Post
by dmtattny » March 11th, 2007, 10:14 pm
My family was given a vacation after I committed to go to the WIRC, so I went to Boston alone. But for a warmup race at the CIRC, this was to be my first race. I arrived the night before, dined at a table for one, then went back to my hotel room and reviewed my race strategy.
When I arrived at the arena the next day, I watched a few races then went down to the floor and warmed up until it was time for my heat, when I found my erg, handed my results card to my volunteer coxswain and got ready to row.
Like other inexperienced rowers caught up in the excitement of the moment, I started too fast and by the time I settled near the end of the first 500, the damage was done. In the second 500 I really bagan to feel the effects; far too tired, far too soon. At the beginning of the third 500 I considered the possiblity that I might not finish. I noted the the location of the ambulance (other end of the areaa, too far away), thought seriously about giving up, and began to fall off the pace. Then my volunteer cox. began coaching. And for the last 1,000 meters, I wasn't alone.
She broke the work into manageable bits ("10 hard strokes now, 10, 9, 8 . . .keep the pace for two strokes, now two more); she had obviously crewed and knew of the overwhelming desire to do nothing but quit. There wasn't a stroke in the last 1,000 meters when she didn't offer some sort of encouragement.
I finished at 7:23.9, 23 seconds better than my previous PB. Every one of those 23 seconds belongs to my volunteer cox. So, to the volunteer cox. on erg 68, heat 30 at the WIRC, whoever you are, thank you.
M 47, 5'10", 84 kg