Leg 2, Day 4

It’s day 4 already and I’m not entirely sure how we got here!

There has been a stark contrast between the chaos of preparing to leave your life behind for a few months, and the gentle rhythm of our daily lives out on the ocean. The past few days have blurred a bit for me as I try to gain some sea legs, but already we are queens of routine and together we might know every lyric to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

I’ve always been very respectful of the power of the ocean, but I’ve never seen so many sides to it. Predominantly there has been big swell and waves coming from all angles. For me these splashes have been welcomed because it’s a brief break from the sweltering heat. Ps. We cover up really well and pack on the sunscreen.

The two aspects of the row that I was most curious to find out how I would react to was the tight routine schedule and the night shifts (mild fear of dark water). I am happy to say though that these have become two favourites of mine. The routine adds an aspect of certainty amidst an ever changing ocean, and the night shifts are cooler and currently lit up by the moon (I still wouldn’t swim in it though!)

The amazing things we’ve seen so far: huge fluorescent blue Mahi Mahi fish escorting our boat away from Hawaii, swarms of birds appearing from nowhere for a fish feeding frenzy, a night-time rainbow, the sunsets and sunrises lighting the sky in a fluorescent pink, and lots of shooting stars.

Doris is currently riding the waves beautifully, and is truly like a little cork bobbing on the surface of the ocean. She has gained my full trust in proving herself to be a sturdy stallion to get us to Samoa safely

Love Lizanne x

An introduction to Lizanne – Rolling with the waves

Imagine you’re throwing a dinner party. You don’t know when your guests are arriving, you’re not sure what they like to eat, and you’ve never even cooked before. That is roughly my current situation as I wait for the girls to arrive in Hawaii…

Hi everyone, I’m Lizanne, and I’m a chocoholic

I am South African, grew up in the UK and am currently living in Cape Town. Izzy will pass the baton onto me in Hawaii and I will row with the girls across to Samoa, where Meg will take over from me and row to Cairns.

I got involved in the row last year and was held as a reserve if ever they needed one…. So I got this call a couple of months ago; “Liz, you still up for it?!”
I have never rowed before – “Yeah sure!”

I have now had 3 months to prepare for a 60+ day stint on an ocean rowing boat; 2 hours on, 2 hours off, 24/7. 3 months to learn everything I can about the sea, organise my practice (which I bought 9 months ago) for my departure, get life insurance (jokes…. sort of) and pick up at least 10-12kg of muscle and fat. It has been a fascinating experience already and I’m not even on the boat yet!

I have started going into the men’s section of the gym and stare at myself in the mirror with an angry face. I have started saying stuff like “I worked my triceps too hard and now I can’t wash my hair”.

I have brownies for breakfast without feeling guilty, I realised I can never have too many eggs and I add butter to everything.

The aspect of the row I’m very intrigued and fascinated by is the mental prep. No doubt it will be a physical challenge, but what will get us all through to the other side is the mental capacity to believe that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Currently there is only one other person who knows what I’m going through- Meg Dyos. She will be taking over from me in Samoa. Look out for her intro blog as she is one of the funniest people I have ever met! She is quickly becoming a soul sister….

We’re both currently just rolling with the waves as we try to prepare ourselves as best we can for something we have never done before. So far it’s been a great ride, and I’m so excited for what is still in store for us