Why do it?
There are many things you can do with a Saturday. You can sleep in and spend the day lazing around (not normally an option for parents). You could come home from Fridays party. You could go do the weekly shopping ... OR you could get up at 4 in the morning to drive 2 hours to row 3 miles up a river and back down again in the freezing cold.
Guess which one I did this weekend? No I didn't have a hangover, go shopping or sleep in. I rowed. It was possibly one of the most painful experiences I've had in a while. The actual race lasted just over 20 minutes during which time I developed blisters on my callouses, numb legs, blisters on the afore mentioned blisters followed by blood blisters under all those blisters. So I'm sure you're asking why I'd subject myself to this agony?
I can't really answer that question with a direct 'Because the future of world peace depends on it' kind of answer. The answer is in moments that I've experienced over the last few months of rowing that can't be had any other way.
Early last spring, we were rowing in the icy morning cold and had rowed a 4 (a boat that requires 4 rowers and an optional Cox) out into the middle of Greenwood Lake. We were without Cox which added to the moment as there was nobody shouting at us for a change. This is a good thing in itself.
After rowing for about 30 minutes we paused to rest. Nobody said a word. We were surrounded by a mirror of water, the sun rising over the Appalachians, a faint mist hanging about 5 inches above the water. We were the only boat on the lake at 7am. It felt completely surreal, and finally Simon H broke the silence saying 'We are but players on Gods stage'.
I was lucky enough to experience that again this week, this time with a back drop of the oranges and reds of fall instead of the green shoots of spring. As an added plus we were rowing as the sun rose, painting a river of gold on the surface of the lake.
For these moments, is why I do it.
Guess which one I did this weekend? No I didn't have a hangover, go shopping or sleep in. I rowed. It was possibly one of the most painful experiences I've had in a while. The actual race lasted just over 20 minutes during which time I developed blisters on my callouses, numb legs, blisters on the afore mentioned blisters followed by blood blisters under all those blisters. So I'm sure you're asking why I'd subject myself to this agony?
I can't really answer that question with a direct 'Because the future of world peace depends on it' kind of answer. The answer is in moments that I've experienced over the last few months of rowing that can't be had any other way.
Early last spring, we were rowing in the icy morning cold and had rowed a 4 (a boat that requires 4 rowers and an optional Cox) out into the middle of Greenwood Lake. We were without Cox which added to the moment as there was nobody shouting at us for a change. This is a good thing in itself.
After rowing for about 30 minutes we paused to rest. Nobody said a word. We were surrounded by a mirror of water, the sun rising over the Appalachians, a faint mist hanging about 5 inches above the water. We were the only boat on the lake at 7am. It felt completely surreal, and finally Simon H broke the silence saying 'We are but players on Gods stage'.
I was lucky enough to experience that again this week, this time with a back drop of the oranges and reds of fall instead of the green shoots of spring. As an added plus we were rowing as the sun rose, painting a river of gold on the surface of the lake.
For these moments, is why I do it.
posted by Alex Charalambides | 10:14 AM
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