Day 4: SUN!!!!!!
Day 4 of our trip gave us our first real dose of sunshine! It also was the first day that we started to feel like normal again. Days 1-3 were filled with some pretty energetic mornings and overly-tired afternoons. The first rows of the trip were a bit foggy-headed and lacked sharpness, but the group felt that this morning was a big change and all crews said they had some really solid rows!
The sunshine also helped. It was 60 and sunny during our morning row and we were quick to strip off our long trou and splash jackets in an attempt to soak up as much Vitamin D as we could. We must have looked pretty ridiculous (wearing only our unis) to the Californians who remained bundled up for the entirety of the row. But sunshine wasn’t the only highlight of the morning session. Mickey and I rowed a 2x together and were able to enjoy some flat water as well as the company of the resident 2x (Maggie & Julia) to keep our steady state engaged and productive. We took advantage of the flat water and rowed all the way out to the OPEN OCEAN! We rowed about 50 meters beyond the opening of the canal and took a look around at the open Pacific Ocean. While the water was relatively calm, there are still some pretty big swells on the open water. Mickey was having a blast, splashing her hands in the water and rocking the boat. Whereas I was “respecting the power of the mighty Pacific”– gripping my handles more tightly with each rock. But, I relaxed a bit when a playful seal started jumping and diving in the water around our boat!
After a long AM sesh (20k for the 2x and 17k for Bridgey in the 1x), we headed back to the apartment for the usual lunch and nap. Steve and Jen hit the road on the beach cruisers and visited a local chiropractor while Bridgey, Mick and I enjoyed some late morning siestas.
The PM sesh was another solid workout. Thanks to a resident athlete stepping in to row with us, we were able to take out three 2x’s for a few laps around Lido Island! Once again we enjoyed the sunshine and relatively calm water. However, day 4 has been the breaking point for most of our hands…. That’s right, the blisters are opening up. And. It. Is. ROUGH. Showers are becoming more and more painful, athletic tape is going faster than toilet paper, and rather than dealing with the pain of gripping, I rode my bike home with just my fists on the handlebars.
All that to say, Day 4 was a great one and it was capped off with a wonderful dinner, as Bridget fired up the grill for the first time and pumped out some DELICIOUS burgers!!
Till next time, y’all
Alex (Spaulds) Spaulding