Great Art [rowing]

We practiced our mixed 4x this morning. It was all right. I want to remember one thing from it: there were ~2 strokes out of the entire practice where I felt that magical feeling of full suspension at the catch. One of those sensations where you realize that in general you've been rowing on one plane, but that actually, there's a higher plane that you could also be rowing on. It is enough of a taste of that higher plane that you want to get back there.

The higher plane is so beautiful, but it comes with a newly intense level of suffering as well. You have to give the boat enough of your power to get it on that plane. There is no other way to get there.