The Jingle Mingle Erg Relay

First, a confession: I own an erg. However, it is typically found in an upright position in the corner of my room, where I find it useful for hanging up not-quite-dry laundry. In my defense, I didn't actually buy the thing for myself, it belonged to my dad until my mom told me to get it out of her home office where he was storing it. At any rate, it doesn't get a lot of use.

So when I got the announcement for Row NY's first annual Jingle Mingle erg relay event, in which Row NY girls would be paired with adults for a series of 500 meter pieces, I did not exactly see it as an opportunity to showcase my strength. Ordinarily and historically, I have avoided both athletics and athletic competition. In high school my eligibility for graduation was questioned because I was delinquent one gym credit. Thus my involvement with the sport of rowing is a constant source of surprise to those who know me well. What can I say, I love being on the water.

But this seemed like a competition I could handle, if for no other reason than because the registration form asked, "if you had to pull 500 meters right now would you A) feel fine B) give a shaky high five C) fall off the erg D) need an ambulance." I circled "D" and sent it in.

On the day of the event I dragged myself out of bed far earlier than should be allowed on a Saturday morning, and made my way to the Row NY headquarters in Long Island City. I found the erg room abuzz with Row New Yorkers, masters rowers, a few babies and children, and one very large dog. There was a large cohort of what appeared to be recently graduated varsity athletes, judging from the fresh faces, lean physiques, and collegiate unis, and also one particularly tall gentleman who I later learned was an Olympic gold medalist. You might think I felt out of my league, and indeed I was, but I also felt a sense of relief that whatever junior athlete I was teamed with would not be entirely dragged down by my performance, as these other folks would surely improve our average.

The races kicked off with the novices, in teams of four that combined both youth and masters, each pulling 500m with 15 seconds in between to switch rowers. A din arose as teammates urged each other on. One exchange: Teammate: "Go faster!" Rower: "I don't know how!" I hear you, sister.



The second event was for the Row NY varsity girls and their adult teammates. I huddled with my crew, which included one Row NYer and two guys in unis, both looking pretty fit. We decided on our lineup, stood attentive until the head coach pronounced "Ready all, ROW!" and our lead man went at it with all his might.

Five hundred meters goes pretty fast--when you're watching someone else do it. Before I knew it, my teammate was done and I had 15 seconds to take over. I did not get off to an auspicious start, however, when I was unable to wedge my excessively large feet (size 13, to be precise) into the foot straps, and wasted valuable time readjusting before I actually began to pull. Flustered, I yanked away, and managed a few strokes at a respectable 1:45 or so...and slowly watched my numbers increase to 2:10 and beyond. It felt like concrete had been poured over the erg and into my limbs. I cannot honestly recall what my ultimate time was, but suffice it to say that despite the valiant efforts of the teammates who suceeded me, we placed 7th...out of seven. As far as defeats go, this was not too painful (emotionally, at least--my lungs were another matter), and in short order everyone moved on to other relays. As the event was sponsored by the good folks at Credit Suisse, everyone lined up for a free-for-all known as "Credit Suisse vs. The World", as well as an exclusively Row NY relay.

Without a doubt, the Row New York relay was my favorite event of the day, and not just because I didn't have to exert myself. As each girl stepped up to do her piece, she was surrounded by her peers yelling encouragement. This may not strike you as remarkable--they are teammates, after all. But as someone who spent thirteen years in an all-girls school growing up, I can say with authority that the prevailing vibe in an all-female environment, especially adolescent, is not always one of sisterhood so much as it is of competition, disparagement, backstabbing, jealousy, contempt...you get the idea. And while I'm sure these girls are competitive not only against other teams but also against each other--rowing does not attract the complacent--it was nonetheless gratifying to see the girls cheering each other on.



The Jingle Mingle concluded with awards, food, and general merriment. While I may not touch my erg at home for a few days (or more), Adam M. suggested that over the winter HRBC register for the Concept 2 online log to collectively track our progress. Stay tuned to the HRBC website for details, if you'd like to participate. So the countdown to Jingle Mingle 2008 has begun: Next year I'm shooting for 6th place, and Credit Suisse is going down!