Indiana University Athletics
On the Water with IU Rowing: Gayle Lewallen
2/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Feb. 3, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana Rowing has joined the blogosphere! Two Hoosiers will provide a weekly update on what's going on with the team as they train for the spring season. Here's the second installment of On the Water with IU Rowing from freshman Gayle Lewallen.
The Pilot, Part Two
One of the wonderful aspects of Bloomington is the variety of activities available any day of the week. This past Saturday, for example, a fellow teammate and myself ventured into town to explore a function that was highlighted on an online events calendar called, "A Week of Chocolate." Each day this week, a different activity around town is hosted and has something to do with the delicious treat. We enjoyed visiting one of Indiana's many museums and were excited to find that locals as well as university students were chowing on ice cream sundays (with tons of chocolate toppings, of course), and listening to live music while kids stared wide-eyed at the many interesting exhibits. Chocolate was followed by an exhilarating win by Hoosiers Basketball over Minnesota, mid-week. I love this school.
However, as fabulous as it is to enjoy free time, there's work to be done. Every practice is one less until spring racing begins. Think of it this way: in a 2k, a rower only takes between 200 and 250 strokes. With so few, there is very little room for error, and that's why we are so picky about staying on top of things as we wait for Lake Lemon to thaw. I'm sure most have heard tell of the awful weather hammering major parts of the country, but you better believe that come Tuesday morning, the rowing team was whipping-out an erg test instead of letting ice dictate our practice schedule! This week has been exhausting, and everybody is pushing themselves to the limit, but we are balancing the intensity with plenty of rest time. The opportunity to take a breather not only helps the body to recover, but it also gives the team a mental break; some time to have to themselves.
Magic Johnson once said "Ask not what your teammates can do for you, but what you can do for your teammates." That's the type of attitude I see at practice. We are what we believe we are, and it starts with trust and teamwork, knowing that every member, cox or rower or coach, is in a sense, pulling their weight. That's the kind of thing that keeps us fired up and ready to go through the chilly months.
- Gayle Lewallen, Freshman, Exploratory Major
Players Mentioned
