Brad Alan Lewis Quotes

Every student of physics knows the axiom ‘nature abhors a vacuum.’ A little known corollary is that ‘rowing coaches detest sending their crews in early.’ Coaches will always find something to fill the end-of-practice vacuum.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Littles Practice Vacuums
The ability to row in any conditions, raging crosswind, two-foot tall jet ski wakes, torrential downpour, is absolutely essential in order to be a champion sculler. It all comes under the heading of boatmanship. Some races are won on nothing more than superior boatmanship.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Motivational Order Race
Picasso spent hundereds of hours carefully planning his masterpieces. The sketchbooks were filled with ideas, bits and pieces, test runs, none of it meant to be seen by anyone. In a similar way, rowing practices are our sketchbooks, where we prepared our raceday masterpiece.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Ideas Practice Running
Immediately upon entering the weighing-in zone, I sensed an oppressive tension in the air, the lightweights staring and glaring at each other, snarling like lean, frenzied dogs. Extreme hunger has a way of creating these emotions in even the most mil-mannered people.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Air Creating Dog
I felt okay for the first 45 seconds, and then my vision grew fussy. My lungs felt like deflated balloons. I would have sucked oxygen through my ears, if that were possible. I was experiencing oxygen debt, or perhaps better stated, oxygen death.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Ears Oxygen Vision
Pain? Yes, of course. Racing without pain is not racing. But the pleasure of being ahead outweighed the pain a million times over. To hell with the pain. What’s six minutes of pain compared to the pain they’re going to feel for the next six months or six decades. You never forget your wins and losses in this sport. YOU NEVER FORGET.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Pain Sports Success
You need flawless balance on the recovery. You need white hot focus and the concentration to row square blades cleanly for seven miles. Smooth water doesn’t hurt either.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Hurt Motivational Recovery
One of the unique aspects of rowing is that novices strive to perfect the same motions as Olympic contenders. Few other sports can make this claim. In figure skating, for instance, the novice practices only simple moves.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Moving Sports Unique
Racing shirts should be sold on big, thick rolls like paper towels.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Paper Racing Rowing Towels
$Brad Alan Lewis Quote - Rigging is like Zen meditation. You must bend over the boat until your back is breaking, until your brain is filled with numbers and fractions of numbers, until you can accurately measure an oarlock’s pitch without bothering to use the pitch meter. Only then will you see the way of eternal rigging happiness.$

Rigging is like Zen meditation. You must bend over the boat until your back is breaking, until your brain is filled with numbers and fractions of numbers, until you can accurately measure an oarlock’s pitch without bothering to use the pitch meter. Only then will you see the way of eternal rigging happiness.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Brain Meditation Numbers
Big guys like you and me aren’t allowed to whine.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Guy Rowing
After hooking up the fuel line and pumping a little gasoline through the hose, I prepared for a workout on the ‘coach’s ergometer’.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Fuel Gasoline Workout
I never realized how many holidays encroached on the collegiate training schedule. When I was training for the Olympics, only one holiday interested me, the Day After the Games.
BRAD ALAN LEWIS

Games Holiday Training

Other Famous Personalities