Some photos, and Rowing

I am quite tired, but should post these pictures, taken yesterday. Also, no doubt my numerous readers will be wondering what became of me at the rowing meeting? Your suspense shall be answered!

But first, some photos...

Left: Edinburgh seen through a window of the Ruined Chapel near Arthur's Seat

Our hike led us through the hills to the chapel and then upwards to Arthur's seat, standing about 250m above sea level - nothing massive, but still quite commanding beside the triple sprawl on each side of Edinburgh's buildings, rolling lowlands, and the great Firth.

The sun setting over western hills,

Photographed from top of Arthur's Seat

Light and Dark Hillside with Moon above,

taken around 3pm

Yours truly in a window of the Ruined Chapel

Southern Wall of the Ruined Chapel,

Standing on hillside near Arthur's Seat

Taken near base of Arthur's seat,

The Ruined Chapel at upper left above a loch

Such have been my travels.

As far as the rowing team goes, I checked out the team meeting and was thrilled to see a lecture theater fill up with rowers and coxswains (opposed to the much smaller number the team at F&M attracts). I introduced myself to the coach and then the whole team went...to a pub! So we stayed there until about ten thirty yarning on until I retired back to good ol' Darroch Court. Met some of the team, especially the novice coach (a second-year), and had a merry time.

Today was just a fitness day indoors at the gymnasium (apparently one of the premier fitness centers in the UK - and it's private to U of E students/faculty), so I just cycled for 45 minutes with the novice team, going up and down in intensity and stopping once to stretch out as a group. Having not done much more exercise other than running on a whim for the past year, it was tiring, but the weariness I'm now feeling at 11:44pm is a good weariness - the fatigue of exercise.

I also inquired about whether or not, as a coxswain, I'd have to do every work out with the team, since my role would primarily be organizational-motivational. At F&M I was always a little dismayed at being expected to participate in all the fitness that the rowers had to. Of course it built rapport with the rowers - but it tired the hell out of me, and then my skills never even got a test in the water, and were lousy relative to the guys that were all twice my size and had an actual motivation to train so as to be good in races (whereas I was simply being forced to). Imagine my rapture when Barney (novice coach) told me I could work out as much or as little as a wanted!

Take this not as wimpiness, however: my reasoning for retaining choice in which rowing work outs I attend is indeed selfish, but not lazy. If I can pick and choose my rowing fitness schedule, I can perhaps edge my way onto the archery team at the same time, coxing for the rowers only when they need me. Archery is what really interests me at the moment. I tend to have a resourceful, independent personality, and - judge for yourself what this says about me - the concept of a rowing team, that of being part of a unit that must work cohesively without thought for personal fatigue, etc, does not entirely mesh with my disposition. I feel more comfortable doing things on my own, for the most part. Archery seems like quite the solitary sport. After all, it's just you holding the bow and placing your arrow. Two people can't do it (let alone eight at once), unless you have an extraordinarily large bow. Of course, knowing little to nothing about archery, maybe I'm totally wrong and it's a very team-oriented sport. You and I will find out together (except I'll actually be doing it and you'll just be reading about it :P ).

So that meeting is tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2pm, but as I have lunch plans...I may not make it to a practice until Thursday at 7pm. I'm excited, nonetheless.