You've done the race. What happened? How to decide what could be improved. And what to do about it.
03:00 What we can do to improve our head race performance, Race review - what happened in the race. Look beyond just the race course. Consider the 24 hours beforehand, what you did well to prepare for the race. 10 things you did really well so you can repeat that in another competition. What could have been better?
05:00 Review photos and video of your crew and race - ask friends and family to share. How did you steer every corner? What made you anxious or frightened? When we came close to another crew people turned their heads to look, someone yelled, we lost our rhythm and balance.
Good race results come from many small gains.
Get the free ebook about aspects of Head Racing ebook.
When someone not so good happens ask yourself - Could I have anticipated this? - What you could have done to change it - What are the unexpected things that happened to your crew? - Have a response that you've thought about for these situations.
10:00 Write down the things you did well and the things you need to improve.
Think through scenarios - Marlene's sculler lost his oars because someone took them by mistake.
Being well-rested helps your concentration and focus. You will make better decisions and maintain your focus if you're rested. Focus is key.
Hear what happened to them, what they did to respond to situations. Learn from their experience. Use pens on a table to illustrate where crews were positioned and how they moved as the situation developed. This helps give you a visual memory of the situation.
14:00 Mentally you can practice putting bad strokes behind you and not worrying about them. Focus on the upcoming strokes, not what has passed. Train yourself to stop thinking about what was bad.
Couching something in negative terms "don't do this" gives worse outcomes than using positive terminology "do this".
As you become a better competitor you learn how to recover from bad strokes better. Know what you need to do in order to refocus and get your head back in the boat.
The final parts of your head race preparation including essential pre-planning in advance of race day. Tapering, travel and using borrowed boats.
02:00 Tapering
The training program volume is reduced so you are rested and ready to race. Faster Masters Rowing programs always include the taper. It may feel weird because you're doing much less training and you are less active than normal. Take precautions to not catch viruses.
04:00 Book on tapering
The timing of your rest day is the critical factor for creating a peak. The opportunity exists to over-rate in your practice because you are rested. This mimics the adrenaline boost you will get on race day. 07:00 Rebecca's best peak ever.
08:15 Travel - do this either early or late for timezone changes.
Your bodyclock adjustment is one hour per day. Arrive and race within 48 hours of arrival or wait 8 days to get into the timezone before your big event. Seek comfort during the travel - reduce stress from the environment around you. NSAID - a herbal remedy to aide sleep.
Rebecca likes to check the boat ties; all nuts are tight on the boat, the riggers and footstretchers. Use electrical tape for anything you think needs protecting. Tape riggers together and place blades tip down into the trailer so they nest together with the ends pushed against the hard edge of the trailer box to avoid wear patterns. Her single has a padded cover which is also made of UV resistant fabric. Tie on your boat yourself so if something goes wrong it's on you not someone else.
15:00 Using borrowed boats Be prepared when you arrive to adjust that boat. Take measurements off your boat at home. Span, spread (top and bottom of pin), height from seat top to bottom of shoe heel, oarlock sill to seat top. Measure to the same place (seat high or low point - be consistent). Know your pitch on the oarlocks, the oar length and inboard. When hiring boats the type of adjustments allowed are footstretchers and oarlock heights. Take your own tools (metric and imperial), pitch gauge, an adjustable wrench (spanner) and a height stick. Expect to have to change a few things.
18:00 In emergencies an oar can be used as an alternative to a height stick.
The Spacer Placer tool for height spacer washers can be bought Velcro shoe straps to wrap around the outside (home made) for when the shoes are too large.
Free head racing ebook
Pre-race nerves diary week 5 Casey McKenna
Head race taper versus rest article
Travel, tapering and using borrowed boats podcast
It's head racing season. Staying focused on the power and technique during a race. What are the best race plan calls to manage fade.
Everyone needs this focus - you will get tired during a race. Working with crews who haven't practiced together (throw-together crews). Discussed in Coach Mastermind Group Understand the language - have a common understanding and agree what calls mean and how to do the changes.
How to deliver power in the rowing stroke. Marlene likes a really steady pressure on the blade or good leg drive acceleration to build momentum and swing. Swing is a good call. Rebecca likes to stay longer on the legs and delay the back swing so you can keep the blade in the water a bit longer and make the swing more dynamic.
Ask the crew - is there a word which clicks for them the "mantra" word that works. The words you choose need (initially) to explain how to do the movement. This is useful for novices and crews who aren't used to rowing together or are from different countries where conventions vary. A short call allows you to make a quick change within a few strokes.
08:00 Power push
When it ends focus on rhythm to maintain power - avoid extreme changes in power. Efficiency is a nice call - back off 1% on power and focus on your movements with no extraneous movements.
11:45 Technique calls to keep as steady a pace as possible. It helps if you have some things you have practiced together. One technical call is - stay tall at the finish to keep blades buried, or a good balance and set can be called alternating with power calls. Marlene finds a focus on clean releases helps the rest of technique to stay together and good.
14:30 How to do this in a single scull.
Practice to develop your plan and your key focus points.
Elite rowers continuously observe how you are rowing; how the boat is running relative to weather/wind and then you "pull a trick out of your bag" to respond to what's happening. Then observe again and adjust. Be flexible and adaptable to the situation. Front of mind compared to back of mind thinking.
20:30 Calls to manage fade - learn personal pace judgement. People are often too conservative and it's rare for people to blow up. The simpler your calls, the better as you get tired.
Learn how to be hard on yourself - in the first half of the race you probably won't be tired until the second half. And you get more energy as you sprint to the line. Manage the "sag" in energy so it's as little as possible. Our Faster Masters programs teach this with repeats of distance/time because these teach pace judgement.
23:00 Expect the fade to happen and to feel uncomfortable - train yourself to handle discomfort and hold it together. Your fitness training is important. A technique focus on bladework is good as it disturbs rhythm if it's not good. Have self-talk ready to keep your focus.
What motivates you? Club rivalry, improved time. I couldn't have pulled one stroke harder without losing my power / bladework / stroke rate.
26:00 What's your goal for this race? I did the best on the day is your ideal outcome. Some days you race better and more consistently than others. If you race without a taper this may happen. Over time you will race better.
When you are tired you're not very objective. Rebecca loathes hearing "I can see the finish line" it's not encouraging. Marlene hates "looking good" - that's not enough. Cox should tell then what we are doing well right now. There's always something you can improve. Most crews want to respond and perform for their cox. Ten strokes to the finish line when mis-counted it's awful to hear "four more". Always over-estimate. This leads the crew to get frustrated.
Times when you can lie to the crew - when the crew cannot see what you can see. They can't verify your words. "Half a length to catch another crew" - a good example. An excellent cox can identify what every person needs and their focus. Get specific, it does not need to always be whole crew calls. Rebecca likes bow pair to get catches in early because the rest of the crew can feel this and add to the change.
Free head racing ebook - 8 articles of interest for you.
A special podcast episode by Jim Dietz.
Watch expert coach and serial HOCR winner, Jim Dietz explain how to position your boat for every turn, bridge and hazard on the Charles River course.
Watch Jim Dietz speaking one the needs of older athletes in the winter months at our Older Athlete and Aging conference (pre-recorded).
One percent gains for racing (pre-recorded) - an expert webinar led by Greg Benning, serial HOCR winner, on how he assesses all aspects of his rowing to make small gains in multiple areas.
Watch Jim Dietz speaking one the needs of older athletes in the winter months at our Older Athlete and Aging conference (pre-recorded).
One percent gains for racing (pre-recorded) - an expert webinar led by Greg Benning, serial HOCR winner, on how he assesses all aspects of his rowing to make small gains in multiple areas.
With Kim Degutis (Riverside Boat Club, Cambridge MA) and Heather Franklin (Orlando Rowing, East Arm Rowing, NY).
02:30 Coxing a four compared to an eight. Heather - coxing a four (front loader) you can't see behind you. My bow seat is an extra pair of eyes stroke telling me if a boat is coming up behind and stroke seat communicates with other crews. It's great for picking a point beware knowing how wide your oars are because you can't see.
Kim - the eight has a bigger engine and you can see your rowers and help them with technique calls. The pivot point for an eight is like pin a tail on the donkey - it turns differently from a four because it has more mass to get around the corner. Setting up a turn in an eight is easier for visual acuity.
06:30 Bow loaded four gives a different vantage point. The rowers partially obscure an eight's coxswains view. The eight is the "dump truck" or "freight train" of rowing boats. In a four you have to trust the rowers behind you - you need better boat feel to cox it skilfully.
Filling the time can be scary. At the start focus on the rhythm in the boat and steering "inside the gunwales" and to get a good start. The middle section of HOCR is setting yourself up well for bridges and making moves between crews. Overtaking comes later and when the crew gets tired I focus on good technique, rowing smarter not harder and ending with the sprint to the finish line.
I can hear the wheels really loud I know they are digging into their seats and the crew isn't floating up the slide. I freeform some motivational calls for rowers specific to them to prevent them zoning out. Or do a silent 5 or 10 where I listen to the finishes - that makes the rowers realise I'm silent and they need to focus.
13:30 Kim uses landmarks to structure the race. She brings to the focus onto splits, or a technical point to get the crew out of their heads and to feel the flow. She focuses on little bits on the race course. 15:00 Help the rowers to not focus on their pain. We work on this in practice you are a psychology coach.
16:00 Working on 2 modalities - prepare them for what's coming up and at the same time get them to stay in the present to make this a good stroke. The cox is part pilot, part jockey. In a head race pilot is a good start. Heather moves between these two modalities but it depends what's happening around you.
Lean into what you hear at practice from your coach. Those things being worked on will be useful in a race. You can't do power 10s all the time. Get more tools in your toolbox with things the crew has practiced. Also know your race packet (joining instructions) so your crew don't have to think. Kim's advice is to re-learn key words the coach uses - don't beat the crew with endless power 10s. Know the major landmarks and have a plan for the technical calls around the landmarks. Look up under the bridges as you may get into a photograph!
21:30 Tips for motivating
Heather reminds her crew that there is 100 years of experience in the five of us. We have done the work. We are no less qualified for the race than the Olympians in front of us. Marlene believes that training year round takes a crew to a whole other level. Kim's motivational calls for the main is team-specific and situational. It depends on the crew's culture and needs. No two crews are the same. A good cox dials in to their crew which is the difference between coxes who only steer the boat.
Get our ebook on the Ultimate Guide to Head Racing
25:00 Communicating to the crew how to mentally prepare them to row the distance.
Heather says the training has to be there first. We do time trials on our local water and a "ghost race" the crews we are racing against. I pretend we are at the race, I do all the bridges. I practice doing crazy turns and passing crews. I make it as realistic as possible.
Kim says imagine your arch rival crew in front of you. The cox on land tries to find videos of the race and learn the landmarks from the race map so you're prepared to give the crew an additional kick on the chin if needed. If you need to be the "bully on the river" if you aren't rubbing then you aren't racing. I like to make them hurt if they want to pass us. Have the discussion on land first. I sometimes tell them 'the beer is getting cold on the finish line' and 'there's an ambulance waiting for you'. Anything can happen, people will not yield but whatever happens, I will talk to you as we go down the course so you are aware.
Marlene says practicing screwing up and coming back from it.
Head race challenges - how to deal with things like turning buoys, wind and waves, and staying warm at the start marshalling. Something unexpected always happens in head races - caused by you or external factors.
01:00 Your experience base is what will serve you well in dealing with challenges.
02:00 Challenges -expect the unexpected. anything can happen. Get accustomed to rowing with many other athletes and boats around. Know your response to a range of different situations so you know what to do when a challenge arises.
Marcus Buckingham research into why some long distance lorry (truck) drivers had fewer accidents is helpful for us rowers.
06:00 Staying warm in the marshalling area. Wear clothing you can keep on until the last moment. Marlene likes a lightweight wind jacket because it's easy to take off. Can you row in small circles to stay warm? Do the push/pull drill - rowing in place. Keep your muscles moving as much as you can. Are you able to get out of the boat and stay warm on the bank by jogging on the spot?
Keep your hands under your armpits as that's the warmest part of your body. And wear a warm fleece hat.
10:00 Avoid sitting still and not doing anything as it is harder to get up to speed in the race if you are cold. Rebecca likes to hang back when the crews move up the marshalling line towards the start line so she can row hard pressure strokes to catch up the crew in front.
At the Scullers Head Rebecca worked out how long after the race began that her bow number would be starting the race. She chose to park her boat and go to a nearby pub to stay warm and drink coffee while waiting and watching the numbers pass by. You can take a thermos of hot water in the boat if that helps you stay warm.
The Ultimate Guide to Head Racing free ebook download
13:30 Wind and Waves - things you cannot control but you can row them well. Look at a map of the course and a weather app and work out where the wind will be head / side or tail winds. Where will gusts likely happen?
In a headwind, the waves are highest at the start of a straight when you are rowing into the wind. Can you adapt your technique to reflect the wind and waves conditions to reflect the conditions?
Read our podcast on rough water rowing
Seek out some rough water training to practice stabilising, and adjust how high you carry the oars off the water. Cross winds push your boat down on one side. On the high side apply pressure into that rigger with your thumb to keep the boat level.
16:00 Keep your stroke length into the head wind as it will tend to rob you of your length. Don't let the wind rush you. Control the oars with deliberate movements so the wind doesn't snatch the blade out of your hand. The wind may catch your blade as you square and blow it high above the water. Counter this by moving your handles upwards deliberately. If you get a gust of wind, as the gust comes, control your oars and as the gust fades, do a push to get back onto your pattern after the gust interruption.
As a cox or steersperson warn the crew if you see a wind gust coming. Push through the gust.
21:00 Relax and "rock and roll" laughing made Rebecca relax in a head race with bad waves and she got a good result. Ask locals where cross winds happen on the river.
Marlene did the Maine summer head race series on Moosehead Lake with a 5k triangular course. It started getting rough and she thought it was "rock and roll". She focused on one stroke at a time and by the end her footstretchers were under water.
Sight the buoy first and aim to steer directly at it. Hold water on the inside oar close to the buoy then bring it around with the other oar. Check water with as little force as you need to. After turning do a flying (rolling) start to get going again.
Be aware your arm can feel tired after a hard turn as if it's got a cramp. Wiggle your fingers to relax that arm on the recovery as it gets back to feeling normal. Practice turning before the race at full race pace speed. So you know what to expect at speed.
It can be tempting when going around the buoy to row off before checking you have the direction right for the next section of the race. Check over both shoulders and aim straight for the buoy - unless there's a strong current you can do a small steering correction to get around it - it's easier to see big buoys from a distance and to steer towards it.
Rebecca's preference is to go into the buoy parabola curve on a wide approach and to come out of the turn narrow and close to the buoy.
Race plans - overtaking and being overtaken.
00:30 Coach masterclass discussion zoom was about running masters learn to row classes. We learned the diversity of situation and how people problem-solve for their own clubs
02:30 Race plans Free ebook - the Ultimate Guide to Head Racing sign up to get your copy https://fastermastersrowing.ck.page/693a02e0a1
Goal of a race plan is to row the best race you can, technically the best you can as you fatigue through the race. What to focus on as you move through the stages of the race to retain good technique and efficiency. Don't question the competitive desire.
As the stages of the race progress how to maintain your technique is key. Be as consistent as possible and as aggressive as possible.
How much time will the race take? This affects stroke rate choices.
05:00 During your practice work out your most efficient stroke rate with good technique. A race lasting 4.5 to 5k meters is over 600 strokes. Marlene likes to think of this as 600 one-stroke races!
What calls do you include in the race plan? Set a common understanding of words you use.
It doesn't need to be complicated to be effective. What is the focus in this part of the race? You can focus on time or distance for your race plan. Include a plan for mishaps.
The race plan calls are about keeping your performance as consistent as possible through the race.
Slide control in the recovery - Rebecca's crew decided to experiment with how to get the best outcome from our calls. Did it work better with power called first and then slide control called second? Or the other way around? This showcased what was effective for this crew - the coxswain could spot when we needed to be refocused back onto the pattern of movement.
Experiment with what works in practice then discuss whether it should be part of the race plan.
11:30 Trials are important - try different strategies in your practice outings. What is your focus? Do you go out strong or conservatively?
The Faster Masters training workout programs include test workouts which help you to zoom in on what works for you and what you can do in a race.
12:50 Rowing boats take a long time to overtake each other - overtaking it is not a quick thing. You are unlikely to be able to overtake in just 10 strokes. You likely take 10 cm each stroke further than the other crew - overtaking one person in a crew may take 15 or 20 strokes.
Practice scenarios of overtaking on a straight versus a corner turn. Will you approach a turn differently if you are overtaking? Adjust to suit your physiology.
15:00 Distance per stroke is the core metric.
You can do this with more power through the water or by rating higher. More strokes per minute - your boat should move one boat length per stroke. This takes energy - you need to be able to row efficiently in this new mode (power or rate).
16:30 Once you start overtaking keep it going - don't drop back after you have finished overtaking. Maintain your length in the water and increased boat speed. Be as tough as nails and stay at it. So many races come down to narrow margins. Don't be comfortable just getting past a crew.
It's different from side by side races. In head races you can't know how fast other crews are going because they may not be near your boat.
If they are faster than you, you should make it hard for them to get past. Keep your stroke length, power and rhythm. Take the straightest possible line without impeding their advance - make them work hard for it. Play within the rules.
Rebecca was at HOCR and was getting yelled at by a faster crew calling for her crew to "yield". They didn't steer well and took a longer route, but Rebecca's crew kept pushing on and it took nearly a kilometer for them to overtake. Take your motivation from the fight with the other crew. It was a fun battle that got Rebecca's crew the best possible result that they could have got and trying to deny a good result for the other crew.
21:30 There may be situations where more than one boat is overtaking at the same time. Avoid getting penalised. You can judge if you are interfering with the other crew and so if you can get a better course than they do, that's your advantage.
Buy the Carlo Zezza Book - Winning Head Races
How to select the right races for your head racing season. Ways to build up to the big race event. Improving race plans and race execution.
01:00 The big event is your focus. It's easy to choose the big event. But the season starts with smaller events.
If you are new to head racing choose local events you can do in a day trip. Choose those with uncomplicated courses and reliable water. More experienced racers choose races to help me perform better in your peak event.
3 things to consider when choosing your head races
04:00 Check the rowing regatta calendar to find events,
David Biddulph's rowing calendars, Regatta Central, Row2k, Rowit.nz, are other calendars for different countries.
Few people are good enough at racing to just do one big event - most of us need preparatory events to test ourselves out. Get a reminder about fitness, steering, race craft skills all need practice.
Work back from the date of your big event and get a race, a race simulation or private match every 2-3 weeks leading up to the big event.
Have something every 2-3 weeks. Marlene thinks every weekend is too much for her preference. Consider the time it takes to travel, load boats, get equipment to the event - it all takes planning. You can do simulated races too - doing a time trial at home is different from a regular practice outing.
Your recovery and age are also considerations if you choose to race every weekend.
09:30 Marlene chose low-key Maine races during summer for her comeback season. She raced 6 times just to get ready to go back to HOCR in the fall.
Make a list of what to do - improve the list as you practice different regattas in order to refine it. Create a trusted system that works for you. This takes a lot of stress off you because you have a reliable timetable.
Carlo Zezza Winning Head Races book
14:30 Create a simulated race at your home water.
Do a warm up, check over the boat. See if you can get another club to come and race against you.
Next time we talk about race plans. Think about your race, what are your strengths and improvement points? Build skills into your workouts - this is what the Faster Masters training programs include. Each workout has technique as well as workout recommendations.
Sometimes athletes get very, very tired. Today we will talk about recovering from exhaustion and the power of napping.
01:00 Is it under recovery or over training?
Mike Spracklen described it as under-recovery. Marlene prefers this term because it affects your ability to train. You don't have to be fully recovered to train effectively. You feel on "high alert" all the time.
04:00 Six causes of exhaustion noted by Elizabeth Avery, sport nutritionist.
What's the reason? If your training has increased a lot recently, that could be a reason. You should be able to adapt to the new training load. Check your nutrition preferably post training.
06:00 There can be an accumulation of fatigue from session to session. After a heavy training day you may need an active rest day. How to balance your training. Emphasise quality over quantity.
07:45 Adapting to a new training load.
Going from 5 x per week to 6x per week. Is a 12% increase in training. Keep to a 5% increase. After a big jump you may feel OK for a day or two, but it will catch up with you.
As masters, your cause of exhaustion may not be rowing-related. It all kicks off the same cortisol hormones
10:00 What about naps?
Elliza McGrand naps heavily after a heavy training day. She asked the Masters Rowing International group if others had the same outcomes. Listen to your body and respect what it's telling you. Your best recovery method is sleep. People are different with naps - some do it every day.
Lie down and close your eyes. Set an alarm so you wake up in time. Bodily stimulation comes in through your eyes - rest your nervous system by closing your eyes.
13:00 What is restorative for you?
Some people find a daytime nap affects their night time sleep. If you don't tolerate daytime naps, find another thing that rests you. Cooking or gardening, yoga. what do you enjoy? Even walking for 10 minutes has a positive effect to your nervous system. As we age our bodies change - you may need naps now and not in the future.
15:00 Leaden legs can happen after a nap. A good way to revive is to wake up slowly, move slowly, do a bit of stretching, walk gently for a couple of minutes. Even 5 minutes of repetitive activity gives you the same dopamine hit as a workout. Rowing repetitive cycles are restorative activities to the nervous system.
Join Rebecca and Marlene as they interview Monmouth Rowing Club's Tim Male as he talks about his season with the club and how they won the Victor Ludorum £1000 prize.
02:00 Interview Tim Male
04:00 Monmouth Rowing Club - the town rowing club draws people from around 20 miles away to join. 05:30 The club had talented individuals but rowed in small groups. Focus on private projects. Fragmented. Big projects require co-ordination.
06:30 Changes Tim made to the Club culture to bring people together.
Everyone rows together for regional and local events.
09:15 Private Projects abandoned.
Getting value from coaching was the main draw. Subscriptions increased to pay for the coach. Improved performance from a universal structure with coaching and training structure.
11:00 Coaching has broad goals regatta dates, training in 4--5 week blocks. Each gets 2 coached sessions per week. Rest are self-guided.Tuesday + Wednesday evenings are long rows with priority given to one group each day. Sunday coached sessions at fixed times of day.
Season One, they raced one day at British Masters and finished top 5 in sweep events. Under- represented in sculling.
Season Two, decided to race both days and incorporate the dub group to step up to race the non- championship events. Anyone who has not won a championship event can race non-championship events.
17:00 Progression pathway for new athletes so they race similar skilled people
18:15 Crew selection using subjective and objective factors: 1) Technical capability 2) Team building commitment, reliability 3) Coach ability and capability to change. Allowances for frequency of training.1k Weight-adjusted ergo tests for men for choice boats.
Target was top 3 in Victor Ludorum.
Training fitness to be able to do up to 6 events over a weekend. Up to 12 races. Points mean prizes. We operated on the picket fence mentality as long as they got points towards the main challenge.
23:00 Future plans Take the club to International events like the European Masters Championships, Head of the Charles, Local regattas with unified club events, and Autumn head race targets.
25:00 Advice for another club who wants to build a competitive pathway.
Generate the culture first. With Masters Rowing there is a range of people, capability and experience. This makes crew selection tricky. Uniform rowing style so swapping crews is easier. You need a broad scope for success and developing from "underneath" (less skilled people).
27:15 Marlene's impressions of Monmouth Rowing Club's success It takes a lot of organisation, time and thought for reorganising the group and writing a strategy for managing 60 masters. Blending the groups together and mixing crews was clearly challenging. A purposeful structure.
28:20 Rebecca believes that creating a pathway was crucial to underpinning the later success. Helpful to introduce a new challenge for experienced athletes. New skills in small boats help improve the big boats as a win:win situation.
Fitness was crucial to the success. It helped having athletes who already knew how to train hard and race hard. combining with the less experienced people helped teach them how to row hard. Knowing how to race is a whole other level of rowing and the competitive mindset.
30:00 The structure of the British Masters Championships having two events also helped. They could blend the experienced with the less experienced and still win points. Tim emphasised the importance of being coachable, flexible so you can row in multiple events.
Recovery from races - he who has the best recovery between race events wins!
Rebecca likes that they support local events and sees this as a pathway to teach racing to less experienced athletes. It is a lower investment in time, money and travel.
33:00 Learn to rowers come to racing gradually. It takes a while for them to see the attraction and to get confident enough to row hard.
Read about the win on the Monmouth Rowing website article.
Join our community and get our exclusive Faster Masters Rowing Magazine, packed with tips, techniques, and inspiring stories. Includes four new articles monthly.
