Women's Rowing Diary - Lauren Bolcar
3/5/2005 7:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
March 5, 2005
The ergs looked innocent enough, all 10 of them lined up in a neat row at the far end of Davis Gym. But I knew better. Three months of intense indoor training have taught me two things: 1. ergs are never "innocent"--the deceptively simple looking systems of wheels, gears, and chains are capable of providing quite the workout, and 2. Ergs lined up in Davis Gym meant it was time for Erg Armageddon.
Even the name sounds ominous: Erg Armageddon. Not the friendliest term for the way I spent the final Sunday in February, but, in retrospect, amazingly accurate. Armageddon is usually associated with the End of the World, "The Last Judgment," pain, destruction, etc. And, at the risk of sounding melodramatic, Erg Armageddon contained a bit of all of these elements. It was the culmination of many weeks of intense indoor weightlifting and cardio workouts and practice 2ks. It was the first time the team had been in a competitive atmosphere in months, as several other teams came to the event.
It is difficult to describe the tumultuous mix of emotions I felt when it came time for me to "strap in" just before my race. I was excited at the opportunity to beat my personal record, nervous at the prospect of attempting to accomplish this in front of an audience, and intimidated by the other rowers around me. But none of this mattered once the countdown was completed and my little boat began to move across the gym wall. All of the ergs were connected to a laptop which processed the data into the image of boats in lanes in a sort of cyber-river. This was then projected onto the blank gym wall so everyone could watch the progress of the race. I remember thinking "I can't fall behind," and every so often would sneak glances up at the wall to check my position against the others. I remember hearing my teammates cheering and screaming encouragement and support from behind the ergs. But what I remember most clearly is right after the race, when my time and split were posted. I had achieved a personal best time, and the sense of accomplishment and pride I felt suddenly outweighed any pain I endured.
I learned two things about myself that day. I realized just how far I had come since the fall, and how much could be achieved with hard work and dedication. But I also discovered that I was hooked on rowing. I spent the rest of Erg Armageddon watching my teammates compete and was inspired by them. Suddenly it wasn't just enough to have broken my personal record, I wanted to get it even lower. I wanted to be the best I could possibly be.
So now it's back to the early morning practices complete with cardio, erging, and the occasional day on the water. But I don't complain anymore. Erg Armageddon was indeed a "Judgment Day" for all of us on the team. I think we showed how strong we are, both individually and as the Bucknell University women's rowing team. We can go into the spring season with confidence and pride, because if you can survive Armageddon, you can survive anything.
-Lauren Bolcar `08