Rowing - an allegory

You may know that I'm a keen rower. A recent race led me to an obvious but unexpected insight.

Races, at least the ones I compete in, follow a common pattern. Anxious anticipation before the start. Intense focus as the starter calls "Attention!" and then all caution to the wind as they call "Go!". Remember to breathe, remember the fundamentals, the adrenalin rush as you start is just marvellous. But quickly the recriminations start - why didn't you train harder, why did you have that one-for-the-road last night, why aren't you just, you know, better at this?

When the oxygen deprivation sets in, these elaborate thoughts give way to more primitive ones, mainly about pain. What is that pain in my ankle, in my back, in my chest?

The desire to stop becomes intense. It's as much a mental struggle as a physical one, at least if you're doing it right. You start to plot out complex strategies for how you can stop without shame. Perhaps I can just row into the bank. Perhaps take a duff stroke and capsize. Perhaps I'm having exercise-induced tachycardia and I'd better stop or risk a heart attack. All these thoughts and more have gone through my head in the middle of a race.

The finish seems so far away.

The curious thing is though, it gets closer. As you pass three-quarters sometimes you realise actually, I've got a bit left in the tank.

And sometimes things are worse with your opponent. I've won a race where my oppo did steer into the bank. I've won a race where his seat broke mid-race. I've won one where he'd obviously had two-for-the-road and ran out of steam halfway. To be fair, I've also lost plenty.

But that's the thing about races. They always finish. And sometimes you win them.

About the picture: The Great Ouse Marathon is a race organized annually by my club - www.elyrowingclub.org.uk. It's not really a marathon, only half a one, starting at wnrc.westnorfolkrowingclub.co.uk at the Denver Sluice, and finishing 13 miles later, a mile short of the club, at Queen Adelaide Bridge. I beat my target time by 6s, which was a win for me! As someone once said, the race is long, and it's mainly with yourself.