"So YOU write something then" I told her. Again.
"No, I'm afraid to."
"Why?"
"Because you told me I better not screw it up. So I am NOT touching it."
HAHA. Well I've been mad busy and completely irresponsible with it. So let's see.. where did we leave off?
Myrtle Beach Training Camp (mid april)
Totally brilliant, amazing time. We trained, we raced, we massaged our aching bodies on those goshdarnawful foam rollers, we soaked in the hot tub, walked on the beach, and bonded as a team. Brilliant. Then we came home. Yuck.
Myrtle Beach Dragonboat Festival (end of april)
G and I stayed an extra week to work a community festival, while the rest of the team went home. G took off for a few days to do some traveling, while I stayed put and worked the community practices. I bunked with three other coaches, all men, which worked out perfectly! Before you get any naughty ideas...i only meant that I got treated like a princess... as the sole girl I got the master bedroom (king bed, ocean front, private bathroom) while the three of them took the bunk beds and the couch. They cooked me dinner, drove me around (seeing as I was car-less) ... see what I mean? Perfect. The week ended all too soon though, and, with the culminating event on Saturday, our dorm-room disbanded. Then it was time for G, R and I to stuff ourselves back into the car and make the loooooong drive home. Which we survived. Friendships intact. (Krispy Kreme Donuts helped.)
Montreal Training Weekend (2nd weekend in may)
Two weekends after our return, we had another camp at our home base. G begged off to attend her son's college graduation (geez woman, where are your priorities!?), but the rest of our crew and I took on two days of torture from our assistant coach - by the end of which I was convinced I no longer knew anything about paddling nor was I deserving of a spot on the boat. Video reviews were embarrassing as hell. On the funny side, coach decided to also give me some tips on steering the mad crazy turning 2000m race in Hong Kong. That I get to do on the FIRST day of racing. No pressure at all. To make a long story shortish... I ended up being catapulted off the back of the boat not just once, but twice. Luckily each time I neither swallowed the dirty nasty things-often-float-in-it water nor lost my newly acquired Oakleys. Luckily also I didn't smack the boat into the wall of the canal either.
"Run and shower. You have 10 minutes til the gym closes!" Coach P urged me at the end of that fateful dunking day.
"Nah, I'll just shower at V's later."
"NO! You'll have an INFECTION by the time you get there. Go shower NOW!"
Well, he didn't have to tell me twice. I ran off to the gym, scrubbed clean, changed, got to V's and showered again just for good measure. And my health and eyesight? All still good!
On-Water Practices (now til the end of summer....)
Fully on the water now (no more indoor tank!)... and 3 practices in I managed to figure it all out and get my "yeah I'm a good paddler" mojo back... the team is looking strong, feeling powerful and fast... it's goosebump good!
First Competition of the Season & a Marathon (last weekend)
Saturday we had our first competition in Montreal. 2 days before the races I am approached by a paddler from another team.
"Hey L, I hear you're steering the 1K on Saturday!"
"Err.. what?"
"Yeah, I just talked to M and she says she's not doing that one, YOU are."
WELL SHIT. There's only one turn but SHIT last turns I did I plummeted into the canal. Thanks for TELLING me though coach. Way to go.
Anyway.. blah blah blah... everything went even more brilliantly than expected. Our teammate M, who is new to the steering game and has been training hard to get herself ready for the world stage, steered us in the 500m sprints... and nailed it. Test 1 - done. Test 2? Ya, that one got nailed too. I didn't fly off the boat, didn't let anyone pass us, and didn't make my turn too wide. I hugged those four buoys on the course like my life depended on it. (And it did .. cuz G has threatened to paddle my butt if I mess up. Good naturedly of course. Just a little sisterly encouragement. Hee.) Somehow I managed to pull it off ... it was surprising how smooth and just plain gorgeous that boat of elite kickass women felt under my oar. It was sorta magical.
The next day G ran what has become our tradition - the Burlington marathon. This time I wasn't running though.. foot's not ready for that yet, but G CREAMED it. Ran her fastest time yet, and made me so proud. She's a superstar :)
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| G and crazy K running together last Sunday :) |
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