Some gradual mental shift is happening. I can feel it. I still have a lot of confidence, consistency, and power to rebuild, but 4x15’ happened this morning without hitting a wall or spiraling into a black hole of despair.
I spent a lot of time during this workout thinking about just when I became self-conscious.
I remember being a kid with one leg shorter than the other and having to wear a lift on one shoe.
I remember being in junior high sucking in my stomach all.day.long.
I remember a serious college boyfriend telling me I wasn’t in shape, even though I lifted, played ultimate frisbee, and was 10 pounds lighter than I am today.
I remember buying my first bikini in my 20s, and hiding under a sun shirt on the beach.
There were a few years in my 30s when I was racing swim/bike duathlons AND rowing - I felt really body positive then.
In my late 40s, I’m hitting the “I don’t give two f*%ks” stage and doing what feels good.
#mastersrowing #LTWTrowing
Rebuilding Week 4: An hour on the erg normally feels like an eternity for me, and when the winter training plan calls for 15x3’ on/1’ off I didn’t think it would be any different. But moving into my fourth week of consistent training, I’m feeling better. A lot better. And the language I’m using for myself about training has changed: from “ugh, I’m so slow…” to “I’m hitting a consistent rating!”
Improved cardio ✅
Increased strength ✅
Better attitude ✅
Weight loss ✅
What does your training look like this week?
How you feeling about it?
#rowing #indoorrowing #LTWT #lightweightrowing #mindsettraining
The Chirp Wheel touts itself as “targeted relief for back pain, sciatica, and neck pain… by alleviating pressure and discomfort.” Like a standard foam roller though, the pressure and discomfort of the wheel itself is something to overcome 😆 #rowing #selfcare #backcare #recovery
Rebuilding Week 3
Last week was about remembering what I love about rowing, when I really don’t love erging.
I remembered I love:
My power.
My persistence.
My patience.
Today’s small win:
Finishing a complete workout. Warm up, 3 pieces, and cool down. On rating. No skimping, skipping, or giving up.
Motivation?
Contributing to lineups in the Spring.
What was your small win today?
What sparked your health, fitness, and athletic journey?
I played sports as a kid and had older brothers who played catch with me. But when I was 10, fitness enthusiast Robert Sweetgall challenged my 5th grade class to do something BIG. Under his leadership and training, along with our PE teacher Mrs. Witek, we’d walk 50 miles from Amherst, MA to Worcester, MA.
We trained for months on the school track and on the streets and sidewalks of Amherst through the winter of 1987/88 until the day finally came: April 26, 1988. Nearly 30 kids, a handful of teachers and parents, and even the school principal set off for a 4-day trek to Worcester.
It must have been hard, and I’m sure there were days my feet hurt, but what I really remember was being a part of something bigger than myself. Being in the long line of my friends walking along the shoulder of the road was so fun, but I also knew we were playing a big part in supporting Robert’s ambitions of bringing walking programs to elementary schools across the country.
As I’ve gotten older, a congenital malformation of my right foot, ankle, and leg have made walking harder and a lot less fun. But rowing has been there for me the past 25 years as a low impact, high intensity workout. And I *still* think about 10 year old me, round cheeks and awkward, stepping out into the world and accomplishing something BIG.
#health #fitness #walking #rowing #fitnessjourney
Shirt: Be Brave High Performance/ @carastawicki
Rebuilding Day 3
After a roller coaster year, on the water for two weeks, off the water and away from home for two weeks. Repeat each month of the ’25 season. I’m grateful my rowing club’s winter training program includes a warm up with long pauses.
Step 1: reconnect my body with my athletic self
Step 2: stay motivated
Step 3: get stronger, faster, fitter
I've been a member of @crcrowdc since 2001, designed my first t-shirt for the club in 2007, with the apple first making an appearance in the Head of the Anacostia (HOTA) design a year later as a nod to the annual apple pie contest on race day 🍎🥧
If you're in the D.C. area, let me know if you'll be at HOTA 2025, and bring a couple bucks for a regatta shirt!
Need a club logo, regatta artwork, or special event designs? Message me!
#rowing #washingtondc #hota2025 @newfdmb@acbainfo
Even though *most* of my design and digital marketing clients are rowing clubs and regattas, when I heard from a sailor named Olivia in Oregon who wanted a logo and tees for her all-female sailing crew, I didn't hesitate to say yes. Olivia was funny and irreverent, having named her boat after the obscure Thunder Muscle energy drink. She was an amazing client from the get go, sending me the perfect photo of her boat under way which I was able to recreate in Illustrator. This was a fun one!
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#sailing #hoodriver #oregon
