Monday 29 April 2013

Change of plans

Where would we all be without a little unexpected upheaval in our lives? The answer is simple: Either bored, or un-stressed..... or possibly both. Due to the nature of my injury this winter, and the painfully slow healing process, I decided (with permission from Rowing Canada) to stay in Victoria this summer. This would allow me ample recovery time and an unexpected opportunity to finish up my degree one semester earlier than planned. Well, as of two days ago, I am in London, Ontario at the National training center for women's rowing.... what changed?
After stopping my regular weight and core routines, my injury healed much faster than anticipated and I was able to perform (decently) on the RADAR ergo tests and the western Rowing Canada spring trials. The decision for my arrival in London this summer was made about two weeks ago, mid exams (it appears anything exciting happens during one of the most stressful months in an undergrads career) and  I managed to pack up my entire life and make the move across the country. I will be finishing my last five courses over the next eight months; one online statistics course this summer and four electives at the  University of Western Ontario this fall.
I arrived in London on Saturday evening, found a place to live yesterday, and had my first training day at the LTC (London Training Center) today. The day started with a sub-max lactate test on the erg, continued with a 12k C6 row including 100 start stokes on the water, and ended with a solid 80 minutes in the weight room. After spending the majority of the last year training on my own (with the help of my dedicated volunteer coach, Scott Feddery), training in such a large group is a bit of a culture shock; a much welcomed one!
I have no idea where I stand speed-wise and whether or not I will make any world cup/world champs boats this summer, but I guess we will find out soon enough. The eastern Rowing Canada spring trials are happening in Welland, Ontario this coming weekend and all the girls will be racing. This marks the start of our official selection, and will help me figure out where I stand in comparison to everyone else.
Time to crush some dinner!