I spent most of Saturday traveling to and from Sacramento for the Head of the American Regatta. While it was a long drive for a relatively short race (compared to a triathlon!), I arrived and set up my lounge chair to watch the events for about an hour before my boat had to head out and warm up for our event. It was HOT in Sacramento -- 89 degrees. Somehow 89 degrees in October just doesn't seem natural, but then again, it's California.
About an hour before our race, we set out to warm up and make our way to the starting line. The warm up did not go as well as our practice had the previous week, as our boat was a bit off on timing. Thank goodness, however, that our strokes came together as we neared the start.
Imagine my surprise while we were waiting at the start and an 8+ from University of the Pacific drifted by! My alma mater! With a crew team! The UOP team raced was to race in our mixed-masters event, as they were the only collegiate mixed eight racing.
The time came to start our event and we were off! The UOP boat had started just in front of us (it was a rolling start) and I was thrilled when we passed the boat almost instantly.
It was SO MUCH FUN to be out racing in an 8 again. I loved every minute of it.
While we were the second to cross the finish line (one boat passed us), we didn't do as well as we had hoped, due to handicapping of the boats based on age (we were a relatively young boat). Oh well, it was fun!
8 comments:
Awesome. Are your callouses growing back yet?
Callouses AND blisters! I tore all the skin right off my pinky about three strokes into the race.
Donald, who did you row with?
How exciting. Funny how you and Jess are doing the water craft thing as part of your off-season. You with crew and she with outrigger canoes.
UCLA Freshman 8 in '89, then Varsity 8 in '90 and '91. We were pretty awesome, really - but the program kind of fell on hard times in the late 1990s when funding was cut and the coach left. We were frequently in the mix for the West Coast and National Championships (3rd place at '90 Nationals), but I don't think they're anywhere that good anymore.
I'm pretty sure I have some UOP jerseys stashed away somewhere ...
Donald, that is so AWESOME! It must have been an amazing experience.
I have a friend who was on UCLA Crew (as was her husband), which reminds me of a FUNNY STORY.
Monica, did I ever tell you this one?
I went out on a date a few years ago and during the course of our conversation it came up that my date had rowed for UCLA. I mentioned that my ex-boyfriend's PARENTS had rowed for UCLA and I asked if he knew them. Not only did he know them, he said he had been on the team at the same time. Talk about the kiss of death...
that is so unbelievably cool!! hmmm, i want to try sometime and see what it feels like compared to the outrigger stuff jess and i have been up to. just being in an actual race sounds awesome! you going to be buff, girl! buff-ER!
OK, OK... Just WHO did you go out with who rowed with me and Norm? And for your friend Donald here...does he know we have a large, strong support group organized to set up an endowment for UCLA Men's Crew? "Friends of UCLA Rowing" or FOUR. Contact me thru Jennie. You might enjoy our dinner, auction, reunion and then alumni racing this March '09!
For Donald: go to uclamensrowing.org to see what's been going on at the Marina!
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