Get Off Your Rocking Chair

I row at Elk Lake.  I have some friends there who are my inspiration.  We call them the J Pod.

Rowing names its age groups alphabetically.  At 52, I am a D category rower.  It's a tough category - actually faster than A, B or C many times!  So I am really looking forward to getting older and moving to E and beyond.  But J?  Wow!  I hope I am still out there when I hit J.  These rowers are over 80 years old!

http://www.cheknews.ca/?bckey=AQ~~,AAAA4mHNTzE~,ejlzBnGUUKY1gXVPwEwEepl35Y795rND&bclid=975107450001&bctid=3153270969001

I Love Rowing!!!

Yesterday marked my return to on-the-water training after my three month winter hiatus.  Some people row 12 months a year, but I find I am more interested and committed if I take some time off.  So I race until the end of October and take a winter break.

Yesterday reminded me how much I love this sport.

I started rowing at university thirty years ago.  I rowed five years as a varsity athlete, traveling across Canada and as far south as San Diego to race.  I have a raft of medals and experience with national training camps under my belt.  And, thirty years later, I am still learning.

For me, it's the ultimate sport.  Individual and team at the same time.  Every second you're in the boat your brain is learning about how to do the next stroke better.  Your mind is pushing your body to work harder.  Your body is stretching to its limits.  Every. Single. Stroke.  It can't be any other way or you would be letting your team down.  So you work harder and harder.

And it doesn't hurt that you're out on the water at sunrise.