“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 answered, “for exercising.” “Well then, put it together and exercise,” he said. I put my erg together as a crowd gathered. It took some time. Two sniffing dogs were nearby. Then I started rowing. After a few minutes, I was ordered to stop. The monitor was removed and sent to a scanner for explosive devices. I had to prove I was really a rowing coach so the guard insisted I turn on my laptop and show him some of my emails. Four hours had passed. They were still suspicious of me until a young baggage porter stopped and said that his mother has one of those machines. “She even races on it,” he added. Only then they decided I could pack it up and be escorted to the airplane.
I must admit that it was not always so complicated. In Italy and Slovenia, when seeing my machine no questions were asked. When they saw my erg, they just smiled and waved me through. Yes, there are countries where our sport is respected. Having an indoor rower with me was a good way to stay fit when I was away for extended periods of time, but for short trips working out requires creativity, diligence, and organization. For many adults who travel for professional purposes, training on the go is a fact of life. Recently, some masters shared their experiences with me about how they stay on track when away from the boathouse.
rowing
The two biggest obstacles for exercising when away are finding the time and the motivation. Work in different continents can mean being in several locations in a short amount of time. Asian itineraries with appointments in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea in the matter of a few days often means a long day in one location and then a short flight or long drive to another. In addition to a tightly packed schedule, business dinners also consume time in the evenings. Staying motivated is tough when you are tired, hungry, and the nearby fitness room is dreary or you feel pressured that you are not getting your workout in and losing shape. A trip is more enjoyable if it isn’t preventing you from getting your workout done. All agree that you have to do something each day- no matter what. Be it nothing more than a 20-minute run, a couple weight exercises, or stretching. One missed day easily becomes two or three. Sticking to basic daily maintenance keeps you feeling in sync with your normal routine and goes far in the long haul.
The most effective strategy is planning your training as part of your travel schedule.
You’ll need to do some work up front. Know what exercise equipment is available at your hotel. Then, for the future, keep your own notes about each location. If you will be in a rowing city, make call a local club ahead of time to inquire if visitors can access an erg or shell. The use of ergs is usually easier than a boat but in some cases you might be able to get a morning row by arrangement. Rowing at a new club, in an interesting setting, is an aspect of business-related travel that is universally met with delight. Commit to setting your alarm clock and getting up early. Define what your workout will be; how long, what routine plus, warm-up, then allow extra time to adjust for any inefficiency. Always pack running shoes, workout gear, and a stretching strap.
Sean Maloney of Bair Island Aquatic Club travels overseas 30 percent of the time. He advises,
“If you are out running stick on main roads even though in some places the pollution is bad. Taking side roads has led to being attacked by dogs (Thailand and India) and of course getting lost.”
Potential illness and changing time zones are major factors to contend with on foreign journeys.
Maloney says,
“Avoiding illness? No magic remedy. I get sick on trips. Economy class on planes is a big culprit. If you can go business class the air is less crowded with germs. Obviously the basic stuff- never drink tap water in Asia or emerging markets, never eat ice cream, never eat salads unless you are in a good hotel.”
Eat lightly and stay well hydrated.
Taking a multivitamin and extra vitamin C can help keep your resistance up. Carry hand sanitizers with you at all times and wash your hands frequently. On long flights, drink a lot of fluids and eat less than you would when not traveling; bring good snacks with you. Rowers can be more comfortable with upgraded seats that have more room. Otherwise, get up and stretch frequently. To avoid jet lag, try to get into the correct time zone as soon as you can. Resist sleeping a lot on long flights. It is better to get to your hotel when sleep is past due. The first day might be brutal but adjust as soon as you can. For small time changes you can ignore the differences and use the extra time to do something relaxing.
Finally, pad your weekly program with two days off so you are sure to get in all the sessions you planned. Do a harder day before you leave and allow for an easier day when you are back home to catch up on needed rest. Pay very close attention to how your body feels as this is when you may likely get sick. Sleep as much as you feel you need to get back in balance.
Resources for the business traveler include: www.concept2.com, www.rowersalmanac.com, and www.athleticmindedtraveler.com.
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We dive into the challenging topic of eating disorders in rowers including revelations from one listener about his bulimia.
02:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing. Reading ROAR by Stacy Sims.
10:00 What's in the April program on Faster Masters?
1k and 5k programs. Technique videos of sculling we like. Rigging Quick boat setup. Guidelines on crew lineups for training. Organising race day checklist.
15:00 Masters Championships events around the world - UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, European Masters all have dates for regattas in 2021
19:00 The Female Athlete video interviews Jessica Diggins and her coach Matt Whitcomb about her eating disorder, bulimia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eupn8Td7Zo
Jessica notes that coping with the stress of training led to her eating disorder
Genetics loads the gun but the environment pulls the trigger.
The desire to be lean as an athlete is a psychological condition. Get professional help.
My brain is the major factor in success as well as equipment, training program, technique.
23:00 Matt Whitcomb talks about athletes working with dieticians. Going to your coach for help is hard because there's an imbalance in power because coaches are often selectors too. Showing vulnerability can affect selection.
The best a coach can do is say I am here for you if you need to talk.
The coach's job is to facilitate help, not solve the problem. They can help create a culture of openness where these things can be discussed without judgement.
31:00 Mark Madeley confirms that when he was training internationally, the lightweight rowing coaches didn't know about nutrition. He was a lightweight for South Africa and suffered bulimia under pressure training alongside the heavyweights and being expected to eat with them as well.
34:00 Focus on your lean body mass not your weight on the scales
Sleep 7-8 hours a night
Front-load your calories with carbs in the morning and protein int he afternoon. Your body metabolises carbs better earlier in the day.
Increase your intake of foods with Vitamin B12, Magnesium, healthy fats and omega 3 oils.
Match fruits and vegetables and grains with proteins to control blood sugar spikes.
37:00 Red Flag warnings for female athletes are a triad disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis.
41:00 a consultation with a sports nutritionist can be beneficial. Timing your calories can affect weight as much as what you eat.
43:00 Taking really good care of ourselves is this week's goal.
Rebecca and Marlene discuss:
- How does cross training fit in? Pluses and cautions
- Force curves - common observations
- Listener Calls
06:00 This Past Week - what we've been doing to advocate for Masters Rowing
Marlene's coaching correspondence included an athlete who was under-performing and concerned about making progress. What time of day do you train? A busy schedule means you aren't getting enough sleep. You're tired. No wonder you're under-performing.
Book Recommendation The New Toughness Training for Sports James E. Loehr
https://amzn.to/3qDrMUf
Try to add 1 hour sleep a night so you get 7 not 6 hours. Take rest days during the week and do strength training.
Have a snack at work 3-4 pm and train at 5 pm when you get home. Then have a lighter dinner and eat a little later so you can get to bed by 11 pm not 12.30 am.
Rebecca's participating in the Pembroke Virtual Regatta doing 1100 meters four days in a row.
16:00 Scrimmage organisers if you would like to get a checklist ebook on how to organise, get in touch and we'll publish.
One Sporting World launch auction fund raiser for mental health - it's live now
https://m.facebook.com/events/445557209931337
The Magic Wand survey - What is the #1 thing you want/need as a masters rower?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/595853370615544/permalink/1618329025034635
21:00 Force Curve Analysis - common observations.
Last third of the drive is not symmetrical on the force curve - you are losing drive suspension
First part of the curve is very sharp - you are kicking the catch
Include strength training - is it just aerobic or is it everything?
Strength is important - it sustains muscle mass and protein stimulus for both men and women
We don't insist you do cross training. Does it fit in your schedule? Variety helps alleviate boredom.
Be careful - if it isn't something you do regularly - the shock to your body can be tough bringing tissue fatigue and possible injury.
36:00 Listener calls - we want to know new topics you'd like to hear on the podcast.
Send a text message to us +64 22 647 3993
Marlene and Rebecca discuss
- Erg racing mental approach
- Guest: Claudia Pace from Sagamore Rowing Club talking about running a club masters program
- Should you scull or sweep first?
06:00 This past week. Mitzi Nicoletti medalled twice at Denver Indoor Sprints.
A nice testimonial - Marlene Royle & Will Ruth
"Just listened to your Science of Rowing podcast as I’m getting ready for my cold long-SLOW-distance trail run. I think one reason you both are such great coaches for masters (and ancient) athletes is that you don’t just say "do it this way" but are open to conversations about technique and training. Not all, but most masters rowers I know are smart, analytical, and questioning. They need to bring their brains, not just bodies, into the coaching relationship. I spend lots of time around and with college rowers and I’m always surprised that they are so comfortable remaining so ignorant of our sport: they express little interest in learning the reasons behind technique or training or rigging or history etc. Most seem satisfied just doing what their coaches tell them to do. Way different for most masters rowers I know."
To understand ask "why" three times to fully understand.
Running a Scrimmage Regatta - checklist for organisers
15:00 Sweep or sculling first - which would you choose for a new rower. Sculling is better developmentally and a single is your "private coach".
23:00 Sagamore Rowing Association special guest Claudia Pace
A third of our members chose to join Faster Masters Rowing club program in November. We like to work on our own things and use zoom. The group's interests are not homogeneous. Everyone found their performance improved significantly. People have been more "applied" in virtual situation .
29:00 Everyone comes to the club with a different skill level. The program suits divergent goals. We do a monthly coaching call for team leaders.
33:00 How to persuade the Board / Committee to go with Faster Masters training program?
It's a good way to keep members engaged. Important to offer something over winter. We priced it out per person and made the fee accessible for everyone.
36:30 Figure out what level you can afford to do. Need a viable number of people. We walked through the program with Marlene and explained it to members. We agreed to do a trial for the winter and since then we've decided to extend it over summer.
If you don't have a coach and can't afford to hire a coach it's a good alternative to having in-person coaching.
41:00 The additional content each month really sold us. You can get out of the program whatever you want. Nobody says it is too hard and I can't do it. It is challenging.
45:00 Mental approach to ergs. There is no excuse and so do not vocalise. Be very well rested. if you are going to tolerate pain you must be rested. Helps to deal with the mental side of the discomfort.
Marlene and Rebecca discuss
- Synching schedules. It's the hardest thing for a masters group to figure out.
- Injuries outside training
Anything that prevents you doing a full training load. And so a strained muscle, a stiff lower back or a hand blister can be part of you failing to complete a training session successfully.
Clearly there are scales and grades of injury - a blister is not the same as a broken leg!
Masters do not get injured more than younger athletes, but we are more likely to be adversely affected for longer and to take longer to return to full training.
Take injuries seriously - training on an injury usually makes it worse, not better.
05:00 This past week - Marlene is a nordic ski coach; she guested on The Science of rowing podcast and will be studying coastal rowing coaching at the Rowing Canada Aviron conference with Guin Batten.
Rebecca has been reviewing the novice masters status in New Zealand and seeking a rule of racing change. You get the behaviours your tolerate in your club.
15:00 Ways to align your crew schedule. Review your lineups, the number of people in your group and seek regular days.
Cliques in clubs can rip clubs apart. Good leadership is essential.
22:00 No wasted water time. This is something we value a lot.
23:30 Marlene has seen a huge increase in injuries from our athletes. when you get injured you have to heal the injury, rehabilitate it and then progress back to training.
These are non-rowing injuries and were caused by carelessness on land. Your body is fragile. It doesn't take much to derail your training.
Accidental injuries when you are in a fatigued state your tissue is fatigued.
26:50 The further you lean away from your body to pick up your boat it puts you at risk of injury. This is relate to poor judgement.
Be mindful of how you move your body.
34:00 The United Nations list of
Craftsbury Common is one of these heritage sites - the Trouble with Harry movie was filmed there.
35:00 Mike asks are there any good videos that can explain all the basics to a never/never rower - someone who has never sculled before?
Rebecca uses these two videos in slow motion for her beginner class. There's no commentary so you can overlay your own interpretation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=882yriTw1VA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQMaxr-gxp0
Marlene and Rebecca discuss
- Mapping out a good erg program
- Feedback on caring for elders
Through winter the weather affects our rowing. Some are iced in and others just have windy and bad weather days.
We all need to use the erg and water interchangeably - in this episode Marlene and Rebecca discuss how they map out a good erg program.
Start with knowing your spring goal -
Your program needs to reflect these different goals.
Winter is good for building underlying fitness through a base preparation program which maintains your physical form.
Customise your program by doing the Faster Five Fitness Assessment - then you will be working within your personal capability ad know that your training is in the correct zone to improve your physique to achieve your chosen goal.
Timestamps to the show
01:00 The rowing seasons are changing. Winter rowing beckons
05:00 Masterclass Transitioning to Winter. Sign up here
https://fastermastersrowingwinter.eventbrite.co.nz
07:00 US Rowing Conference. Wednesday December 9th 2020 the Training day. Marlene is talking on Training for Life at 12.45 EST. See the full schedule.
https://rowcon2020.sched.com/
Speakers include Stephen Seiler who was on a previous RowingChat episode
https://rowing.chat/power-in-rowing-symposium-stephen-seiler/
09:30 Update on the National Masters Strategy New Zealand - we are creating a model framework. If you want to copy the model, contact Rebecca Caroe
15:00 Caring for Elders was last week's topic. Feedback from a listener. Training is a great outlet for your stress cortisol levels.
18:00 Short intervals on the erg or a power workout are time-efficient which suits carers.
21:00 Mapping a good erg program. Faster Masters programs for December 2020 include 2 separate programs. Base preparation for 1k (next summer) and Base preparation for 5k with a spring peak. if you are planning the Tideway Head Races or the Heineken Regatta or CRASH-B erg races.
Every workout has a land and water instruction including stroke rates.
Faster Five fitness assessment helps you to individualise your program.
25:00 Understand the purpose of the workout. Priority sessions.
Adapting workouts for the erg - 2 points lower in rate.
28:00 Check the resistance and the drag factor of 80-90 on Concept2. Marlene recommends erring on the light side for resistance.
30:00 Riggers on the rack don't line up - how to rack your 1x when some boats have forward wings and others have back mounted wing riggers.
32:00 Marlene's nightmare of having to use a ladder to rack her single scull on the top rack.
Rebecca and Marlene discuss
- US Rowing Conference
- Training while caring for kids and elders
- Upcoming Masterclass Transitioning to Winter Rowing
02:00 Family Quads at the Bennett Shield Regatta
04.30 inter squad fun races - with nickels and quarters as prizes
07:45 Transitioning to Winter training masterclass - sign up
09:00 US Rowing conference Wednesday December 9th 2020 the Training day. Marlene is talking on Training for Life at 12.45 EST. See the full schedule.
https://rowcon2020.sched.com/
17.oo Training while caring for kids or elders
19:30 Rowers can be very generous - they give their all. Take care of yourself first. Boundaries are needed - scheduling is a problem. Be as consistent as you can.
Reduce cortisol levels by training regularly. Choose from erg / walk / stretch / row on water.
22:00 Don't give up on structure. Commit to 30 minutes a day.
Resources in a past episode we covered
https://rowing.chat/rowing-training-while-raising-kids/
What can you delegate? Cleaning, gardening, shopping?
24:00 Use the travel circuit suggestions which we covered in this episode.
https://youtu.be/oivuKUmpkrU?t=906
Set up a nice home rowing gym
https://fastermastersrowing.com/the-perfect-home-rowing-gym/
Dionne is "super-Mom" she trains around her kids naps and their sport sessions.
28:00 Run with the kids to school and then you run home alone.
30:00 Protect and defend your time. The beautiful word called "NO".
Find some regular training partners who can sub in for you at the last minute if something comes up.
35:00 Erg Studio at home - make it a nice place to be.
Being the best rower you can be involves having good flexibility and mobility in your body.
As we age, our flexibility typically reduces. Understand your personal range of movement and how each part of your body is used in the rowing stroke.
Our 10 exercise functional movement assessment for masters rowers will show you where you can improve and how it affects your rowing and sculling.
Marlene and Rebecca host Faster Masters Rowing Radio where having a rowing coach only makes you better, following a program gives you a true pathway to becoming a confident sculler who is respected by your peers. Become the athlete you want to row with.
- difference between exercising and training
- functional movement screening for masters
05:00 Early warning that November 24 there will be a podcast about Transitioning to Winter Training - ONLY newsletter subscribers will be able to watch this episode. Please subscribe to get the link emailed to you.
These 10 drills allow you to test your own body and its ability to move in a way compatible with rowing and sculling.
Use these exercises to identify your physical limitations
https://www.row2k.com/features/5323/Functional-Movement-Screening-for-Masters-Rowers/
11:30 Podcast feedback - You Cannot Coach Yourself - Marlene declares that Faster Masters are very aware of the "reality for many masters" with regard to coaching, availability of club support and video assessment.
One of the reasons we set up Faster Masters is dealing with the reality of masters training alone - it is very common. This is why masters like to come to camps because they can network with others.
We recommend you ask your club coach if you can buy a private lesson.
17:00 Coach rowing alongside you is very similar to what you get from a remote coaching video feedback. I'm surprised more people don't take advantage of video review services. They give great insight.
23:00 Tanya from Australia gives her feedback on the Faster Masters programme. Marlene reminds us that Faster Masters programs are designed to prevent under-training and over-training. Both damage your performance.
27:00 Exercising versus training. Keeping things "interesting" and setting challenges in the program is key. Have one objective in mind. Your personal time trial, for example - it should be a performance element. Programs are DESIGNED to add stresses and recovery period. They train the different physiological systems which you are developing as you row.
33:00 Marlene follows Dr Steven Seiler in the low intensity and high volume approach to training.
Technique
Concentration
Focus
Use your training to improve your skill in these 3 areas. Rebeca recommends a drill to help you learn how to improve your skills.
We got this email from a customer who is returning to rowing. Her experience and our advice may help you.
Hi Marlene and Rebecca
Can you give me any tips on how to get started with the programme and how to build myself up from pottering around on the river to actual training? I’m 62 next week, was a successful heavyweight senior rower in the 1980s but always very inflexible and prone to back injuries. I taught myself how to scull a single in 1977 but only raced for the first time in August 2018. I won my first two races but the third regatta in mid June 2019 was a disaster, I felt really weak, lost by miles, and haven’t raced since.
I signed up to Faster Masters at the end of May 2020, full of good resolutions even though I wasn’t very fit. I gradually started back sculling in and built up my mileage so I am doing 10k to 11k in my single at what is probably Cat VI. When I have tried the faster rowing sessions I couldn’t get anywhere near the suggested stroke rates and found that very dispiriting. It’s very hard to track progress on our river because of the variable flow and wind conditions but my splits seem to be considerably higher than the times local women scullers my age achieved in a time trial I missed even though I have been sculling longer than any of them.
During lockdown I had no erg access and, even though I do now, I have eventually developed costochondritis every time I have used ergs for serious training since I returned to masters rowing in 2003 so I avoid them now. We can usually row here if the river isn’t in flood or it isn’t blowing a gale, as we don’t get frost or snow even though it isn’t very warm.
I live beside the boathouse and am retired so I have plenty of time and I thought I was going out five days a week but my husband reckons that it’s more like two or three days. I do reformer Pilates twice a week normally and am currently doing a video mat class as we have locked down again. I’ve started running once a week with a group and am actually enjoying it despite my asthma.
Maybe one of the documents set out how to build up to full race training from a low base, apologies if it does but I didn’t see it.
What all returning rowers have to learn is that you aren't that girl in the 1980s any more.
You (and we) all need to learn what our mature bodies can cope with and how long we take to recover from any exercise stress. And that includes recovering from coughs and colds and other ailments too.
The three core sessions are marked on the programme with an asterisk.
Buy a heart rate monitor to wear in the boat and note when your HR rises because that's a sign you are getting tired.
Do the land training on non-water rowing days so you improve your strength and flexibility.
Do a daily waking Heart Rate Variability test as this will tell you how "recovered" you are from the prior day's training. There's an app called HRV4Training which you can use. [more information here from their blog https://www.hrv4training.com/blog ]
This will help you work out how much training to do as you mention running and pilates and your mat class as additional training sessions. That's at least 6 sessions a week although the pilates may not be aerobic, it still gives you a workout.
Build up the program based on how your body copes with the training load. If you start by doing 50% of the volume of each rowing water session and only do the 3 core sessions a week. Do that for 2 weeks.
Then add about 500m more each outing until you are comfortable and your HRV recovery scores are confirming that your fitness and recovery is tracking positively. Be confident that holding steady and not adding 500m more distance is fine. This is your body adapting to training again. And you can step back down if you are tired and only want to do a couple of kms on the water. Use it to practice technique - lots of stationary roll ups or pause rowing drills.
Use the erg and water interchangeably - so if the weather isn't good, you can erg even if you don't like it much.
Note how energised you feel before the workout. What training you did. How tired (scores out of 5 or 10) you feel afterwards. That will help you with subjective gauge of your body and your mental approach to each workout. It is not a bad thing to cut a workout short if you are tired or it's not going well.
Be patient and kind to yourself!
And best wishes, let us know how you go after the first 4 weeks.
Rebecca and Marlene
Rebecca and Marlene explain The Faster Five essentials for rowing
Technique, Bladework, Stroke Power, Racing and Fitness Assessment.
12:00 We launch the Faster Five. These are principles which are important to learn, how to practice and what to practice. Things to pay attention to and key reference points.
The Faster Five represents the Faster Masters Rowing philosophy of teaching and a structure for you to plug into when you are studying rowing and learning how to become the rower you want to be.
16:00 Faster Five - Technique . Reference points so you can practice on your own. It takes thousands of strokes to learn the correct technique. It takes 3 seasons to become a sculler and 2 seasons for a sweep rower to feel they can apply good power in both sweep and sculling.
19:30 Faster Five - Bladework. timing and co-ordination is important. When you hold something in your hand (the oar) your brain thinks it's part of your hand. This is why it takes a long time to learn. Reduce your wash and blade is a key part of the learning from the Faster Five. The timing, finesse and precision takes drill work, focus and concentration. Developing high speed co-ordination is key to becoming a skilled rower.
23:00 Faster Five - Stroke Power - this comes after the bladework which brings confidence to your rowing. Power requires you to trust the oars and use your body weight. Learning the sequencing, being explosive and being effective at moving the boat.
26:00 Faster Five - Racing - the principles of racing well. Mental and physical, starts, steering and race strategy. What works for you and your crew. Back up plans. Relevant for all rowers whether you race or not because you can test yourself and get progress markers.
30:00 Faster Five - Fitness Assessment. A battery of tests to gauge your quality of rowing including stroke power, VO2 max, anaerobic threshold. Comparing the results works on both an erg (watts) and on water (500m spit to watts). The relative comparison gives proportional fitness measures. This changes over time.
34:30 If you are injured and come back to rowing your test shows you the right level of intensity you can manage.
38:00 Where to get the Faster Five. Link is in the website footer
https://fastermastersrowing.com/courses/the-faster-five/
When you subscribe to ANY monthly recurring program on Faster Masters Rowing the Faster Five is included as a welcome gift.
When athletes stop doing our training program you lose a lot. You lose commitment, you lose engagement and you lose someone else coaching and doing the thinking for you.
When you stop doing our training program you lose fitness, you lose your edge and you don't stay engaged and showing up. When successful athletes stop doing the Faster Masters program 100% of the time they never maintain the results they had on the program. Success does not carry on without an ongoing, developing training program.
40:00 Faster Masters is more than just a training program. Faster Masters is not babysitting athletes. Depth of instruction and insight from masters specialists. The Faster Five took us months to complete and includes our years of coaching expertise.
Masters feel like "disregarded" athletes - we are on a mission to get the sport of rowing to appreciate masters athletes. What we can bring to them, the goals we have are important. We deserve respect. We are building a global family of athletes.
Join our community and get our exclusive Faster Masters Rowing Magazine, packed with tips, techniques, and inspiring stories. Includes four new articles monthly.
