Later note, while listening to Robert Earl Keen: His song "Feels So Good to be
Feelin' Good Again" is a fair description of my feelings about all the free time
this layoff has given me. If I were less of a worrywart, I'd take a few months off
like Rubybluebird and
href="http://www.avocation.org">Jessie have done. OK, that was for anyone not
interested in rowing. Back to your regularly scheduled entry now.
Erg. That's an exclamation of disgust, as well as a rowing machine. This morning
there was some lightning in several directions. Because of that, we didn't go out
on the water. Because rowing coaches are sadists at heart, we lined up four ergs
(either they planned this, or they'd borrowed two extras to make the juniors do
some pieces) and took turns doing 6000 meter pieces.
To do a "piece"
means to row it like a race, at maximum effort, the hardest pull you can sustain
for that long. And make no mistake, 6000 meters is long. It's about 3.8 miles. We
did this distance because head race season is coming up, and most head races are
5000 meters, more or less. You always want to do a little more in training than
you'll have to for the real thing.
So everyone was taking turns on
the erg, and I let a few people go ahead of me since I wasn't in a rush to get
anywhere this morning, and some other people were in a rush to get to work.
Eventually I realized that may have been a bad strategy, as Yosemite Sam always
needs to leave promptly at 7. Rudder was also waiting -- he ergs a lot, but I
don't think he wanted to today, since he'd gotten home late last night from a
business trip.
I spoke to YSam and he agreed he wouldn't have time
this morning. He suggested Rudder and I either meet him at his gym, or just
monitor each other. We may still do that, but since I hadn't rowed this morning, I
needed to exercise anyway. So I came straight home and submitted myself to the
torture machine.
Results: compared to the other women my size, I
guess I did ok. Hardcore didn't finish her piece (maybe I need to change her
name?) Egret, who ergs a lot and has the natural endurance of which I'm completely
devoid, beat my time by maybe three quarters of a minute. Pigtails trailed me by
the same amount, but I don't think she had ever done this before. Conclusion: so-
so. I need to do this more often, much as I hate the thought. The city has
scheduled up for three weeks off before our next classes begin, so I really
really need to do this more often, or else take out my single. Or
both.
On tap for today: cleaning out and moving a bookcase so we have
room for the two big new ones coming tomorrow. Envy me, ye bibliophiles.