Which is better - Speed or Balance?

The NJCC results are out. Our JK2's timing for heats and semis are 3:01:86 and 3:01:40 respectively. Jiawen's and Nabilah's K2 Tiger's timing for heats and semis are 2:55:74 and 2:58:82. The JK2 is the heavier craft, so our timing wasn't as good as their timing in the K2 Tiger. After all, we're in the training craft and they are in a racing boat. If Wang Wei and I take the K2 Tiger and go up against both of them, I think we might be able to win both of them. Co-ordination-wise, I guess we're sort of better than them because we train together more often. But if four of us paddle individually, the fastest will be Jiawen, then Nabilah, then Wang Wei, and finally, me. But if we pair up, Wang Wei and I might have an edge.

But during today's training, everyone was barking at us to punch straight, punch higher, twist more, straighten the rowing arm, and PADDLE TOGETHER. It's just a bad training day. We are still unstable in the K2 Tiger so balance-wise, both of us will lose to them. If we're in separate K1 Tigers, all of our balance should be quite alright. But together, I can't seem to balance the boat with Wang Wei. It was just really shaky today. Then, we capsized 4 time today and that really sucked. Once, at the pontoon, once after we emptied the boat, and twice because of backwash during the sets. Jiawen's balance is really good - she didn't capsize in the K1. Even with Mizuki, we capsized 4 times. Mizuki is new to it, but Wang Wei and I have the experience, so why were we like this?

With Miz, I took the back, but with Wang Wei, I took the front. I want to try taking the back, and maybe our balance will be better. I just don't dare to suggest that to Wang Wei because time will be wasted and if it's worse with me behind, we're seriously dead. NSCC is in 3 weeks, and I want to get the best out of us, but if we try to do something new, we're in hot soup. Decisions, decisions, decisions,

So, speed or balance? Learn to balance, then sprint. Or learn to sprint, then capsize. Or take a fat boat and sprint and not capsize.

Training was just this bad. Macritchie, I shall see you on Monday.