The Torch

Left peaceful northern Vermont yesterday morning and have been getting settled in amidst the hustle and bustle of Boston. Steve and I went out for an easy paddle yesterday afternoon and enjoyed a pretty flat course without a whole lot of wind. We stopped in the middle of the powerhouse stretch to chat with the only other two boats on the course, Kjetil Borch and Nils Hoff of the World Champion Norwegian M2x. They are great guys and happy to be in Boston. Unfortunately, Kjetil has come down with acute bronchitis and is a little under the weather right now. After winning the event last year, he will start first this year and despite being sick will be very very fast.

 I met him for the first time at the Eton world cup this summer when we were racing each other in the single. His boat was right above mine on the rack and we had some good chats. He is a very put together dude who is highly talented and eager to be the best. At the same time, he seems to feel privileged and grateful, like I do, to be considered a part of the fraternity of top scullers in the world. The difference being that he is there. He won the this years World Championships in convincing fashion. About an hour after his win in Korea, I walked over to their boat where he and Nils were derigging with their gold medals. He greeted me the same way he did before he was World Champion, " John, how are you?" Haha, honestly I just love all the different accents of the rowing world. It's wonderful. Anyways, we chatted about him coming over for the Charles and then exchanged unisuits. He said, " Oh, well I only have this sweaty one that I just wore in the race." I acted like that was so gross that he would give me a sweaty uni, but obviously that was the one I wanted! " Oh..thats ok...I can wash it" I said. So, I gave him my 10th place uni in exchange for his gold medal uni. Since, I have worn it sparingly but it signifies the respect I have for those guys. They did last year what I aspire to do. They showed up to Worlds with a speed that no one could touch. And they knew it from the start--it was their secret the moment they showed up in Korea. I remember paddling next to them with Ben before racing started and we were much faster at steady state. But they knew. They knew that nothing they did in practice would change what they were about to show the world. In the heat, they went 6.09 in dead flat water. Boom. They proceeded to dominate the event. A couple months later, they are both here in Boston having some fun racing singles. It's been cool engaging in some pre-race banter with them. 

Got on the water around 8 this morning and found the course decently windy but not too bad. My Dad was out in the single also and we got to paddle together for a while. I had a catch with my Dad plenty of times as a boy, but I think he prefers going for a row with me. So it was nice to take a few strokes alongside him today. He's kind of fast in the 1x, actually. 

Afterwards, I went up to CRI with brother Peter, rigged up the 2x, strapped our backpacks on, and took a cruise down the river to Northeastern to drop the boat off there for Mom and Tom to use in the Parent/Child 2x. When we got there, we decided to throw the backpacks on the dock and keep rowing. So we went down and did a few 10's.

I will just be hanging out, laying low, until race time tomorrow afternoon. I am bow 6, right in front of bow 7, Olympic Champion Mahe Drysdale.