(no subject)
So here is another post for you all, mainly ramblings about the race last week.
So what happened...? i hear you all think!
well, i had to meet everyone at 6:30am *i hate mornings* so everyone just thought it was funny i was in a daze and kept asking me if i was scared about my first race and grinning in that 'i know something you don't' expression. The inner Charlie wanted to yell things at them and tell them to shut up as i was still half asleep but i managed to keep my cool and not yell and just shrug and say i was slightly anxious about said race. Truth was i was still terrified about the thought of the impending doom that was about to come about.
Anyhoo, after a 2hr drive we arrived in Cagliary and once the sun had risen, it turned out to be a lovely day and no rain or not a great deal of wind *and because of this i had a lot of thanks for the gods!* then we had another half an hour of aimless driving around as Luigi got lost, but i was shown a lot of buildings that cagliary had to offer, so it wasnt all that bad. Then we arrived at the port, and at that point the panick really set in, this was no small port, biggest in the med i was then told, and luigi proceeded to show me where the race was to take place. I think the look of total horror across my face gave my mood away as everyone found it rather hilarious. Someone looked at the program to to see who everyone was racing against, and then found it funny also that one of the women in my race was one of the best on the island. Wonderful i thought, bloody wonderful. So having only an hour and a half before my race was to occur i thought i would watch the other races and take notes. the club im in happens to be pretty awesome, and we won most of the races we took part in. It did start getting a bit windy too, after the first race and the water started to gain a bit more movement. *there is a reason i never did competative sports back home. They.stress.me.out, and i.hate.losing* i was then explained where to go and what to do once i got in the boat and how to get to the start line. so when my time came i would know exactly what to do. What really happened was, i was explained this in very very fast italian and only caught the gist of what was gonig to happen.
So when my time came, i got into my boat in my rather fetching one piece rowing suit *you have to see it to understand how awful it is* and turned the boat around and started to row out of the little jetty bit i was near, trying really hard not to row into an adjacent boat as the passage to the sea was rather narrow. Now i havent been rowing for a very long time, especially not in a single scull, so im not the most experienced of rowers, plus ive only ever rowed on the river, a nice calm river may i add, not the bloody sea!!!!!!! luckily i was on my own, so had to row by myself to the starting line as 2 of the other women were already there and the other one was late. lets just say i yelled a lot of obseneties towards the club, the sea, the gods, and pretty much everyone else asking why the bloody hell i got myself into this mess. It was rather confusing having to get to the starting line which was bloody miles away from the actual jetty. So anyway i got there in the end, and managed to get the nice bloke in the speed boat to talk a bit slower when explaining where to manover the boats. and then the race began. To start with my set off was shite, I didnt time it very well and my oar hit a wave and i panicked and nearly capsized, luckily i didnt and then thought fuck it to the proper way to start a race and just set off. Rowing in a straight linewasnt an issue as i had origionally feared as there are people following you all in a speed boat telling you if you are going wrong. i wasnt doing too badly either on that front. on the other hand the waves and the fact i was in the damned sea did make a bit of difference, and i found it rather difficult to row in the different conditions. Anyway i kept going because if i stopped i would panic more and humiliate myself which is not what i wanted to do. I didnt win the race *obviously* i did however lose the race, i came in last, but i didnt capsize teh boat, and there wasnt a great time at all between me and the 2 that came in before me, so i didnt lose badly or anything or looked like an oaf. So i could then calm down a bit as the race was finished, and i managed to finish it.
the next part i didnt forsee or plan. Who would have thought going from the finish line back to the tiny jetty you set off from would be difficult? Turns out it is very!! i rowed alongside 2 of the other rowers, one of whom nealy collided with a bouy. and then got lost. they were 'parked' at a different part of the port, and i couldnt remember for hte life of me which part of the port was my jetty. So after rowing around for a while trying to get my bearings, i heard my coach yell things at me, but i couldnt see him so i got even more confused. After another while i finally spotted him and then tried to follow where he was pointing, 2 3pt turns later i arrived back at the jetty, where some other tosser decided to take up all the room with his speed boat and make my life very very difficult getting out of mine. With the help of Antonio, i managed to get out of the boat and could finally chill out completely. Everyone at the club seemed really chuffed for me that i completed the race well and it was really nice to get the encouragement. also cause they all knew how freaked out about the race i had been. the only thing i knew how to say, was how i didnt fall in the sea when asked how i thought i did. This statement was hilarious apparently.
So yes, i am still alive, and didnt get swept away to sea. Bring on the next race is what i say when i will be a little better prepared and know how to handle the sea and all that. so Its all Actually good this time!!! YEY again.
the same afternoon i went along with 3 of the guys from the club to the football stadium where the Sardinian football team, Cagliary were playing against Livonia (sp?!) that day. Was a great experience to see them play live, as i really do love going to see live matches, Cagliary are however a really really terrible football team, Lazy isnt a good enough word to describe them, they really are shocking. But lots of fun was had, and it was interesting to learn a few more italian swear words, as these italians dont half love to hurl abuse at the other team. So a good day was had in all.
Yey for rowing and football!
So what happened...? i hear you all think!
well, i had to meet everyone at 6:30am *i hate mornings* so everyone just thought it was funny i was in a daze and kept asking me if i was scared about my first race and grinning in that 'i know something you don't' expression. The inner Charlie wanted to yell things at them and tell them to shut up as i was still half asleep but i managed to keep my cool and not yell and just shrug and say i was slightly anxious about said race. Truth was i was still terrified about the thought of the impending doom that was about to come about.
Anyhoo, after a 2hr drive we arrived in Cagliary and once the sun had risen, it turned out to be a lovely day and no rain or not a great deal of wind *and because of this i had a lot of thanks for the gods!* then we had another half an hour of aimless driving around as Luigi got lost, but i was shown a lot of buildings that cagliary had to offer, so it wasnt all that bad. Then we arrived at the port, and at that point the panick really set in, this was no small port, biggest in the med i was then told, and luigi proceeded to show me where the race was to take place. I think the look of total horror across my face gave my mood away as everyone found it rather hilarious. Someone looked at the program to to see who everyone was racing against, and then found it funny also that one of the women in my race was one of the best on the island. Wonderful i thought, bloody wonderful. So having only an hour and a half before my race was to occur i thought i would watch the other races and take notes. the club im in happens to be pretty awesome, and we won most of the races we took part in. It did start getting a bit windy too, after the first race and the water started to gain a bit more movement. *there is a reason i never did competative sports back home. They.stress.me.out, and i.hate.losing* i was then explained where to go and what to do once i got in the boat and how to get to the start line. so when my time came i would know exactly what to do. What really happened was, i was explained this in very very fast italian and only caught the gist of what was gonig to happen.
So when my time came, i got into my boat in my rather fetching one piece rowing suit *you have to see it to understand how awful it is* and turned the boat around and started to row out of the little jetty bit i was near, trying really hard not to row into an adjacent boat as the passage to the sea was rather narrow. Now i havent been rowing for a very long time, especially not in a single scull, so im not the most experienced of rowers, plus ive only ever rowed on the river, a nice calm river may i add, not the bloody sea!!!!!!! luckily i was on my own, so had to row by myself to the starting line as 2 of the other women were already there and the other one was late. lets just say i yelled a lot of obseneties towards the club, the sea, the gods, and pretty much everyone else asking why the bloody hell i got myself into this mess. It was rather confusing having to get to the starting line which was bloody miles away from the actual jetty. So anyway i got there in the end, and managed to get the nice bloke in the speed boat to talk a bit slower when explaining where to manover the boats. and then the race began. To start with my set off was shite, I didnt time it very well and my oar hit a wave and i panicked and nearly capsized, luckily i didnt and then thought fuck it to the proper way to start a race and just set off. Rowing in a straight linewasnt an issue as i had origionally feared as there are people following you all in a speed boat telling you if you are going wrong. i wasnt doing too badly either on that front. on the other hand the waves and the fact i was in the damned sea did make a bit of difference, and i found it rather difficult to row in the different conditions. Anyway i kept going because if i stopped i would panic more and humiliate myself which is not what i wanted to do. I didnt win the race *obviously* i did however lose the race, i came in last, but i didnt capsize teh boat, and there wasnt a great time at all between me and the 2 that came in before me, so i didnt lose badly or anything or looked like an oaf. So i could then calm down a bit as the race was finished, and i managed to finish it.
the next part i didnt forsee or plan. Who would have thought going from the finish line back to the tiny jetty you set off from would be difficult? Turns out it is very!! i rowed alongside 2 of the other rowers, one of whom nealy collided with a bouy. and then got lost. they were 'parked' at a different part of the port, and i couldnt remember for hte life of me which part of the port was my jetty. So after rowing around for a while trying to get my bearings, i heard my coach yell things at me, but i couldnt see him so i got even more confused. After another while i finally spotted him and then tried to follow where he was pointing, 2 3pt turns later i arrived back at the jetty, where some other tosser decided to take up all the room with his speed boat and make my life very very difficult getting out of mine. With the help of Antonio, i managed to get out of the boat and could finally chill out completely. Everyone at the club seemed really chuffed for me that i completed the race well and it was really nice to get the encouragement. also cause they all knew how freaked out about the race i had been. the only thing i knew how to say, was how i didnt fall in the sea when asked how i thought i did. This statement was hilarious apparently.
So yes, i am still alive, and didnt get swept away to sea. Bring on the next race is what i say when i will be a little better prepared and know how to handle the sea and all that. so Its all Actually good this time!!! YEY again.
the same afternoon i went along with 3 of the guys from the club to the football stadium where the Sardinian football team, Cagliary were playing against Livonia (sp?!) that day. Was a great experience to see them play live, as i really do love going to see live matches, Cagliary are however a really really terrible football team, Lazy isnt a good enough word to describe them, they really are shocking. But lots of fun was had, and it was interesting to learn a few more italian swear words, as these italians dont half love to hurl abuse at the other team. So a good day was had in all.
Yey for rowing and football!