Safety comes first!

Often with rowing, I talk about the importance about being safe on the water…not staying out too late by yourself when it’s cold, dark, rough conditions, etc.  But I think it is also important to be safe when you are off the water…walking to your car when it’s dark, talking to people on shore, etc.

So tonight, I probably did something I shouldn’t have.  During a break in my second row, I spoke out to strangers along the shore who were doing something very suspicious.  It was quite evident that they were not doing something “legal”, and I probably should have kept my mouth shut and ignored it, but I didn’t.  I called them out on hanging out there and after some back and forth, the conversation ended and I went on to finish my row.  I rowed the rest of that workout with a great deal of fear.  Being alone on the water, knowing that it was going to get dark soon, and seeing a number of other questionable groups along the shore definitely made me push a little harder with my legs so that I could get to the boathouse faster.  As a woman, there is always that bit of fear when you are training by yourself – whether you are biking on rural roads, running through trails, or walking to your car from the gym.

I learned my lesson today that in these cases it may be best to keep my mouth shut, and if something becomes a real concern, then at that point I could call 911 to let the professionals take care of it.

Some things you can do include:

-          Holding your keys in between your fingers as you walk from point A to point B, or as you are jogging

-          Telling others where you are going, such as what route are you taking for your workout

-          Calling someone before and after your workout so that they know you are safe

This is my BFF Lauren and me back in 2007 after a late night in Madrid, Spain. 

Notice the key in between her fingers, always be safe!

As for my first row, the water was really beautiful and flat today which made it great for getting in some solid pieces with my teammate Kathleen (she made me work harder than I had planned so I really have to thank her for that:)).  She recently got a new boat and I can tell you that it is really exciting to see how well she fits in it and how fast she is moving in it.  It is great for her and also great for me as her teammate because she can push me that much more!

More pieces tomorrow…GAME ON!