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The Club's Results

Women's Championship Sculls, May Term 2025

Results > May Term 2025 > Single sculls > Women's Championship Sculls

ZB in her single scull

Single sculls
in Eel
	Zara Bek

Beat LR by 21s in the final

Final
Beat LR by 21s
Time: 9:14

This is the worst I have ever raced and the most pain I have been in whilst trying to row. I nearly capsized twice on the reach and am genuinely suprised I crawled over the line.

You may be wondering how that is the case, given the victory margin.

I was described as 'the most easily rattled rower I have ever met' at marshalling and that sets the tone really. On the paddle to the start I did a practice start, it was awful. Did another one on First Post Reach... at R44 and it was at this point Bomber told me to calm down and be sensible. The brackets are my internal narrative. Quotes are Bomber.

As yesterday, I didn't hear an attention and got spooked off the start. R42. 'Zara...' from the bank. Ok ok ok, big lengthen/rhythm. R33.5 after the outflow. Ok this is nice, just need to relax, drop the blades in and drive. Feeling good now (I am quite sore). Coming into first post, haven't really moved away from Lizzie but that's fine, I know I corner better. Ok coming round first post now. Nice. Nice. (why is this corner so long? Oh it's STILL GOING). Straight into the gut. Typical mistake of crossing too early but that's recoverable. 'Go round now, go round now', yep can do. I specialise in bowside pressure anyway (this is quite a good line actually).

Out of Grassy. Actually on a decent line straight down the Plough Reach straight. 'Big push out of the corner on the straight' (he wants me to drop Lizzie now, ok. I accept I lost a lot of speed through the corners). 'Yeah good push'. Really nice push down the plough reach stretch, steering also quite nice here I think. Crossed too early for Ditton as well, a theme?? Yeah.

At this point my breathing is quite bad. I am starting to struggle and later on I will find out my HR had hit 195 during the push out the bends. [insert panting noises here]. Taking Ditton now. 'Yeah keep nudging it round' 'take the corner Zara take the corner' (I am so dead). (Wait why is my right forearm really starting to hurt?).

'Through five minutes now' (oh my god there are four and a half left).

(I can't really feel my strokeside blade). At least I forgot about my mild breathing issues at this point.

Somewhere between Ditton and the spinning zone my right forearm became sufficiently painful I couldn't grip the handle properly. Down the reach I then:

Caught two quite bad crabs. Dipped a rigger on both.

Had to adjust my grip several times as I couldn't hook with my thumb and just had to death grip the oar, making my forearm issues worse.

(oh my god why does this hurt so much. Dig in now. Dig the fuck in. Get through this)

Tried to focus really hard on Bomber and not what was going on in the boat.

(just. fight. through.)

Yeah.

My splits down the reach were about 2:30. Given my average split was a 2:18.5, you may extrapolate what happened.

Lizzie started gaining down the reach which didn't aid me. I'm lucky she didn't make a push, if she had I may have gotten sufficiently scared that I capsized.

Approaching the finish I was looking behind me to see the earliest opportunity that I could wind down (ow). (why did I do this) (ow).

The limp home was dire.

Fastest W1x across the week, I did beat the winner of the FJSW. I was also the second fastest women's sculling boat... the fastest being my own double. I'd say that feels good, but currently nothing feels good.

Stats:

Average HR whilst racing was 189.3

HR was above 190 for 6:45ish

HR was above 199 for about 2 mins.

Ow.

Peak rate: 42

Average rate: 32.85

Average split: 2:18.5

Pain cave: crawled into. Perhaps one day, like Plato's enlightened being, I will escape.

A14 to First Post split: 2:09

Grind Split: 2:16

Plough Reach Split: 2:15