It is difficult to know how you’re going to feel paddling up to the start line of your first race. Fear? Excitement? Adrenaline?
BUCS Head provided my first opportunity to get a taste of racing, which got off to an unexpected start when all of Sunday racing was cancelled due to high winds. I hadn’t considered that months of training could end in racing being called off at short notice. Nonetheless, it was a reminder that preparing for and executing a race is more than simply a physical endeavour – racing demands continued mental and emotional composure that begins long before you roll onto the racecourse.
There’s a whole lot of preparation that goes into being race ready. It’s no secret that rowing requires a substantial amount of equipment, all of which needs to be transported safely and securely to your racing location. Rigging and de-rigging a boat is fundamental to racing – come race day, your boat is your responsibility. Securing your foot stretcher, tightening oar locks and making sure riggers are firmly attached are an integral part of a pre-race routine – you don’t want to be the person who wished they’d double-checked their kit when it’s too late.
Preparing your boat as a team is about more than just handling equipment. This marks the first important reminder of the value of teamwork come race day. You’ve spent weeks training to earn your seat in a boat, often against teammates you have formed strong friendships with. Everyone wants a place in the boat just as much as the next person, but come race day, there demands an important shift in thinking to success through unity. For us, this unison was strengthened through a group warm up, pre-paddle songs and matching baby-blue bows in our hair – trivial, but undoubtably essential ways to shake off nerves and build mutual support before pushing the boat out. You cannot win a race on your own, so there is a lot to be said for developing a tight-knit team off the water that can fully commit to, and rely on each other when it matters.
For Edinburgh’s Beginner Development Squad, the BUCS Head Women’s Beginner 5km race marked our first time experiencing this togetherness, overtaking four boats along the Tyne tideway to secure an Edinburgh win for the third consecutive year.
Mental preparation for a race is equally as important as time spent on the erg. Prior to racing, we spent time learning about the tidal waters of the Tyne, including the elusive mudflats that creep up on boats with little warning. With briefing on executing the fastest race line, developing a race plan, and instructions for boat marshalling on race day, our coach Mike Hughes made sure nothing came as a surprise from the moment of boating to crossing the line. Removing margins for uncertainty made mentally preparing to race much less daunting – we raced on a river we had learnt about, visualised and become comfortable with long before taking our first stroke in its waters.
Resultantly, racing for the first time was exhilarating. Hearing the increasing noise of cheering as you draw towards the finish brought fresh energy to tired legs, and translating hours of training into a race made every moment of commitment feel worthwhile. Through focusing on the calls of the coxswain, my mind adjusted to remaining present, with little thought beyond the next stroke and the relentless drive to push your body to its limits. Eighteen minutes of racing felt both very long, and very short at the same time – you could feel a united sense of focus in the boat and that made a difference as the race played out.
Winning our first race was a great achievement but has also reinforced an important truth – races are not won when you cross the finish line. Instead, they are won with every decision you make in the weeks and months of work you and your teammates endure whilst preparing for them. Importantly, the win has provided momentum as we move towards the more significant races of our current racing block – Inverness Winter Head and WEHoRR in March. Travelling to new waters means these races will no doubt bring novel challenges. However, learning from our preparation for BUCS Head, we can place trust in robust training, enhancing our teamwork and perfecting planning to put us in strong position for ongoing success in our races to come.
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