I wanna be MADE!

NOT seen on the next episode on MTV...

"I want to be a Dragon Boat Racer!"

in which I get my butt kicked by the Willamette River.

My company is sponsoring a dragon boat team for the first time this year. Some people have been shocked to hear this is something I've always wanted to do and am really REALLY excited about. Especially since I have no experience, no skills, and no practical knowledge (never even seen a full race).

So, in week 1.5, I've been drafted as back up Tiller (the one who steers the boat and makes sure I don't take out Newport Bay on the way out) and Co-Captain (presumably on the sole grounds that the captain's meetings are right by my house) as well as a Paddler.

I've been to two clinics, of roughly 2 hours each, paddling away while each Tiller takes a turn taking the boat out of the marina, turning it around in the rapid current, and bringing it back in, backing up and parallel parking (it's a dragon not a Lexus so that's a lot of work). My second turn as Tiller I was confronted with the Portland Spirit, not the biggest boat out there but big enough that, when confronted with its wake, I almost went in the water.

I've been told this is an occupational hazard as you are standing on a platform at the back of the boat with a big wooden till that, when caught in the current, will push you off. Fun!

I went to my first team practice Wednesday and was relieved that our main Tiller is brilliant and so it's not something I'll have to do a lot of. So, now I need to learn how to paddle. At least paddle correctly.

It's much more of a core work out than I expected and less about the arms. Although I should take some before and after pictures as I'm hoping a few months of this will do wonders.