Women's Rowing Diary - Cara Cox-Steiner
4/6/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
April 6, 2005
Rain had been predicted for the weekend for a while; so waking up on Saturday morning it was no huge shock to see that it was pouring. Dutifully, the 32 of us trudged to the gym for the bus ride to the lake that was to be our race course due to the flooding of the Susquehanna River. After rigging our boats, and huddling pitifully in an attempt to stay dry, we were told to wait in the vans for the start of the race.
As my four boat mates and I sat listening to the rain beat on the roof, conflicting emotions waged a war in our heads. Part of us wanted nothing more than for one of our coaches to walk to the van and tell us we were going home. We could join our sleeping peers in our warm, soft beds, and avoid the pain of a race. We wouldn't get drenched; we wouldn't have to wade thigh-high in freezing water; we wouldn't feel the burning sensation as the lactic acid built up. And yet, there was that other part of us, the part that keeps us waking up every morning, going to practice and digging a little deeper. The part of us that knew if the race was called off, there would be a chance to win either. We wouldn't be able to taste the sweet victory that comes after the coxswain calls "paddle", and we've crossed the finish line just a little ahead of the other boat.
And so, when it became glaringly obvious that we were going to race, we banished all thoughts of our soft pillows and inviting blankets, and focused on the battle we were about to face. I think, in some strange way, the inclement weather helped our race. It added an edge of desperation that pushed us through those seven minutes into a clear victory. Next week we head to Buffalo, N.Y., and with the weather in that area, maybe they'll be struck by a massive blizzard. That's OK; Bucknell women's rowing is ready.
-Cara Cox-Steiner `08