Funferal

Greetings from Ogaki

Greetings from Ogaki!!! I am getting too used to this heat… I love it! I think yesterday we were rowing in 37 degrees, a big change from Blessington…
Things are really heating up now, so to speak… the racing has started, and the nerves are jumping a little. Niamh raced in the single this morning, she had a tough heat. Well, I guess at the Worlds every heat is a tough one! But the Dutch girl is really the sculler on form this year, and she got through to the semis with the Cuban (don’t know where she came from, but she is fast!!).. This means that Niamh is in the rep on Wednesday. She looked really good though, was watching her race on the TVs at the course – it is so cool seeing your team on the screen!
The Heavy Four are also going to the reps. They had the toughest heat in their event, but weren’t off the pace. The way we have been training, coming down from altitude and stuff, we are all going to progress a lot throughout the regatta, looking to peak at the finals.
Tomorrow I am racing at 10.30 am, which is 2.30 am in Ireland… the third heat, and we actually got seeded!!! We got the Germans, the Spanish, USA and Japan. We were thrilled to see we got the Germans, as they have been on top this year so far, the number one seed… this will be a good test, to see where we stand from the start.. Three will go straight to the semi…. say no more…
I have to say I am getting a bit nervous now… I have never felt so well prepared for a big competition, I am dying for it… For myself and Sinead, though, the key is to not get too excited, carried away, as we tend to complicate the simple movement by pulling too hard sometimes… so I am learning to just spoon it…ahhhh….bliss…I can’t wait!!!!
We had a good spin this morning, so are just chilling for the day now, take a nap, buy our weigh-in food… and read….