Saturday, May 9, 2009

World Cup, Day 2

Our k4 semifinal went off at 9am. Our race was better than yesterday's in every way; we hung with the pack for a fairly close finish. But we finished 4th, thus missing progressing to the A final.

I had my k1 500m semifinal straight afterward, so I had to rush to get out of the k4 and into my k1. At first it was really rough paddling to the start line; my arms were filled with lactate and felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. It's also strange to hop from k4 to k1, two boats with very different "feels" to them. At any rate, I allowed myself plenty of time paddling easy to adjust and relax. When I finally felt more normal, I did a few pickups and lined up in lane 2. I had another great start and was with the leaders at the 100 meters. Too bad the race lasted another 400.

But seriously, I paddled well, fixing some key elements that [Coach] Nathan and I had discussed. I crossed the line in 9th [out of 9] and thus missed qualifying for the B final.

Yes, it IS disappointing to cross the finish line in LAST place.

But I'm not worried. I have made the semifinal in my first World Cup at the age of 21. The improvement that lies ahead is exciting.

This afternoon I showered, went for a jog, and did laundry in the sink. Nothing grosses me out more than smelly clothes... except birds.... and certain kinds of bugs.

Like the fly that Maggie found BAKED INTO HER BREAD at breakfast this morning!!!!

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