With only one week to go to the 60th Women's Head of the River Race, over two thousand women across the country are honing their skills and preparing their minds and bodies for the epic test that is for many the focus of winter training. Think endless steady state rowing in horizontal sleet, in the dark, on a flooded brown river which is pretending to be the sea. Why we put ourselves through it is hard for non rowers to understand, and I'm sure we all have our moments of doubt, but the excitement for a crew making their way to the start of the Women's Head is difficult to beat. Adrenaline is surging through your veins.
Boats are everywhere, high stream, coxes shouting and colourful flashes of passing crews.
This year the usual predictable results may make way for the unexpected - It will doubtless be Mike Spracklen's GB squad racing as Marlow or the Thames RC based GB eight for the overall pot, with interest generated by the GB eights recent relocation to Putney. Cambridge may not have an easy run this year in the University Pennant, or in the lower status events they so often dominate. In the schools traditional winners Lady Eleanor Holles were beaten by five other eights at Sunday's Head of the Trent, which may mean some other schools are in with a chance. Winners at the Trent Head, Grosvenor, are aiming to retain the provincial pennant after returning to winning form, while many other clubs will be aiming to stop them doing just that. Still we don't have long to wait.