Remember the work. Remember the time put in. Remember the distance you rowed. Remember the hours on the machine with your teammates. Remember the time on the slides.
Remember the 500s. Remember the reserves you called on to get through the 5th one. Remember the grim determination you felt starting the 3rd. Remember the savage joy you felt at the end of the first and you realized, yeah, you could do this.
Remember the weights you've lifted. Remember how much more you lift now than when you started. Remember how much faster you recover from lifting now than when you started.
Remember your best 2000m erg test. Remember the feeling as you passed 750m to go and realized you were going a personal best. Remember that unstoppable feeling. Remember the feeling going through 4000m of a 6k and realizing you were still aerobic.
Remember the first time you went out on the water. Remember the first strokes you ever pulled when the boat set up. Remember the first time you rowed in a boat with the rating over 30. Remember the first time that felt good. Remember the first racing start.
In any of these instances, do you remember fear? Were you afraid of what you were about to attempt? What's the worst that could have happened in any of those instances? Failure? There is no failure when you sit on the erg and give your best effort. There was no fear then.
If there was no fear when you faced the individual misery of the erg, why should you be afraid at any time now? I can't come up with a worse workout on the water than what you've already conquered on the erg. If you don't believe me, remember this one fact:
Every workout you do on the water, you do with your teammates around you. Even if you're in a single, you're not out there alone.
Remember that you've gone through worse than anything I can do now. So row like I know you can: with no fear. It's a trite phrase, but that describes the feeling I want you to have out there. Don't fear the distance, the pain, the wind, water or anyone you're racing. You have the fitness to conquer anything I give you. Don't EVER fear the workout.
Remember where you've been. Conquer where you're going.
9 comments:
Stanigan13: jay's post is really impressive, hes a very good writer.
Trialskid12: He did go to Yale.
Jay that was really good. I thought that was one of the best things I've read in a while, and very encouraging. It makes me very happy I'm not on the ergs anymore, and that this isn't so bad afterall. Just worse blisters, colder weather, a screaming coxwain, bloody knuckles, but not the three letters: ERG. Lets hope it continues to go well.
Thank You Jay, That should definitly go in your book. And could read that the day before each race. It makes me sleep easy.
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers"
i know, IM DONE SCREAMING! by the way, wonderful post jay.
the only thing that scares me, jay, is the hole making boats, technique not being up to par...teammates getting testy and what not...i guess im just stressed is this a bad thing? i dont
- i will NEVER fear, nor will i fear my opponent and enemy...
st. Ignasious...FEAR.NEVER.
Anon:
You're stressed. Sometimes boats just don't work. I've noticed as time has gone on that our team goes faster in big boats.
Don't worry too much. The only boat that is really affected is the V4. There still will be a light 8 and 4.
Any chance you might be able to post the boats...or something regarding them? -just wondering
Please do not post our line-ups on this website, they should not be put out in a public forum. They are for us to know.
Correction: for us to know and other teams to lose to.
I don't plan on posting the lineups on this site, as there are some privacy concerns there.
Also, they aren't set yet.
Other than the boats that we will compete in, that's all the information that will go on the site. I'll send lineups once they're set.
As you all know, no lineup is final. We'll still seat-race through the season. It's a great way to get some competition in practice, and I always like another look at anything.
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