Yesterday's exercise was truly erg(h)

If there's one thing worse than using an erg room after 10 gung-ho men, its using if after 10 gung-ho men and with another 8 such of the species. Really they were no advertisement for their sex.

Today I was brave, if lacklustre

This is not bravery on the heroic scale for most people, but for me definitely "A Brave Thing". What could constitute such a description? Nothing less than actually asking the lady at "The Stroke Clinic" for some advice on my swimming technique. Did she mock me for my size, fitness or technique, or generally make me feel like a little squished ant? No, of course not. She was perfectly nice. But I have been putting off approaching her for months now, hence the claim to bravery. Swimming, and in particular the breaststroke, is one of the few things that come quite naturally to me and which I feel confident I'm OK at, so to invite criticism is not an easy path. In other sporting news it looks as though I may still be trying to complete the Vets Head in December as this week's erg was considerably slower than last week. And before you suggest it, clearly the intervening week of lardy-arse-ed-ness has no bearning on this result whatsoever.

My afternoon of coxing...

Today was the Cambridge Autumn Head. This meant:

1. a little bit of rowing (in division 1)
2. quite a lot of coxing (divisions 3 and 4)

My prediction is that the crew from division 3 will have been the fastest, having had the benefit of having been chased most of the way by a college crew. Other rowing news is that I have exchanged the 'Shed of Doom' (Graduate Society erg room) with the 'Attic of Pain' (Christs' erg room). Having not sat on an erg for over three years (and over four with any determination), it was a shock to the system to have to use one of those aptly named machines. So you might be wondering why I subjected myself to this? The Vets Fours Head. It's in three weeks time. And I'm supposed to be doing it. What else can I say but 'erg(h)'.