big time rowing

I havent written anything for a while, mostly because I havent had much to write about. Ive been rowing, working, rowing, in San Francisco, San Diego, and now Princeton.

The purpose of this blog was to keep my friends and family in touch with what was going on in my life. When you do the same thing every day, and you are training for a race with is marginally less than a year away, theres not a lot to say other than: eat sleep row repeat. Yep, thats pretty much it.

True, I have been doing some other things, like working for a geothermal drilling technology startup company (potterdrilling.com), ... actually thats about the only other thing I have been doing, besides moving every couple of months.

Anyway, I am now rowing for the big time, the GOU. That is, the Grand Olde USRowing. One might expect that as one's career progresses, the circumstances and treatment surrounding rowing might improve. However, this is a lie told to small children to suck them into the sport. Rowing at the highest level in America sucks. True, we are living the dream of going to the Olympics; true, we are achieving excellence and maximizing our potential; true, we are looked up to by rowers across the country. For these things I am thankful.

At the same time, this pursuit has me:

-sleeping on a couch in a room with six smelly dudes

-elbowing my way into a smelly kitchen for the privilege of a small cabinet to store my food and a stove to use,

-bumming rides all the time (no car)

-living in "the dirty Jers"

-grumble grumble grumble.

I complain. Everybody complains. No other place in life is "the grass is always greener" mentality more evident than on a national rowing team. While literally thousands of rowers would give three toes to be in my shoes, I complain.

Complaining is really the only commentary I can make about rowing. I'm finding that the farther you progress in sport, the harder it is to explain and talk about it. When strangers find out what I am doing, they inevitably respond with inane comments such as "gee, thats really great!" or "oh, so you're going to Rio!" to "So, does this mean you're on the Olympic team?". Never before have I sympathized so much with the dull cliche responses made by professional athletes. "Yeah, we, uh, just, uh, take it day by day, you know. We just try to score more points and play better defense".

My life is becoming farther and farther removed from a "normal" life. How can I explain minute technical change I obsess over to somebody who doesn't know the difference between rowing and canoeing? Or explain the elaborate mojo of selection (which doesn't even make sense to me) to someone who's experience in elite sport consists of watching the cool drummer-guys in the opening ceremony at the last Olympics? Moreover, I barely even know whats going on myself; How can I talk about the Olympics if I dont even know what time practices is? I end up changing the subject as quickly as possible. "Funny you should mention the Olympics, cause I was just thinking about that oil spill in the Gulf!"

Its not that I am unexcited about the prospect of going to the Olympics, or feel superior. I'm really just unable to articulate anything interesting about rowing to people with no foundation. Its like trying to explain cloud computing to an Amish person. Just mumble some stuff about what a great opportunity it is and all, and then smile and nod while they respond:

"well, we'll look for you on tv then!"