A Croak from Italy by Henry Macphillamy

If I had one word to describe where we are now, it would most definitely have to Be... well, sweet! My Italian vocabulary is limited in the extreme, and every time I make the attempt people just laugh at me so I’m not even going to try. It will take me much longer than a week to get the hang of the intonation unfortunately. Silly as it may sound, it is great to just sit back and take in the melodious sounds of such a beautiful and rich language.

The first thing that hit me when I walked out of the airport doors was the heat and humidity, and this at 6:30 in the morning! It just envelops you. I have to admit that while I knew it was going to be hot, nothing could have prepared me for the kinds of conditions we have to adjust to in such a short period of time. The single most important thing is to keep on drinking (water not Powerade), and take advantage of every opportunity to freshen up and get cool. We are very lucky in that there is a very inviting pool out the front of our hotel where we will probably do some light recovery sessions after long sizzling days out on the lake.

We arrived at about 6 on Monday, and we certainly weren’t mucking around. By 5 that afternoon we were hitting the water for our first session. Apart from the heat, we also need to adjust to the feel of a completely new boat. After three sessions we are slowly getting used to it, but it will take a little while yet. Its hull sits higher in the water than the boat we were previously training in, meaning it tips more easily and is much more responsive to our movements as a crew. If we make a mistake, we feel it in a more pronounced way. On the flipside however, if we balance the boat and get in to a good rhythm it feels wonderful, gliding over the water with a bubbling sound. I think that once we get in to the groove more it will serve us very well indeed, forcing us to become more precise and sharp in the way we row together. I’m also hoping that this leads to some gains in our speed in the time trials we’ll be doing over the next few days.

I thought I might take this opportunity to describe the atmosphere of the Aussie team as a whole. While we spend a fair bit of time together as a crew, we see the other girls and guys at breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining room. Being the first time I have ever been involved with something like this, and also having taken up rowing relatively recently compared to these guys, I was really apprehensive about fitting in. Most have put their entire lives in to competing at the highest level, and here I am after only a year involved with the sport, rubbing shoulders with Olympians and muscle bound weapons. When I say that I’m glad I can’t see these people, I really am only half joking. If I was able to see them, it would add a whole new element of realising just how far I have to go in terms of my strength and fitness. Far from intimidating however, everyone is really down to earth and friendly. Some have really gone out of there way to have a chat, and make our crew feel as if it really does belong here. I can’t speak for the rest of the crew, but this is very important to me.

So much about rowing well is mental, the ability to be both positive in your overall outlook, and confident in your ability to pull together as a crew. If there is the slightest bit of negative energy floating around, the collective focus is the first thing to go. Fortunately for us, there is a lot of positive energy here, and everyone is in great spirits. He will probably be reading this at some stage so I won’t talk him up too much, but Matt’s doing a stellar job as a crew support. The only hitch was the driving for the first few days, but I think my offer to take over might have forced him to get it together out of sheer unadulterated terror.

I hope to write another update soon. So far heaps good!

Four out.