And why do you row?
A serious question and not one that I find easily answered. I could wax poetically about it being the ultimate team sport, that it makes you transcend the limits of personal endurance, etc. and I have.
But to be asked to cut the bullshit and get down to brass tacks, that is considerably more difficult.
I'm a water person. I love being in and around water and it's almost become a physical need. When I was vacationing in San Francisco I was talking with my good friend Katie, another transplanted Californian. We talked about being near the ocean and how we don't feel like ourselves when we are removed from it. I myself have never lived further than an hour from the beach and the thought of living some place where the ocean is more than a few hours drive is a difficult concept. She was in agreement with that saying that the ocean is more than the ocean but a part of us.
In a way rowing is that to me, that elemental tie to the water. I don't know that I row for the water or started to compete because of the water but I know that one of my favorite times during any given day is watching a boat go by, listening to the sound of the oars as they snap into place, the quiet catch and explosion on the foot boards. I love that. I love the polar opposites of stillness along the surface of the water, the graceful lines of the shell contrasting with the sharpness of the hull and the controlled violence of the drive. It's fantastic to be around and there are days I find myself staring off after a boat, neglecting my own crew or direction.
Again I'm sure this does not answer the question of why I row but given that I've been up since 4 am, I believe that is as good as I am going to get. When I get tired I tend to wax philosophically but sans direction and focus.
But to be asked to cut the bullshit and get down to brass tacks, that is considerably more difficult.
I'm a water person. I love being in and around water and it's almost become a physical need. When I was vacationing in San Francisco I was talking with my good friend Katie, another transplanted Californian. We talked about being near the ocean and how we don't feel like ourselves when we are removed from it. I myself have never lived further than an hour from the beach and the thought of living some place where the ocean is more than a few hours drive is a difficult concept. She was in agreement with that saying that the ocean is more than the ocean but a part of us.
In a way rowing is that to me, that elemental tie to the water. I don't know that I row for the water or started to compete because of the water but I know that one of my favorite times during any given day is watching a boat go by, listening to the sound of the oars as they snap into place, the quiet catch and explosion on the foot boards. I love that. I love the polar opposites of stillness along the surface of the water, the graceful lines of the shell contrasting with the sharpness of the hull and the controlled violence of the drive. It's fantastic to be around and there are days I find myself staring off after a boat, neglecting my own crew or direction.
Again I'm sure this does not answer the question of why I row but given that I've been up since 4 am, I believe that is as good as I am going to get. When I get tired I tend to wax philosophically but sans direction and focus.
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