Day 26 – Bad Breaking Bottoms
It had to happen sooner or later, and this is a bit later than we thought we’d start hearing the teams talking about their rear ends.
It’s inevitable that as the rowers continue through their adventure things start to break. Occasionally it’s equipment which ceases to function or break but the rowers’ bodies also take their fair share of damage. The rowers generally see greatest damage to their bodies in the areas which are in contact with the boat. Hands especially become calloused and blistered by the constant friction generated by the oars. Feet are rubbed by the footstraps, exacerbated by the salty water which soaks the skin making it softer. But by far and away the most frequently mentioned physical deformation is the damage done to ones posterior during a row.
Constant pressure down onto the area combined with a back and forth oscillation occurring 20 times a minute is enough to break down the hardiest of hard asses. And it’s common for spots and sores to occur. These can be painful and can potentially get infected even with the frequent undercarriage washing which form the crew’s daily hygiene routine. If it gets too bad then the rowers can enter the world of the pizza butt! A rear end which more closely resembles a margarita pizza than a peach. The treatment for this is to continue the regime of washing the area, and keeping it as dry as possible. The best treatment though is a cold cocktail drunk while standing on a beach under a tree. Freshwater showers and sleeping (usually facedown) on a comfy bed do wonders for those afflicted with pizza-rear.
