DMT’s Development in Rowing

On Sunday, I competed for the first time in 3 years, at the Head of the Potomac regatta in Washington, D.C. I got 4th of 8 in the Open Men’s 1x, 50 seconds slower than the winning time, and in the raced thought “I really need to improve my fitness.” The next day, I locked into a technique that has been eluding me for almost 2 years. It is a technique and rhythm that makes rowing miles and miles so enjoyable. It emphasizes elasticity of motion, and hanging my weight off the oar handles in a way that is both physically taxing and intoxicating. The analogy I use is riding a mountain bike on a slight decline – if you’re in too light a gear, you can’t properly lock onto a strong pedal motion; in the right gear, however, you can stand up and push down on the pedals with a deliberate, satisfying strength that keeps the bike going very fast.

My next race is the Occoquan Chase, on the Occoquan Reservoir in northern VA in a few weeks. One week later is the Head of the Charles, where I’ll be racing in the Club Singles event. More on this in the weeks to come.