It’s 5:30 in the morning and you’re walking towards the West Gym. No, you aren’t coming back from the Sports Bar; instead, you’re on your way to practice.

Welcome to life as a member of the Binghamton club crew team, where the same ritual begins early every morning.

For those of you that have friends on this growing team, you’ve probably heard about the grueling practices these athletes endure, the sleepless nights they encounter and the fun experiences they have when they are out rowing on the water. And if you haven’t heard, that’s exactly what crew athletes do — they row.

The BU crew team, which was founded in 1989, has made huge strides in the last few years. The number of members on the team has increased, and the equipment, boathouses, coaching staff and participation in regattas (races) have improved. The team holds its water practices on the Susquehanna River and its winter training at the West Gym.

“Winter training is the ultimate test,” said novice member of the women’s team Liz Willome. “Winter training is a testament to who is really in it for the long run — it weeds out the people who really care and put in 100 percent and those who don’t.”

The team’s first race of the semester was held Feb. 18 at Bucknell University. It was an indoor contest in which each athlete competed individually on an erg machine (a simulation rowing machine) for a distance of 2000 m.

Although crew is defined as the ultimate team sport because all of the rowers need to be precisely in rhythm with one another, many athletes set personal-best records and placed well against other schools, including Penn State and RIT.

“Winning in crew is about inflicting upon yourself the most intense pain you have ever known, and to then see who has the mental strength and character to push it even further,” said senior varsity member Shaun Brown, who placed first in the 2k race and the 500m dash.

If you are interested in experiencing what crew is like, contact president Michael Mohr. Even though the squads are set for the spring semester, you can always find out more information about the team and what type of workouts are involved with the sport.

The team’s next race will be held on April 22 at the Busfield Invitational Regatta in Owego, N.Y. For more information on the crew team, check out http://sa.binghamton.edu/~crew/events.

Freshman Rachel Sturm has been a rower on the club crew team for two semesters.