Here we go, post two of the Euro trip!
Tomorrow is our first day of racing, and man is it ever different racing in the 8+ as opposed to small boats. I am so used to having heats, semis, finals at least and with the 8+ because of the low entries that are typical (the eight sucks up a lot of athletes and so most countries do not have a competitive boat) we pretty much have finals and perhaps a heat on our second day of racing.
In some ways this is nice, in others it means you have to get it right the first time! No second chances.
I don't think we will need the second chance as things are coming together pretty well. We still have a lot of room for improvement but that is just the nature of the sport. We strive to perfect one aspect of the stroke at a time, and typically have to cycle back to that point eventually. We do it in hopes that on race day we are cleaner, faster and more precise than the competition.
In non rowing news, we have taken to riding our bikes two and from practice every day for each practice. It is a 10-15 min ride through this part of town. We do stick out in the commuting crowd but I think more because we are all tall, athletic and don't quite fit properly on our bikes due to our size.
The weather here is nicer than some made it out to be. It rains every day and has been quite windy but nothing we cannot handle. The course is so protected that strong winds that would blow us off the water in London ON are just creating some choppy water here.
All in all things are good, I hope to get some laundry done soon and I look forward to our free day on Monday! I will do my best to give some racing updates, but if you want to follow us online check this website:
Holland Beker Regatta
There is the option to view in English in the top right corner, and options to view live racing and results on the page also. We race both Saturday and Sunday evening in the W8+ for CAN
Thanks for your cheers!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Re-defining my Adventure
Hey everyone!
Well after a long hiatus I am back and ready to re-start and continue the adventure I have set out to do. And you know what, perhaps it has changed a bit.
My adventure is first and foremost to spread God's love, to team mates, family, friends, strangers in the street and beyond.
The setting: On the Canadian National rowing team in whatever location we find ourselves.
The Goals: To bring people toward God's love and everlasting promise, and if I happen to make an Olympic team or World Championship team I will gladly accept and spread the news abroad :)
So now that this is clear. The last few months have been a major roller coaster ride with returning to London, and switching from sculling in my single to sweeping in an 8+. It has been a long time since I have sat in a sweep boat and my body was not too happy but neither was my head and heart. After some long needed wake up calls I decided to give it all to God and let him guide my body, heart and head to His plan. This is another reason I feel my adventure needs to be stated for God's Will. Doing something I am not in love with is another way God can show himself; in my attitude toward the activity.
After my attitude change I have been able to simply enjoy rowing and learn more about my abilities and where I can improve. So now I find myself with a development group newly arrived in Amsterdam ND to race the Holland Beker regatta on the first course I ever raced internationally (Under 23 team) followed in a few weeks by the Henley Royal Regatta in London England. I am very excited to be in the group and to have an opportunity to race with Canadian colours once again, even if it is not the Olympics.
Today was our first day of rowing and I am headed shortly for a second row. We have a great hotel in close proximity to the course and bikes to get from A to B. The women I am working with are wonderful, and if I did not mention it in previous posts a few are Christians as well which is a great experience also. I have always had a great sense that God has been working in my life and the rowing world the last year or so and this is just another way He shows his power and planning.
I do not have much more to report as of now, but I thought I should get the ball rolling again. Perhaps I can even start getting photos in here!
Thank you so much for all your prayer even in my silence. God is doing amazing things and He continues to do so even when things are quiet.
Oh one prayer item. Matt and I are looking at trying to make my rowing and his career work together and to do that being in closer proximity would be nice. If you can pray that God's will be done and that the transfer we are looking to get works if I am indeed meant to continue rowing, and if His will is to do it through other means that it be VERY clear. I believe he will answer a one or the other prayer but I also realize God's will is not always able to fit in a box, and I by no means want to fit in a box!
Talk to you all soon!
Well after a long hiatus I am back and ready to re-start and continue the adventure I have set out to do. And you know what, perhaps it has changed a bit.
My adventure is first and foremost to spread God's love, to team mates, family, friends, strangers in the street and beyond.
The setting: On the Canadian National rowing team in whatever location we find ourselves.
The Goals: To bring people toward God's love and everlasting promise, and if I happen to make an Olympic team or World Championship team I will gladly accept and spread the news abroad :)
So now that this is clear. The last few months have been a major roller coaster ride with returning to London, and switching from sculling in my single to sweeping in an 8+. It has been a long time since I have sat in a sweep boat and my body was not too happy but neither was my head and heart. After some long needed wake up calls I decided to give it all to God and let him guide my body, heart and head to His plan. This is another reason I feel my adventure needs to be stated for God's Will. Doing something I am not in love with is another way God can show himself; in my attitude toward the activity.
After my attitude change I have been able to simply enjoy rowing and learn more about my abilities and where I can improve. So now I find myself with a development group newly arrived in Amsterdam ND to race the Holland Beker regatta on the first course I ever raced internationally (Under 23 team) followed in a few weeks by the Henley Royal Regatta in London England. I am very excited to be in the group and to have an opportunity to race with Canadian colours once again, even if it is not the Olympics.
Today was our first day of rowing and I am headed shortly for a second row. We have a great hotel in close proximity to the course and bikes to get from A to B. The women I am working with are wonderful, and if I did not mention it in previous posts a few are Christians as well which is a great experience also. I have always had a great sense that God has been working in my life and the rowing world the last year or so and this is just another way He shows his power and planning.
I do not have much more to report as of now, but I thought I should get the ball rolling again. Perhaps I can even start getting photos in here!
Thank you so much for all your prayer even in my silence. God is doing amazing things and He continues to do so even when things are quiet.
Oh one prayer item. Matt and I are looking at trying to make my rowing and his career work together and to do that being in closer proximity would be nice. If you can pray that God's will be done and that the transfer we are looking to get works if I am indeed meant to continue rowing, and if His will is to do it through other means that it be VERY clear. I believe he will answer a one or the other prayer but I also realize God's will is not always able to fit in a box, and I by no means want to fit in a box!
Talk to you all soon!
Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us
throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Everything and Nothing
My inspiration for writing has been fleeting lately and it seems that when I feel inspired I am no where near a computer or journal to write things down. It would be hard to say that is my only reason for not updating this blog, but it is a contributing factor.
A while ago I think I mentioned (or so I had been thinking to mention) that sometimes it is hard to write a blog such as this and then have the dream you were gunning for, slowly fade away. I don't have to please everyone but human response is to think I have let someone down or disappointed those who have been praying and supporting me. My dream is not gone, I am just a little confused over the game plan for my life in rowing. I see glimpses of purpose when I get opportunities to witness to teammates, supporters and other people along my journey but I cannot lie and say that I know what is ahead for me.
So this is another factor in my lack of posts. Not a good one, but a tough one to swallow sometimes. But as I have learned in sport, there are days when you don't feel inspired, you feel beat down and hopeless, and in order to get to the other side, to reach your goal you have to rise above. It is not just enough to go through the motions (although that is what happens often), but to put every ounce you have left into every stroke even if you are only able to work at 50% of your normal 100%.
This week was one like that and I did not always do the best job of rising above. There were days where I spent the energy I should have spent on the oar on thinking about how tired and sore I was. Did you know it takes the same amount of energy to do it right as to do it wrong? But for some reason we like doing it wrong more than right, especially when we are in the pit of despair, hurt and confusion. I am making it my focus in the next few weeks to change my thinking by ditching the self pity and taking on an attitude of strength, courage and that of Philippians 4:13; I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
Now, that I have written my motivating self talk for all to read I should probably fill you in on what I am up to and the direction I am headed now.
Upon arriving back in London, after 4 weeks of healing time for my 3rd rib fracture (3rd is a charm...?) I got back on the water. I spent a couple days in the single, easing into rowing again, and then made a big switch to sweep rowing (one oar in my hand). I spent a couple of weeks rowing in a couple of different boats and then this past week made a switch to the opposite side of sweep (there is Port and Starboard) to help fill in some gaps. I am happy to be versatile but it did become a little overwhelming for my body as I found out after I switched back into the single for the last few days. I survived and I will be in the 1x for the next week as we are racing in Welland next weekend for the Development regatta (Sat-Sun, not as important for me as it is for some of the younger ones but still good experience). I am not looking forward to the major ego hit this race will more than likely be, as I have not done much sculling lately and it does take time to reacquaint before going fast, but I will do my best, and it is always good to get a dose of reality sometimes right?
Our little group of 7 is training toward 2 European races; English Henley in London and the HollandBeker regatta in Amsterdam. We are looking forward to it, and hope to have a better idea of what we will be racing as the Olympic group completes their selection in the next week.
Deep down I know God can work a miracle and I could be at the Olympics, but I decided that I need to step back and let Him work the wonder and not me, so I concede to the non Olympic dream this year but I am praying that God will make it clear what the plan is for the next cycle. It is a big decision for Matt and I but we know God will answer prayer and tell me clearly whether to stay or go.
Keep praying, and believing the impossible can happen and in the end we believe that as we may worry about our future, we already know the important part, that this is not home, that our home lies in heaven with Christ. That is our future, and it looks pretty bright :)
Song for the week: Everything and Nothing by Matt Maher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yEMeRQs4tI
A while ago I think I mentioned (or so I had been thinking to mention) that sometimes it is hard to write a blog such as this and then have the dream you were gunning for, slowly fade away. I don't have to please everyone but human response is to think I have let someone down or disappointed those who have been praying and supporting me. My dream is not gone, I am just a little confused over the game plan for my life in rowing. I see glimpses of purpose when I get opportunities to witness to teammates, supporters and other people along my journey but I cannot lie and say that I know what is ahead for me.
So this is another factor in my lack of posts. Not a good one, but a tough one to swallow sometimes. But as I have learned in sport, there are days when you don't feel inspired, you feel beat down and hopeless, and in order to get to the other side, to reach your goal you have to rise above. It is not just enough to go through the motions (although that is what happens often), but to put every ounce you have left into every stroke even if you are only able to work at 50% of your normal 100%.
This week was one like that and I did not always do the best job of rising above. There were days where I spent the energy I should have spent on the oar on thinking about how tired and sore I was. Did you know it takes the same amount of energy to do it right as to do it wrong? But for some reason we like doing it wrong more than right, especially when we are in the pit of despair, hurt and confusion. I am making it my focus in the next few weeks to change my thinking by ditching the self pity and taking on an attitude of strength, courage and that of Philippians 4:13; I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
Now, that I have written my motivating self talk for all to read I should probably fill you in on what I am up to and the direction I am headed now.
Upon arriving back in London, after 4 weeks of healing time for my 3rd rib fracture (3rd is a charm...?) I got back on the water. I spent a couple days in the single, easing into rowing again, and then made a big switch to sweep rowing (one oar in my hand). I spent a couple of weeks rowing in a couple of different boats and then this past week made a switch to the opposite side of sweep (there is Port and Starboard) to help fill in some gaps. I am happy to be versatile but it did become a little overwhelming for my body as I found out after I switched back into the single for the last few days. I survived and I will be in the 1x for the next week as we are racing in Welland next weekend for the Development regatta (Sat-Sun, not as important for me as it is for some of the younger ones but still good experience). I am not looking forward to the major ego hit this race will more than likely be, as I have not done much sculling lately and it does take time to reacquaint before going fast, but I will do my best, and it is always good to get a dose of reality sometimes right?
Our little group of 7 is training toward 2 European races; English Henley in London and the HollandBeker regatta in Amsterdam. We are looking forward to it, and hope to have a better idea of what we will be racing as the Olympic group completes their selection in the next week.
Deep down I know God can work a miracle and I could be at the Olympics, but I decided that I need to step back and let Him work the wonder and not me, so I concede to the non Olympic dream this year but I am praying that God will make it clear what the plan is for the next cycle. It is a big decision for Matt and I but we know God will answer prayer and tell me clearly whether to stay or go.
Keep praying, and believing the impossible can happen and in the end we believe that as we may worry about our future, we already know the important part, that this is not home, that our home lies in heaven with Christ. That is our future, and it looks pretty bright :)
Song for the week: Everything and Nothing by Matt Maher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yEMeRQs4tI
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The latest and greatest
Hello!
There is a lot of new news here but nothing too riveting.
As I posted a while back I went to a camp in Sacramento, which was a great experience overall despite challenging my mental confidence I came away stronger... oh well besides that impending rib fracture thing...
In the last day or so of camp it would turn out that I caused another rib stress fracture but on my left side instead of my usual right. Fortunately after only a couple of days I decided to pull myself from the water and start trying to get a handle on the pain and inflammation.
From that point forward I have been off the water (now 2 weeks) and my life or rather my rowing life has been flipped upside down once again. With 2 more weeks minimum of recovery I was not invited, despite my best efforts to the last Sacramento camp happening as we speak, and I am on my way back to London to join my old group for non Olympic events for the year. My dream remains the same as I get myself back to full health using the bike, and running as my workouts.
Yesterday I left Victoria, with some sadness, to our home in Oregon where I will spend a few days and work my way back to Ontario with my husband from there.
I am still looking forward what lies ahead, and despite the changes I am always reminded that God has things under control... not me.
There is a lot of new news here but nothing too riveting.
As I posted a while back I went to a camp in Sacramento, which was a great experience overall despite challenging my mental confidence I came away stronger... oh well besides that impending rib fracture thing...
In the last day or so of camp it would turn out that I caused another rib stress fracture but on my left side instead of my usual right. Fortunately after only a couple of days I decided to pull myself from the water and start trying to get a handle on the pain and inflammation.
From that point forward I have been off the water (now 2 weeks) and my life or rather my rowing life has been flipped upside down once again. With 2 more weeks minimum of recovery I was not invited, despite my best efforts to the last Sacramento camp happening as we speak, and I am on my way back to London to join my old group for non Olympic events for the year. My dream remains the same as I get myself back to full health using the bike, and running as my workouts.
Yesterday I left Victoria, with some sadness, to our home in Oregon where I will spend a few days and work my way back to Ontario with my husband from there.
I am still looking forward what lies ahead, and despite the changes I am always reminded that God has things under control... not me.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Hope in the Lord, He will renew strength
It is hard to keep my head on straight when I am fatigued, feeling a time crunch and comparing myself to others who in the end I will be faster than.be
Camp is going well, I am learning a lot from my new 2x partner (temporary as HE is male haha). He is a multiple time world and Olympic champ and has so much great experience and way of explaining things that makes sense. We have made some great changes in our boat and I am feeling like I should be stronger for it. The catch comes when I get in the 1x. I feel slow (and comparatively am) and have not been able to transition the technical changes from the 2x to the 1x completely...yet. The most difficult part is the time crunch that is present but I keep imposing more on myself than necessary.
I am tired, my body is on the edge but I also know that good things can happen with patience. God continues to be good to me and gives me strength when I need it most and I will continue to trust His plan for me. What I need to do is start fighting against the powers of negative suggestion, spiritual battering and discouragement that comes through my own thoughts but most likely egged on my Satan.
Most of you reading probably know me well enough to laugh at my constant battle of feeling fast enough or good enough. I do realize how silly it sounds when other times I am so sure of the next step but it still does not change the feeling of being in a pit of frustration and discouragement.
On a more positive note, I have been encouraged during a challenging piece by Isaiah 40:28-31;
I just kept repeating the last part in my head as we crossed the line and I know Jesus reminds me in small things of His power and might. I would encourage you to look closely at the entire chapter of Isaiah 40. I just read over the whole thing again and man does it speak volumes to a people who were wandering the desert for YEARS! An 8 day trip that was prolonged simply because they could not leave their lives to God's keeping. I don't want to wander for years I want to stay focused and trust in God, not looking to the left or the right.
Despite my struggle I feel that I am going to come out the other side faster; this is a time of breaking down then building back up stronger than before. Patience, trust and courage are the keys to making it back on top.
Prayer requests:
- Injury - I have been holding up ok but having some rib issues that are manageable right now but hope to clear it right up!
- Sleep! I am not really sleeping well and most certainly need it.
- I need to keep focused and free from Satan's grasp. I want people to notice something different about me, so they will start to think twice about who leads their life.
- Continued safety and recovery for all the athletes and discernment for the coaches and staff.
I thank God for my supporters, the ones I know and don't. On hard days I can hear individuals cheering me on and reminding me of what I have set out to do.
Live, boldly, hold open your hands and raise them high!
Camp is going well, I am learning a lot from my new 2x partner (temporary as HE is male haha). He is a multiple time world and Olympic champ and has so much great experience and way of explaining things that makes sense. We have made some great changes in our boat and I am feeling like I should be stronger for it. The catch comes when I get in the 1x. I feel slow (and comparatively am) and have not been able to transition the technical changes from the 2x to the 1x completely...yet. The most difficult part is the time crunch that is present but I keep imposing more on myself than necessary.
I am tired, my body is on the edge but I also know that good things can happen with patience. God continues to be good to me and gives me strength when I need it most and I will continue to trust His plan for me. What I need to do is start fighting against the powers of negative suggestion, spiritual battering and discouragement that comes through my own thoughts but most likely egged on my Satan.
Most of you reading probably know me well enough to laugh at my constant battle of feeling fast enough or good enough. I do realize how silly it sounds when other times I am so sure of the next step but it still does not change the feeling of being in a pit of frustration and discouragement.
On a more positive note, I have been encouraged during a challenging piece by Isaiah 40:28-31;
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and His understanding no one can fathom.
Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall;
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; They will run and not grow weary; The will walk and not grow faint.I just kept repeating the last part in my head as we crossed the line and I know Jesus reminds me in small things of His power and might. I would encourage you to look closely at the entire chapter of Isaiah 40. I just read over the whole thing again and man does it speak volumes to a people who were wandering the desert for YEARS! An 8 day trip that was prolonged simply because they could not leave their lives to God's keeping. I don't want to wander for years I want to stay focused and trust in God, not looking to the left or the right.
Despite my struggle I feel that I am going to come out the other side faster; this is a time of breaking down then building back up stronger than before. Patience, trust and courage are the keys to making it back on top.
Prayer requests:
- Injury - I have been holding up ok but having some rib issues that are manageable right now but hope to clear it right up!
- Sleep! I am not really sleeping well and most certainly need it.
- I need to keep focused and free from Satan's grasp. I want people to notice something different about me, so they will start to think twice about who leads their life.
- Continued safety and recovery for all the athletes and discernment for the coaches and staff.
I thank God for my supporters, the ones I know and don't. On hard days I can hear individuals cheering me on and reminding me of what I have set out to do.
Live, boldly, hold open your hands and raise them high!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Week 1 of Sacramento Camp
After having 2 cars broken into on a lunch stop on our way to our training venue, one including a smashed in window leaving 3 athletes with no computers or other personal belongings including 2 passports, we arrived in Rancho Cordova CA for our 2 week long training camp. Not always the best way to start a camp but fortunately no one was hurt and I won't lie that I was praising God that my bright pink bag sitting with 2 of the bags that were taken (which contained a jackpot of electronics might I add) did not even get touched. I guess have an obnoxious coloured bag is a good thing.
So after the drama we eventually arrived to meet the rest of the team for rigging at the course. It is really neat being back at a course I rowed in University for the NCAA championships 2 years in a row. It is a course that I won the NCAA champion title in the 4+ (coxed four) but also a course where we struggled as a team. It is a beautiful course and has a 7k stretch of water that we can row which is great for training but very fatiguing after being repeat multiple times a day.
My lightweight 2x partner found out before leaving Canada that she had a rib fracture so she is here with us but training on the bike path with a sweet road bike. This meant bringing another boat so that I could partner with one of the men. My new partner is extremely experienced in sculling and sweep and has multiple accolades. This is great for me as he is able to give me some fantastic feedback that I understand and can put into practice. Some words make sense and others make sense and also evoke a physical response, and he has the ability to get the sight, sound and feel all in one word.
I also have my single here but I will probably spend a few more days in a larger boat until I figure out the course and get acquainted with the way things go here. The men get a little verbal and do not mind pushing for their space, so learning to push right back, minus the vocality (or so I try) is important.
All in all I am excited about the results of this week. It is going to be fatiguing and I know I will have to be cautious of injury. Please be praying for our safety here, injury free rowing, and good gains as we approach selection.
Have a wonderful weekend, get out and enjoy some form of exercise. And when you don't feel like it just think of all of us here training to exhaustion, then a little walk will seem like nothing :)
So after the drama we eventually arrived to meet the rest of the team for rigging at the course. It is really neat being back at a course I rowed in University for the NCAA championships 2 years in a row. It is a course that I won the NCAA champion title in the 4+ (coxed four) but also a course where we struggled as a team. It is a beautiful course and has a 7k stretch of water that we can row which is great for training but very fatiguing after being repeat multiple times a day.
My lightweight 2x partner found out before leaving Canada that she had a rib fracture so she is here with us but training on the bike path with a sweet road bike. This meant bringing another boat so that I could partner with one of the men. My new partner is extremely experienced in sculling and sweep and has multiple accolades. This is great for me as he is able to give me some fantastic feedback that I understand and can put into practice. Some words make sense and others make sense and also evoke a physical response, and he has the ability to get the sight, sound and feel all in one word.
I also have my single here but I will probably spend a few more days in a larger boat until I figure out the course and get acquainted with the way things go here. The men get a little verbal and do not mind pushing for their space, so learning to push right back, minus the vocality (or so I try) is important.
All in all I am excited about the results of this week. It is going to be fatiguing and I know I will have to be cautious of injury. Please be praying for our safety here, injury free rowing, and good gains as we approach selection.
Have a wonderful weekend, get out and enjoy some form of exercise. And when you don't feel like it just think of all of us here training to exhaustion, then a little walk will seem like nothing :)
Monday, February 13, 2012
Testing complete, now to prepare for the hurt of camp
Hello!
I was about to go to bed and was not quite tired so thought this would be a good time to write of my latest adventures.
This past week included a bundle of wonderful testing in a 24 hr period starting Tues afternoon and ending Wed morning. After the previous week where I had never been so fatigued physically and mentally I was not sure how I was going to recover in time for testing. Truth be told, I don't think I did completely, but everyone was in a similar boat.
Tuesday morning I woke up, did a warm up paddle on the water then headed home to wait for the first test; a 6k erg (rowing machine) test. I was confident from the previous evening workout that I could crush the erg but as I started to warm up I realized that somewhere in the last 12 hrs my body had a whole new set of fatigue set in. I did my best to wrap my mind around it and set out to reach my goal of sub 22'.
After some mental struggle due to the physical fatigue I came out the end of the piece at 21:57. I was disappointed that I could not do what the night before had indicated but I was not upset with the sub 22. It was after all what I set out to do.
I walked away and prepared my body for the next morning's first test, 2 times 2km in my 1x on the water. I hopped into an epsom salt bath after a good meal with my adopted family here and headed to bed relatively early.
Wednesday morning I woke up to my usual routine and headed to the lake. As I set out on the water I had to remind myself to take it one piece at a time and to stay relaxed. I don't know that I was too successful at that but it is a work in progress. It was not easy rowing but I was glad to have the wind calm for us briefly so we could get down the course with less extraneous challenges. I felt good overall with my pieces, although they were not too fast I know I put what I could into them for the moment.
Next step and last test was the same work but in the 2x (double) with my lightweight partner. These were not fantastic pieces especially after the hurt of the last 2 tests but we made things work best we could with little time we have been rowing together.
At the end of the day I had learned more about my speed, strengths, weaknesses, and competitors (teammates). Even in some disappointment you can find valuable information if you are willing to accept the kick in the shin or punch in the face. That said the coaches seemed to be pleased for now and continue to encourage me to push ahead and work away.
I have noticed I have a lot more up and down days. Some days and even hours of the day I am confident in my future here, and others I am unsure. However, at the end of the day positivity and that gut feeling win over and I lift my heart, head and hands up and say "I know you've got things covered God, just help me do what I need to along the way".
Oh one last note, today in church we were talking about the story of the rich man who asked Jesus what he had to do to get into the kingdom of heaven and the idea of Christians thinking they are above others came up. The pastor made an interesting point, to be hold is to be set apart, not set above. When I think about my journey and the destination, wherever that may be, I want to be set apart. As you may recall a few posts back talked about this. God wants us to be set apart from the rest of the world, to look, sound, be different than the worldly norm. At the end of my life I would rather be known for being set apart than to be part of the crowd.
I challenge you to think about it this week, and think about areas in your life where you can stand out and have more faith that God is there. Dreams happen and miracles happen but it takes stepping out of the status quo and comfort of our own plans to bring them to life in their full!
Continued prayer for health, healing, injury prevention and mental preservation is greatly appreciated. I have a rough road ahead but the reward for myself but first and foremost, God's kingdom is unimaginable. I believe.
I was about to go to bed and was not quite tired so thought this would be a good time to write of my latest adventures.
This past week included a bundle of wonderful testing in a 24 hr period starting Tues afternoon and ending Wed morning. After the previous week where I had never been so fatigued physically and mentally I was not sure how I was going to recover in time for testing. Truth be told, I don't think I did completely, but everyone was in a similar boat.
Tuesday morning I woke up, did a warm up paddle on the water then headed home to wait for the first test; a 6k erg (rowing machine) test. I was confident from the previous evening workout that I could crush the erg but as I started to warm up I realized that somewhere in the last 12 hrs my body had a whole new set of fatigue set in. I did my best to wrap my mind around it and set out to reach my goal of sub 22'.
After some mental struggle due to the physical fatigue I came out the end of the piece at 21:57. I was disappointed that I could not do what the night before had indicated but I was not upset with the sub 22. It was after all what I set out to do.
I walked away and prepared my body for the next morning's first test, 2 times 2km in my 1x on the water. I hopped into an epsom salt bath after a good meal with my adopted family here and headed to bed relatively early.
Wednesday morning I woke up to my usual routine and headed to the lake. As I set out on the water I had to remind myself to take it one piece at a time and to stay relaxed. I don't know that I was too successful at that but it is a work in progress. It was not easy rowing but I was glad to have the wind calm for us briefly so we could get down the course with less extraneous challenges. I felt good overall with my pieces, although they were not too fast I know I put what I could into them for the moment.
Next step and last test was the same work but in the 2x (double) with my lightweight partner. These were not fantastic pieces especially after the hurt of the last 2 tests but we made things work best we could with little time we have been rowing together.
At the end of the day I had learned more about my speed, strengths, weaknesses, and competitors (teammates). Even in some disappointment you can find valuable information if you are willing to accept the kick in the shin or punch in the face. That said the coaches seemed to be pleased for now and continue to encourage me to push ahead and work away.
I have noticed I have a lot more up and down days. Some days and even hours of the day I am confident in my future here, and others I am unsure. However, at the end of the day positivity and that gut feeling win over and I lift my heart, head and hands up and say "I know you've got things covered God, just help me do what I need to along the way".
Oh one last note, today in church we were talking about the story of the rich man who asked Jesus what he had to do to get into the kingdom of heaven and the idea of Christians thinking they are above others came up. The pastor made an interesting point, to be hold is to be set apart, not set above. When I think about my journey and the destination, wherever that may be, I want to be set apart. As you may recall a few posts back talked about this. God wants us to be set apart from the rest of the world, to look, sound, be different than the worldly norm. At the end of my life I would rather be known for being set apart than to be part of the crowd.
I challenge you to think about it this week, and think about areas in your life where you can stand out and have more faith that God is there. Dreams happen and miracles happen but it takes stepping out of the status quo and comfort of our own plans to bring them to life in their full!
Continued prayer for health, healing, injury prevention and mental preservation is greatly appreciated. I have a rough road ahead but the reward for myself but first and foremost, God's kingdom is unimaginable. I believe.
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