Torpids
Day 3 was incredible. We had our best start yet and just chomped into the distance between us and Jesus College right off the bat. When a pursuing boat gets within a length of the boat ahead the umpires on the bank starts blowing a whistle. The more whistles heard indicates the degree of proximity. After five strokes we heard our first whistle. It was surprising to hear the blaring of whistles that quickly so the cox called for a steady rate to keep us focused. A few strokes later we started getting lots of whistles. It was at this point that the race got interesting. Once we were within a few feet of the Jesus boat the water got real dirty from their effort ahead of us. It was difficult to row in that chop but the boys responded well and we kept a powerful pace up. As we approached the gut our cox called for a 10-4-10, which is our attack move. Its a power ten, then four strokes with firm pressure but some allowance for us to catch our breath, then another power ten to seal the pursuit.
As we entered the gut I couldnt even hear the whistles anymore from the pounding in my skull and the force of determination it took to maintain my strokes in the choppy water. Just before the Hertford boat house we bumped Jesus college, making physical contact with their boat. It was a life experience that I will never forget. A cheer went up from the boys and we rowed on into the raft to thunderous applause from the rest of the boat club that had come down to watch. Jesus rowed hard, their guys were bigger and more powerful than we were, but their coordination was subpar and they got eaten up by our well drilled squad.
Day 4 was triple live gonzo rowing the likes of which I have never known. Having bumped Jesus we moved ahead of them and had our sights set on Balliol. Jesus had a good start and stayed right with us as we pushed on Balliol, whose crew was much more solid than Jesus. We knew this was going to be a long race, with a bump only possible near the end when we could push through their endurance limit and exert our distance dominance.
After about twenty strokes one of our guys caught a wicked crab and we lost five strokes recovering. Jesus was on top of us, full of steam and murder in their hearts after the crushing defeat we handed them the previous day - they wanted their spot back and they were coming hard to get it. Our cox glanced over his shoulder and saw we had about three feet between us and Jesus and that distance was closing fast. He called a reset and then a power twenty to push off from Jesus. Our chances at catching Balliol were done and it looked like Jesus was going to hit us.
Our power twenty was a thing of beauty - we pressed long and hard every stroke and pushed Jesus off. I could hear them breathing and the sound of their coach yelling for our submission. But we didnt give them anything. As we approached the gut we had extended the gap between us to about four seats. Suddenly the sound of air horns was everywhere, the dreaded klaxons signalling an immediate cessation of racing. Our cox called for an all stop and a firm hold from all oars. We very nearly smashed into Balliol, who had crashed into two other boats ahead of them. The race was called off and everyone rowed into the raft, utterly exhausted. We didnt catch Balliol but neither did we let Jesus touch us. The judges were adamant - no bump had ocurred.
Girls from W1 sprinted down to the raft and popped champagne in our faces, drenching us all in the sweet taste of victory. I was all smiles at that. We had rowed admirably, never admitting defeat and demonstrating astonishing cohesion and grit. I was immensely proud to be in the boat with those guys. We took back off from the raft for a quick paddle to cool down and it felt great. We rowed so clean on that victory lap, the boat sang.
Bumps racing is the best. I've just gotta get more.
Thesis
After Torpids was over the mens captain asked me to come row for M1 in the prestigious Head of the River Regatta Eights race in London. I was so stoked to be asked and immediately accepted. A week into training I got an updated thesis timetable from my professors and my heart sank. The work required to finish my thesis according to the new schedule was going to be a huge burden on my time. With the Oxford term over the boys on the team were training two to three times a day to get ready for HoRR. I knew I couldnt give the kind of time the team deserved to training with that much thesis work ahead of me so I wrote the captain and explained this to him. He had some guys waiting in the wings to try out for the HoRR so I asked him to accept one of them that could dedicate the kind of time the team deserved. And with that I bowed out of Hertford Rowing. It was one of the more difficult decisions I have ever had to make but it needed to be done - I came here for academic success first and foremost.
As it turned out that decision was the right one. I put in almost 100 hours on my thesis in the last two weeks and it wouldnt have been ready for submission unless I had worked that diligently at it. It's called "On the Evolution of Metaphysical Explanation in Cosmological Modeling" and it's an essay I'm quite proud of.
Yesterday I received an email from my thesis advisers that the dean of the school had accepted my essay and that the quality of the work was sufficient for me to be eligible for a defense. I am supremely pleased with this result despite the lack of rowing in my life. Thesis defences are the day before graduation so if you are going to be in town please come by and watch the action. I already know one of my cross-examiners has strong disagreements about my reading of Kant so I'm looking forward to schooling him for a refreshing turn of the tables.
***
And now my room is packed and the posters are down. I gave away most of my books to a gentleman who wanted his 17 year old daughter to get in some light reading over the summer. She's in for a hell of a surprise.
This experience defies description. Watch my eyes when you ask me about it and you'll probably understand a lot more than my mouth can express. Of course I'll still try and encapsulate it with aggrandized sentences and hyperbolic adjectives. I hope it ends up being a tale worthy of the experience.
Thanks for your support everyone, we did it. See you at home.
Robert Henry Carpenter
April 16th, 2011
Oxford, UK
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