Lessons from the Head of the Charles
When I first started rowing on the SRA novice team and began this blog, I would be amazed that it seemed every trip on the water held a life lesson for me. Maybe it's that even when it's not your day, it's a day to be thankful for someone who will point out imperfections to help you improve. Or maybe it's that realization that you are capable of far more than you think you are. Or maybe it was that first regatta where I realized that just showing up every morning, trying a little harder, getting a little better will get you to an amazing, surprising, challenging, exciting place.
Now, just about three years later, I've returned from my first Head of the Charles Regatta and I feel like I've come so, so far and somehow simultaneously have so, so far to go. Why does it seem life is so often like that?! So, rather than give a play-by-play of my HOCR weekend, I thought I'd jot some notes about life lessons I learned through the training, selection and racing this amazing HOCR.
You really can do more than you ever thought you could. I remember being stunned the first time we rowed together for FOUR WHOLE MINUTES straight -- woohooo! And this summer, I did more 4 and 8 minute seat races than I could count, weekly 2x3K races with plenty of 10-15K workouts on off days. There were certainly moments in those workouts when I thought I'd not make it to the end. Instead, I dug deep, never passed out and didn't die. That is *way* more than I ever thought possible.
Races are won during winter conditioning. Three months of concentrated strength and cardio conditioning and the results were obvious and provided a great base for the on-water training year. PRs on every erg test. Seat races won and a few lost. And with a stronger base, the on-water time could be so much more focused on technique. What a difference it makes in the speed of the boat!
Sometimes life gives you gifts you didn't expect. Make the most of them. I knew in June when I put my name in for HOCR consideration that there was almost no way I'd make the team. I really just put my name down so that I could have a fun summer practicing with the faster rowers, maybe learn something from watching and rowing with them. And then the HOCR lottery gave us a gift - another entry. And I found myself in seat races again. Then my name appeared in the email of the women headed to Boston. At that point, I vowed to ENJOY the moment. Treasure the gift. And, wow, it was incredible.
Blame is toxic. Grace is life-giving. A few weeks before HOCR, our boat was in another regatta: Tail of the Lake. It was a really disappointing day for us. Put simply: we didn't row well. We were not together. The boat felt heavy and we got off the water frustrated that a race would be so much worse than most of our practices. But here's the thing: there was shared disappointment but no blame. There was no finger pointing. There was no gossip. Instead, there was determination, grace for mistakes and words of encouragement. We got to practice on Monday and worked hard and rowed well and moved on. And when we got to Boston, we rowed the absolute best 20 minutes we had ever rowed together and we had a blast doing it. I'm completely convinced that our reaction to that earlier race was key in that success.
Your words matter. When I think over those few days in Boston, the most encouraging moments were sparked by the words of the women in my boat, both on and off the water.
There was our stroke, K, whose words were constantly filled with inspiration and pride in our work. "You ladies rock! I'm so proud of you!". We rowed with confidence because of these words.
B's words reminded me that we are strong because we care for each other, we speak kindly and make sure everyone is included and gets what they need. We rowed together because of B's words.
L's most powerful words to me were spoken into my ear as we sat in the starting area. "The only important stroke is always the next one. Enjoy it. You earned it. Let's kill it!". I rowed with calm determination because of these words.
Our cox, E's words, were perfectly timed words of challenge, with a healthy dose of confidence and inspiration. "We have a great line. We are where we need to be. Now's the time to leave it out here!". We rowed our hearts out worry-free because of her words.
And finally, the strength of your relationships determines not only your success, but your satisfaction with your results. We rose to the challenge in Boston and exceeded our coach's expectations because we rowed together, because we focused on sync'ing with our friends rather than being strong on our own, and we were thrilled with our results not only because of where we placed but because we all knew we had done the absolute best that these five women could have done on that beautiful Boston morning. There is nothing more satisfying!
In short: it was a fantastic weekend that I'll not soon forget!
Row on, friends!
