“The slow boat-I know it's the slow boat because I've been watching them for thirty-three weeks-won the first piece by a full length. Then the fast boat won the second piece. And so it went for the next four pieces, back and forth. Conclusion: I hate seat racing.” KnowsFirstsHateThreeNextPiecesFourWeekI HateConclusionBoatThirtySeatsLengthRacingBack And ForthRowing Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“Racing serves as a formal demonstration of your ability to ride the three-headed monster. The first monster is your physical preparation-lifting weights for strength, running for endurance, working on your technique. The second monster is your mental preparation-all our jabbering about humility, battling for your life, taking complete responsibility for the outcome. The last monster is your X Factor, your soul, your courage. Taken altogether, I call this three-headed monster the Process of Winning.” FirstsSoulRunningLastsThreeWinningProcessAbilityResponsibilityTakenHumilityWeightTechniqueMonstersFactorsPreparationYour SoulOutcomesEnduranceRacingFormalDemonstrationLiftingRowingLifting Weights Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“A man goes through many changes in 2000 meters. Some are not very pretty. Some make you hate yourself. Some make you wonder if you've been rowing for only three or four days. To avoid that fate, we prepared for all possibilities. If a meteor landed 10 feet off our stern, we would not blink. [We] Would be aware, yet impassive, to the outside world. Every ounce of energy would be funneled into the water, and not wasted by looking around, worrying about opponents, wondering about things that didn't concern our primary goal-to be the first across the finish line.” IfsMenWorldFirstsWould BeHateThreeEnergyGoalWaterLinesWonderWorryFourFateFeetPossibilityConcernPreparedPrimariesOpponentsHate YouOutside WorldBlinkMeterRowingFinish LineMeteors Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“I felt okay for the first 45 seconds, and then my vision grew fussy. My lungs felt like deflated balloons. I would have sucked oxygen through my ears, if that were possible. I was experiencing oxygen debt, or perhaps better stated, oxygen death.” IfsFirstsFeltVisionGrewOkayEarsDebtSecondsOxygenLungsBalloonsRowingFussy Author:Brad Alan Lewis