Sunday, April 27, 2008

In Which Our Heroine Tries to Get Back in the Blogging Habit

Crumbs, it has been almost a year. And for some reason the e-mails are now coming in, virtually ordering me to update the blog. Who knew I had fans? But I guess I do.

So I'll start with an e-mail that arrived yesterday.

"WELL!

After 2 weeks of rowing with the [insert name of guilty party's team here], I decided sweep rowing was NOT for me (was it ever?). Boy did the coach make a mistake putting me in the double one day when the boat lineups were off - as soon as I sculled I knew it was over (I think it does something to your brain - it felt 100 times better with 2 oars). So I took a captain's test this morning and am transitioning over to sculling a single in the mornings and rowing recreationally with the team 3 days a week in the afternoon. I bought a bike with clipless pedals and traverse traffic to and from the boathouse. I now have absolutely no life, no life outside of rowing and can't stay up past 10pm on a Saturday night because I'm that wiped.

You would be proud.

I don't know why it turns into such an obsession so quickly, but I've never felt better - it's like an addiction and I don't understand why I haven't been rowing these past 3 years. I feel like my life was on hold or something and I finally got it back.

YAY!

Thanks for the info - had we not talked I don't think I would have ever got back into this.

YAAAAAAAAY!

THANK YOU! :-)
xox -Mike"
[Message edited to take out identifying information and location.]

Now, I love Mike like a big sister (which is a bit pointless, as he already has two fabulous big sisters provided biologically), and of course as my friend all I want for him is to be happy. But the line where he says "I have no life...you would be so proud" cracks me into hysterical laughter every time. I guess that's the coaching demeanour, and that is how Mike and I became friends. I was his coach, and I loved coaching him. Not just because he won every race he entered, although that was fun too. "Surrender Dorothy!" But I do know how he feels. After some rough times in the 8 this spring, and now three weeks off being ill, I've finally climbed back into the single since getting Weil's Disease last year. I suck. Suck, suck, suck. And I love it so much. Even the sucking. How did I live without doing this every day?

Well, I guess I lived with a few more inches on my hips from lack of exercise, but that's not really the point. I'm not addicted to alcohol, I've never smoked and I've never taken a drug I wasn't prescribed, but if they tried to treat the rowing addiction, they'd have a massive battle on their hands.

More soon,

Love
Anne