Junior Lizzie Rieder recently started her rowing journey, following in her mom’s footsteps. She’s found a new love for the sport, and shares both the highs and lows of her experience.
What does your typical morning during the school week look like?
“So I recently started rowing, and at the moment I have to wake up at 4 a.m. I get ready to leave my house at 4:20, and it’s still pitch black outside. Then, I have practice from 5 to 6:30. I then get home around 7:10, but have to really rush to make it on time to my early bird class.”
Does your busy morning put a strain on the rest of your day?
“No it doesn’t because I feel like it definitely gives me time to reflect on the day before or what is to come later in that day. It is very peaceful driving there and back since it is so early and I am usually the only one on the road. I definitely don’t mind waking up so early. I’m also not super tired throughout the day.”
What inspired you to undertake this significant commitment?
“My mom did rowing in college and she thought it would be good for me. It’s five days a week Monday through Friday so it’s a big commitment, but I think it’s worth it, especially because I feel awake for school.”
How does this new commitment impact your family, social life, and daily routine?
“It doesn’t affect my social life or family that much because I wake up on my own and try not to involve my family that early in the morning. But my routine is a little bit different.”
How did your first practice turn out?
“My first practice was pretty normal, we didn’t go out into boats, but we did a couple of tests on the ergs (indoor rowing machine) which were pretty good. A lot of the people on my team have rowed before, but I ended up getting the second best score on my team.”
Do you think this is something you will pursue going forward into college?
“I don’t know, the season does last a couple more weeks so I need to see how I like it. If I like the fall season, I will definitely consider the spring season or winter training. We will see how it goes.”
What does your typical life after school look like?
“I usually get home around 4 p.m. and take a half hour break. Then, I start my homework around 4:30 and work on it for a few hours. Then around 7, I shower and eat dinner. I go to bed early since I have to wake up early.”
Would you recommend this sport to other students looking for a new sport?
“I would definitely recommend it if you are willing to put in the work, but it is definitely hard. I always come home sore, it’s hard to walk up the stairs sometimes, but I like the sport. There are definitely advantages to having practice in the morning before school: there’s no traffic on the water and you can get a lot of reps in. If you have the motivation to get up and after it, I would definitely recommend it. You don’t need to have a lot of previous experience to get going either.”
