If anything, I was always a little more nervous on loading day. It's not a normal practice, loading the trailer is a stresser and the boatman was always hovering around, watching us take apart "his" equipment. Then there was the pain in the neck of taking the boats out to the trailer.
At Yale, the old boathouse was right on the road. If you wanted to load boats, you had to stop traffic while you brought the boat across the road and lined it up with the trailer. Add in a higher trailer than we have now, and it wasn't a fun time. We would also wrap the 8s in vinyl boat covers, which served no purpose that I could discern other than keeping a few guys busy for a longer time.
Heat sheets aren't out yet, so we can't tell if we need all of our 8s or just three of them. I suppose we'll take them all, just to make sure. I've been getting as many details from my mother about little things in the race. Weigh-ins, scales, weather updates and other little gossip. It's fun having your family running a major race that you are bringing your crew to. It almost feels like a home race to me.
I'm rambling. Time to stop and start packing. For any parents that aren't going, I'll try to post from my parents' house tomorrow and put up some updates as the event goes along.
3 comments:
Should've posted this earlier...
The Life of King Henry the Fifth, Act IV, Scene iii
[slightly modified from original version]
KING:
What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair rower.
If we are marked to lose, we are enow
To do our teammates loss; and if to win,
The fewer men, the greater share of honor.
God’s will! I pray thee wish not for one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my spandex wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be an sin to covet honor,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my friend, wish not a man from FC.
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honor
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through the host,
The he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And money for his convoy put into his wallet.
We would not lose in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to lose with us.
This day is called the Race of Midwest.
He that prevails this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a-tiptoe when this day is named
And rouse him at the name of Midwest.
He that shall see this day, and live old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors
And say, ‘To-morrow is Midwest.’
Then will he strip his shirt and show his honors,
[And say, ‘These medals I had on Midwest day.’]
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot
But he’ll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Skuban the Coach, Stephen and D-Eng,
Poland and Scotland, Rosenbergs and Paul Luther-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.
This story shall the good coach teach his son;
And Midwest Championships shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother. Be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in Pittsburgh now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That raced with us at Midwest!
Awesome post Foxbat.
"We few, we happy few...
All events entered this weekend have serious shots at winning. I am PUMPMED!!!
Random thought.
Rowing is genius. We face backwards so we can see were we came from and use it as motivation for were we are headed.
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