World Cup

Hello out there from Breisach, Germany. We’re into our second week of training camp here in this quaint little German town, rowing three times a day on the Rhine. “We” consists of myself and Ellen---the sole scullers in the group—and the entirety of the women’s sweep group.

It’s a great day to have off from training. It’s still early, but the forecast is for sixty degrees, gray and rain—a perfect kind of day for lounging and watching a rousing mix of movies and daytime television programming. We get to enjoy an off day today because the last three days had all of us at PTC racing in this year’s second National Selection Regatta. I raced in the women’s double event, which had the most entries of any event this year and produced a lot of competitive racing. This was my first appearance at an NSR 2, and my second NSR ever, having only raced the double at last year’s NSR 3. Last year I placed sixth at that regatta. This year, I won.

Imagine this...you are getting ready to race your heat at the World Cup regatta and your bus is an hour late picking you up. Or perhaps you are warming up for your quarterfinal and thunder is sounding in all directions. Not enough excitement? Try waiting around during a heavy rainstorm right before your semi-final due to rumors of a rain delay, only to find out that your race is still on, and due to start in minutes.

If elite racing is as professional as it gets for our sport, then an international regatta is like going on tour. This week’s venue, Linz, Austria, is showcasing the talents of some 900 athletes strutting for the spotlight in various boats. I’m racing in the women’s pair, an event I’ve raced before and with the same partner, yet I’m as nervous and excited as the very first time.

Well, it’s that time again—the third and final of the 2007 USRowing National Selection Regattas is quickly approaching. I’ve already missed out on the first two of the NSRs because of injuries, so at this point I’m excited to do some selection and get in the double to race.