A Good Row

SUCCESS!
I found a penny today, and a penny yesterday on the way to work out. This is a sign. Pennies are change. Change is good. Good is what I need.

This is day 17. Or rather I have 40 days left. Today after flipping a double (it is one thing to flip a single and get yourself wet, it is another matter to flip with someone else and get someone else wet. –it was my fault) I came here to learn how to skull not drag someone into the water with me. After that mishap we had a fairly good day. For some reason things just started clicking. I guess I hit bottom and it was time to start coming back up. YES. Finally.

In my brain this is what is sounds like trying to incorporate everything I have learned (especially rowing with the legs not back or arms.): legs, Legs, LEGS!!! Horizontal arms, shallow blades, swing with the back, AFTER the legs, sloooooooow up the slide, finesse the blades, DRIVE Impulse with LEGS LEGS LEGS. Rate. Keep on the rhythm. Hard on port, hard on starboard, and so it goes. Its one thing after another.

So today it clicked and it was good and hopefully tomorrow will be a repeat. Giving up and quitting has never been an option, although at times I wanted to really really badly. However I tell my emotions where to get off, its not the other way around. So it’s nice to have a good day after 16 days of hoping and believing for one. Perseverance will take someone a long way.

Box Jumps and More Determination
I would also like to report that my bruises are starting to fade, and that my fear of box jumps is diminishing. I hate jumping. I do not like it. But first day at weights they pull out the box jumps. A minute of as many as possible. Two sets. I really really wanted to FREAK out and refuse. However I can’t just refuse to not do things. Box jumps are getting a little less frightening. I still do not like them, it’s the idea that I if I don’t jump high enough I will catch my feet on the box and fall face first over the top of the box. I have found that will power, not thinking too much about it, and just doing it makes it easier. My goal is 30 in a minute.

BOATHOUSE ROW
I am rowing out of the Penn Boat House. It is an hour walk from the frat house. We walk in the mornings (two hours of walking, estimated 2 hours of workout ) Since we practice later in the day we have the opportunity to tan so much better than in indiana. I am golden brown.

We get to row vespoli men’s doubles. Amazing big boats. So nice to row in. Its on the skugal river. Its not spelled that way. SPU came out here for the Dad Vail Regatta in May. Its nice to be familiar with the river and how it is set up before coming. Its not a straight course, there is a bend. It makes me miss Annie the coxswain and her amazing steering ability. There are also bridge pilings, and other boats, and the shore. Wonderful things to try to avoid. Being in bow was a constant panic attack. Thankfully I was moved to stroke. I think the previous sentence was the reason.

So tomorrow the goal is to go out on the skugal and do it again. Better than today.