It’s hard to believe that we have been off the water for the last two weeks, but winter training is now officially in full swing! My favorite thing about winter training (yes, it may be hard to believe, but I do have multiple things I like about winter training) is that the novice and varsity teams become one big Blue Crew unit and we get to know each other better through workouts and team activities.
This past week was full of fitness testing and everyone did a great job of getting their workouts in and setting some high standards for the winter months . We had some testing week PR’s which was really exciting to see!! It was also our first week in the weight room with the novices and although it was a little chaotic, varsity went over lifting expectations with the novices this weekend, so hopefully things will run a little more smoothly in the future. It was great to teach the novices because it reinforced the lifting standards among the varsity members.
We then played a game of pick-up basketball organized by our own Becca Kimball ’14, aka Kimballin'. To say that we should stick to rowing is an understatement. Basketball requires a lot of things that we don’t use in rowing, most notably hand eye coordination. Also, in a rowing shell you sit in your own seat, with your own oar, in your own personal space and typically aren’t pushed and shoved and shouted at… well, we are shouted at, but through a microphone. Surprisingly, I managed to score a basket, even if I did have a little help from some friends. Long story short, basketball was a lot of fun and will definitely happen again.
After basketball, we cleaned up the erg loft because an External Review Committee is visiting Wellesley this week to evaluate the Athletics Department and we want them to see the erg loft looking its best. During our clean-up we blasted some Taylor Swift through the speaker system. Her song, “I Knew You Were Trouble” is a team favorite this year and it is truly addicting (if you don’t believe me, listen to it at least 3 times on repeat, and then you will understand). Ali Pierson ’13 jammed out with a broom stick as a microphone, and that girl has got some moves. Miss Chestertown Spring Break 2013 material? Only time will tell. Graeme Durovich '14 and her viola may give Ali P a run for her money.
Also this weekend, a few teammates ran the Chilly Half Marathon in Newton. Rachel Coogan ’13 finished 3rd in her age group with a time of SUPER FAST (I’ll just tell you that her average pace per mile is faster than my one mile test pace) and Ildi Gaal ’14 finished close behind her in 4th. Jen Lamy ’13, Becca Kimball ’14, Maggie West ’14, Loren Locke ’15, Nina McKee ’16, and myself also joined in on the fun… but just to be clear, it was only semi-fun in the moment, as the real fun comes in the glory of finishing and the post-race Starbucks run/nap time.
I’m also happy to report that my captain’s hours have been pretty busy in the post-season! Just like professors have office hours, Taylor Black ‘13, Jen Lamy ’13 and I hold captain’s hours in our rooms/around campus throughout the week so people can come and check-in if they want. Some people, like Maggie West ’14, just come for the chocolate, but it is nice to see people in the evenings and hang out for a little bit. It also forces me to keep my room clean and swiffer my floor with Valerie Soon’s ‘13 swiffer.
I will leave you with a quote from Michelangelo (I have to, as an Art History major). It may be a stretch (that's what art historians do sometimes) but I think it can be applied to the gift of time that winter training is, to find that new level of athlete in ourselves in preparation for the spring.
"Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it."
Jessica Frey '13
