WEHoRR Race Report – W2
London baby! As we all made our way to the capital, we knew we were set for an exciting weekend – racing on the Thames would certainly require a change in style and a heck of a lot of concentration (whoever chose to run HoRR on a different day – good call). But first, carbs! Hiring out the top floor of Putney’s Pizza Express provided the perfect place to meet some of our lovely alumnae, talk about the race, and fill up on doughy goodness.
Staying in Emma’s beautiful house was exactly what we needed to rest before the race. A mash of stash and sleeping bags, we settled down to watch Little Miss Sunshine (not the suggested Lord of the Rings or Star Wars which would have taken us neatly to the start of the race). Unfortunately I can’t tell you much about the film; I don’t think I made it past the title sequence.
Spoilt again, Saturday started leisurely with a hearty breakfast which set us up for the day ahead. After walking to Thames Rowing Club it was time to find the changing rooms, a task Evie did in style – never wasting a moment for some cheeky talent spotting. Then, after setting the boats up and taking a quick trip to a nearby shopping centre, we were set to go.
If you haven’t rowed on the Thames before, do it. We were lucky; hardly any wind and a relatively warm day made for an enjoyable row up to marshalling. Waiting to spin, we sat next to 203, Sons of the Thames RC B. Little did we know they would be a big part of our journey back to Putney. Now with the stream and tide, spinning was an easy task and before we knew it we were in under the bridge and into our start sequence. Before the race I was apprehensive, personally I’d never raced this distance before and I’d been told it was going to hurt, but all I remember thinking was that Hammersmith Bridge had come up fast. Nadia called for a mental restart and we were with another strong power ten. 203 were close behind, but plenty of calls for ‘legs down’ kept them at bay. Just as quickly as Hammersmith, Fulham Stadium came into sight – we were on the home straight. A final call to ‘empty the tank’ at the black buoy saw us through to the finish, exhausted but happy with our result – 21:19, a solid race and a great day for MECBC!
N.B. from the train journey home: buy ‘MECBC APPROVES/ED BADGES’.
Rowanne Willett, W2, 3