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.  

Chariots of Fire 2012: we did it!

Sorry for the radio silence, my evenings have recently been taken up with training (quite) hard for the Chariots of Fire relay race 2012, which happened last Sunday 16 September...

After much anticipation, I am proud to say my team and I completed the 1.7 mile (2.7K) relay race in 1 hour and 35 minutes. I also managed to achieve my personal best of 15 minutes! 

Me sporting my number,  medal and t-shirt! 

Although I swore afterwards that I would never do it again, the pain seems a distant memory now and the temptation is kicking in. Is this the addiction runners talk about? Have I crossed that threshold? 

In the meantime, I am hopefully going to keep going for runs in the evenings (I wake up at night you see), and push myself to run further each time. Maybe I will even enter a 5K run...who knows. I am also currently waiting for City of Cambridge Rowing Club to get back to me about a one day taster course in October...exciting times! 

I know my sudden sport frenzy has definitely been influenced by the Olympics this year and then attending some athletics, goalball and wheelchair basketball at the Paralympics shortly after - pictures coming soon.

 The idea of trying out rowing came about once I had watched Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking win gold in the women's lightweight double sculls. As with many I've spoken to, I never imagined the Olympics would affect me in this way, or even at all, but I'm extremely happy they have. 

Katherine and Sophie overjoyed by their success

It's been a great year for sport and I'm hoping it has and will inspire many, like me, to carry on and try new things.

Chariots of Fire: to run or not to run?

My friend kindly reminded me today that I agreed to enter Chariots of Fire a couple of months ago.

This is an annual charity race in Cambridge, this year on Sunday 16 September 2012, following in the footsteps of the famous film. Each team of six journeys through the streets and colleges of Cambridge, running a 1.7 mile course in relay format.

If you know me at all, you'll know that I find nothing worse than running. Walking or cycling any day. Running, not a chance. So why did I agree? 

To run or not to run? 

• Well, avid runner friends have always raved how liberating it is and the sense of achievement after a race is indescribable and exhilarating. It's also free and limitless. This is true, the rates I pay for the gym are stupidly high! Maybe I'm halfway convinced...
• My boyfriend is also aiming to complete a half marathon in October and has been at me for months to start running with him. I think his persistence paid off as I finally gave in and reluctantly made my way down to the park near my work on Thursday evening. I'd been trying to put it off all day - the rain was a great excuse - but conveniently it stopped raining as soon as I finished work. 
• I have to say, the first lap round the park was excruciating - my breathing was all wrong, my heart was burning and we kept stopping (probably not the best form of exercise to ease myself back into it after a week of no physical activity and gluttony at a work conference!). 
• However, a few more laps in and my fitness levels quickly adapted - I pushed through the pain and got into a nice rhythm. I think the first time is the worst - once past this barrier, it's all uphill (not literally I hope!). 

To run: So, despite my resistance to running in the past, I think I will persevere with it - at least until the race is over - I'd hate to let any one down...and you never know, to quote Casablanca this may be 'the beginning of a beautiful friendship'.

Plus, it's for a good cause - this year funds are being raised for charities; Cambridge Past, Present & Future and Cam Sight. 

If you have any tips on running or completing a race, please get in touch. Or if you've done Chariots of Fire before, please leave your comments and share your experiences here. 

I'll be posting any updates on this, so watch this space :)