Photographed by Mike Powell for Outside Magazine

Outside Magazine called and asked for an interview. I was totally shocked and delighted. But the interview was only the start. When I was told there would be a photographer sent out, I was blown away. I had the honour of being portrayed by Mike Powell. His work with athletes is phenomenal and if you look at his site, you will see what I mean : Mike Powell Photo.

The article should come out in June, so have a look for the issue. This is fantastic to get rowing more into the public eye. There will be some interesting comments from my triathlon background to rowing.

The staff of the OKC Boathouse Foundation also need special mention. Thank you so much to Sherry Andrusiak for taking care of the public relations aspects. The whole day was really fantastic experience as a sports person in an amateur sport.

WOW, is all that is left to say!

Moving to OKC

Once again the black Audi took a drive. Just in early February it went 20 hours from Seattle to San Diego. Now the Audi took 20 hours (more or less) bound for Oklahoma City; and hoping this is where it would settle.

Passing on Route 66, it was fun to engage in the American culture that I had seen on TV. 

With the help of Greg Williams, the drive went quickly, and I even got to introduce him to Country Ham at Cracker Barrel. A Kentucky tradition I have come to cherish from the Steers/James family. Yes believe it, even Cracker Barrel can be Paleo with ordering eggs and country ham. The cured-ham has loads of salt, so not the bestest lean mean source. Just ask for no toast and hold the hash-browns. Then go get a salad somewhere else to get your greens in!

Once in OKC, I settled into the apartments called The Lincoln. Very nice modern town homes. A truly empty space that begged to be filled. An empty canvas that sent me running around to Target and Gordmans (a great cheap, fun furniture store) and then online to Anthropologie and Sierra Trading Post. My essentials started with a cast iron pan. I didn't even have plates or forks. I got paper plates and plastic spoons to start with. And sat on the floor in an empty living room. Then Lee came to town and helped me with a little more furniture. Table and Chairs. What a luxury. Thanks Lee!

The Lincoln only held me for a little while before I moved to another apartment complex called Isolda Belle. The pool is what it's was all about. A little further out from training, but the quaint 70's-built place has a charm of its own.

Next on my exploring of OKC was grocery shopping. I would go from practice to exploring where to buy food, to practice to where to buy food. My google maps was on overload. Unlike anywhere I have lived, grocery stores seem to be on the back burner in this city. And Walmart does not count as an option! However little diamonds on the dust cloud emerged like the OSU-OKC Farmer's Market on Saturdays. The buffalo meat there, perfect and the free ranging, all natural whole chickens simply awesome! The guy who sells the eggs is a treat to meet. And the mushroom guy fascinated me with what was inside the cooler. The variety of bags with dark green leafy things (kale) was just fabulous and made me smile.


Then I found some other fun grocery stores called Akins, Health Food Center and this crazy carpeted store called Crescent Market. All great, but definitely break the bank kinda-places. There is a Whole Foods on its way. Good but still Whole Paycheck right?! A Trader Joes in OKC would be the bomb! In the meantime, waiting for the spring to bring on more farmer's markets that will help sustain. Then just last week, I was introduced to Super Cao Nguyen Chinese Market. I saw kinds of yams that I had never seen. Coconut Yam! So amazing the exploring of food and its cultures! Yet it is researched that most American's spend the least amount on food and would rather buy cheap food than fashion. A website launched called This City is going on a Diet highlights that change is needed and recognized in OKC. (yay)


Restaurants in OKC have also come to surprise me. Most noticeable the 105degrees that not only serves the most interesting juices, but offers culinary classes that I'm dying to take. It's vegetarian meaning nothing is cooked above 105 degrees. I assume that's Fahrenheit. Then the Melting Pot, a beloved place in lower Queen Anne, Seattle also resides in the bricktown area of downtown OKC. There is a Keisers that serves buffalo burgers. (to make this Paleo just take out the bun, ask for a big lettuce leaf!)

As the days passed so to did the finish tower progress. The comforts of the Devon Boathouse now more known, and the staff faces now known to name. The routine settled. The wind comes and goes. The testing tornado siren moans on Saturday afternoons. And this is how life at OKC passes. Check out the official website:
http://okc-nhpc.org/

Skiffhead

Frans Göbel was awarded as the King, and then since he kept on winning, he was crowed the Emperor of the Amstel! This race takes place in Amsterdam, on April 3, 2011. If you are looking for a head race this would be a great one! Check out the site, and email skiffhead@gmail.com if you have any questions. I loved my time in Amsterdam when I raced the Kings Cup. So Amsterdam and the rowing scene comes highly recommended!

http://www.skiffhead.nl/

Thank you JL-gear Buyers!

Thank you for buying this crazy-cool beautiful JL gear.
I know it meant a lot to you to be able to support me. We will create some more designs and open up the team store again. Be sure to write in the comments feedback, what you liked and didn't, want more of or less.

I appreciate it !

I hope you feel fast when wearing the shwe-shwe stuff.
I hope you feel special and comfortable. Cause that was my intention to give back to you!



‘Baie Dankie’
(Thank you in Afrikaans)

Launch of new training gear with JL Racing

When I first met with Joline and Ken from JL Racing, it was Spring of 2009. I remember from our first meeting, Joline said we want you to design some of your own garments. Being a designer, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Joline kept talking about this blank canvas, which did intimidate me a little in the beginning. Especially because this is clothing, fabrics, 3D stuff, where my realm is 2D, web page graphics, business cards, logos, brochures. I started with some simple stuff, doing the standard custom template tools that they offer on their site. That was the beginning of learning how things come together. It also started teaching me about the fabrics, how it stretches and moves, and then when you use certain fonts, how they display from far, and how far should you wrap around the back before your arms start cutting of the design. It seems simple, but their is a definite visual area that we see on our clothes, and where to place key elements of the design. As the year went on, I got to put together a few items, each one showing a period I was facing. At the end of the 2010, Joline encouraged me once again, to really design something unique. I had an idea from a silkscreen I created a while back. And with the introduction of a new fabric from JL called Thermoroubaix, the black and white gear emerged. Now a name for this gear?! In July I went to visit my family in South Africa and there was talk of 'shweshwe'. It was a term used my the indigenous Xhosa people for the sound of the long skirts made by the women who came from Europe. The term is now applied to unique African-looking patterns, and so I thought this was rather fitting.

I got the opportunity to talk about the gear, and my racing in New Zealand and Paleo nutrition arranged at the Seattle JL Team Store. And now the gear is available on line, and you are order it from this link!
Ursula JL Team Store
 JL Newsletter

What a way to end and enter 2010-2011!

Looking at Frida

I went up to Frida in Banyoles at the World Cup I, 2009, and said the typical fan statement, "I love your rowing." I continue to watch videos of her as I'm learning in the single, saying I hope to row as well as she does one day. Frida's win in Eton, and then again in New Zealand shows her strength and tenacity. Here is a video of her and to hear her speak her native language is kinda special, because she speaks english so well. (And never mind watching her take those good strokes, even in the windy conditions!)

Video of Frida

Travelling Long Distance on a plane - tips to get through

 1. Pack your own food.

I have a little blue cooler that I take on as my second hand luggage option. Make sure there are no liquids in anything, even a salad that has a dressing to avoid TSA suspicion. I pack baggies of carrots, celery, cucumber, asparagus, deli meats (look for no-nitrates), apples, nuts, dried fruits. I cook some yam slices, and make kale salad. I take egg whites and a little olive oil mix, and even enjoy a whole green pepper and eating it as is. Pack a little dark chocolate too. Nice to have some treats also. Also make a little pesto or dipping sauce for your veggies. It will make eating them more enjoyable. I once packed baby food and applesauce. That's fine too, but make sure its the small containers.

Having your own food to eat on your schedule is so helpful. And having fresh veggie snacks makes that when you do start eating out of boredom, that its good eating options. At layovers, its so nice to have your own food, then you are not left at the mercy of the airport foodcourt, which is both too expensive and far from fresh.

I once had a TSA person tell me I can't take this food through. I told her I'm allergic to a specific preservative and need to take my own food in else I will starve and die! Ok, dramatic, but it worked. When In your final destination, They might make you discard the food before going through customs. But still you want to be sure to pack enough food.

2. Pack an empty water bottle. Once through security, go fill it, and make it a goal to keep drinking water. When on the plane, don't be shy to ask the attendants to fill your water bottle instead of just a little glass.

3. Request a special meal : Gluten-free meal. Anything helps. But try to skip the rice and rice cakes. You should be ok with having your food, and not feeling so ravenous to eat everything on that tray.

4. Keep taking your vitamins and fish oils. Keeping to your schedule as much as possible helps to get the recovering going again as soon as possible.

5. Take Melatonin. Helping your body to sleep is so helpful. If I could only but sleep through the whole ordeal that would be great. However a little sleeping aid is useful.
6. Move on the plane.

I find a space, at the back of the plane or in the isles, and I will do 50 Air Squats, or lean against the sides and do a push-up. But Mostly, just stretch.

7. Have a pair of your own headsets. The plane's headsets are always awful and you can't hear a thing. There are nice movies on board and you wanna be able to hear the conversation!

Christmas in South Africa

A wonderful gift from the Smith family suddenly put me on a plane to South Africa over the Christmas period. I have not had a sunny Christmas since I left SA in 2003. A very long flight, but now direct from Atlanta to Johannesburg (~15 hours) after another 4 hour from Seattle to Atlanta, and I was seeing stars. But I followed some of my routines when flying, that I will share with you on the next post and it helped me not be completely useless. 

This was the first time my parents did not help me buy the ticket, so I decided not to tell them I was coming and make it be a surprise. I was re-introduced to my dad with a miley-cirus wig on and big glasses as cousin Gary's new aupair just in from America! You can see he was bowled over with this arrival who looked strangely like this daughter!

From there time was spent running around the golf course while dad played. He finished the 18th with a beautiful birdie claiming 'tiger woods would buy that putt off me'. Then I stepped outside my comfort area and went mountain biking at the Cradle of Humankind. But didn't want to repeat the Alan Campbell saga where he started 2010 in SA with a mountain bike injury sending him to hospital! The following day I went mountain biking in and around Rivonia. I was happy to end the ride on road, going uphill. Delon and Jon close on my heals! Hills are my friend!

I had some fun doing circuits in and around the house, finding tree branches as pull-up bars, outside benches as jumping boxes etc. I hope to compile a video soon of the sports. Will post on my youtube channel.

I also got to introduce the paleo cooking to the Smith family. I left Nell Stephenson's Paleo Cookbook behind as a gift and changes are happening. Uncle Robert already has gone through the kitchen declaring 'most things in here are inedible!'

Christmas day was perfectly as I remember. Mom made a fantastic trifle. A little sherry soaked finger biscuits, red and green jello, custard, nuts and cream. Boxing day was also insuit of tradition, spending the day on the day, doing watersports. Not including rowing, unless floatation devices went array, but on the snake and the wakeboard making its appearance.

Little time left now, so sunny days were spent running around the LC Divillars sports grounds, at the University of Pretoria, and I got to train in the new HPC Center (High Performance Center). Guess what it had: 2 of the Aussie made Indoor Sculler. Not quite as smart as the RP3. But it got me through a good piece. All of the SA rowing team seemed to be out of town so never got my fingers went with a boat on a dam and the team.

Coffee with friends and my dear athletics coach, Mrs. Erasmus was also good time. Drove the street of Lawly looking at Christmas lights. Went to the Rhino and Lion park seeing the animals dear to the South African landscape. And there was a wonderful wedding in this whole trip too! Congradulations to Nikki and Grant!

Back in Lake Stevens, WA and the wonderful 28 deg Celsius has dropped to -7 deg Celsius. Rowing in this cold made me grumpy in the beginning. Now I'm adjusting, fast. Time to get going!
More photos on Flickr

Billy Webb Regatta

Terrific photos taken by Rob Bristow on Row2k of the race : here

And here is a link to a tv3 sport news story that went to air following racing : here

The race was hosted by Rob Hamill. He has a very special story and is making a film that I would recommend you review:

www.brothernumberone.co.nz
www.robhamill.com

NEW ZEALAND - Strongly familiar, but slightly off

I guess from landing and hearing English at the airport, summer in November, seeing cars drive on the left, rugby commentary and netball courts, the country felt like South Africa. I felt a familiarity here easy to connect with.

The task at hand was the Rowing Championships and flags all around town noted the presence of this event. The tv channel is dedicated to showing and talking about rowing all day. And suddenly our sport takes a spotlight like ESPN basketball, baseball or football. However every now and again, there is an off beat, where you become aware that this is a difference place and not exactly as you know. Perhaps in the little cars, or the slight word with that kiwi accent. And this brought to light how I felt our semi-final go down. There was a feeling that we were rowing, but something was off. And Abby and I didn't quite connect and set in a rhythm that we needed. To not make that A final was crushing. I woke up this morning, feeling like a funeral. Feeling like my best friend had died. Hearing the interview with the New Zealanders at the course today talking about their victory over us was hard. But as I know all to well, it could be the flip side and to win means also accepting this defeat. We have a B final tomorrow to stand up to, and then a smashing quad race on Saturday that is still a privileged to row for and row with these strong USA rowers.

Row2k Coverage: World Championships Photo Galleries - US Senior National Team 2010 - LW4x

Row2k Coverage: World Championships Photo Galleries - US Senior National Team 2010 - LW4x

USRowing Gear

We got our box of USRowing gear after the final 2 at trials. As I unpacked the tights, long sleeve, tracksuits, jackets, I felt a sudden rush seeing the USRowing logo, and the red, white and blue color scheme. I felt a part of a team, and process and a dream. We are looking good!

There are some team and supporter sites for more gear, if interested:

Athlete store: http://teamusa2010.boathousegear.com/
Spectator store: http://usasupporters.boathousegear.com/

Then some more support shirts designed by Anna Goodale look like this: 

Kinda cool.

Found GT Dave's Kombucha

Today we stopped at Fred Meyer to use the Chase bank, and instead of our usual Trader Joe's stop, we just thought we would pick up a few things here. Getting our leaves and banana's, I stopped by the fridges to get coconut milk. And there is was, on the shelf, my beloved multi-green flavour!

Racing at Trials

The thing that really struck me from Jet Li's movie, Fearless was when he talked about competition. His challenger came to drink tea and asked why compete. There they were, the two of them drinking tea, calm and relaxed, when over the next days they would be fighting in an arena, to death!

Well Jet Li's answer to why he competes is something I take to heart. He said that only in competition do we get the opportunity to bring out the best of ourselves. I remember something Nicole Sylvester once said. Something about how training, and rowing and competing defines our character. The things is, when I put myself on the line, it generates so much awareness. I feel so fortunate to have this awareness about myself. With changing to paleo, that brought about an extreme awareness of lifestyle. With studying graphic design, it makes you look at every sign, trying to identify the font and leading. And now with rowing, to be so aware of your body and mind connection.

Trials went sort of to plan, with one thing gained and another lost. A loss to Julie Nichols and a crab with 700m to go in the quad.

My Final-2 was in tail, and I didn't move the boat with the momentum needed for those conditions and for this competitor. I took a short lead in the first 500m, but Julie pushed back. I felt her even with me, and then I felt her push off me, and this day, couldn't catch her. Feeling a little despaired, my Bellingham Bandit team mates waited for me at the dock. I did feel like I had let them down. However, no time for that because in 20min we had a race. We lined up next to the strong-orange Hudson LW quad. Captain Kristin speaking for us counted off the start strokes. All going down the course, gripping oars for death in the rough water. Suddenly, there is Kristin's port oar right next to me. I looked over and thought, this is not possible. Kristin yelling, keep rowing. A clashing of oars, and I'm still thinking, how do I knock that oar back to her. Can I row with three oars? Kristin surged forward and suddenly we were off. In this crabbing session, I saw the other boat feel the sudden adrenalin of trying to take lead advantage of our misfortune. But within 10 strokes, we were out front again, and crossed the line first to send that quad to New Zealand!

Row2k news

LW1x - 2010 USRowing National Team Trials - Final 2

Casper Rekers (Inventor of the Rowperfect and RP3)

This is how I remember Cas when I met him at the Holland Beker earlier this year. I made the drive out to Hardenberg where he lived with his wife Wily. The house was inventor-like meaning function and form beautiful. Cas and I worked on the RP3 and I got to see the great inventor at work. Wily graced us with playing the piano and was recovering well.

I got to row on Cas's own personal RP3 and he said big brother is watching. Cas and Wily also took me to their club and showed me their beautiful wooden boats made by Carl Douglas.

Wily and Cas laughed with me as they played some old records. We sat outside and drank tea and talked about various topics. To have had this opportunity to spend this time with Cas now holds even more precious. Finding out today that he died while rowing at his club was really heart-breaking. Carlos who spent many hours with Cas, in person, on the phone, on skype and through email has taken this news to heart and yet remains even more motivated to encourage the use of Rowperfects. After calling Frans Gobel, who encouraged me to keep focused on my my week of racing and with Carlos and Bandits team-mates racing continues here at Mercer Lake, NJ, and I remain calm and positive.

I look back to my first rowing lesson with Carlos, where he put me on the Rowperfect, and this is how we built my dream to be more achievable. With the Rowperfect I was able to learn the rowing stroke quicker. I was able to catch up to other rowers who had been rowing since they were 14! I could isolate and understand better all the aspects of timing, catch, acceleration, applying leg power, drive and finish. Yes we win on the water and not the erg, but certain aspects of rowing, like rigging, boat balance, weather and wind make it hard to learn the good boat feelings and understand the technical aspects needed to win.

I thanked Cas for changing my life, and now he is with me on every race, and every RP3 session.

Here are some links for Cas
His rowing club
Carl Douglas
NL Roei
Cas Rekers's page on facebook!

www.rowperfect3.com

The Gift of Traveling

I have just gone through my parent's photos of a world tour to the modern seven day wonders they won. Their photos were so spontaneous, it made me smile and feel as if I was taking them. Traveling is such a gift. I remember driving by the Johannesburg airport and getting chills just because of the hope that one day a plane would take me somewhere new, to experience exciting things. Now as a national team athlete, traveling is something that needs to be managed. Almost how little damage it can do to your performance, instead of something to look forward to, it has a mindset of a necessary evil. And sometimes, you go to these places and you are like a CEO, except instead of boardroom to hotel, its rowing course to hotel for us. We are about to embark on a fantastic journey to New Zealand. And I'm excited for the opportunity to race. And then to experience tourism. On a conceptual level, it reminds me to keep that beginner, intriguing and wondering mindset. That its not just another day. That this day there is new opportunities and new things to learn and experience and feel, in training and traveling.

Mt Baker Training 2007

Missing Kombucha

I'm hoping to see GT Dave's Kombucha bottles back on the shelves soon. It was always a highlight point when going to the Co-op or Whole Foods and picking out which flavour I felt like today. Guava goddess and the multi-green are my favourites. Guava, just because that fruit is so South African! This little fun bubbly bottle is so beautifully designed in packaging that I'm holding on to my bottle using it as a regular water bottle. The contents always made me feel like I was cleaning out my body. A real refreshing something special. GT Dave updates his status on facebook, so check it out.

I guess the story for the recall was that  actress, singer and model, Lindsay Lohan was photographed holding a bottle of Synergy Kombucha, and then her alcohol bracelet went off. There are small trace amounts of alcohol caused through the fermenting process of the live tea cultures and the longer the bottle sits, the amount that the alcohol increases is unknown. Whole Foods is the major player here, that pulled the bottles off their shelves. A briefing on the story here >.

Shopping at Safeway - Reading Labels

I went shopping at Safeway last Sunday and felt exhausted at the end of the trip. Not being the usual place I shop, I really had to take my time and read all the labels. I just don't understand why there needs to be soy in tuna cans? The other ingredient I saw popping in alot of the almond milks and coconut milks is carrageenan. I see its a seaweed extract. But I have asked Nell Stephenson to check into this. She said she has emailed Dr. Loren Cordain himself. So I'm waiting for the answer. I really like shopping at Trader Joes and the Co-ops. Whole Foods and PCC are great too, but clear out the account quick.
With food labels, here are two easy rules for you to remember:

1. If you can't pronounce it, don't buy it
2. If it has more than 5 ingredients, its way too processed and I would leave it on the shelf.