This week started the first week of training after out World Championship 'tour' and 3 week break. There is a sense of new life and purpose in all the athletes after having some time to reflect on our victories and failures of the past year not to mention time to put rowing on the back burner for things like enjoying our favourite other activities with friends and or family. I know for myself I have more motivation and determination to get the job done for 2012.
Our first week has been challenging but the coaches have tried to ease us back into the work load with success I believe. I am always amazed at how much I can learn even after 11 years (well minus 3 years off) of doing this. Within the first hour of returning to the water, I was given new challenges in my technique, which was somewhat of an extension of what I was doing but my body feels like it is doing completely different things. My muscles are battling with my mind and fortunately my mind is winning and as a result my body is changing to adapt to the alterations in technique. I feel stronger and faster despite the fact that I have not increased my muscle mass or power output, just simply changed how I apply it. It takes daily prayer and often a quick chat with God on the water when I get fatigued but He, as always, gives me the strength I need to continue.
By the end of the week everyone was feeling fatigued but I think we all are seeing new things to work on and are enjoying the new challenge with the end goal being getting as many Canadian rowers on the podium as possible. Saturday brought the cold weather and I finally had to succumb to long tights which turned out to be the wrong choice as the winds were far too strong to get on the water safely so we hit the ergs for a wonderful and painful workout. As a side note, I say the workout was painful, but in comparison to what we will be doing on the erg through the winter months, it was pretty easy, it is just hard to hop on the erg after several months and face the numbers, not to mention extra lactic acid that seems to settle into the legs.
As we started this new season of training I had a chance to meet with my coach. It was a time to talk about the past year, the year we had just begun and all the little things between. But it was in this meeting I asked my coach about nerves. Specifically what his opinion was or experience as an athlete in the area. You see, at Worlds I went through the first couple of races with really no nerves at all. I am not a hugely nervous person in general but I know when I am nervous; can't eat much, need to pee constantly (too much info? Sorry.), and I get a sleepy feeling. When I feel like this it usually means I am ready. For the first few races I did not get any of that, and my concern was and is that it meant I was not ready mentally for what lay ahead of us. Perhaps I was subconsciously making light of the race or maybe I was overconfident but whatever the case I want(ed) to take care of that so I could avoid it next time. It was interesting to hear his response. He told me that it was his opinion that we get nervous because something is at stake. If we don't have the realization or understanding or even the experience to understand what the stakes are we may not have the same nervous energy. My first internal response was to get a little defensive, I did not take the races lightly or think we were going to breeze into the qualification spot, but I had to stop and think for a second to realize that he is right. I am sure there is a lot more to it but I don't think I had the same sense of importance of those first few races. It is a tricky business when you have heats, semis, etc because you have more races to see the stakes for. Each race has to be perfectly executed to make it to the final stakes. In many ways, there was more at stake in the precursor races to the A final than the final itself.
This has me thinking a little differently about everyday and each race. I don't think I should be nervous about every workout, but recognizing the importance to each landmark and the steps along the way, such as NRCs will help put me in a position to show everything I have.
As this week has come to an end and a new one begins I am trying to stay aligned with God's plan for me. For the amazing things still to come, while doing the work I need to do to get me there. NRCs (National Rowing Championships) is the next big landmark for the team but especially the scullers. We need to show
Rowing Canada the podium material sitting right in front of them and give ourselves the opportunity to show the world the same.
The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
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