Rowing Rocks!

The physical reminders are fading, but thankfully not the afterglow and memories of a “trip of a lifetime”. My heels have healed from the painful cracks, which subsided after I superglued the worst of them. The calluses on the palms of my hands softened and peeled, separated once again from the oars and daily rowing. Not too long ago, I was suntanned and harder muscled when I extended my Colorado summer into mid-October – no small feat when the snow was already on the peaks. As the only female “boatman” on a Grand Canyon river trip – 21 days on the wild whitewater of the Colorado River – I experienced one of the most sought-after river trips in the world. It was my second pilgrimage to this Mecca for river runners – and I cheerfully dismissed the scrapes, cuts and bruises experienced alongside the Colorado River bed.

When sixteen people are thrown together on an adventuresome three week trip, (most who had never met - and had no idea of each other’s experience with whitewater), it makes for interesting group dynamics. The majority of the guys were respectful and friendly, keeping comments and conversations appropriate and for the most part – female friendly. Since I would be out there rowing big water with them, most of them included me as part of the team, just another person who could row a boat – gender neutral.

I enjoy the physical act of rowing a raft; I find that there is no better exercise for strengthening your abdominal, shoulder, back, leg and arm muscles. It’s an all-over body work-out. Rowing makes me feel strong – and gives me actual upper body strength and muscle definition. Plus you burn serious calories while at the oars, especially in flat water.

Having been a certified commercial whitewater guide for a few seasons on the Arkansas River in central Colorado, I knew how intense the work-out would be in big water. Knowing that fear manifests itself in me by the feeling that I want to “puke,” I felt nauseous pretty much the entire time on upper class rapid days. On the plus side, I did lose almost 10 pounds during those three weeks (even while eating peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches) and could fit in my “skinny” jeans again. In fact, I could literally put my pants on – zip them up – then just slide them off without unzipping. That was a thrill in itself.

I came late to boating; it was a major lifestyle change for me. At age 34, I left the cushy (read: chubby) corporate world - and a secure paycheck - to become a river and rock climbing guide. These professions did not come easily to me; learning to tie knots, handling the oars and climbing ‘real rock” that wasn’t in a gym, were not skills I excelled at - by any means. Plus I hated being cold – on the rocks or in the water. It took many days and perseverance for the training and “mileage” to pay off. Initially I was frequently worn out by being physical all day and frustrated with my performance under pressure. It was challenging to be on the move constantly.

But the best part of all the outdoor exertion was that I could literally eat anything I wanted – and more! I kept losing weight – no matter what I consumed. (My grocery bill was not congruent with my tiny paycheck. Yet a girl’s got to eat!) Hunger pains would wake me up at night during river guide training. Some nights I had to get up and down a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream just to get back to sleep.

Facing down big water is scary, challenging, and definitely adrenaline pumping. The rating system for rapids in the Grand Canyon is different from the standard Class I to V (1 to 5). Rapids begin at Class I (1) and peak at Class X (10). My personal goal was to row or paddle all the rapids over Class VI (6) on my second trip in the Canyon.

The easiest part of being a “boatman” was rowing the rapids. Successful runs are based on the set-up and keeping the boat angled straight up to the huge waves. (Staying in the current and “following the bubble line” was the biggest challenge for me. I worked harder than most to maintain forward movement.)

I wanted to hold my own on the river trip. That meant rowing steadily to keep up with the group and avoid getting stuck in the eddies, managing to lift heavy gear that a guy could pick up easily, successfully self-rescuing after a paddleboat flip in a Class VII (7) rapid, and in addition to “no primping”, you definitely did not look for help or complain about being tired or the lack of sleep.

Having suffered through four months of intense pain from a “nerve compression injury” earlier in the year, (which took me off my snowboard for almost the entire ski season), I had concerns about my neck, shoulder and arm strength holding out for this trip. I was only able to start getting back in shape in late July, and our trip put in the river on Sept. 23. I turned 42 on that day and wore my “Birthday Tiara” proudly as I rowed, even if I was feeling rather decrepit at the time. It had been seven years since I had been a full time river guide, and I had to prove to myself – and the others – that I was up for a trip of this magnitude.

And I was! Rowing the rapids was only part of the unforgettable adventure. My boat came through upright and carried me safely through the Seventh Natural Wonder of the World. Feeling buff, browned, and beautiful (but in desperate need of a hot shower), I returned home – and it was back to life – back to reality. Less than two weeks later – now back in “civilization” - my life situation had shifted from rowing Class X (10) rapids to recuperating in a hospital bed. I endured an emergency hysterectomy due to an endometrioma (tumor) on my right ovary that had partially ruptured while I was on the river trip. The source of the chronic mysterious pain was identified as an ovary that was five times its’ normal size. The intense pain I felt at times was related to the partial rupture of the tumor, which could have been life-threatening on an extended river trip in the backcountry. Just as in rowing the rapids, medical issues turned out to be about “luck” and timing.

Life lessons learned were:
Expect the unexpected.
Expend the effort.
Row hard - for fitness and adventure.

Rowing reminds me that life is good - on and off the river.

Submitted and pending potential publication in Chicken Soup for the Soul – Exercise & Fitness - submitted Jan. 2010