The diary of a pint-sized rower
Posted in Uncategorized on Apr 16th, 2013
The more observant amongst you will have noticed that things have been a bit quiet lately over at Girl on the River. It’s not that I’ve abandoned my lovely readers; it’s just that I’ve been a bit busy with other stuff. Now, obviously rowing is important. Very important. And rarely more so than at the [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Feb 20th, 2013
“Four, three, two, one…” and so the pain begins. In recent weeks Girl on the River’s training has been dominated by the relentless, Antipodean tones of the HIIT (high intensity interval training) soundtrack. We’ve been erging to it – firm pressure, 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off, over and over again, and boy does it [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Feb 18th, 2013
In many ways, life has returned to normal since I resumed my regular rowing practice. The laundry basket is reassuringly full of lycra. My hands are once more attractively covered in callouses. You can’t get through the back door without tripping over wellies. And I’ve even got muscles where my normal, non-rowing friends don’t. But [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Feb 13th, 2013
There’s a particular kind of cold that you only get from prolonged exposure to the wet – that chill that penetrates right through to the bones and settles for the rest of the day. After a full length outing on the river this Sunday, when the rain didn’t ease off even for a moment, I [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Feb 8th, 2013
I’m normally a fairly mild-mannered sort of girl, but there’s something that I really need to get off my chest. It’s this business of “clean eating”. So-called clean eating is the health and fitness industry’s buzz phrase right now. For those of you blissfully unaware of the movement, it’s essentially all about eating non-processed foods. [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Feb 6th, 2013
Girl on the River fans know that I have a hate-hate relationship with the erg and won’t be surprised to learn that my heart gives a little lift on the rare occasions that our twice-weekly sessions are cancelled. So yesterday – Ergday – when the tell-tale signs of a cold started multiplying I was hugely [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Jan 23rd, 2013
Anyone who has followed Girl on the River’s exploits will have noticed something of a theme emerging – namely my consistent failure to win. Countless tearful posts have documented a series of near misses, race day disasters, dashed hopes and disappointments. Until today, that is. The lovely people at Rowperfect have established the Rowing Blogger [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Jan 9th, 2013
Sometimes it feels as though the Gods of Rowing have got it in for me… or at least want to keep me off the river. First there was the injury. Then the flooding – our traditional Boxing Day Plum Pudding Races were replaced by a delightful session hosing down the loos after the flood water [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Oct 8th, 2012
“Rowing. Should I or shouldn’t I? You decide.” This was the question I asked on Facebook exactly three years ago. Looking back, I’d forgotten how close I was to deciding against it. If my friends had pointed out that I was far too small (I had no idea you were supposed to be tall) or [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Sep 20th, 2012
I’m not quite sure what the etiquette is when you’re introduced to rowing royalty. Is a curtsey in order, or just a handshake? What’s the correct form of address? It was these important matters of protocol – together with a very real fear that I might blush or drop my notebook – that were preoccupying [...]
