Column by Ashley Beall

Indoor season is the worst. It’s the worst because of one thing: the ERG. All of our practices consist of a combination of running/a circuit or breaking our bodies down on the rowing machines (ERGs).

We are currently waiting for the Des Moines River to thaw out so we can get back to practicing out on the water. But until then, we will be rowing away up on the ERGs. This is the breaking point for our team.

Spring season is our conference season, where we focus on moving toward getting ready for races that are only 2,000 meters as opposed to the fall, where we race 6,000 meters.

This is the season where everything we’ve been working towards comes to play. While indoor season is pretty awful, it makes us stronger.

Our coaches put together practices that are honestly pretty daunting, but it is worth it because we want to dominate in our races this year, and these practices will get us there.

Every morning when I get up for practice, I am a little hesitant because I don’t know exactly what is in store. When our coaches tell us what it is, I can feel my heart drop because it sounds rough.

But during these practices, our coaches and coxswains are constantly yelling out, “Pull for each other,” or reminders that these workouts will be what pushes us to finish strong in the final meters of our races.

Our team didn’t finish where we wanted to last year in conference, so this is the year for redemption. It comes down to our indoor practices to push us to where we want to be.

So, while I am counting down the days and praying for a heat wave to sweep over Des Moines so the river will melt, I know that I am getting stronger because of the indoor season.

We work hard every day at practice, get our beefcake on during weights and constantly remind ourselves that we want to win.

We want to dominate this year, and we want to do it as one.