First you’ll feel like dying, then you feel reborn

11 Feb First you’ll feel like dying, then you feel reborn

The faces of my fellow teammates minutes before their 2k erg test. And the pretty sight of our gym (sigh).

The Rowing National Trials was held over the weekend with a 2k erg test on Saturday and a 6.4km run and a 1min max on the erg on Sunday. I was pretty geared up for the erg test, considering I didn’t do too well in Japan probably because of the fever. So Coach Goken said I need to prove to myself that I can do better. So I went for it.

It was nice to see plenty of people turned up for it. Nineteen newcomers, I believe. Not a big number but seeing 19 people at the Singapore Rowing Association is already a feat!

I was telling Coach Goken that I was feeling a little tired from the previous day. How can I not be? I had an early morning row on Friday which had to reach work at 730am, had to send a student to the hospital because of heat exhaustion, rushed home to get my uniform for the award ceremony and lunch, drove to the wrong place because the organiser didn’t inform us about the change in venue, arrived just in time to recieve the award, had to sit through several interviews with the reporters who were keen to know what I’m going to do with the $8k that I just received, rushed back to work for an event and finally ended my long day at 10pm. OKAY WHINING ENDS HERE.

Anyway, the erg. yes.
I was quite surprised I did a PB, a 6s improvement!
Halfway through the piece, I thought I wasn’t gonna make it. But I did!
7:19.7mins isn’t a good score for a female lightweight though. The Danish lighties go below 7:10mins. World Record is a freaking 6:54.7. But MY SCORE WAS 6 SECS OFF MY PREVIOUS PB. There’s a reason to be happy about. But of course, one day, I will pull below 7mins, you just wait and see.

(Never underestimate the determination of a lightweight woman sculler. Click here to be inspired by Austria’s Michaela Taupe-Traer.)

So what made last week’s piece better than the one I did in Japan other than the fact that I was not recovering from a fever? I guess, having people shouting at you while you’re doing the test really helps. And knowing that BOTH my coaches were there made me even want to push even more. Also, I think what I did differently this time was to have a race plan, come prepared, knowing exactly what to do. It does make a whole lot of difference going into a race being prepared.

And I think what is really the most important in doing an erg piece is to COMMIT to the plan that you have. You gotta be DISCIPLINED enough to stick to the splits you want to pull and just bloody hell PERSEVERE through the pain.

(Things I ought to remind myself too!)

I will be doing the run and 1mins max test on the erg next week.

I will need to STOP PROCRASTINATING and update my blog more frequently.

I will need to do more to make sure I win that medal in the Asian Games. GAAH! LETS GO!