Princeton Training Center men visit ARCO Olympic Training Center

The rowers from the Princeton Training Center took a much-needed and well-deserved trip to sunny San Diego, California last week to work out with the members of the women's national team camp. The men stayed at the ARCO U.S. Olympic Training Center, a beautiful facility in Chula Vista, about 25 minutes from downtown San Diego. Currently there are about 18 female rowers living at the center, which provides free room and board. The rowers are mostly heavyweights, with a mix of sweep rowers and scullers. While at the camp, the men and women practiced together, often going out in mixed eights, each with four men and four women. The Arco Training Center can provide space for more than 100 athletes, and has facilities for track and field, soccer, field hockey, bicycling, archery and canoing and kayaking, as well as rowing. At the same time we were there, there were some triathletes (a new Olympic event in 2000), field hockey players, socer players, hammer-throwers, race-walkers and other athletes staying at the facility. We practiced twice each day, with most of the work being geared toward improving technique. The best part about being at the center was the great weather. The first few days we were there there were a lot of clouds and even a bit of rain, but for the last five days the weather was great; clear and sunny with temperatures in the 70s. It allowed the sun-starved Princeton rowers to work on their tans and enjoy some time at the beach. The surf was good. The Arco Training camp is a great place to train. The women can get on the water every day, all year, and the area is beautiful. A lot of us would enjoy more frequent visits (or a permanent stay) at the center, but the Princeton area is much better for us to find jobs and support ourselves while we train. The Arco Center is quite isolated, and it is more difficult to find distractions from rowing, especially for those without cars who cannot get out of the training Center. There is no public transportation. All in all, the trip was very enjoyable, and many of us would like to go back. in progress.

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