I Go 100

Tomorrow's row will be 66 km = projected time 6 hours.

Tomorrow will be the longest training distance that I'll undertake before June 19. Given the bumpy past few weeks, mentally and physically, I really need to nail this. I'm recovering from another sinus cold this past week, and have been pretty nervous about being healthy enough for tomorrow. However, I did a short test of 10 km this afternoon and felt great.

I'm sitting in bed as I type this, with the humidifier going next to my head. The dry air where I live has been making my sinus problem worse, and I've lost my voice again. It's been really warm today so the bedroom window is open – and the slight smell of smoke is coming into the room. It's wildfire season, and we're supposed to get rain this week, hopefully soon. Life in northern Alberta is pretty dry – and sometimes I feel like I'm living in a desert. I'm glad my machine is in the basement where it's cool.

I'm currently reading Rowing the Atlantic by Roz Savage (an amazing woman who is right now completing her solo row of the Pacific Ocean), and as I read the book I'm teetering between various emotions. The primary feeling is relief, because Roz describes the mental challenges that she experienced such as self-doubt, self-criticism and other things I've been struggling with lately. She gives inspiration to all who consider themselves to be ordinary people, as she describes herself as one. The fact that I can relate to her makes me feel like I can do anything. I just need to make the leap more often.

There are many, many ordinary people who are doing incredible things – things that we believe we cannot do. The fact is, it's our limiting beliefs about ourselves that holds us back. Not our abilities.

I never thought I could row for more than an hour.

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