After 5 weeks of gruelling training, the “XTA Hardcore” Works Fours rowing team were pumped and ready for the 25th anniversary regatta here in sunny Stourport on Severn. Each week since mid May, we met at the boat club by the river Severn for a mentally and physically exhausting training session of up to 45 minutes. On one occasion this was twice in a single week. The punishment. Yours truly was in the “Stroke” position (more on that later), supposedly setting the pace for our now streamlined rowing machine.
What happened on the day was closer to a streamlined washing machine. Our first race was at 9:45 am. We duly turned up resplendent in our iCore team shirts, looking altogether like a team that meant business.
N-n-n-n-losers
Someone's nicked the bally boat - hilarious.
Just before the race we scope out the competition and I give a highly motivational team talk, being the self-appointed captain and all that. I think what I was probably saying was more along the lines of “Do you think there’s time for a slash before we go?”, or “Someone wake Lewis – we’re up next.”
Must have been important - look at the gesticulation.
So we row to the starting line, and get into position. Steward shouts “Attention…go!” and we’re off – in a ferociously fought battle to the
OK so we lost.
And discovered later that the team we raced against had entered the past 3 years so we didn’t feel quite so rubbish then, this having been our first go.
Cheating swines. Losers of the first race got one more opportunity to get back into the running (or rowing), and things were looking good initially in this race, until a seating malfunction which resulted in my seat breaking, and falling off the back into the footwell behind me. Remember I mentioned I was the “Stroke”? Well, during that race it just looked like I’d had one. We eventually limped back across the finish, but did get a good cheer and some friendly abuse from the commentator so not all was lost.
If you want to watch some carefully edited highlights, which show us not losing, here’s your chance.
Obviously by “Victorious” I mean “Not submerged”. All good fun none the less and we’ll be back next year to whip them. Maybe 🙂
