{"id":966,"date":"2014-11-04T03:20:29","date_gmt":"2014-11-04T03:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/?p=966"},"modified":"2014-11-04T03:20:29","modified_gmt":"2014-11-04T03:20:29","slug":"why-i-wake-up-early","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/2014\/11\/04\/why-i-wake-up-early\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I wake up early"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>

Photo credit – Liv Wilson (Connibear Shellhouse prior to 7am launching and docking point)<\/p><\/div>\n

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A race is not won in one stroke, but many strokes over the length of the course. Before you pull up you are tapped on the back you turn and there is a hand outstretched. You extend your own hands in front and behind you to your teammates, there is a momentary silence and everyone\u2019s hands squeeze. The hands all squeezing are like a silent mantra, \u201cWe can do this, together.\u201d All hands drop and your return to your positions looking dead ahead, where you will look for the rest of the race. \u201cAll eight sit ready,\u201d the coxswain\u2019s voice rings out over the silence, \u201cattention, Row.\u201d All nine prepare as they gain speed into the line. The knock of the oar at the end of each stroke signals the next swing out to the catch. Up the slide, roll the wheels, knock goes the blade as it is turned to the correct position. Splash, as the blade is backed into the water and a v of water sprays off either end. Woosh of the slide as eight rowers push off and lean back. Knock. The cycle repeats as the coxswain calls the rowers to add some more push. They come closer to the line. \u201cYou are at a 28, two more strokes to build to our race pace of 30. That\u2019s one.\u201d Splash. Knock. Woosh. \u201cThat\u2019s two.\u201d Splash. Knock. Woosh. \u201cYou\u2019re on! This is where we start it right here!\u201d You have passed the starting marker now a bright bobbing triangle in the recent distance. \u201cWe have already begun walking the crew ahead of us.\u201d You keep your eyes locked ahead pushing away stroke by stroke, the competitors behind you. Each stroke is easy now, you are running of free energy as you go into the first turn of the race. \u201cThis is going to be a port turn. Ports pressure up. Starboards pressure down.\u201d The boat pivots to starboard with each stroke. \u201cEven pressure!\u201d The hard knock signals the rowers\u2019 response. Down and away to keep the blades off the water. Sitting up at the catch to grab that last bit of water. Jumping off on the drive and easing up on the recovery. Shook, is the rush of air out of each pair of lungs on the drive. Ahh, is the inhalation of each pair of lungs on the rowers\u2019 way up to the catch.<\/p>\n

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\"Photo<\/a>

Photo Credit – Hailey Greer (In the Montlake Cut) The Coxswain is wearing a jacket and back is turned in this picture<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo Credit – Hailey Greer (In the Montlake Cut) Starboards are people who’s blades appear on the left side of the picture, while Ports are rowers who’s blades appear in the right side of the picture<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe are coming in to the Cut.\u201d Every muscle in your body tenses. Every person sits up taller. \u201cThat\u2019s your team cheering for you. Show them how we take this boat.\u201d Shook. Ahh. \u201cWith Power!\u201d Shook. Ahh. \u201cWith Grace.\u201d Shook. Ahh. The sound of the Logger cheer rises as you get closer. \u201cMake them proud!\u201d Splash. Knock. Woosh. The boat is continuously picking up speed. Your crew is feeding off the energy of the crowd in Montlake Cut. The burn in your legs begins to creep back into your mind as you fall off the energy of the crowd and you are long past the cut. \u201cWe are on track for our goal time.\u201d The reminder that this race is won on time and that even if we can\u2019t see the other crews in our event we are still racing them. The pop at the catch comes back and the focus is pulled back in. Splash. Knock. Woosh. You only think about the stroke you are taking. \u201cWe are coming up on the turn. Starboards I\u2019m going to need that pressure, Ports ease it off.\u201d The whole race you have been neck and neck with two other boats the one just behind you and one just ahead of you. On the turn all three of you\u2019re very close. You can see one of the boats out of the corner of your eye. The turn is over you are back on. \u201cThey got the inside of the turn, let\u2019s make up that water in this last 500 meters.\u201d Your back hurts and makes you want to curl over, while your lungs are raw. So you drive harder, and pop off the catch faster. You can see the competition you have regained a lot of ground. \u201cLast 150 meters. Where do you want to finish? Show me here!\u201d The whole boat sends in the final strain. The last sprint to get over the finish line first. Splash. Knock. Woosh. The cycle has sped up. Splash. Knock. Woosh. There is nothing on your mind but getting to then end first. \u201cYour done. Weigh enough.\u201d The breaths are ragged, and uneven. You are tapped on the back once more to find the faces of the people whom you rowed with and an outstretched hand this time for a fist bump. This time the hand tells you, \u201cWe did it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo Credits – Lilie Gross (Connibear Shellhouse in the morning launching and docking point)<\/p><\/div>\n

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  A race is not won in one stroke, but many strokes over the length of the course. Before you pull up you are tapped on the back you turn and there is a hand outstretched. You extend your own … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":456,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/456"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=966"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":978,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/966\/revisions\/978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/whatwedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}