Ok, Ok, so I am a little off track for my weekly updates. My excuse; travel, family and getting back into the swing of training.
I finished up my time at home in OR a couple of weeks ago and spent some time with my family at my childhood home. As I mentioned in a previous post my mom had surgery and is now in a rehab hospital to regain what she can of her walking and general function for daily use. It is a slow process but she is making progress daily. It is so hard to see her struggle, and in some ways harder to see my dad struggle with his emotions and feeling about the whole ordeal. He has a whole new responsibility and I think he wonders how he is to succeed. I know he will be just fine, and he would be even better if he just let God take over of all the past, present and the future. I know he wants to but I think he believes he is not worthy of it (who is? But God WANTS to give us freedom from worry). Anyhoo, I won't talk more about that. I have to daily give my concerns and worry to God so dad is certainly not alone.
One great improvement was having my mom at a family wedding reception for a few hours. She looked great, like herself and besides getting pretty worn out she enjoyed herself and recovered well.
So what next? Well, I am back in the training environment after having trained alone in OR for the past few months. It is a whole different atmosphere now that the new quadrennial has begun. Many of the Olympic women have moved on, and some others are either taking a breather, or finishing school. I have realized even in the first few days of being back that I have to set some goals. The past year or so was pretty simple; make it to the Olympics. Now that we are past that I have to start with the next Olympics as my end goal but there are 4 years prior to cover and in those I need good solid goals for each year, and even throughout each year. I am already working on eating better, which is easier when I cook for myself and it is only me. Somehow I reason bad choices when at home. And my next two rowing goals are Head of the Charles in Boston in which I will be racing the Championship 2x with my partner from World Championships in 2011, and of course there is Canadian Rowing Championships in November where I race the 1x again to defend my title. These are not easy tasks but I will train hard and work to be the best I can be and leave the rest to God to pan out.
If I can ask for prayer yet again please pray;
- for a better sense of my limits as to prevent injury
- healing of current muscle problem in the rib/shoulder area
- My mom of course and her local support system, namely my dad and sister.
- Courage and a listening ear to Christ as I continue on my rowing journey. I want to do the right things and I don't want to waste time on the wrong things.
- My incredibly understanding husband.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Faith that moves Mountains
After my last post I realized, I was quite non-commital in my desire to be healthier. The funny thing is, almost immediately I started to cut the "extras" and eat with veggies on the mind. I cannot say I followed that all week but overall this week has been an improvement from the last. Along with this my hours of training have gone up a bit and I have been more committed to getting ever last minute out of my workouts. This week I will aim to step up the intensity slightly on selected workouts as to stretch my heart rate limits. I return home to Ontario in a week and that is where I will begin to be more serious about my food choices and start posting more on this blog to keep myself accountable!
On other and more important news, my mom is doing well and on her way to recovery. As I was laying in bed the other night writing in my mental gratitude journal I thanked Jesus for his healing hands on my mom and in that moment I saw clearly how our attitude toward prayer and Christ's healing power plays a major part in our ability to see the outcome of his Grace.
Let me explain. I have heard before that we can ask God for anything and He will answer, and I believe that. I also have heard that we need to pray for the right thing (seems kind of vague doesn't it). I have also learned how to do this, and sometimes by trial and error. But what I have been thinking on lately, even before my mom had more difficulties is that we need to pray, in my words, without looking back. That is we need to pray and BELIEVE that God is able to do what it is we are asking. Once we ask we need to let it go and trust it to God. Yes we should continue to pray that He do His will and that he heal, but not because we think He did not hear us the first time.
I found an article written by Roderick Meredith, that talks about prayer in 12 "keys". It does a pretty good job of laying out the whole picture of prayer as I have started to learn it (article: 12 Keys to Answered Prayer). In the latest with my mom I struggled for at least a week, worrying and trying to give it over to Jesus to deal with but was not successful. I am not sure exactly what happened to change this but one day I decided that I had not been praying with faith. I know God is capable but I did not pray that way. It was almost like clamoring up a hill with loose rock just trying to reach the top instead of taking the rope that had been dropped right next to me. When I decided to take whole of that rope it was amazing the relief and it was astounding how things improved. I do not think that my prayer is the only one that God listens to, especially when I know people across the world have been praying for our family (and thank you we are a blessed family) but one chink in the armor can cause it to fail right?
This got me to thinking about miracles. I wonder if more miracles would happen today if we believed better and had faith that made people turn their heads, faith to move mountains perhaps?
My mom is doing very well, and has moved now to a rehabilitation hospital where she is learning to work with her new hip. It looks like she has about 6 weeks until she can return home! I am excited to see her and talk to her about her progress. God will continue to bless her and mend her body, and I have faith that her lungs will be healed also.
Wow, I started this post today thinking I had little to say but here I am with even more thoughts to share. To close out I want to say how proud I am of my mom. I don't know what it was but at some point during her time of crisis she made a decision that she was not done with fighting with her body. She is an amazingly strong woman in faith and fight. It was after this decision that I started to see big changes in her progress, both mentally and physically, and to God we must be grateful for giving her that character. I don't get my ability to push myself in sport from nowhere. My dad has lots of athletic talent, but my mom holds some personality traits that also come into play and I am proud to share those with her. And on the topic of family, my sister has also shown the same fight and persistence in life in her battle with weight loss. She is doing such an amazing job despite a lifetime of disliking sport she has found a love and desire to make a change. I am so incredibly proud of her and I am realizing as I type that God might be teaching me something through both of them
Both of these women in my life are great examples of surrendering fear, failures, worry and a host of other things for the grace of God and his great plan for life. I am learning more from them every day.
As I approach the start of a new training cycle I am tentative, I am scared and I find myself trying to create "plan B, C" etc, but guess what God has told me time and again that the only plan is His plan and I should simply go with that. So, day by day I walk toward an end I am not sure, but in the end I can be sure that God's true Will is there.
On other and more important news, my mom is doing well and on her way to recovery. As I was laying in bed the other night writing in my mental gratitude journal I thanked Jesus for his healing hands on my mom and in that moment I saw clearly how our attitude toward prayer and Christ's healing power plays a major part in our ability to see the outcome of his Grace.
Let me explain. I have heard before that we can ask God for anything and He will answer, and I believe that. I also have heard that we need to pray for the right thing (seems kind of vague doesn't it). I have also learned how to do this, and sometimes by trial and error. But what I have been thinking on lately, even before my mom had more difficulties is that we need to pray, in my words, without looking back. That is we need to pray and BELIEVE that God is able to do what it is we are asking. Once we ask we need to let it go and trust it to God. Yes we should continue to pray that He do His will and that he heal, but not because we think He did not hear us the first time.
I found an article written by Roderick Meredith, that talks about prayer in 12 "keys". It does a pretty good job of laying out the whole picture of prayer as I have started to learn it (article: 12 Keys to Answered Prayer). In the latest with my mom I struggled for at least a week, worrying and trying to give it over to Jesus to deal with but was not successful. I am not sure exactly what happened to change this but one day I decided that I had not been praying with faith. I know God is capable but I did not pray that way. It was almost like clamoring up a hill with loose rock just trying to reach the top instead of taking the rope that had been dropped right next to me. When I decided to take whole of that rope it was amazing the relief and it was astounding how things improved. I do not think that my prayer is the only one that God listens to, especially when I know people across the world have been praying for our family (and thank you we are a blessed family) but one chink in the armor can cause it to fail right?
This got me to thinking about miracles. I wonder if more miracles would happen today if we believed better and had faith that made people turn their heads, faith to move mountains perhaps?
My mom is doing very well, and has moved now to a rehabilitation hospital where she is learning to work with her new hip. It looks like she has about 6 weeks until she can return home! I am excited to see her and talk to her about her progress. God will continue to bless her and mend her body, and I have faith that her lungs will be healed also.
Wow, I started this post today thinking I had little to say but here I am with even more thoughts to share. To close out I want to say how proud I am of my mom. I don't know what it was but at some point during her time of crisis she made a decision that she was not done with fighting with her body. She is an amazingly strong woman in faith and fight. It was after this decision that I started to see big changes in her progress, both mentally and physically, and to God we must be grateful for giving her that character. I don't get my ability to push myself in sport from nowhere. My dad has lots of athletic talent, but my mom holds some personality traits that also come into play and I am proud to share those with her. And on the topic of family, my sister has also shown the same fight and persistence in life in her battle with weight loss. She is doing such an amazing job despite a lifetime of disliking sport she has found a love and desire to make a change. I am so incredibly proud of her and I am realizing as I type that God might be teaching me something through both of them
Both of these women in my life are great examples of surrendering fear, failures, worry and a host of other things for the grace of God and his great plan for life. I am learning more from them every day.
As I approach the start of a new training cycle I am tentative, I am scared and I find myself trying to create "plan B, C" etc, but guess what God has told me time and again that the only plan is His plan and I should simply go with that. So, day by day I walk toward an end I am not sure, but in the end I can be sure that God's true Will is there.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
A New Day and a healthier me
Finally finished. This testing week has gone on long enough and I finally completed testing Saturday with a personal best for the 2 km piece. I was on my own as my husband went camping with his brothers but I managed to pull out a good test with a little (lot) Jesus on my side :)
The testing overall was not great and I have a long way to go to reach the points I need for increased funding, but I have no choice, and have decided to let God figure that one out. I probably could have done better if I had decided that before testing began but I was holding so tightly to it and trying to control it that I missed that boat. I don't know what the plan is but I am going to go back to basics; Just work hard and be smart, seems simple enough!
Now that a new training season has begun (when did the last one end?) I have a new goal. I am having a hard time typing it because as soon as this posts I am then committed to something I am not sure I want completely...
In the last month or so I have struggled with seeing my body as being fit for a National team. Sure I am getting stronger and making some gains but I also see a lot of extra stuff that can hold me back. Every little pound counts and although I don't feel I am overweight, I am not my HEALTHIEST. This is more what I am concerned about, eating healthy to give my body the right fuel to do its best. If I eat right the rest will follow.
I think some of my realization also came around during the Olympics when I watched several athletes talk about their journey and see where they were at. And even more so there was an add for something (not a great AD since I cannot remember what it was for) featuring athletes saying things like "I have not had dessert in over a year". Matt was sitting nearby when I was like "Ya right!" "There is no way an athlete does not eat dessert, unless you are a lightweight, or gymnast." Matt immediately responded, "A lot of athletes don't eat junk, I think you guys [rowers] are a little different". Matt has spent much of his time in running, triathlon and cycling, and I do not doubt the lack of sweets in that diet but it still seems impossible to cut it all out! After thinking upon it I started to feel a little frustrated and annoyed at myself for not having better self control. If it is nearby I HAVE to eat it (or rather it feels that way), just as my sister, I am always raiding their sweets stash. It is a constant battle and although I know some of it is unwarranted pressure on myself, I do see the value in being healthy and saying no to my cravings. I know how to eat better, I have done it before, it just takes time and BIG time self control.
So what is my goal you ask? To become a healthier, leaner me that I can be happy with. I don't want to wonder if I could have done something better if I had just avoided the ice cream.
My younger sister has recently started her journey to a better more healthy self, along with her husband. They are doing great and so I hope that maybe she and I can work together on this along with all of you!
The Game Plan:
- My first week will be a "detox" week. Don't worry I am not into the weird and unhealthy cabbage detox or anything. My method is guided a little by a book I read a while back and means eating unlimited veggies (non starch), protein, and limited wheat and grains such as bread. There is no room for sugar of any kind outside of limited fruit, even gum is out. My allotment of these will be greater than some because of my exercise regime but the basic principles remain. Oh I will have some sugar as my recovery drink has some simple sugar so that is hard to avoid.
- In order to help stay on track I am going to be writing out everything that I put in my mouth including vitamins and medications.
- I hope to post at least one example a week of my day, exercise, food and perhaps even some recipes. This way I have support and I am accountable to my food choices.
I am not sure exactly when I am going to start this. I should start today but I don't know that I am ready. Sometimes it is good to just do it, no time like the present, however, because of the place I am in right now I think it is best to wait a bit longer. I will let you know when I begin. I challenge you to take up the same kind of healthy regime, post your goals and progress in the comments of my posts. I am here for you as much as you have been here for me!
The testing overall was not great and I have a long way to go to reach the points I need for increased funding, but I have no choice, and have decided to let God figure that one out. I probably could have done better if I had decided that before testing began but I was holding so tightly to it and trying to control it that I missed that boat. I don't know what the plan is but I am going to go back to basics; Just work hard and be smart, seems simple enough!
Now that a new training season has begun (when did the last one end?) I have a new goal. I am having a hard time typing it because as soon as this posts I am then committed to something I am not sure I want completely...
In the last month or so I have struggled with seeing my body as being fit for a National team. Sure I am getting stronger and making some gains but I also see a lot of extra stuff that can hold me back. Every little pound counts and although I don't feel I am overweight, I am not my HEALTHIEST. This is more what I am concerned about, eating healthy to give my body the right fuel to do its best. If I eat right the rest will follow.
I think some of my realization also came around during the Olympics when I watched several athletes talk about their journey and see where they were at. And even more so there was an add for something (not a great AD since I cannot remember what it was for) featuring athletes saying things like "I have not had dessert in over a year". Matt was sitting nearby when I was like "Ya right!" "There is no way an athlete does not eat dessert, unless you are a lightweight, or gymnast." Matt immediately responded, "A lot of athletes don't eat junk, I think you guys [rowers] are a little different". Matt has spent much of his time in running, triathlon and cycling, and I do not doubt the lack of sweets in that diet but it still seems impossible to cut it all out! After thinking upon it I started to feel a little frustrated and annoyed at myself for not having better self control. If it is nearby I HAVE to eat it (or rather it feels that way), just as my sister, I am always raiding their sweets stash. It is a constant battle and although I know some of it is unwarranted pressure on myself, I do see the value in being healthy and saying no to my cravings. I know how to eat better, I have done it before, it just takes time and BIG time self control.
So what is my goal you ask? To become a healthier, leaner me that I can be happy with. I don't want to wonder if I could have done something better if I had just avoided the ice cream.
My younger sister has recently started her journey to a better more healthy self, along with her husband. They are doing great and so I hope that maybe she and I can work together on this along with all of you!
The Game Plan:
- My first week will be a "detox" week. Don't worry I am not into the weird and unhealthy cabbage detox or anything. My method is guided a little by a book I read a while back and means eating unlimited veggies (non starch), protein, and limited wheat and grains such as bread. There is no room for sugar of any kind outside of limited fruit, even gum is out. My allotment of these will be greater than some because of my exercise regime but the basic principles remain. Oh I will have some sugar as my recovery drink has some simple sugar so that is hard to avoid.
- In order to help stay on track I am going to be writing out everything that I put in my mouth including vitamins and medications.
- I hope to post at least one example a week of my day, exercise, food and perhaps even some recipes. This way I have support and I am accountable to my food choices.
I am not sure exactly when I am going to start this. I should start today but I don't know that I am ready. Sometimes it is good to just do it, no time like the present, however, because of the place I am in right now I think it is best to wait a bit longer. I will let you know when I begin. I challenge you to take up the same kind of healthy regime, post your goals and progress in the comments of my posts. I am here for you as much as you have been here for me!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
My hope is found in Christ alone
How long has it been? 1 month? Two? Whatever it is, I know I have probably lost any following with my inconsistency. That said, Matt, my husband has challenged me to write once a week, even if you write a few sentences. In my pursuit to increase my "media" presence over the next couple of years (granted all goes well with rowing) updating this more regularly may help me find more financial support or support with gear, and nutritional supplementation. I enjoy writing here, but often find it hard to think of something "worth" talking about, but I have to remind myself that life is not always eloquent or well thought out despite what we may sometimes think. Writing that I ate some good stuffed peppers for dinner, and that I can't wait until this week is over might just be interesting to someone.
So, what is new? As you can imagine there have been a lot of decisions my husband and I have made involving our future. With rowing turning out the way it did it was hard to walk away feeling like I had done all I could do. I may be holding onto something that is not realistic, but in making the decisions I felt like it was not over yet. That said, right now, during the heat of testing I think about packing it up and moving home (to Oregon). However, I know not to make decisions on a high or low as you tend to be swayed by emotion. The plan is to stick with it and take the next 4 years one at a time moving toward the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Speaking of the Olympics. Can I say that it was one of the hardest years to watch! The coverage was not really great with too much focus on only a handful of sports but my real issue was with being both excited for my team mates, and disappointed and frustrated, maybe even angry that I was not there. I don't know that I should have been there but it has been a tough cookie to swallow. I did get up in the wee hours to watch our women row an amazing race to silver, but the days leading to that were tough in my own workouts and still can be challenging, especially while on my own in OR until I return to the center in September.
This week we have our RADAR testing. For those who don't know it is the series of tests that help identify athletes from the intro level to the top elite. Each test gets designated points and certain levels give you certain financial benefits (or rather give you the opportunity). I have put a lot of pressure on myself to meet the next tier of financial aid, so that I am able to contribute more to our family budget as I tend to suck from it more than give. I know I am capable of what the tests require, however, it requires me to be on my game every test. I started the tests on Monday and had 2 successes and 2 not so great tests. I have to keep reminding myself that I have to take it a test at a time, that God has it in his hands and that whether I get increased funding or not He will provide. Perhaps I would be better off as a high dependent. Tomorrow I have the 6 km test and Saturday will complete the testing with a 2 km piece all on the rowing machine. Usually there would also be a water component but because I am away I am forfeiting those points this round. These last two tests I have felt good about, but I have to keep my mind in the game, as lately that is what is failing faster than my body. When it hurts, I have to push through the wall.
The underlying problem in all of this is my lack of fervor for Christ as of late. I have not lost faith, or my love, but I feel lethargic. I can only guess that it is a quiet time, and with all the stress in life lately I am sure I really do need to just be still and quiet. Maybe I need to listen more for His voice and talk less.
With all I have said above, let me not forget to say I have much to be grateful and joyful about. My mom who has had more than her share of health drama in the last 5 years, has added another event to her list. After a fall on the back patio, she broke her hip and has had a hip replacement. Unfortunately for her, a hip replacement goes from being routine to being high risk due to her medications and health history. It was a little scary for a bit but the Lord prevailed and she came out of surgery with a new hip and with only a few days of concerning issues she leveled out and I have chatted with her on the phone a couple of times. I know my mom has been fighting for a while and I know she is tired but she finds her strength in Christ alone. I want her to continue to see value in her fight and I can only pray that God gives her more energy than she knows what to do with. A miracle is possible and I have faith that it is in motion.
God is good. I know this. God is powerful. God should be feared. And God is on my side or rather I am on His.
(Photo is of my youngest Maple doing what she does best, snuggling, after my erg session)
So, what is new? As you can imagine there have been a lot of decisions my husband and I have made involving our future. With rowing turning out the way it did it was hard to walk away feeling like I had done all I could do. I may be holding onto something that is not realistic, but in making the decisions I felt like it was not over yet. That said, right now, during the heat of testing I think about packing it up and moving home (to Oregon). However, I know not to make decisions on a high or low as you tend to be swayed by emotion. The plan is to stick with it and take the next 4 years one at a time moving toward the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Speaking of the Olympics. Can I say that it was one of the hardest years to watch! The coverage was not really great with too much focus on only a handful of sports but my real issue was with being both excited for my team mates, and disappointed and frustrated, maybe even angry that I was not there. I don't know that I should have been there but it has been a tough cookie to swallow. I did get up in the wee hours to watch our women row an amazing race to silver, but the days leading to that were tough in my own workouts and still can be challenging, especially while on my own in OR until I return to the center in September.
This week we have our RADAR testing. For those who don't know it is the series of tests that help identify athletes from the intro level to the top elite. Each test gets designated points and certain levels give you certain financial benefits (or rather give you the opportunity). I have put a lot of pressure on myself to meet the next tier of financial aid, so that I am able to contribute more to our family budget as I tend to suck from it more than give. I know I am capable of what the tests require, however, it requires me to be on my game every test. I started the tests on Monday and had 2 successes and 2 not so great tests. I have to keep reminding myself that I have to take it a test at a time, that God has it in his hands and that whether I get increased funding or not He will provide. Perhaps I would be better off as a high dependent. Tomorrow I have the 6 km test and Saturday will complete the testing with a 2 km piece all on the rowing machine. Usually there would also be a water component but because I am away I am forfeiting those points this round. These last two tests I have felt good about, but I have to keep my mind in the game, as lately that is what is failing faster than my body. When it hurts, I have to push through the wall.
The underlying problem in all of this is my lack of fervor for Christ as of late. I have not lost faith, or my love, but I feel lethargic. I can only guess that it is a quiet time, and with all the stress in life lately I am sure I really do need to just be still and quiet. Maybe I need to listen more for His voice and talk less.
With all I have said above, let me not forget to say I have much to be grateful and joyful about. My mom who has had more than her share of health drama in the last 5 years, has added another event to her list. After a fall on the back patio, she broke her hip and has had a hip replacement. Unfortunately for her, a hip replacement goes from being routine to being high risk due to her medications and health history. It was a little scary for a bit but the Lord prevailed and she came out of surgery with a new hip and with only a few days of concerning issues she leveled out and I have chatted with her on the phone a couple of times. I know my mom has been fighting for a while and I know she is tired but she finds her strength in Christ alone. I want her to continue to see value in her fight and I can only pray that God gives her more energy than she knows what to do with. A miracle is possible and I have faith that it is in motion.
God is good. I know this. God is powerful. God should be feared. And God is on my side or rather I am on His.
(Photo is of my youngest Maple doing what she does best, snuggling, after my erg session)
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Victory is the Lord's
Whew! What a whirlwind few weeks!
If you have been following me at all through my family, facebook or wherever you know that I returned from Europe/UK last Monday after some amazing racing on Sunday to finish of the Royal Henley regatta! Since then I have been unpacking, repacking and visiting family and friends as well as reuniting with my very patient husband!
I realize I have no posted about my final race in Henley so here it goes!
Every evening after racing and before our next days race we meet together as a team for a meeting. It usually addresses our goals for the previous race and the execution of them, things to improve upon and other notable things. We then move onto the next days race where we discuss our goals for execution (usually 3 things), implementation of changes to race plan based on feedback of previous races and of course we briefly discuss our competition and possible course conditions.
I was pretty nervous but also excited about our race. We found out we were up against the German Olympic team which is a pretty neat opportunity, or so I thought and I won't lie, I am still out for blood to show myself, my rowing organization and the world that I AM world class and can even go from sculling to sweep in only a few months. I knew what we were capable of as a crew, and have never felt such a cohesive crew before. Little drama and lots of aggression. Our coach talks often about how we decide the outcome of a race long before the day of the race comes. It might be the night before or in my case when you start a training journey. What is important here is that if you don't decide before the even comes what happens is you are forced to decide in the heat of the moment, when things get tough and your brain is lacking the oxygen it needs to make the best decision. By deciding ahead you have already prepared your mind for those questions and will more easily be able to answer it with MORE instead of less. It is a good lesson for life, make the decision before you go out for dinner not to order fries but instead a salad, set your clothes out for a walk in the morning before getting in bed, or decide to make changes in your relationships, set out a clear plan before you go back to it.
To get back on topic, our post/pre meetings are to set us up for success and move us from one level on the ladder to the next.
Race day is always a fun day. I go between wanting to get over the nerves and the race to embracing every part of the day. If you are looking for success the latter is what you should always strive to do, but even the best athletes can tell you that sometimes you have to remind yourself to stay in the moment.
Our race was in the afternoon and so the morning was our usual pre-row followed by waiting... I am pretty sure we all were sick of waiting but again you find things to do, have a nap (albeit a short one), play some Words with Friends, surf the net, read etc before it is time to head down to the course.
The walk to the course was kind of fun. When you feel good about your training, and your abilities that walk is tall, confident and assured. And when you feel the presence of God with you, it is exciting. In typical fashion I had some chat with God on my walk and take a big breath where I think about breathing in His presence and Will and exhaling my own reservations, concerns and will.
On arrival to the course we typically put the boat down so our coach can wash it (while in his obligatory suit for riding in the umpire boat while we race) and then we sit, watch the hats walk by and on this day, the victories coming into the dock. It is a pretty neat scene. As we approach our launch time for on water warm up we do an erg, last minute bathroom breaks and bag check. After that it is hands on and on the water where we get our bodies more prepared for the impending pain.
The race was a euphoric one. At the start line I have learned that my best companion and bearer of all is Jesus. As funny as it sounds, He and I row hand in hand from stroke one. In this race we flew off the line and never looked back. As the pain settled in and the lactic acid started coursing through my body I was asked the question "how much more do you want? How much more can you take?" They are tough questions but every time they were asked I was able to answer "All of it!" and "MORE". A few time I even went as far as to put it back in God's court and say "If you (Jesus) were able to take the weight of the world, I think I am capable of a few minutes of physical pain", it is always possible with Him.
Our gap ahead of the German crew grew, not easily I might add but with determination and confidence, and at the end of the race we found ourselves to have tested our strength and will to the max.
I am blessed and I know that God is with me and with my husband on this journey. I don't always know why I am led to row and more so, be away from my husband but there is a plan. I believe that God is in everything we do, we just have to let Him SHINE! I am always at the brink of tears when I think of what joy I have in my sport and how blessed I am and all I can hope is that God is looking down with pleasure on what I do.
Our trip ended well, and I got home to Canada safely. Like I mentioned I am now with my husband visiting friends in Connecticut and we will head home to Oregon after some time with my family. I am excited about my summer, and excited to see what the rest of the year brings.
Thank you for constant prayer and love. Every uttered thought and word have been felt and answered.
Until next time!
If you have been following me at all through my family, facebook or wherever you know that I returned from Europe/UK last Monday after some amazing racing on Sunday to finish of the Royal Henley regatta! Since then I have been unpacking, repacking and visiting family and friends as well as reuniting with my very patient husband!
I realize I have no posted about my final race in Henley so here it goes!
Every evening after racing and before our next days race we meet together as a team for a meeting. It usually addresses our goals for the previous race and the execution of them, things to improve upon and other notable things. We then move onto the next days race where we discuss our goals for execution (usually 3 things), implementation of changes to race plan based on feedback of previous races and of course we briefly discuss our competition and possible course conditions.
I was pretty nervous but also excited about our race. We found out we were up against the German Olympic team which is a pretty neat opportunity, or so I thought and I won't lie, I am still out for blood to show myself, my rowing organization and the world that I AM world class and can even go from sculling to sweep in only a few months. I knew what we were capable of as a crew, and have never felt such a cohesive crew before. Little drama and lots of aggression. Our coach talks often about how we decide the outcome of a race long before the day of the race comes. It might be the night before or in my case when you start a training journey. What is important here is that if you don't decide before the even comes what happens is you are forced to decide in the heat of the moment, when things get tough and your brain is lacking the oxygen it needs to make the best decision. By deciding ahead you have already prepared your mind for those questions and will more easily be able to answer it with MORE instead of less. It is a good lesson for life, make the decision before you go out for dinner not to order fries but instead a salad, set your clothes out for a walk in the morning before getting in bed, or decide to make changes in your relationships, set out a clear plan before you go back to it.
To get back on topic, our post/pre meetings are to set us up for success and move us from one level on the ladder to the next.
Race day is always a fun day. I go between wanting to get over the nerves and the race to embracing every part of the day. If you are looking for success the latter is what you should always strive to do, but even the best athletes can tell you that sometimes you have to remind yourself to stay in the moment.
Our race was in the afternoon and so the morning was our usual pre-row followed by waiting... I am pretty sure we all were sick of waiting but again you find things to do, have a nap (albeit a short one), play some Words with Friends, surf the net, read etc before it is time to head down to the course.
The walk to the course was kind of fun. When you feel good about your training, and your abilities that walk is tall, confident and assured. And when you feel the presence of God with you, it is exciting. In typical fashion I had some chat with God on my walk and take a big breath where I think about breathing in His presence and Will and exhaling my own reservations, concerns and will.
On arrival to the course we typically put the boat down so our coach can wash it (while in his obligatory suit for riding in the umpire boat while we race) and then we sit, watch the hats walk by and on this day, the victories coming into the dock. It is a pretty neat scene. As we approach our launch time for on water warm up we do an erg, last minute bathroom breaks and bag check. After that it is hands on and on the water where we get our bodies more prepared for the impending pain.
The race was a euphoric one. At the start line I have learned that my best companion and bearer of all is Jesus. As funny as it sounds, He and I row hand in hand from stroke one. In this race we flew off the line and never looked back. As the pain settled in and the lactic acid started coursing through my body I was asked the question "how much more do you want? How much more can you take?" They are tough questions but every time they were asked I was able to answer "All of it!" and "MORE". A few time I even went as far as to put it back in God's court and say "If you (Jesus) were able to take the weight of the world, I think I am capable of a few minutes of physical pain", it is always possible with Him.
Our gap ahead of the German crew grew, not easily I might add but with determination and confidence, and at the end of the race we found ourselves to have tested our strength and will to the max.
I am blessed and I know that God is with me and with my husband on this journey. I don't always know why I am led to row and more so, be away from my husband but there is a plan. I believe that God is in everything we do, we just have to let Him SHINE! I am always at the brink of tears when I think of what joy I have in my sport and how blessed I am and all I can hope is that God is looking down with pleasure on what I do.
Our trip ended well, and I got home to Canada safely. Like I mentioned I am now with my husband visiting friends in Connecticut and we will head home to Oregon after some time with my family. I am excited about my summer, and excited to see what the rest of the year brings.
Thank you for constant prayer and love. Every uttered thought and word have been felt and answered.
Until next time!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Planned for God's Pleasure
It is no surprise that I have so much to write about and no way to get it all down cohesively. This is what I get for not updating earlier.
The Big Move
To those on facebook, it is no surprise that I have changed locations from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. We arrived in Henley on the Thames Saturday afternoon and have settled into our respective homes around town. We are all relatively close to one another and it would seem that our home stay families are friends or acquaintances. We each have our own bed (I was sharing with our cox for the last week in Holland), and share a room with one other team mate. The house is lovely and the family also.
It is about a 20 min walk each morning to the course for training and we either stay around have a snack then train again or on a day like today we walk home, rest and eat and return later.
The course is quite busy with both regatta traffic and leisure boat traffic. It is a whole different beast for coxwains to navigate, even though it is a straight course; course is lined with just above water cement barriers, weaving traffic, large boats coming toward you, a strong current due to lots of rain etc. We manage and have settled into the hub bub downtown on and off the water.
For those who do not know this race it is quite the ordeal. It is based on the similar idea of horse racing. All races are dual style, so only 2 at a time head to head. There is not the same cheering in the grand stands as the people are dressed with their blazers, dresses and hats and often are busy drinking their beverage of choice or enjoying lunch sandwiches. However, there is betting that occurs, which we discovered after being made to weigh in on our first morning. I suppose they think this might help people decide who the winners might be? The point is racing is quite different here as is the atmosphere, but it is a sight to behold. Our first race is Friday against France. From there the winner progresses and the loser is done racing. There are two brackets and so we won't see anyone from the other side until we progress. There are a handful of potentially good crews such as ourselves so racing should be exciting.
The Queen's visit
One big event I experienced yesterday was the arrival of the Queen by boat on the Thames. As a part of the Diamond Jubilee she is touring around London. There was a river pageant put on to entertain and display the history of the river and we all got to watch as the Queen smiled as she took in the sites. Those of us watching her gave a few "Hip hips!" as she arrived. It was quite the affair.
(She is the one seated in blue, next to her lady in waiting.)
Giving God my Attention
In the last few weeks, a lot has happened, and in that I have learned how to overcome some of my pride, control and the importance of recognizing the little chinks in my armor that Satan will use to bring me down. The last bit in Holland as I think I wrote, was difficult, with injuries, and boat seating changes and just taking what the coach was saying as valuable. Much of my problem came from pride of which I am learning how to lay down. As I began to lay that down, God was able to continue his work in me, and what do you know he presented things before me again that I had been holding onto as important but for the wrong reasons. What is comes down to for me is, God does not have my attention, focus, or affection (amongst other things) unless I GIVE IT TO HIM.
I cannot take complete credit for the thought as I heard it first in a sermon from my London church (Gateway)but it hit home. The series is entitled "A Life of Purpose" and covers many aspects of how we can do that and ultimately how God has created us for a specific purpose.
To go back to the point on us giving our attention to God, I realized that it was a different way of thinking of God as our center. Jesus is always there, always watching, waiting and ready for me to look His way. Does not take much but the return is immense. Taking a few mins or longer to give God my attention needs to be my constant focus, and I am working to do this through the day. When rowing is difficult or things are going well, I give a little "thank you" or "please give me courage", inviting Christ to take a lead, and therefore I take the following role. This brings me to another point, again from this sermon series and that is, it does not matter WHAT you do but WHO you do it for.
In the time I have started rowing again I have realized that often things start going awry when I forget to give God my attention but also forget that all I do should be a gift to God. My abilities and gifts should be used not only to fulfill the great commandment but also to worship Him. Winning does not always happen, and when it does the high more often than not fades and you can be left with a sinking feeling. When I hit the water for practice or a race I am confident knowing that God and I are on the same page, that I have asked him and talked to him about the day and what lie ahead. I do my best to remember to take the time to dedicate the outcome to God's glory.
God has a purpose for us all. It often comes through many hardships but small in comparison to sending your child to die for a world of undeserving humans. Our purpose comes with our talents and gifts, and our gift to God is our hands open, giving God the attention and affection He deserves.
As I prepare to race on Friday in our first dual, I want and am able to say that God is there with me, hauling on the oar and helping me set a pace for the rest of the team. If every stroke is done with purpose and meaning I can rest assured that I have more than two hands on my oar and at the end of the day I can say that what was accomplished was most pleasing to God.
To close out I have a few prayer requests and praises:
- Thank you for continued prayer regarding injuries on our team. Both of our serious injured girls are back in the boat and managing. I know they are not comfortable but I believe God can continue to ease their pain until they can rest next week. Please continue to pray for them.
- Pray for the best conditions for our racing. It is a hard prayer for me sometimes because I want to pray for what I think the best conditions are for racing but God knows more than I, he knows the competition and he knows me better than I know myself. Currently we have a big current against us which makes for some hard rowing. I know we can manage but I certainly could use a little help staying on top of it :)
- My last request is for myself and that is that I would stay healthy and injury free. A few niggling things keep me cautious at times but I know it is in better hands. So far so good!
OH we are racing as Western Rowing Club so if you are trying to look at results online on the Henley Royal webpage that is who we are!
Thanks as always for your prayer and support. I am excited to race but also excited to be back with family and friends in Canada!
Cheers!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Versatilty and experience
It is almost a week past but having just finished lunch and having some time before second practice, I felt I should FINALLY update!
As you know last weekend we raced the Holland Beker regatta, and as some may not know we had some good success. I cannot say we had our best racing the first 2 races but the most important race brought good changes and some rhythm to the crew.
Day 1 of racing we took on the Under 23 Netherlands crew with a commanding start and slight lead early on. They put on some good racing and we fuddled our way through the race with varying levels of success. We did cross the line first to capture a gold medal (the first for our coxwain who is very inexperienced but certainly won the lottery with our crew).
Our second day included a heat in the morning against some club crews. We set out with a bang off the start and because it was a heat and we just wanted to get to the final we took the rate down through the race as to not win by too much. It was not a superbly executed race but it was an improvement on the previous day.
The big event was in the evening when we were sandwiched between the Netherlands Olympic 8+ and their Under 23 8+ . Again off the start we took the edge out and pushed to hold on to them as long as possible. Our focus was to keep the gap between the Olympic boat and ours as close as possible. This was our way of making them work the entire race, giving OUR Olympic boat some data to work with. This race was by far the best we have had. It was quick, light and there was a good rhythm through the body of the piece. It certainly hurt plenty but the reward was great when we knew we did all we could do.
Racing always has its ups and downs and as I gain more international experience I learn more about how I approach racing and training. This weekend I reflected a lot on the 2x final last year at World Championships. For those who have not caught up, my partner and I did not qualify for the Olympics last year, for many reasons but one being experience. Racing is a fine balance of rowing like every race is a final and racing smart as to not waste too much energy too soon. It takes time to figure it all out and sometimes there are still surprises. At Worlds I was so confident in the POTENTIAL of our boat that I think what ended up happening is we did not realize the potential for each step of the racing process. What I mean is that in the heat we thought we were racing our best but in reality we were holding back, not thinking of the level of racing to be had and done.
At the end of the day, you have to find some value in everything you do, and sometimes it is about hindsight. I could not have learned from my past experience without the continued experience I have today.
Speaking of experiences, due to unfortunate events; a rib injury in one of our teammates, we have been doing some modifying of our crew to get the work in (we do not have any spare bodies on our trip). Yesterday morning we rigged some other boats including a quad (4x), pair (2-), and a single (1x). Can you guess what I rowed? Of course the single! I was quite happy to get in again and row. I was plesantly surprised with my rowing and the change in strength to hold my body in a good position. I also was able to row a new Hudson boat that has a new bow mount rigger unlike my stern mounted one. Different feeling but nice! I might look into selling my boat and buying this new style. So continuing about changes, Last night our coach sat in the empty seat of the 8+ which is always fun (he is a former Olympian), Oh and I have also been in bow seat for a few days from my usual stroke (another fun experience to have). And today thus far I have switched sides to row Starboard while we rowed with one less person. So to sum up the last 2 days, I have; sculled, and swept both on Port and Starboard! Who knows what tonight brings!
On other things, we moved hotels for a few days as the Novotel was booked solid. I think they were glad to see us go... or so that is what it felt like. The Mercator where were are now situated is quite pleasant, amazing food and a peaceful atmosphere. I am loving being able to look out the window to see a little pond, bunnies, and birds, not to mention lots of greenery. Our bike ride to and from the course is also far more scenic. My roommate remains the same which we are quite happy with. We will see how she feels after a few more days :)
That is it for now! Please continue to pray for healing for my teammate (who is also Christian) and for protection for the rest of us from injury and illness. Talk to you again soon!
As you know last weekend we raced the Holland Beker regatta, and as some may not know we had some good success. I cannot say we had our best racing the first 2 races but the most important race brought good changes and some rhythm to the crew.
Day 1 of racing we took on the Under 23 Netherlands crew with a commanding start and slight lead early on. They put on some good racing and we fuddled our way through the race with varying levels of success. We did cross the line first to capture a gold medal (the first for our coxwain who is very inexperienced but certainly won the lottery with our crew).
Our second day included a heat in the morning against some club crews. We set out with a bang off the start and because it was a heat and we just wanted to get to the final we took the rate down through the race as to not win by too much. It was not a superbly executed race but it was an improvement on the previous day.
The big event was in the evening when we were sandwiched between the Netherlands Olympic 8+ and their Under 23 8+ . Again off the start we took the edge out and pushed to hold on to them as long as possible. Our focus was to keep the gap between the Olympic boat and ours as close as possible. This was our way of making them work the entire race, giving OUR Olympic boat some data to work with. This race was by far the best we have had. It was quick, light and there was a good rhythm through the body of the piece. It certainly hurt plenty but the reward was great when we knew we did all we could do.
Racing always has its ups and downs and as I gain more international experience I learn more about how I approach racing and training. This weekend I reflected a lot on the 2x final last year at World Championships. For those who have not caught up, my partner and I did not qualify for the Olympics last year, for many reasons but one being experience. Racing is a fine balance of rowing like every race is a final and racing smart as to not waste too much energy too soon. It takes time to figure it all out and sometimes there are still surprises. At Worlds I was so confident in the POTENTIAL of our boat that I think what ended up happening is we did not realize the potential for each step of the racing process. What I mean is that in the heat we thought we were racing our best but in reality we were holding back, not thinking of the level of racing to be had and done.
At the end of the day, you have to find some value in everything you do, and sometimes it is about hindsight. I could not have learned from my past experience without the continued experience I have today.
Speaking of experiences, due to unfortunate events; a rib injury in one of our teammates, we have been doing some modifying of our crew to get the work in (we do not have any spare bodies on our trip). Yesterday morning we rigged some other boats including a quad (4x), pair (2-), and a single (1x). Can you guess what I rowed? Of course the single! I was quite happy to get in again and row. I was plesantly surprised with my rowing and the change in strength to hold my body in a good position. I also was able to row a new Hudson boat that has a new bow mount rigger unlike my stern mounted one. Different feeling but nice! I might look into selling my boat and buying this new style. So continuing about changes, Last night our coach sat in the empty seat of the 8+ which is always fun (he is a former Olympian), Oh and I have also been in bow seat for a few days from my usual stroke (another fun experience to have). And today thus far I have switched sides to row Starboard while we rowed with one less person. So to sum up the last 2 days, I have; sculled, and swept both on Port and Starboard! Who knows what tonight brings!
On other things, we moved hotels for a few days as the Novotel was booked solid. I think they were glad to see us go... or so that is what it felt like. The Mercator where were are now situated is quite pleasant, amazing food and a peaceful atmosphere. I am loving being able to look out the window to see a little pond, bunnies, and birds, not to mention lots of greenery. Our bike ride to and from the course is also far more scenic. My roommate remains the same which we are quite happy with. We will see how she feels after a few more days :)
That is it for now! Please continue to pray for healing for my teammate (who is also Christian) and for protection for the rest of us from injury and illness. Talk to you again soon!
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