Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Rowing Journal - Victoria Kielty
10/17/2011 8:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
The news came to the women of the team in an email on a Friday afternoon: we were going to be testing on Saturday morning for the top nine and top five erg scores to make a women's openweight eight and lightweight four. This was the starting point for the formation of boats that will race at The Head of The Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. The openweight women had received a last-minute entry request, which we originally thought was not going to come through. This was not new information for the lightweight women who were already aware of their entry into the race in a four, but now the team was able to send athletes from both weight classes to compete, which was a fantastic surprise. So we tested, the splits were recorded and the lineups were made. The next step in the process was effectively utilizing the few weeks we had until the race by practicing in our lineups and getting some race training under our belts. This plan was going into action starting fall break; the 16 women of the two boats were going to stay on campus over the break and train.
I was ecstatic to be able to stay on campus and work with the team. The prospect of doing nothing but eat, sleep and row for four days isn't one that most people find appealing, but after a long summer that was void of team contact and atmosphere, I found myself itching to do just that. A bonus was revealed when looking at the weather forecast for the weekend; it was to be beautifully sunny and warm with perfect conditions on the water. Miles of glassy, silent water reflecting a morning sunrise or the pinks and oranges of dusk. What more could a rower ask for? We were also the first group that was able to use the brand new indoor erg facility, which was an incredible opportunity. Its availability came in handy as fog proved to be a little stubborn on some mornings, taking up to two hours to burn off and allow for safe water travel.
As beautiful as the weather was and as wonderful as we found our new facility, we were not allowed to forget what we had stayed here for. Having spent the majority of September training in singles, transitioning to the sweeping stroke in the eight and the four was a tricky one. Hands ripped and blistered, bodies found entirely new groups of muscles that had previously remained untouched by the sculling stroke and we were introduced to the aerobic conditioning required of an athlete who intends to race at The Charles and complete the course in a goal time. The goal of the two boats over the break was to find speed and unity, and it is never a task to be undertaken lightly. All of this, however, was made worthwhile by the caf breakfasts and dinners at the end of every practice. Athlete or no, one would be hard pressed to find a Bucknell student who cannot find anything to eat in the caf, and the promise of multi-plate dinners after a day that leaves you unable to hold your knife and fork or to move without wincing makes everything worthwhile.
I am only just beginning to grasp the enormity of the upcoming race. The number of boats that come to compete sit in the thousands and they come from destinations both domestic and international. This is a race that athletes train for for the majority of their competitive year. As well as the pre-race apprehension that comes with competing anywhere in any event, there comes a sense of excitement that builds inside you and gives you butterflies every time your thoughts turn to what you are about to undertake. To have that feeling of excitement means more to me right now than any number of privileges I could ever ask for. As much as we know there is a certain and inevitable amount of pain involved, we just can't wait to get in the boat and get ready to put everything we have on the end of the handle. To have this kind of opportunity when we are so young isn't something that happens every day and though the preparation has been tough right from the start, it means by the time we get to that start line we will be excited, motivated and ready to go. The ladies going to The Charles took fall break and used it to kick-start a journey to something truly great.
- Victoria Kielty '14
