How to stay on track with your training with business travel
“What is that?” He opened my box. A seasoned security guard, he looked at the folded skeleton of metal, puzzled, like the guys at gas stations who think your boat is a missile on the roof of your car. But in this Middle Eastern airport the situation was more serious. “It’s a rowing machine,” I […]
Rowing technique makes my brain hurt!
When coaching masters, I often find that they over-think the coaching instructions they receive. This can be tested by asking the athletes to “think about nothing” for ten strokes and then to take 10 strokes thinking about a technical point. Most row better when thinking about nothing! In our debriefs after practice many tell me […]
Select your masters lineups for regattas
Picking your crew lineups for regatta is a delicate task for Masters group organisers and coaches. There are so many potentially “touchy” topics. Rather than present a vanilla approach, I thought it would give insight if I share the process I use for my club group. We are a mixed club of racing and non-racing […]
Race Plans for head racing
Getting ready to race takes a lot of practice. Fortunately come head racing season there are a lot of different events where you can practice and improve. As masters we enjoy the challenge of long distance rowing races and accept that we need to plan our training and practice before racing hard, Rowing winter peak […]
Hurry Slowly
At last you can start rowing on the water again. Your instincts tell you to seize your oars and row, rejoicing that erging is over once again. No doubt it feels good to go pump out a 15k, toss in some starts, and sweat. You’ll be euphoric; you’ll probably also have blisters, sore muscles, balance […]
How to manage your training as a masters rower with kids
There are five core considerations when you want to row yourself and also have family commitments. These are: Times of day to train Partner support Finding a crew who understands Erg training versus water training Racing and regattas Times of day is an essential consideration – children are active at different times at different ages. While […]
Adapting rowing rigging for masters physiology
Masters rowers fundamentally are no different from any other age group. However, regular competitors know that your strength and flexibility changes as you age and so it is helpful to re-assess rigging and boat set up regularly for masters training groups. Knowing how to adapt rowing rigging for masters is explained here along with some […]
Managing Your Rowing Life
Masters training and age-specific concerns From post-university rowers in their 20s to those in their 90s masters rowing encompasses a spectrum of ages, abilities, and events geared to each group. Just as there is no “cookbook” approach to an elite athlete’s program, there is none for a masters athlete either. Each has their own goals […]
Rowing and Aging each decade
What should you expect from your rowing as you age? These observations are from my experience and there certainly are variations between different people but these are some trends. Check each decade to see what you could be experiencing now and into the future for your own rowing practice. 20s and 30s If you are […]
Sculling oar lengths for masters
Ask Me Anything (AMA). We answer live questions from masters rowers. Several included questions about oars and rigging for masters – specifically how long your sculling oars should be and what the ratio of outboard to inboard is ideal and whether that changes for different oar shapes, Support this show with a donation https://fastermastersrowing.com/register/podcast-supporter/ We […]