With less than 75 days until the Opening Ceremonies in London, our group is training here in Breisach, Germany before we head to Lucerne for World Cup II. We are still more than a month away from the final selection date so a lot is yet to be decided. For now we are enjoying the little town of Breisach and logging in some good miles.
We get to row on the Rhine with Germany on one side and France on the other. The German side seems to be constantly bustling with people, whereas the French side is quite empty. Plus, everyone has a dog without a leash. All different breeds roam the path alongside their owners. I am constantly so impressed with how well the dogs behave. Let me tell you, my dogs would be all over the place, jumping on people and trying to swim even though I’m pretty sure they can’t. Aside from the lush forests on either side and the mountains in the backdrop, I can’t help but notice the lack of geese. Geese are just the worst for rowing. They litter the docks (seemingly on purpose) and they somehow manage to place themselves right in front of our blades. There are quite a few swans here, but so far they stay out of our way and do look pretty. We are rowing out of Breisach Rowing Club’s boathouse and they could not be more friendly. They have a small restaurant upstairs where we lounge in between sessions and are always greeting us even though we have literally taken over the entire place.
The hotel is really great, it is situated at the top of the hill and overlooks all of Breisach. The road leading into and out of town is cobblestone, quite steep and surrounded by brick walls. I feel like we’re entering a castle every time we drive up. The rooms are spacious, we even have a patio! And the food is just awesome, especially breakfast. I, for one, absolutely love Bircher muesli and the coffee is really good, so I’m a happy camper every morning. During our down time, everyone seems to be reading a lot. While a lot of us have various forms of the latest reading technology, whether it be the Nook or iPad, I think it is beneficial to bring paper copies because then we can all switch. I’m reading Born To Run finally, which is just awesome and is motivating me to become a better if not prettier runner. Other titles include Cutting For Stone, Fifty Shades of Grey and Into Africa among others.
So, one week down and one to go before we get ready to race again. The Olympic Qualification Regatta starts just as we get to Lucerne, so we might have the opportunity to cheer on our teammates vying for Olympic spots. Best of luck to all those racing!
And, as always a huge thank you to the supporters of the NRF. This trip would definitely not be possible without you!
