned down that last bacardi and coke in the Pineapple...

Well help is at hand... You can now reach for the hedstart to get you going for that Saturday morning paddle.

The new rowers best friend...

Any Excuse....

She may be doing her bit for UK/US relations at the moment, but no sooner is he out of the way then she wastes no time.

The temptation of being surrounded by Royal Marines was way too much for her, and making a lunge for them seemed the most straight forward!

You have been warned...

LushMail has picked up the following cutting from Newsday.com.

Please make sure you are lit when out on the docks:

Rower Missing On Harlem River

Fashion Police

The fashion police were called in this weekend to arrest a man who has lost all sense of balance.

I know the lines often get blurred, but here is an example of some green tights that are perfectly acceptable within the confines of the rowing world, yet become distinctly suspect when worn in the "real world".

Mr Bromwich, guilty as charged!

Commando Challenge 2005: Results

Following many showers, and the removal of a large amount of the Devon Countryside, the results are out for our interpid explorers:

CBRC 001 (Speedy Blokes) - 1hr 05 - 5th/130
CBRC 002 (Fat Lads) - 1hr 31 - 63rd/130
CBRC 003 (Speedy Birds) - 1hr 31 (!!) - 6th/33
CBRC 004 (Not so speedy birds) - 15th/33

CBRC also raised over £200 for the Devon Air Ambulance.

Photos are on their way...

Dancing Boy

I was lucky enough to be spectating at the mid-way point yesterday, whilst the Commando Challenge was taking place.

Our teams did a sterling job and I have plenty of photos (to follow).

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this little beauty. Jimmy "Dancing Boy" Young was a little uncomfortable on the way round. Still, he did not protest, he got his head down, and cracked on.

Had he discovered what was hiding inside his boots, I think he may have stopped earlier...

Music to watch girls by

Shock revelation: "Music can help you train"!

Uk scientists (my new found friends) have found that the type of music you listen to will change the effectiveness of your exercise.

--------
Dr Costas Karageorghis, of Brunel University, found listening to the right songs before and during training boosts performance by up to 20%.

He recommends fast tempo music for high intensity exercise and slower tracks to help with the warm up and cool down.

Dr Karageorghis says individuals need to create their own play list according to their personal music preferences and the intensity of activity in which they are engaged.

For example, James Cracknell, who rowed to glory and into the record books at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, said that listening to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" was an integral part of his pre-race preparation.

The Olympic super-heavyweight champion Audley Harrison listens to Japanese classical music before a fight to calm his nerves, said Dr Karageorghis.

As exercise begins, the music tempo can be synchronised to work rates to help regulate movement and prolong performance.

During this phase music can also help to narrow attention and divert your mind from sensations of fatigue.

------------

As a bit of a "muso" myself, I thought I could find a signature tune for the various boats I see go past:

Womens Quad: Crazy in Love - Beyonce (uh oh uh oh etc...)
Pete Martin's Double: In the Summertime - Mungo Jerry (nuf said)
Crusher & Charlie's Pair: The only way is up - Yazz (hmmm)
Vets Quad: Back to Life - Soul II Soul
George's Four: How was it for you? - James (always satisfied!)
Womens 8 MP: Don't stop me now - Queen (always smiling)
Mens 8 Special Needs: It's the end of the world as we know it - REM

Any more contributions? Whack them on the comments...

Full article here.

Animal Lover

As an avid member of the Cat Protection League, and general animal lover I can't condone this sort of behaviour...

...but it did make me laugh:

www.stuffonmycat.com

Meeow...

Resistance Training De Luxe

The other morning when I was out, I saw a mens 8 paddling past, under the watchful eye of Coach. Nothing unusual about that, I hear you say - but for the whole outing they were rowing in fours, and using the other four as resistance training.

Not completely satisfied with this, coach introduced some additional resistance on the second outing by asking the static oarsmen to "take the run off" at the same time.

She's a tough woman.

However, I have heard that for four of the squad their worst nightmare is about to come true.

This Saturday morning's 4+ will be steered by the international coxing legend that is Crusher. I cant wait to see this!

Nice Pair

Two mens crews decided to take part in the bundle of fun that is Pair's Head, last weekend.

Old hands Steve and Neil formed one crew, with Morgan and new boy Ben forming the other.

The full results are available here
.

Alternatively, forget the results and have a good laugh at these:

Morgan & Ben: Part 1


Morgan & Ben: Part 2


Steve & Neil: Part 1


Steve & Neil: Part 2


Dont they all look beautiful!

Reading Small Boats Head 2005 - Results

In a warm up for Fours Head, a number of womens squad boats raced last weekend at Reading SBH. The results were encouraging, with strong performances across the board.

The WS34+ came second in their division, beaten only by Oxford Uni's Skinny Squad. The Quad also managed second in class.

Full results can be found here.

So far I haven't been able to find any photos of the girls straining every muscle (well maybe!). Please let me know if you find some.

JUMP! How High?

It was a wonderful sight.

There we were, just finishing off our drinks in Hullaballoo's when 4 visions
of beauty approached the table. They took a chair, and proceeded to engage
the occupants of the table.

Given that we were in "Stuey's pulling season" (1st October to 1st December
every year), he wasted no time in getting to know the curly red head. The arm
was round the chair in about 90 seconds, then on the shoulder in about 3
minutes, and nearly in her lap after 5!

However, he hadn't appreciated competition from the other end of the table...

The party retired to Neil's place for a bit of "apres-ski", and the work rate
went sky high. Imagine the poor american girl caught in a volley of CBRC's
finest casanovas, with their slick moves, and to-die-for lines.

I bet you want to know who got the girl? Who's charms were enough to woo the
trans-atlantic beauty? Who promised the better fumbling in the dark?

Answer: Neither of them!

Good work fellas - very entertaining viewing. She had you wrapped round both
her little fingers!

Mens Squad Annual Dinner 2005

It was great to be back.

Hullaballoo's greated us with open arms as we made our 4th Annual Visit to
their establishment for an evening of high-brow intellectual sporting comment.
The food was deftly delivered, and although Dr Jones (our resident vegitarian)
failed to order the foie gras, the first 2 courses went down without a hitch.

As is now customary, all cutlery was removed from the table at this point. An
array our roulade, banoffee pie and best of all creme broulee appeared for
Hands Only Puddings:




We were delighted as the crowd assembled. First the staff, then fellow
diners.

Not for the first time, CBRC show them all how it is done!

Last Count

I have spent a very busy day with the auditors, which has played havoc with my lunchtime snifter.

It has been like the closing stages of the Eurovision song contest scoring (only without Norway). ????-ed

Nevertheless, the final figures are in. We have collated millions of pieces of information, and put them into the supercomputer. It has calculated the following was conmsumed by the elite sporting champions on Saturday night:

Henry Africas
3 bottles of vodka
1/2 bottle whisky
1 bottle rum
some lime
some sugar
a martini (!?)
and a campari and soda (Jimmy was that you?)

Hullaballoo's
17 bottles of Fitou
15 bottles of Jacob's Creek
3 bottles of Dorinthea
4 bottles of dodgy Romanian red
1/2 bottle rose (stolen from the next door table)

Neil's place
God know's, I was nearly as hammered as Baggy by then!

May that power you down the course.

Learn to Row with the BBC

I've seen it all now. We are all there, week in week out giving away advice and careful coaching, and the BBC give it away on their website.

This is one of the best examples I can find of how not to do it!

Look at those hands on the recovery - what a muppet.

Health Update - Look out Girls!

Whilst supping a little sherry last night, I was perusing my favourite medical journal The Lancet. I was shocked to read that scientists have finally found the truth about moving in with blokes...

--------------
Women who cohabit may put on weight as a consequence.

A UK obesity expert has analysed why it is that women who move in with their man often put on weight as a result.

Eating man-sized portions and indulging in richer foods and wines can lead to weight gain, a review in The Lancet medical journal says.

When you combine that with going on the contraceptive pill or having babies, a woman's waistline can severely suffer, says author Dr David Haslam.

"Men are very bad for women really," he said.

If you are eating with a partner the evening meal is a social event...you may eat more and maybe more extravagant stuff. He said research showed women tend to gain weight once they cohabit and begin to share meals with men who intrinsically have higher energy needs and therefore appetites.

"If you are eating with a partner the evening meal is a social event and its no longer just filling a gap. You may eat more and maybe more extravagant stuff."

Couples may also go out to restaurants for meals more often.

Women may do less exercise when they are in a relationship, skipping a trip to the gym to spend quality time with their partner.
---------------

"Less exercise"? Clearly Dr Haslam has never been near the rowing club!

Girls, you have been warned. No matter how nice he is - dont do it!

Staying in bed

My cousin in the US, Rod Munch sent me this photo, which I thought probably
applies to all walks of life one way or the other...

I have arranged for one to be erected by the boathouse reading:

"STAYING IN BED SHOUTING 'HARDER' DOES NOT CONSTITUTE COXING"

New Sponsor for 2006

Ladies & Gentlemen,

As you know, I do like a little drink. I have been scouring the interweb for new mixers to take the edge of the Exibition cider that is my love.

ThenI found this. It is a magnificent drink that will not only fuel you to the end of the race, it will also fuel you to the end of the night on the dancefloor.

My particular favourites so far include:
White Lightning (White wine + lightning)
Blue Spark (Blue WKD + lightning)
Head f--- (cider + lightning)

Any more recommendations for my taster sessions gratefully recieved.

Steady as she goes!

I spotted this and thought of our hardy Learn-2-Row's out on the docks:

http://www.setski.com/pages/1/index.htm

could be handy for others too ...

Getting on....

Recently I have become a little concerned about our Club's ability to produce
the usual annual export of future GB Olympians.

It is always a delight to see more people on the water, but I have asked the
Harbour Master to erect a new sign on the slipway... You know it is for the best.

PS Welcome back JJ!

Here comes the first social...

I hear that the social committee have been out manouvered by the new L2R's who have decided to have their own social this weekend.

Well, I'm not letting a party kick off without being there (and besides, I need someone to buy me cider).

So the venue is Zero Degrees, this Saturday from 8pm - unless I hear different!

The Senior Men are having a bit of a dinner early in the evening - but will be available for dancing duties later.

See you all there.

It's a mystery...

No sooner have we had the joy of seeing the boat house back up to full use, as
I got a call to attend to "maintenance matters". It appears that the amount
of Fresher's Week kebabs consumed have had a detrimental effect on our fellow
rowers.

After getting stuck in, up to my elbow, I decided it was better to call in the
experts...

Half Snickers 2005 - Updated

More and more results are coming in. Alarmingly they are all rather good!

Here's the updated Hall of Pain:

Sam Bailey 1:33.49
Stuart Castle 1:35.59
Nina Barton 1:46.29
Jo Ross 1:47.23
Filthy Phil 1:48.22
Katy Lancaster 1:48.38
Nick Baker 1:55.17
Caroline Richards 1:56.47
Jane Green 2:04.00

A fine effort - well done.

I think there are still a few missing... so keep them coming to

gurt_lush_blog@hotmail.co.uk

hunting - a new way

The lovely Gurtrude was invited on a day's hunting yesterday, off the South
coast. Not being one for bloodlust, I was a little concerned that she
wouldn't be happy with the days activities.

However, she tells me it was a lot more enjoyable than she expected.

Buy your own bit of Britney...

Hurricane Katrina? You must be joking, that's child's play compared to the Severn Bore.

Those yanks ain't seen nothing yet!

Still, you can do your bit to help if you want:

Britney's kit on eBay

Gurtrude's gonna look lovely in that diamond encrusted bra!

Commando Challenge - Start Times

The entries are in, and the start times have been confirmed:

CBRC 001 - 1.34pm (Speedy Blokes)
CBRC 002 - 1.36pm (Fat Lads)
CBRC 003 - 1.38pm (Speedy Birds)
CBRC 004 - 1.40pm (Not quite so speedy Birds)

The event will take place on Sunday 23rd October.

Each competitor has to raise sponsorship to enter, so please be generous if asked.

I have asked to join the South Devon Fire Brigade for the day, to assist with the hosing down of the female competitors after the event!

Gushing.

Who the .... is Alice?

Trawling through my emails, I have only just found this from a few weeks ago:
------------
Dear Gurt,

As you may or may not know I am leaving the beautiful
city of Bristol. May I take this opportunity to wish
all the rowers the best of luck with the coming
season... and hopefully I'll see you all in 9 months
at Henley.

Its been emotional!

Alex aka Alice
------------

The Family Lush wish him well!

Brings a tear to my eye.

Its Subs time again

I had a note from the Committee to ask me to tell the kids that subs are due from 1st October.

Just think of all those shiny new boats your money will buy....

Please can we looke like this?

Half Snickers 2005

Many congrats to all of those who made it round yesterday.

I've had a quick look at the results, and have picked up a few:

Sam Bailey 1:33.49
Stuart Castle 1:35.59
Filthy Phil 1:48.22
Katy Lancaster 1:48.38
Nick Baker 1:55.17
Caroline Richards 1:56.47
Jane Green 2:04.00

Also seen on the course, but running under other people's numbers...

Liz Gregg

I probably missed a load more...

Email me to enter the Hall of Fame - gurt_lush_blog@hotmail.co.uk

cheers big ears

Little Buggers...

There I was, just getting used to being able to talk to you all again and they stopped...

In a moment of genius a few weeks back I had connected my server to the fans on the ergs. It was an ingenious way of generating power, and therefore being able to spend more of my hard-earned on the old apple juice!

Then, when everyone got lazy last week, the fans stopped and no ramblings for you to read!

Technology has now been restored.