What a whirlwind! The past few days have been packed. And yet I don't think I've done so much sitting around ever in my life. It's surprisingly not very monotonous, but what with listening to the Italians on my left, the little train chugging around the park and the ... interesting music selection with what sounds like bursts of a Polish talk show on the speakers, I don't get bored. It's starting to sink in that yes, this is an international competition. Flying for eight hours didn't do it. Coming to the hotel still felt pretty normal. But when I accidentally started asking the Ukranians a question on the bus this afternoon, I realized I'm not in Connecticut anymore.
But on to the rowing. Today they held practice starts up on the blocks, with an official and everything. We've been rowing well, but everyone sat up taller and pulled harder seeing the light and hearing that beep for go. The start is definitely a high octane environment, and properly harnessing your energy is key. I was worried how we would handle it, but the boat felt set and smooth. Tomorrow we'll be focusing on firming up the rest of our piece, and especially driving to the line.
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