Row, row, row your boat...

...gently down the stream. Or not so gently, as I experienced in early November 2012 (better late than never), when I threw myself into the deep end (not literally, thank god) and decided to try out a day of rowing with City of Cambridge Rowing Club.  As I mentioned before, this madness (as my friends called it), was inspired by watching Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking win gold in the women's lightweight double sculls in the summer Olympics.

So I thought, why not give it a go myself? I cycle by the river everyday to work and love to soak up its calming atmosphere before a stressful day. With this in mind and my trusty strong thighs, often called 'power thighs' by my male friends, I thought it might be perfect for me - after all, it's all about the legs. Rowing is said to be a 'pushing' sport.

So I googled good rowing clubs in Cambridge and found City of Cambridge Rowing Club the most appealing - they were the only ones to a offer a taster day course for just £25 and prided themselves on being the most sociable club on the river with a bar and regular parties. So I signed myself up and eagerly awaited the 3 November.



Me in front of the boathouse



On the day, I layered up and headed for the CCRC. As I approached, I was welcomed by the aroma of cooking meat and a tantalising sweetness lingering in the air. There were people doing a BBQ surrounded by a mountain of cakes. I liked this already.

Once everyone arrived, we were given an introductory talk with a few health and safety points. We were then split into groups - one would go do core exercises, one would practice on the rowing machines and one would go out on the water, eek! I was glad this wasn't me - thankfully my group had a chance to go on the rowing machines and perfect our technique (or not). I think I was doing it wrong as I was using my arms more than my legs, hence the achey arms.

 

Rowing machine practice!

After an hour and a half of this (and a cheeky hot dog and cake), we were ready to go on the water. Slightly nervous, I got into the boat and placed my feet into the fake strapped on shoes. Little did I know that the position I had chosen was the one which required most effort. This was Bow. My strength (or lack of, as was discovered) was needed to get the boat moving, stopping and changing direction. Apart from me and the person right at the front, everyone else was given a number. The Cox would then shout out which numbers needed to do what. I found this highly stressful as we weren't briefed beforehand on what all the instructions meant so no one wholly undertstood and the boat kept tipping, wobbling and we didn't get very far at all. I could tell the Cox was getting very irritated and was losing patience. The oars were also extremely heavy (looks can be deceiving) and I found it difficult to control them. After a bit of perserverance we managed to do a bit of a lap but we soon turned around and went 'home'. Once out of the boat, we had to help carry it back to it's spot. This required team effort and again a lot of strength. Something I was struggling with at this point.



Relaxing after being on the water

All in all, I found it an interesting experience and definitely felt worked out after, if not a little tired and achey. It was nice being out on the water in the sunshine and its a great sport for team building. However, it is a large commitment and not just a hobby you can dip in and out of. I don't think I'll be pursuing rowing for now, but it's good to try new things and now I can surely say it's not quite for me.  

My Cycletta challenge - will it be mind over matter?

Wow these two months have flown by - but I do have an excuse for not writing in this time. Honest.

In early March, I signed up to volunteer with Mind in Cambridgeshire, as I know both friends and family with mental health challenges and have seen the effects it's had on their lives. This is therefore very close to my heart and I wanted to keep supporting such a fantastic organisation, especially as everyone has 'mental health', admittedly to varying degrees. I want to help raise awareness of this and challenge the unfortunate stigma that is attached to it.

In the process I have met many wonderful people, attended volunteer training days and helped out with a Street Theatre Campaign in Cambridge which raised awareness of men's reluctance to talk about their feelings.

Mind staff, volunteers and actors from the Street Theatre performance

In the meantime, I have decided to enter Cycletta - the UK’s leading series of women-only bike rides, supported by Olympic Gold Medallist Victoria Pendleton. I will be cycling 40km at the Bedfordshire event on 30 June 2013 - only three weeks away, eek! 

The real drive behind signing up was to fundraise for Mind as I feel passionately about their mission. As a keen cyclist, I also wanted to push myself and it's one of the only sports I actually enjoy and am reasonably good at. I have affectionately been nicknamed 'Power Thighs' by a few I won't name. You know who you are :D 

As it'll be my first long-distance cycle, I have invested in a second hand hybrid bike (am picking it up at the weekend, very exciting!) and will be following the smooth and oh so picturesque Guided Bus route all the way to St Ives and back - around 40km (24 miles). Wish me luck! 

You can read more about my story on the MiC website. 

At the end of training, feeling proud of myself

I have managed to raise £85 so far, surpassing my initial target of £50, so I am very happy and touched with all the contributions. If you're feeling charitable, please visit my JustGiving page for more info. If we can reach £150 then then this will pay for a mental health awareness workshop for 1 local community group. Thank you in advance. 

Before Cycletta, I am also attending the Culture, Health and Wellbeing International conference in Bristol on 24 June and then in July The Festival of Public Health UK in Manchester. I cannot wait. Here's to an enriching few months of health and fitness!