I get asked a fair amount, so, I thought I would give everyone a rowing update. (For those who don't know what I am talking about, don't sweat it.) I will keep this off the front page...

The basic story is that this year, I took off from school, in order to try for one of the two lightweight boats that race in the Olympics- the men's lightweight four. It was a different kind of rowing than I am used to, and I was terrible. Then around Halloween, I broke my rib (stress fractures are a fairly common rowing injury). At that point, any chance of making the Olympics turned to almost nothing, and I gave up trying to make the four.

After two months of spending about four hours a day on bikes and elliptical trainers, I got back on the water, went to California, started sculling again, and spent the next three months getting faster, then getting hurt again, getting better, then getting sick. (I also quit the sport about 30 times, I just never told anyone.)

But... then in April, things started getting better. I got second in the lightweight single at a USRowing selection regatta- the best I have ever done in the single. Then, a couple weeks ago, I got back in a double with the guy I rowed with in 2006-2007. (The double is the other Olympic boat.) This week was trials, so it was a very quick turnaround. We made the final (it is a best two of three format), then got our butt kicked in final one. We won final two yesterday, setting up a third final today. And today, we won, and won Olympic trials...

It does not, unfortunately, mean we are going to the Olympics- because the USA is not qualified in our event. So, now we have to go to a race in Poland, and come in the top two at a last-chance qualifier. If we are successful, then we go to China. I have no idea how we will do- we need to get better- but, we have a chance.

So, that is where I am at. I won trials. I now go to Poland. If we finish in the top two there, we go on to China. We need to improve, but, we have a shot.

You can read about yesterday here, and today here.

There are about one million people to thank, but I will wait for that till I see where this thing shakes out.

Dan