It's been almost a month since the big race and 2 months since I last blogged. During the last fortnight Isis lived in London at a Hotel specially reserved for our team. We had excellent rooms, our own chef and our boardroom where we talked tactics. There was a real feeling that we were unifying as a team. For that reason I wanted to wait until after the race to document what happened.

OUBC has been a fantastic experience, which has taught me about myself. There really aren't any limits to what we can do. When I look back at the ammount of work we did in the 7 month campaign, I am horrified. The terrible weather we battled through. The chronic fatigue and repetition. but it was all worth it.

There were times when I didn't think we would keep up with Goldie beyond the mile post because our boat was going so badly. And yet that's exactly what happened to them. Part of it was occupying the bow seat - I could see what everyone else was doing wrong - in the last 2 months I really let this distract me from making my own improvements. In the end, I wasn't rowing particularly well (technically) on race day, but I was going for it, and there was alot of power coming from everyone. Putting it in perspective: our blue boat clocked a time of 17:00min to win their race. We did 17:21. Although the conditions were variable over such a long course, we were definitely a quick crew on the day.

In the words from Xchanging's website:

There was a surprise result in the reserves Isis - Goldie race half an hour before the main race where Isis defeated Goldie by four lengths. Both crews got off to a clean start with Isis quickly establishing a 3/4 lead along the line of Boats. Isis, on Middlesex then took advantage of their bend to clear Goldie by Fulham Football club, they then pushed out to clear water down the Mile Post straight, and from there on in extending their lead to four lengths by the finish line. This was a surprise to most close with the race as it was this reserve race which Cambridge were favourites to win. Oxford would not have known of this victory as they prepared for the main race but am sure would have taken much confidence knowing their colleagues, as underdogs, had defeated Goldie.

To punters on the bank, it may have seemed we were underdogs. To those who looked closely, we rowed pretty damn well and compared to Cambridge it was "just fucking harder" as Dan Topolski likes to say.

I am still training with some of the guys. Sjoerd and Walshy have made the Dutch and Irish national teams respectively and Jan Herzog is always in and out of the gym. I will get involved with rowing in Summer Eights for my college - St Edmund Hall.

Exams are in three weeks and then I have four months to write my thesis. I have no more lectures, so trinity term will involve some serious social time.

The Boat Race

March 29 was a great day at the office for Oxford University Boat Club. The eighteen athletes, the spares, boatmen, coaches and medical staff all share the achievement equally.

In our minds Goldie were strong opponents. They were the biggest Cambridge crew ever – heavier even than their blue boat. They had experience, technically ability, a dominant record in the reserve races and pre-race fixtures showed that they had fast boat speed.

Isis was a much lighter crew. For half the crew the previous biggest rowing event was college bumps racing. We had missed a week of training with five athletes injured at once just a fortnight before the race. Although we had produced good speed in training – sometimes beating our immensely strong blue boat – we were underdogs. After considering our opponents we expected a long race, which would be decided after twelve minutes of racing, somewhere past Chiswick Eyot. To survive we would need a fast start and staying power.

I was astounded at the number of spectators gathered for both races. It is larger than any Olympic or World Championship rowing crowd by far. After fighting nerves all morning, the time came to emerge from Westminster School Boatshed into the deafening cheers. We launched our boat and after thirty warm-up strokes, we nearly ploughed into a paddle steamer docked at Putney peer. “Maybe no one noticed?” I remember thinking. The defening noise turned to silence above Putney bridge, where the only sound was a television helicopter above. Approaching the start, we missed the stakeboat on the first attempt, but nothing could shake our focus.

Isis unleashed a savage first 2 minutes of rowing for which Goldie weren’t prepared. We took one length lead at Barn Elms, by the mile post cox Adam Barhammand was dominating the stream and by Harrods we were putting our puddles under their bow, effectively ending the race. The last ten minutes were focussed on keeping clean and rhythmical.

The Old blues had warned us to soak up the atmosphere because the race would be over before we realised. They were right. After the excitement of the start had worn off my first memory of the race is at Harrods, a full 6 minutes into the race.

Heroic races won by a single foot make fantastic stories and it’s a shame that our race ended so soon. I felt cheated by Goldie at first, robbed of an opportunity to show our fighting spirit, our fitness and cohesion under pressure. Then I realised that the race wasn’t won on the day. Isis beat Goldie every day on the ergo, on the water and in the gym. We were tougher and smarter than them all year and winning so convincingly was the best reward for our hard work.

The whole Oxford team lived together and trained together every day for seven months yet only twelve hours after the race, we had scattered to every corner of the globe to enjoy the holidays.

Rowing at Oxford has been far better than I ever imagined. I hoped to find the best rowers and coaches in the world – and I did. Yet I am humbled to share something bigger than myself: a connection to all past and future OUBC members and to compete in a race, which inspires and entertains so many people. Thanks to everyone who supported us on the journey.

Four Weeks to Go

I am happy.

Like a solar eclipse or UFO sightings rarely has there been a day like this in Oxford - it is sunny AND we have a day off training!

There are exactly four weeks now until this whole boat race circus is over. I can't believe how fast it has come and gone. We have a powerful routine going right now of training-study-training-sleep, which is helping our performance. On the down side, it feels like I have been in a dream for the last month and just woke up. Maybe that's the effect of constantly being fatigued? Maybe that's the result of living in the moment? If I was worrying about the past or future instead of the specific tasks in the present, perhaps time would drag slowly?

Fixture yesterday. We raced against University College Dublin's top crew. It was a fruitful day and we learned alot about ourselves and about the boat race event. Another week goes by and we have a few more pieces of the puzzle in place.

The blue boat raced University of Washington, called the Huskies. They put up a great race and will be a strong feature on the US College rowing scene this year. With both our crews, it is interesting to note how much better our physiology was on the day. The other crews (and crews all around the world) are preparing for a 2km race and we are preparing for a 8km race. So after the fourth minute of racing both Oxford crews were able to keep smashing out power relentlessly in comparison to the opposition.

The camera crews have been hovering on the scene again. We had a boat-naming ceremony, which was captured on film, and the tv crew also followed the blue boat fixture. I was singled out for an interview mid-last-week, but missed it due to illness. Something about what coxing means to me, i think.

In my despeartion to understand why I get so ill in the UK, I have turned to eastern medicine. After consulting a friend who knows about this stuff, she gave me some magic potions to drink for a week. It's working too!

Ying-yang governs alot of their philosophy. Aparently, being around water all the time during rowing, I absorb alot of moisture into my body/bones. I also come from a hot/dry country into the UK which is cold/wet. For these reasons I would be diagnosed as being "cold". Therefore I need to take "warm" foods and "warm" medicines, to balance my system. I'm willing to try anything and i'm happy that it is working, but this herbal stuff tastes like absolute shit. I nearly threw up when I took it first time. I want to learn more about all this stuff.

Trial 8's Video

Random Thoughts

"Fixity of purpose requires flexibility of process". We cannot know the challenges which will come our way, but with a powerful/clear goal we can always shift our path until we reach it. Innovattion, creativity and flexbility - anything is possible.

Update

Start of Week 5, Hillary Term

The pressure is building - my supervisor is putting pressure on me to decide my thesis topic. Rowing is physically and mentally demanding as always. I think that "keeping your head while everyone is losing theirs" is one of life's challenges. When work pressure whirls chaotically all around you, I have to maintain composure, creativity and enjoyment. After all, I'm studying at a great university and competing in one of the greatest sporting events in the world - it's supposed to be fun!

Selection is over now and the crews have been announced. There is always the possibility of final changes for various reasons, but I find myself in Isis and I am excited and happy to be here. I have learned huge ammounts about rowing and myself.

First fixture is in 2 weeks. Bring it on.

If...

If...
Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

5km Ergo Test

5000m ergo test today. It's a chance to measure the benefits of our training from the last couple of months, the practice hurting ourselves and to finalise crew selections.

There were many outstanding performances, particularly George Bridgewater. He was just a fraction away from the British Record set by James Cracknell in 2002 at 15:09min. We're just glad he's on our team.

Personally today was disappointing. I have been recording some really good scores in the last two weeks and was really looking forward to breaking my personal best today. I've also progressed alot technically. Fours days ago I came down hard with a virus effecting me with a really chesty cough. I recovered enough to compete today, but it felt like i was breathing with a sock in my mouth and I just didn't feel that 'spark' in my energy levels.

That is the most annoying part - taking part, but not really being competitive; participating, but not able to improve on my last performance.

I've been in the UK for two winters now and it seems that my health seems to be screwed up around januray/feb each year. Why is this? I wonder if it has something to do with the cold weather. Does it matter that I was raised in a climate that is sunny, dry and hot, but am now living in a cold, dark and wet country?

The last two weeks have been really productive. Andy and Sean have been feeding us their coaching experience for 5 months now and I'm having "aha" moments daily. Their individual comments are starting to synapse in my mind and gel together. I guess there's a lesson in here for the would-be coach or teacher - it takes long periods of patience tutoring before things 'click' in the mind of your student.

Oxford continues to challenge me mentally. I'm learning about so many varied fields - economics, poltics, environment, law and mathematical modelling. Right now I am researching the link between Climate Change and violent conflict. Are we headed for a world where wars are fought over resource shortages (like water and food)? I think it's all pretty cool. For the first time I can appreciate people who choose an academic lifestyle: the flexibility of time, the endless curiosity and enjoying the youth of the university population.

OUBC Training Camp

Temple sur Lot (near Bordeaux), France

Jumping off one flight from Africa and onto another to France, we began training camp on Jan 3rd. It was great to reconnect as a group at Gatwick airport as a squad, i think everyone was genuinely excited to see our mates after the christmas break. I suppose it's natural... we normally spend all day together during term time.

The camp is a chance to further hone our technique and complete some more selection in fours. By the end of camp we expect to have a tentative "A" and "B" group, in Sean Bowden's words. In reality, a "Blue" and "Isis" boat. I'm looking forward to having the crews set. In my experience, the whole culture of a squad changes when selection is complete and crews set. Everyone comes together and relaxes more. There is more cooperation and excitement about building a single crew unit, without the constant changing of combinations.

The town here is very sweet, but totally unexciting. There is one shop, which is closed most of the day and when it is open only stocks wine, cheese and biscuits - the staple french diet. It is beautiful here when it snows, which is every day so far. The snow sometimes stops but only when it is too cold to snow - ie. below -2 degrees.

We are staying in a converted mini-castle which hosts national spots squads regularly, including the french rowing team (last week). They have given us the whole complex and turned away other guests to give us the extra space. Several journalists arrived yesterday to watch us train and interview some of the squad, having come from visiting Cambridge on their own camp in Spain.

St Francis, South Africa

December arrives and my body expects a certain ammount of sunshine, like Sydney would be receiving at this time of year. Unfortunately the entire UK is covered in cold and cloud for the next two months - hence my decision to go to the eastern cape of South Africa.

St Francis is a holiday town set 10 miles from Jeffreys Bay, where the pro surfing tour visits each year. In other words, the beaches are amazing and exactly where i spent most of my time. At other times I visited the nightlife with my host, Ed, and hung out with his (extensive) family. We also had time for the South Africa vs. Australia polo math, which Aus won, giving me some sort of response to all the anti-Australia cricket banter.

The biggest rush was jumping off Bloukrans bridge, the world's highest bungee jump - 261m. Word's can't really do justice to any of this and so i will just attach a couple of photos.

Trial Eights

Bear defeated Bull by one and a half lengths.

Bear (Middlesex station) had three quarter length lead at the Eyot and push out their advantage as the final bend was in their favour. Several clashes between the crews and lots of excitement. Huge learning curve for all of us, having to deal with the tideway, the course, tactics, errors and all of the media/external factors.

Satisfied to have won the race, but it was at the expense of friends and team mates, making the whole experience bitter sweet. I think that we handled the competition well as a group and have become much stronger and closer as a result.

Quote for the day:

"Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from."

- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross