The mighty second eight after the bump on friday
5 Mar 2006
No less Mighty without blades
It was glorious, but not as glorious as we'd hoped. We didn't bump on Saturday. Which means we didn't get "blades" - awarded to boats who bump all four days. We were SO close. BUT, we rowed like never before. We rowed long and strong, we rowed past where we thought we could row, we were gaining on the boats in front of us the whole time. The three boats consecutively ahead of us bumped out, and we were gaining on a boat four places ahead of us! Its amazing that afterward, we were wishing for the race to be longer (!) because we would have caught them (Lincoln). We rowed our hearts out, and we didn't get bumped, so due to our performance over the four days we moved three places up in the division. And, we are the highest rated 2nd VIII on the river. Most colleges have two womens and two mens boats, so its not even as though we stack the odds in our favor - this would only be the case if we had four women's eights. So, we did well for the boat club, and we rowed well. The Mighty 2nd VIII proved itself this week.
Congrats to our 1st VIII who won blades, second year in a row. This, combined with the 2nd VIII achievements speak really well for the boat club, who before last year hadn't won blades in over 20 years! So, we tried our best, we had a good season, and we had fun (especially when the race was over)! Bring on summer eights - the next race.
Congrats to our 1st VIII who won blades, second year in a row. This, combined with the 2nd VIII achievements speak really well for the boat club, who before last year hadn't won blades in over 20 years! So, we tried our best, we had a good season, and we had fun (especially when the race was over)! Bring on summer eights - the next race.
4 Mar 2006
3 Mar 2006
Hail Mary
Day 3. WE BUMPED! This means one more bump tomorrow, and we get "blades" (code for really cool trophy).
We pushed our boat, the Mary Bennett, halfway down the river to bump Corpus Christi. Wow! It was insane. Pain pain pain. I was feeling a bit sluggish before the race. But i managed to be energized and give it some real power in the water.
There was no snow today (hooray) but it was quite cold anyway. However, the sun does help, and there was no wind. So, nice weather, but not feeling too sure about what would happen. I went in thinking, "this will hurt" and just went for it. There were a couple of strokes where i didn't feel like i could move. But i just focused, stared at Kristin's neck, and pushed. Steph (our cox) was screaming, and i took that sound of her voice and tried to stick it in my feet, through my back. Drive! Push! Lengthen! Now! And somehow, it worked. I thought i might choke, and again i had this searing pain in my chest like my lungs would explode. About that time, we came around the bend and my friends Nick and Wei were on the bank - i heard them yelling for us, and i grimaced as i tried to smile. At the same time we rowed into sight of St Hilda's boathouse, and the yells coming from the bank were great - i honestly think the cheers help to get some power out of nowhere, when you think there's none left. Thank you, everyone for coming out to support us! And, here's trying for blades tomorrow. Saying my hail Marys tonight.
We pushed our boat, the Mary Bennett, halfway down the river to bump Corpus Christi. Wow! It was insane. Pain pain pain. I was feeling a bit sluggish before the race. But i managed to be energized and give it some real power in the water.
There was no snow today (hooray) but it was quite cold anyway. However, the sun does help, and there was no wind. So, nice weather, but not feeling too sure about what would happen. I went in thinking, "this will hurt" and just went for it. There were a couple of strokes where i didn't feel like i could move. But i just focused, stared at Kristin's neck, and pushed. Steph (our cox) was screaming, and i took that sound of her voice and tried to stick it in my feet, through my back. Drive! Push! Lengthen! Now! And somehow, it worked. I thought i might choke, and again i had this searing pain in my chest like my lungs would explode. About that time, we came around the bend and my friends Nick and Wei were on the bank - i heard them yelling for us, and i grimaced as i tried to smile. At the same time we rowed into sight of St Hilda's boathouse, and the yells coming from the bank were great - i honestly think the cheers help to get some power out of nowhere, when you think there's none left. Thank you, everyone for coming out to support us! And, here's trying for blades tomorrow. Saying my hail Marys tonight.
2 Mar 2006
Torpids Day 2
We bumped again! Hooray! (Remember, that's a good thing.) Still didn't get the boat in front of us though. St Anthony's: we will get you. Oh, and sorry about whacking into your cox yesterday.
Today was different, better. We had a longer race, a longer chase, but we weren't so panicky right at first. So we didn't sprint quite so hard the first bit of the race, since we knew early on that we would be rowing for a while. After knowing what i was going to feel like from yesterday, i somehow descended into my body and was able to stay present the whole time - i actually remember the whole race. I was more alert - i actually heard the calls from coach and cox, instead of just feeling senseless and in pain. There was still pain, but it was somehow understood that it would be there, and so we (me and the pain) could both exist there in that moment. There was still the searing pain in the lungs, but this time i didn't feel like i was going to bonk completely. I felt like i could keep pushing through the tough part, through the pain, and put some power in and row well. I got a second wind, after i was feeling sort of weak and tired, and we powered into the chase. This concept of time is really strange when racing. It feels like two minutes must have taken about twenty minutes. Its incredible - when i stand and watch from the bank, it goes pretty fast and the people in the boat look knackered, like they're working hard, but its hard to remember that i was in another time-zone when i was there on the river in their place. Racing time versus spectator time.
Also, we amazingly missed the SNOW again! It was partly cloudy all day, and then an hour before our race time it started snowing. And it didn't stop, until 10 minutes before we put on the water! It was really miraculous, and our race was sunny and warm-ish. The photos don't do it justice, but show the snow-sun wierdness! Wow. Do it again tomorrow.
Today was different, better. We had a longer race, a longer chase, but we weren't so panicky right at first. So we didn't sprint quite so hard the first bit of the race, since we knew early on that we would be rowing for a while. After knowing what i was going to feel like from yesterday, i somehow descended into my body and was able to stay present the whole time - i actually remember the whole race. I was more alert - i actually heard the calls from coach and cox, instead of just feeling senseless and in pain. There was still pain, but it was somehow understood that it would be there, and so we (me and the pain) could both exist there in that moment. There was still the searing pain in the lungs, but this time i didn't feel like i was going to bonk completely. I felt like i could keep pushing through the tough part, through the pain, and put some power in and row well. I got a second wind, after i was feeling sort of weak and tired, and we powered into the chase. This concept of time is really strange when racing. It feels like two minutes must have taken about twenty minutes. Its incredible - when i stand and watch from the bank, it goes pretty fast and the people in the boat look knackered, like they're working hard, but its hard to remember that i was in another time-zone when i was there on the river in their place. Racing time versus spectator time.
Also, we amazingly missed the SNOW again! It was partly cloudy all day, and then an hour before our race time it started snowing. And it didn't stop, until 10 minutes before we put on the water! It was really miraculous, and our race was sunny and warm-ish. The photos don't do it justice, but show the snow-sun wierdness! Wow. Do it again tomorrow.
1 Mar 2006
Torpids Rush
Imagine running, sprinting at top speed. Imagine that feeling, being totally out of breath and feeling like you're hyperventilating. That was the feeling today at Torpids. I looked up, and realized that we hadn't even made it to Donnington bridge - maybe 1/8th of the race course. It was like sprinting for a 100 m, and then realizing that there is still a kilometer to go. You just...can't sprint for so long. So. It was completely insane. But we bumped a boat (caught up to a boat in front of us - the whole point of the race)! It was a bit strange, since we rowed right into the stern of St Anthony's (sorry, StAntz cox - i think i really whacked you there) and i thought we'd bumped them. But our cox gave the call to keep rowing at race pace, so we did, and it turned out that St Ants had already bumped out. So we got Wolfson/Lincoln - who did we get? Anyway, we did what we set out to do. And it felt damn good - to make it through the first day of Torpids. I thought my chest might explode. And then after we bumped and settled, it was such adrenaline rush i was shaking and then hyper for about an hour.
If you have no idea what i'm talking about - its the rules of bumps racing and its a strange and funny beast - where you're trying to overtake another boat in front of you - called "bumping". There are several ways this can be achieved, one of which is actually making physical contact with a boat - bumping into them.
Stay tuned. Next race tomorrow.
If you have no idea what i'm talking about - its the rules of bumps racing and its a strange and funny beast - where you're trying to overtake another boat in front of you - called "bumping". There are several ways this can be achieved, one of which is actually making physical contact with a boat - bumping into them.
Stay tuned. Next race tomorrow.
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