[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjB4FbpjhiE”][vc_column_text]On Tuesday, the 21st of January, more than five 8s worth of Aztecs finished off their traditional, two-practices-per-day “Hell Week.” While there have been times when the label “Hell Week” has been applied to the week in the spring when other students go home and the crew remains at school, for the past few years – and this year too – that week ends at the Crew Classic. Thus, while working hard will be the norm for that week, the coaching staff really won’t be able to have the crews do the type of extraordinary hard work that has historically been the case during Spring week. With the most important home race of the year [by far] on the horizon = the Crew Classic will be raced on the Saturday and Sunday at the end of Spring Week = tapering for the race will be the most important endeavor of that week.

And so, our new Hell Week is now the days before the January start-up of the University. As has been the case in the recent past, the workouts began five days in advance of the beginning of the semester … so that the Aztecs could “jump start” their Spring Racing Season. With both on-the-water workouts and Ergometer Room assignments, the Aztecs focal point was to get back into both the hard work mode necessary for winning spring races AND to work on their sophistication level regarding the pure skill of rowing.

Above: The boathouse on the last morning of Hell Week … before a mixed Novice and Varsity practice, and the run up Mt. Soledad[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]