How to plan your rowing season
- when to peak
- how racing contributes to peak events
- winter / summer racing
- what to work on for fitness
01:00 This past week - Rowing Canada Aviron safe sport webinar.
British Rowing strategy
https://www.britishrowing.org/2021/11/have-your-say-british-rowing-strategy/
Karapiro Rowing are seeking a Board chairman.
03:00 Best wishes to the Canadians affected by the recent storm and flooding
You are gearing up for a big performance. When you peak you want to be as rested and prepared as possible.
The taper period is longer, if your training volume is high.
7-14 days before the big event to allow recovery and attain a fully rested state.
11:00 you can do 2 to 3 peaks per year.
In between you review the date of your last peak and when the next major event is.
Every race is NOT a peak.
Winter peak can be races or big erg events
Summer peak can be national championships
Choose your calendar and find your events.
Look at intermediate events between the peaks too
Consider cross-training.
Catch up on home things and deferred activities when you are regenerating.
17:00 What to work on for fitness
Take the tempo down and do long endurance work less than 22 stroke rate.
Do your technique work to correct flaws.
Cross training can also help.
Get back into a routine to build strength - circuits and body weight work. Variety.
20:00 The Faster Masters Fitness assessment is 4 tests. Peak power, top end race tempo, anaerobic threshold, base fitness aerobic.
The proportional fitness of peak power impacts your results.
Base fitness tells us if your bottom of the fitness pyramid is wide or narrow. Helps manage intensities fro training and your recovery ability.
It takes about 3 years to build base fitness.
Newcomers should do cross training to get fitness on land. A light sweat - not out of breath. Up your intensity if you can (not too hard).
Keep it 'conversational' while you train.
Low intensity strengthens your cardiac muscles.
Use fat as your primary fuel.
29:00 doing multiple races in a day - like A/B races to try different lineups
Helps you define your race plan and try different race strategies
Feet on the footboard | Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.
- How the foot pressure changes through the rowing stroke.
- Drills to practice foot connection
01:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing.
We will be speaking at the US Rowing Convention (virtual) on An Inclusive Vision for the Future of Masters Rowing.
https://usrowing.org/sports/2021/9/29/2021-usrowing-convention.aspx
The goal is to move the oar handle using the kinetic chain.
Pushing onto the heels during the power phase. The heel connection happens naturally.
If you push with quads to initiate then as you add the heels it transfers into the glutes.
Focus on the last third of the drive - activate the heels and glutes
At the end of the drive phase, do you point your toes? or keep heels down?
Keeping the suspension and stying up through the drive is best.
19:00 Get the right size shoes - if your calves hit the deck.
Shoes and foot flexion during the drive phase are important. The carbon sole rowing shoe helps your foot perform better - allows your toes to spread as pressure comes onto the feet.
27:00 Bont Rowing offer - will be shared with everyone on our newsletter list this week
Head across to this link: https://shop.bontrowing.com/account/register?fastermaster (this link will redirect to AUD, USD or Euro depending on location)
- Create an account.
- Check email and verify account.
- Browse the range, select products and add to cart.
- Head to checkout and use account email. Discount of 15% will be automatically applied.
28:00 Feet on the erg - do they come away from the foot stretcher?
- Rowing quarter slide from the release. Try to stand up in your shoes
- Feet out rowing and square blades. Note where you lose pressure on your feet and try to move the timing closer to the finish.
- Timing the release off your foot pressure. when you lose connection, take the oar out of the water.
- Can you hold the foot pressure as you make the turn around the finish?
- Recovery when you start to square, make sure you ave a good connection with the foot stretcher
- Row one foot in the shoe and one out - are they different? Swap.
37:00 Caryn Davies recommended rowing on the erg feet out for all rates lower than 26.
Adjust the heel cup height - does it give you better contact?
Equal pressure on blade - feet - handle through the stroke
The world went digital last year and rowing clubs pivoted. We moved online, virtual and row-from-home.
Let’s not lose the momentum. Now is the time to take full advantage of digital tools to run your rowing club – from collecting membership dues to crew lineups; from boat allocations to regatta availability, there are valuable tools to help you run the club which you need to know about.
Shortcut your learning about tools which will
You will meet
After attending this webinar you will
Book a ticket for this live online for this webinar
Ticket price $19
Monday 22nd November 2021 (London GMT 8 pm; New York EST 3 pm; San Francisco PST 12 pm; Sydney 7 am 23rd Nov)
We are recording the webinar. Your ticket gives lifetime access to the recording and rigging charts.
Choose a rowing camp that suits your needs | Faster Masters Rowing Radio
01:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing.
Doing race debriefs after a big event helps to decide future priorities.
how to get set up properly in the boat - adjustments to make.
Going faster by not slowing down.
08:00 Developing new speed - improve what you already have.
Improve the quality - makes rowing more fun.
10:00 Do the basics really well.
Are you getting your blades off the water?
Rowing harder and maintain technique.
Rowing harder in difficult conditions.
Rowers have to maintain the same quality under conditions of fatigue and pressure.
You can always do drills stationary, even if you are tired.
A change is as good as a rest.
Reasons to go on camp.
Training - get a good block of hard work done.
New challenges - a new coach, new lineup, longer distance,
Crew Selections - get your lineups right for racing
Fitness - get fitter and stronger
17:50 Sweep or Sculling camp?
Single scull or team boats?
How much do you want to spend $$ and How much time away do you want?
Consider the time split between rowing and tourism - you can bring your non-rowing partner who can do wine tasting, another sport, cycling, walking.
Look at your local area - can you camp locally?
Or a weekend camp at your own club? Row twice on Saturday and Sunday.
22:00 Find a camp and find a rowing coach at the rowing directory
You will learn a lot from a new coaching voice - their focus can be revealing.
How they teach is important when making your choice. What is the coach's outlook?
26:00 Go on camp as part of your race preparation - book in a few days or a week ahead of a big regatta.
Camp as a retreat
Camp as travel
Camp for competition
29:00 Fine boats versus restricted boats versus clinker boats.
Pausing at the finish technique - Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.
It's become fashionable for crews to pause at the finish of the stroke with handles close to the body - more in sweep than sculling. Why do this? Is it effective?
Support this show with a donation
01:30 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing.
HOCR results and congratulations to our winners
10:00 Ask Me Anything - Marlene and Rebecca answer your questions. Doing 2 races in one day.
How much time do you have in between races?
Dry clothes, eat immediately, hydrate and fuel.
Rest if you can.
Zone out in your car and listen to music or read. Set an alarm.
Plan any changes to your race plan for race #2
Take a snack in the boat in a plastic bag.
I don't coach this but it's not necessarily wrong.
Look at the athletes and crew you have - what works for them?
Drew Ginn had a quicker recovery and high skills for catch timing when he started doing the paused finish.
20:30 Focus on the follow through position. Finish the cycle at arms/body away.
Be aware of a 1x versus a crew boat and can you all do this technique?
28:00 Simultaneous versus sequential drive.
Try both and video yourself before deciding.
Get the drive time to 0.8 seconds.
There is a lot of room to do legs, back and arms
Stay effective - don't reach too far or lay back too much
Racing starts - you may want simultaneous for more power.
33:00 Opening the knees at the catch.
Is this flexibility, structural in your hip socket and femur?
Look at your foot stretcher and heel to top of seat measurement - match your erg.
Angle of the foot stretcher
Take a nerf ball or water bottle or buy an elastic and hold between your legs as you row as a reminder.
Glute medius may need muscle strengthening
Check the shoe position width in the boat compared to the erg.
Leg to back connection to make stroke power in rowing
- Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.
Support this show with a donation
https://fastermastersrowing.com/podcast
02:15 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing. Rigging inaccuracies around the pins.
07:00 The Caught Short Kit for female athletes who menstruate - Help yourself to pads and tampons. Can you make one for your club?
The power of the legs has to be connected to the oar handle.
Leg drive must directly move the oar handle.
If you drive and don't move the handle = shooting the slide.
If you move the handle and don't move the legs = no power
Feel Pressure on your hands and feet - check for yourself.
Often described as the hardest part of the rowing stroke to train.
14:00 How does the kinetic chain link? This is how you are connected together. The biomechanics of how the body moves and flexes.
The levers of bones connect through the joints.
Ligaments connect bones to bones.
Tendons connect muscles to bones.
There are 2 types of kinetic chain in exercise sport
The open kinetic chain - where the limb is free and not fixed to an object
The closed kinetic chain - where the limb is connected to the ground or something firm
18:00 Rowing is a closed kinetic chain you are working off the oar handle, foot plate and the oar in the water.
- as you drive off the catch it's the quads that activate first and as your heels go down you will add in your glutes.
Gluteal amnesia - it can be hard to activate the glutes as we age.
Strong glutes support your lower back.
23:40 Train your glutes by practicing isometrically. Squeeze them when standing, driving, sitting. To load your body weight in the boat you have got to use your glutes.
Be aware of them being strong and activated as you row.
- keep pressure on the foot stretcher in the last third of the leg drive.
Glute bridges
Side squats
Fire Hydrants (this is funny.... check out the comments on the video at this point)
Hungarian split squats
Use exercise bands
Lunges
When the blade is loaded - notice if this varies.
Feel the blade is or is not stable in the water.
Handle pressure stays continuous and horizontal through the stroke.
If the body comes in too early you can lift the handle and the blade goes deep as a consequence.
Exaggeration exercises - try swinging the back early or later.
Make the back swing more dynamic
Arms and body only rowing to isolate the swing.
Check your force curve on the erg.
Back swing adds length to your stroke.
Mark Wilson and Jim Dietz share insider tips for how to line up your boat at EVERY turn, EVERY bridge, EVERY dock including the warm up, Chute and start line for the Head of the Charles Regatta Steering Guide - for scullers (1x, 2x).
Mark and Jim run All American Rowing Camp. You can buy their in person coaching on the Charles River .
Faster Masters sells training programs for head racing - scroll down for more detail.
01:30 If you are coming to race for the first time and don't know the course, this will help you.
03:50 Be 100% on the day. You need this... to all line up when you race. Only the weather is variable!
05:30 The warm up line - Mark and Jim recommend you boat from the Falls launch area and row the whole 4,700 meters course down to the start including the Basin. This is the way to steer the right line through the warm up.
Time yourself through the warm up from Falls to the start the day before.
It is narrow at Elliot Bridge - stay close to the bank. Listen to marshals.
This area is the most busy in the whole warm up.
08:50 the Buoys are not permanently on the bottom of the river. They can move. So check them out during your warm up.
10:00 Know the race number and event ahead of yours.
11:30 Powerhouse stretch is a good place for a warm up burst of 10 or 20 strokes.
13:40 If the Basin is blowing - time your arrival to minimise time waiting.
Line up with even or odd number crews.
16:50 The Chute and Start line. Start your speed coach earlier than teh line
18:30 Video of the Start under the Boston University Bridge
20:00 Mile 1 - The green buoys by Magazine Beach - how to steer this
21:30 Powerhouse stretch - look out for a wind change as you pass Riverside. And come into the stretch decide early if you are going for the Centre or Cambridge arch based on traffic from other boats.
22:30 Mile 2 - The most tricky part is going into Weeks footbridge. If you took the Cambridge arch, the turn is more gentle here.
Look to port coming into Weeks the buoy line is gradual. Look every 3rd stroke.
Stay as close as you can.
Make a sharp turn by sowing down into the bridge.
It's a narrow bridge you can turn under the bridge.
Do a pressure 20 coming out of weeks - don't be surprised.
30:00 Anderson Bridge is the start of your fatigue. The wind may change here. Be aware.
Weeks to Anderson - going in look on your left for the bridge abutment.
The turn at Anderson is as steep as Weeks. Look for the White Condominium after Anderson heading towards Cambridge.
32:30 The blue line is the turn line - it's gradual.
Look to your right - oars on the buoys - as close as you can.
Look every 3rd stroke.
33:30 There is passing going on here....
If you are a slower crew, you know to give way.
Let them pass... Then go back to your shorter line.
35:00 Do your research on the scullers around you. If they are local they will know the course. Follow their puddles.
36:00 The last bridge is Elliot Street.
the Cambridge into Elliot turn is quite sharp.
Know how close you can cut in.
Look at your right and beware the BBN Dock.
There are 3 buoys after.... then row as close to the trees as you can without hitting them.
39:00 The last 60 strokes.
Go straight after the trees.
The Boardwalk on the Boston shore - that's the last 20 strokes.
After the finish line keep paddling - get out of the way for following crews.
It's a privilege to race here - do your home work.
42:00 Practice as often as you can at race speed.
Boats handle differently at race speeds.
Faster Masters Rowing sells training programs for head racing - we have a specific HOCR plan - It's included in the Monthly Subscription programs - Individual, Crew and Club.
How tapering works. Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.
Support this show with a donation
https://fastermastersrowing.com/podcast
Timestamps
01:30 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing. We hosted a Rigging webinar.
13:00 Tapering - the purpose of the taper is recovery.
Get to the start line raring to go.
14:55 Super compensation system in your body.
The amount you taper for a 6 day week training program.
7 to 8 days out the training volume reduces to half. The frequency of training does not change.
17:00 Mental preparation for the race
Repair your boat
Sharpening technique - practice what you are good at. Build confidence.
Race Plan
Dinner the night before 6 pm, no social media the night before.
21:00 Pre race Checklist
This episode also covers head race checklists
https://fastermastersrowing.com/planning-your-fall-rowing-season/
Plan for the unexpected to happen
Don't want to have to make decisions in a fluster.
23:00 If you are the person who is always 5 minutes late.....
25:00 Socialise after the event, not before the race.?
Be prepared, specify what you need to be best prepared.
Tools say a lot about a rower. Learn what the pro coach carries in her single and in the coach boat
01:00 This past week - Marlene published an article Winning Head Races in Rowing
https://ludum.com/blog/training-plans/winning-head-races-in-rowing/
07:00 Your first head race - how to get mental and physical confidence.
Test yourself to find the optimal rate.
Try 3 minutes of the race one point in rate higher than you think. Analyse afterwards how you went.
Marlene has a mini bag with
- Top nut wrench
- Small adjustable spanner
- Pusher outer tool for clip height washers
and a bungee cord - 2 feet long.
- Metric and Standard wrench for top nut, 10mm and 8mm
- 3 Screwdrivers - C2, Flat head and Philips head
- Metric and Standard tape measure. 5 meters long
- Sharpie magic marker
- Electrical tape - white - and a pair of scissors.
Enough to get you back to the boathouse safely where a full repair can be done.
26:00 Rebecca's 3 gadgets she loves
- T-bar spanner
- Martinoli nut tool
- CARE pitch gauge
- The wing nut tool (for the slides under the deck)
30:00 Rules for lending tools
Have a deposit - leave me your phone / sunglasses / water bottle.
Efficiency in rowing: Time pressures weigh heavy on most masters rowers. How can we get more efficient with our busy rowing lives? Faster Masters Rowing Radio hosts Rebecca Caroe and Marlene Royle discuss tips and challenges
Support this podcast
https://fastermastersrowing.com/podcast
02:00 New Zealand Masters Rowing Championships rescheduled to 29-31 October.
National Championships will include 500m sprints for masters in 2x (handicapped)
Rigging for Masters Webinar - tickets are on sale
Event is 6 October 2021
https://fastermastersrowing.com/rigging
03:45 Rowing in a double with novices - coaching from 2x
11:00 Efficiency getting to the boathouse
- the night before: Clothes, Weather, Time alarm clock, Driving time, eating for energy, Program, Text your crew to agree bad weather plan.
15:00 Decide in the shed, not in bed
Apps for local wind forecasts
Windy
Windfinder
Wind Guru
17:30 Equipment efficiency
- Have a routine - oars first, then PFDs, then the boat.
Help each other, two people per boat get the oars, two hold the boat (for a 4x or 4)
22:45 Coaching efficiency
Scan the boat to check are the oarlocks in the right direction, are oars in right sides?, Height spacer washers, Do footstretchers need to be changed?
Remind each other - have you checked your footstretcher before you push out into the lake / river
25:00 Training efficiency.
Warming up - how much time do you need?
Know the practice routine warmup.
Rules about when we talk during the outing. Technique discussion and feedback during breaks.
Etiquette is important especially in big boats - 4s and 8s.
29:00 Warming down efficiency
When to start your warm down. Try to include 5 minutes each practice.
Marlene recommends stretching after you get out of the boat.
Rebecca stretches during the debrief after putting the boat away.
Consistency to day to day habits helps.
33:00 Meal preparation efficiency
Make bags of whole foods to take with you.
Always have food in your gym bag or car.
Don't skip refuelling.
Double batch your evening meal - make a large lasagne and freeze half.
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