5 Reasons Why I Still Make Time for Rowing

by Sarah Springman, 31.10.2019
The ETH Zurich rowing team in Boston (photo credit: ETH Zurich)

Reflecting on the 2019 Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston.

It’s early in the morning on a sunny autumn day. The light catches the water and reflects the shoreline like a mirror. The water is very still. There’s just a small breath of wind… Conditions are absolutely ideal for being out on the water.

This could be a scene from morning trainings at Belvoir Ruderclub on Lake Zurich, but we are in fact in Boston, Massachusetts, for the 2019 Head of the Charles Regatta. Soon, the quiet turns into a clamour as crowds form on the banks of the Charles River and the bridges crossing it, with everyone vying for the best spot to watch the boats pass by. Race day has arrived!

Held every year on the last weekend of October, this is the largest 2-day regatta in the world. This is the third year we are participating with a Women’s Eight – we were in the Over 40 category in 2015 and 2016, and the Over 50 category in 2019.

Rowing is the ultimate sportsperson’s sport: it can be practised year round, come rain come shine come snow come sleet, by people of all ages. Men and women may compete in separate categories, but there are also mixed classes. Rowing is one of the oldest Olympic sports, and it has featured in the Paralympics since 2008.

When I made the switch from triathlon to rowing in the mid-90s, it was the beginning of an enduring love affair with this sport and pastime. To this day, nothing quite compares in my opinion; here are 5 reasons why I enjoy rowing so much, and why you should give it a go too:
1. Rowing helps me focus on something outside all-encompassing work.
Often people may say “I don’t have time to train,” but you do; it’s about setting priorities. We all have 168 hours per week. Rowing is a priority for me and therefore something I make the time for, whether it’s getting up early to go out on the lake, or doing a bit of training on the rowing machine in the evenings.
2. It is a personal challenge and a goal as a former athlete.
To be a good rower, you need to develop yourself physically. To row in competition, you also need to train mentally. This requires some commitment not just in terms of making the time to train, but having a desire to push oneself and think about things like nutrition.
3. You develop strong friendships.
Rowing is a social sport, and it helps to be in tune with the others in your boat. All 8 of us try to move as one. When you pull it off, the boat lifts and we can hear and feel the water flowing under the boat, and it is extremely rewarding. In a competitive context, you may train for 6 months or more for a race with several training weekends, as we did, so this aspect becomes even more important.
4. Rowing helps me deal with the stresses of the job.
Make no mistake, being Rector of ETH Zurich is a stressful, as well as rewarding, job! I find that doing my training before work is an uplifting way to start the day. The irony is also that as a researcher in soil, I love to spend my spare time on the water. It is calming and also humbling to be out in nature and away from people for a while.
5. The question of how can you go faster is fascinating.
I am very interested in the technology side, the physiological aspects and the biomechanics of rowing. A lot of factors need to come together to make your boat perform at its peak, including maximising propulsion and minimising decelerating effects, the synchronicity of the rowers and their technique, as well as the boat itself in terms of its design and material.
Photo credit: ETH Zurich
Photo credit: ETH Zurich
Photo credit: ETH Zurich
Photo credit: ETH Zurich
Photo credit: ETH Zurich
In short, everything about this sport just feels right; in addition, as far as the Head of the Charles is concerned, the organisation was splendid, our cox Stu Schmill from MIT steered the best course ever, and we came 6th out of 38 in our category. This is a great achievement we can be very proud of… at least until we do even better next time around!

About the author

Sarah Marcella Springman has been Full Professor for Geotechnical Engineering at ETH Zurich since January 1997 and Rector of the university since January 2015.
Her research interests focus on soil-​structure interaction and the geotechnical aspects of natural hazards, in particular landslides and melting permafrost. She uses geotechnical modelling to develop solutions that can improve the design of structures.