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All this week the “learn to rows” are on the water learning the basics of rowing. We “veteran” (I’m loath to call myself that, there is still so much I have to learn) are interspersed through the sweep in the key positions. I really enjoy helping out the new rowers, remembering back to how lost I was when I was just starting. There is a selfish side to all this also: I pick up so much from these basics. Because we are doing the drills so slowly, I can try to concentrate and incorporate some of the more advanced techniques I need to bone up on.
My friends who have been reading this journal of mine have witnessed how rowing has become a real passion in the past year. What a change this sport has made in the quality and richness of my life.
Our coach Alison got some fantastic shots from the coach’s launch of us during our Thursday morning and Sunday afternoon rows.
This entry will be a photo essay of our Sunday row.
You can’t have a rowing session without first scratching Luna, Alison’s dog behind the ears! Such a special dog in so many ways.
The coach’s launch gets down the ramp and into the water with basic human muscle power.
The sweep is carried down the same way. The bulk of the distance carried on shoulders.
It is then hoisted up and overhead and finally rolled into the water.
Getting my oarlock ready for the oar. I was scheduled to row bow seat, but got switched to the 4 seat on the port side. It is a big help to be able to row either side of the sweep.
Everybody is all set, lean away and push off from the dock
I’m rowing port side in the 4 seat position. Easy rowing across the river
Rowing upstream on the 6’s: What a great and varied group of people.
Rowing downstream on the 6’s.
Rowing downstream all 8. We were in the last third of the row when this shot was taken. This is when you are most vulnerable to mess up from being tired. You can tell there are not a lot of smiles on our faces!
It takes a bit of experience to row all eight and keep the boat steady. We would row all eight for a minute or so and then rotate out pairs. The pairs rotated out are alternated so everybody gets a break. Due to having to navigate around a mess in the river, Dianne our cox, forgot to rotate out Robin and me. Poor robin was in agony and made her feelings known. I pipe up, “It’s all right we don’t need to rotate out, we’re just getting warmed up!” That perky response got lots of feedback!!!
Poor Robin in agony.
The sweep got turned around and gently taken in. It takes quite a bit of skill to bring the sweep in, clearing the old tug dock first.
The last thing to get put away is the coach’s launch, again brought up the hill by muscle power. It is fun to try and do wind sprints hauling this beast!
Jason is real good about picking debris out of the river and clearing away floating logs and branches. This was Luna’s lucky day; she got herself a new tennis ball that was floating along!
Jason
Luna with her new toy.
I was drenched and worn out from this workout. I needed more for supper than the leftover Progresso soup that was in the ice box. I splurged and stopped at Publix on the way home. I got me a thick juicy steak. It was seared in the cast iron frying pan where I first cooked a mess of onions down in a lot of butter. Then it was broiled up in the toaster oven with a lot more butter. To hell with cholesterol!!!!
I always think of my dad whenever I enjoy a good steak. That was his favourite food; he believed if you were sick, a rare steak would fix you up! I sure felt fixed up after that royal meal! What a way to end a pretty much perfect day…..
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