June 13, 2006 - Late Night in Columbus
Today is the first day of the training program that was distributed last week by our coach, Karen Lewis. It is 10:28 PM, game 3 of the NBA finals is on TV, and I have yet to hit the erg. I have found that I prefer rowing late at night. This is a habit I’ll have to change, soon, for my body’s sake, but at least tonight, it will be a nocturnal row.
It’s strange, but motivation is hard to come by right now. I feel somewhat embarrassed to admit it. As someone who prides himself on his ability to motivate others, to assert that I struggle to find drive in myself is not easy. Truthfully, though, I feel a long way away from Eton. It’s so easy to rationalize laziness when surrounded by the comforts of home. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do the work out tonight and I’ll give it my all, it’s just getting to the garage and my borrowed erg machine that will be tough.
Yesterday I watched the US men’s soccer team get trounced by the Czech Republic, and I couldn’t help but feel like they had let their country down… disappointed us and justified the criticisms of a skeptical international sport community. How could athletes with USA on their chests show so little passion? Frankly, I was ashamed.
I realize, though, that in a strange way the World Cup representatives on the television and I are brothers. We bear the same weight of carrying our nation’s standard in a field of competition that, traditionally, we have not dominated. In rowing, as in soccer, much of the rest of the world just seems to care more. They train harder, recruit earlier, and expend more resources than we do. Back home, though, no one cares about those details. They expect to see the USA atop the medal stand, as they should, and I certainly do not intend to fall short of expectations.
Gold is well within our reach. A piece of history is up for grabs. The only question now is who is willing to fight the hardest, to endure the longest, and dig the deepest to claim that moment for themselves and their nation? I am willing: it’s time to go work out.
PS (1:21 AM) Finally done.. I’m beat. U-S-A!
It’s strange, but motivation is hard to come by right now. I feel somewhat embarrassed to admit it. As someone who prides himself on his ability to motivate others, to assert that I struggle to find drive in myself is not easy. Truthfully, though, I feel a long way away from Eton. It’s so easy to rationalize laziness when surrounded by the comforts of home. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do the work out tonight and I’ll give it my all, it’s just getting to the garage and my borrowed erg machine that will be tough.
Yesterday I watched the US men’s soccer team get trounced by the Czech Republic, and I couldn’t help but feel like they had let their country down… disappointed us and justified the criticisms of a skeptical international sport community. How could athletes with USA on their chests show so little passion? Frankly, I was ashamed.
I realize, though, that in a strange way the World Cup representatives on the television and I are brothers. We bear the same weight of carrying our nation’s standard in a field of competition that, traditionally, we have not dominated. In rowing, as in soccer, much of the rest of the world just seems to care more. They train harder, recruit earlier, and expend more resources than we do. Back home, though, no one cares about those details. They expect to see the USA atop the medal stand, as they should, and I certainly do not intend to fall short of expectations.
Gold is well within our reach. A piece of history is up for grabs. The only question now is who is willing to fight the hardest, to endure the longest, and dig the deepest to claim that moment for themselves and their nation? I am willing: it’s time to go work out.
PS (1:21 AM) Finally done.. I’m beat. U-S-A!
posted by Jamie at 12:06 PM
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