Spring Break in Florida!

When I joined the crew team back in the fall, I heard about how the team goes to Florida over Spring Break. However, I always just assumed that I wouldn't go (knowing there would be some stereotypical college spring break nonsense going on). Well, I ended up deciding to go after thinking about it for a while, despite Mom not really wanting me to :). I didn't want to be way behind everyone else on the team when they returned--up until Spring Break we were still doing winter conditioning, so this was the first week we were able to get back on the water. Anyways, I'm SO glad I decided to come, and this week has been the best way to spend this Spring Break!


The van ride down was about 14 hours. We left Richmond on Saturday morning at 9:30, and got to Cocoa Beach at 11:30 that night. Stopping with a whole rowing team takes FOREVER. I'm used to our large family stopping for like fifteen minutes and getting back on the road... the two stops we made took an hour each! Anyways, the picture is really bad, but this was most of the girls team when we finally crossed into Florida!

We keep the boats at a little island/park called Kiwanis Island, which is where we have practice and launch our boats and everything. It is such a neat little place. There are some other teams here too: West Point (military academy), and Emory College. Apparently it's a well used little area for Crew teams. We practice from about 7-10:30 in the morning and again from about 2-5:30 in the afternoon. The boathouse is about 5 miles from the hotel we are staying in, so I like to run at least once a day. I've been running in the mornings because it is so much cooler out, so I usually head out the door at 6:15 to get to the island just before the vans do. The run is so peaceful and so nice because nobody is really around, everything is dark and cool, the ocean is all around you, cranes are everywhere, and a little breeze comes off the water. It's so nice! I was talking to Dad the other day and it just makes me laugh how much my body has changed since September... if you would've told me back in September to run 5 miles, I would've thought you were nuts! I love it!

Post 5-Mile run!

This is where we dock! Wet dock!

Silhouette from morning practices

It's so good to be back on the water again! But going back to Richmond is going to be sooo cold in the mornings!

Women's Novice 8--rumor is that we won't be racing anything but 4's this season, so hopefully we will split up into line ups pretty soon here! I was in a four this afternoon (the same line up I had for our last Regatta of Fall Season where we crushed our own Varsity boat!), which was awesome! We're just in an eight while everyone is working on technique and while we a new rower is learning the ins and outs of being in a boat.

After practice is over, everyone piles in the vans and races back to get some breakfast. The hotel extends breakfast hours especially for our crew team, and if we aren't back at 11, we don't get food. Naturally, we've always made it back on time :) It's ridiculous how much food gets devoured by the team! The poor hotel has 50+ smelly, wet, and stinky rowers plow through the hotel and head for breakfast in nasty clothes. I'm sure they just love it! After breakfast we usually have a few hours for some downtime--people head to the beach for a little bit, sit out by the pool, NAP, etc.

Kavya, Me, and Becca :)

The water here is still a tad chilly, but it feels so good once you're in! And feels amazing after we finish practice!

After the little break, we head back to practice. It's funny how different our Spring Break is from some of the other people in our hotel! Afternoon practices often last a little bit longer because we have no pressure to head back for food at a certain time :) Yesterday after practice my coach Sam let my friend Melissa and I take out one of the pair boats just for fun (two-man boat, no coxswain). It was so neat just to be messing around a little and work on our techniques without everyone else on the water at the same time. We were flying for a while there in the pair! Steering it was a little tricky, though!

Lucia and I!

So that's how my Spring Break has been spent so far, and I love it. I think we have one full day tomorrow left, and then one practice on Friday before we head back to Richmond and normal routine. I'm so, so glad I decided to spend the week here in Florida and joining the crew team has probably been the best thing I've done in college thus far. I love it :)