Speed 5 with Linda Muri - President of CRASH-B

[lt.wolf]

Speed 5 with Linda Muri - President of CRASH-B
Hi all, With CRASHB’s upon us I welcome Linda Muri to the Speed 5. Linda is currently the president of Crash B’s and when she is not organizing the “World Championships” of indoor rowing she spends her days coaching at a dumpy little liberal arts school on the Charles. For more of a history on Crash B feel free to click on the link below. And if you’re a lightweight women in the sport you had best recognize, or turn in your scale! http://www.crash-b.org/history.htm -Now on with the speed 5 -Wolf- So why did they decide to a “weaken” the event and get rid of the qualifying format? - MURI- I am going to qualify this with it was a board decision and I was not president/commodore at the time. I say, bring back the 5-miler. Bring back the 2500m piece. Bring back the 500m petites. All kidding aside, we’re victims of our own success. With over 2100 entries and 15-minute centers for the most part, we can barely keep up with the volume of a finals only format as it is. This whole operation is run by volunteers save for an office/web manager and our timing and registration services.

Wolf-Why doesn’t Crash-b tell you who is coming from satellite qualifiers or overseas countries? Seeing big guns entered could be a big draw or add to the cache of competing there.

Muri- C.R.A.S.H.-B does tell you who is coming from the satellite qualifiers and overseas. It doesn’t show up until the complete list of heats and ergs is posted which is after we incorporate that so-called “missing” information fromConcept2 with our Ronin registration data. C2 handles the satellite and overseas competitors for the most part since there is sponsorship involved with them.

Wolf-I’ve heard that on the start of computer erg races, you lose your reaction at the start of the race - does that make it harder to PR or does that make erg racing more realistic to 2k rowing?

Muri-I’d have to say I’ve never lost my reaction at the start of the race. Only less training and possibly age have made it harder for me to PR. If I were to compare it to rowing, I’d have to say the electronic start is more like the boot system used to hold bow balls at the start line of some of the higher level racing. As for more realistic, I just read something which I’d like to quote, “An erg test is not a race, but rather a metaphor for rowing,” thanks to Todd Jesdale via Dr. Rowing. It’s certainly given me pause for thought as we set the monitors for another 2k, but I believe the erg can hold its own just the same.

Wolf- Who in all the years of crash’s B is best defined by being called a “hammer”?

Muri- How could it be anyone by Tiff Wood, the Original, or shall we say, Classic Hammer.

Wolf- Why doesn’t crash-b utilize the sliders and have colleges and countries race against each other in an eight format? It would be so much more exciting.



Muri-I would love to bring up the possibility of adding events. If I could find the room in the day to add events, I would. The skulking specter of the NCAA would continue to make short work of anything fun collegiately, but an international event could work. On the other hand, when we ran our mixed doubles event a couple of times a few years back, we had a hard time filling the spots.

Extra 2-Only a coxswain would ask for an extra 2.

Wolf - What are the true stories from the Crash-B “banquet”?

Muri -Stories from the after party? When we get together after the race for dinner, we tend to be so giddy that we’re easily amused and nothing bears remembering let alone repeating. I’ve found that the “true stories” are of people trying to get into the event after registration has closed which are probably the most interesting. Suffice it to say I’ve seen a lot of creative excuses to get in, but the ones from parents trying to get their son/daughter in take the cake. This year alone, the beg, borrow, or steal routine has produced offers of volunteering all day on race day, driving to Boston to hand deliver the entry to me the next day, and paying whatever extra fee it would take. Additionally, I’m amazed at how many computers crash around midnight just before entries close. Someone should do a study. Computers crashing, and illness, too. Apparently, the immune system appears to go on the fritz starting in mid-December when entries open and not kick in again until entries close in mid-February. Again, another one for analysts. I’ve actually been thinking about holding one spot open for the most creative reason why someone missed registration. Everyone else, try the Bull Pen.

Wolf- Why do you allow non has-beens into your organization?

Muri- Are you jealous, or are you looking for a seat on the Board? Ouch. Lindanot quite Commodore-for-Life