The coxswain is the brain while the rower functions as the brawn. Racing can be almost primal, stripping us to our core, diverting our bodies' resources from the brain to the physical structures such as the lungs and heart that we call upon in such periods of intense exertion. I used to think of launching to race as almost "going into battle." There is something about racing in rowing that feels strikingly like what I imagined a war or battle scene to feel like many centuries ago.
Rowing takes courage, strength, fire, and will. I believe you need those things before stepping into a boat, but that they may leave us in the stress of the moment. That is where the coxswain must step in, to remind us as rowers what the fight is for -- to reignite or keep the flame burning that represents our desire to prove ourselves on the racecourse -- no matter what our bodies may be telling us.
I just returned on Saturday from a week with my team in Oak Ridge, TN. As my fourth trip to Melton Park Lake and the friendly community of Oak Ridge, it struck me that I feel so comfortable there that it almost feels like another home. The water is as familiar to me as my own river. I can remember how to navigate unconsciously to the marina. I know the shoals, buoys, docks, bridges, and landmarks. It is such a joy to spend a week in a town accustomed to and welcoming of rowers. It is also such a joy to spend a week with my team. Although a hard, long week, spending that time with the crew reinvigorated me after a challenging winter. To see the excitement and energy pulsing through those students allows me to reclaim mine. I learn so much from them and can hopefully share those lessons in upcoming posts! Keep checking back...
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