A guest post by Adam Kreek.
Rowing looks clean from shore. The Olympics look clean from a distance. If you’ve ever wondered what actually goes on inside a rowing boat? People, personalities, politics? It’s might not be what you think.
I started rowing with Kevin Light at UVic Vikes. Or more accurately… I started learning how to row properly behind him in a pair 
No crowds. No medals. Just early mornings, tired legs, and a game of taking inches.
Kevin was never loud. Just steady. Show up, do the work, repeat.
That’s why it’s so cool to see his photos in The Eight by Ed Willes (retired The Vancouver Sun reporter) — a book about Mike Spracklen and one of the wildest, controversial and successful eras in Canadian rowing at Rowing Canada Aviron
From the outside, rowing looks smooth.
Inside the boat?
It’s chaos with rhythm. Pain with purpose. Eight people trying not to mess it up for each other. Holding the tension, holding the line, and accepting that perfect is not the secret ingredient behind gold medals.
This book opens the kimono and gets real. The tension, the drive, the joy, the discomfort of high performance.
Proud of Ed and Kevin for telling their story.
If you like sport, pressure, #Rowing or just watching humans try to pull something great together… it’s worth a look.
Any attempt at understanding Spracklen and his success begins in understanding his program. The program is at the centre of everything he taught and coached. It is absolute. It is infallible. It requires complete and unconditional commitment. There are times when the athlete will doubt it and themselves, but those doubts are false. If you follow the program, you will have success. This is the covenant Spracklen made with all his athletes.
“You became so invested in this goal (of winning) that your being became wrapped up in it,” says Kreek. “The moment you buy in completely you remove a lot of personal control and place it in the hands of Mike. He had this way of breaking you down and having you question so many aspects of your personality. Then he built you back up in a way that was more effective for achieving the goal.”
It started with the fundamentals. As we’ve seen, Spracklen spent his early days at Elk Lake teaching the stroke to his young athletes. Once that was drilled into their memory banks he started to ramp up the work rate, intensifying the training sequentially and relentlessly. The rowers conformed. They started to see results. That led to more work and better results. The program was doing its job.
“Of course the program is tough,” says Spracklen. “If it’s not as hard as it can be you’re not going to be the best you can be. The program is always nudging for a little more, a little more.”
It followed simple patterns. It was repetitive. The workload was oppressive. But built into each session was a level of competitiveness that drove the athletes and created a racing environment at Elk Lake. Most of the winter training was done in small boats, predominantly pairs and singles. That promoted good technique and oarsmanship. It also made it easier to identify speed.
The core piece was a timed race along the buoy line. The fastest pair from the previous day’s session would start closest to the line, followed by the second, third, fourth, etc. Often there would be 10 or 15 boats lined up to race because Spracklen’s camp was always open. The catch was the coach, coxswain Brian Price, or assistant coach Terry Paul always lined up on the other side of the buoy line and didn’t pay a lot of attention to the also-rans on the outside. Their focus was on the boats closest to the line, the boats that would help Canada win.
Holding that spot closest to the line became an immense point of pride at the training centre. Twenty years after the fact, rowers can still recall pairs that dominated the buoy line or pairs that moved up the food chain and caught Spracklen’s attention.
“A lot of Mike’s program was who’s the king of the castle,” says Jake Wetzel. “It was great because it appealed to every single one of my nastiest instincts.
I loved it. Everything becomes so clear. There’s no bullshit. People can do it or they can’t. Everyone goes through rough patches but it’s intense all the time. It was such a compelling environment to be in.”
The anger caused by a gap between expectation and reality. This episode is for intermediate rowers who are learning how to race. How to turn your anger into something useful.
Timestamps
00:45 What happens if a race outcome isn't the result you hoped for?
Should you suppress the anger, spiral into it, or neither?
Anger is expectation minus reality. The bigger the gap, the bigger your anger. Name your gap not the "failure". It's an outcome not a judgement on you, the athlete. Intermediate rowers are learning how to train first, and now you are learning how to race. This is the same process.
You've done enough training to have expectations of success but you haven't yet done enough racing to get the outcome you desire. Experienced racers expect this gap. Make the gap concrete - a time, a distance behind the winner. Name the gap and move it from being an identity problem to being a performance problem.
Notice what you say..... "I worked hard but the crew fell apart". Name it in numbers not feelings and emotions.
Less "but" and more "and".
Your post-race debrief language will have used the word but. This cancels everything which went before it such as your training investment. And allows you to hold two truths at once. I trained hard and I had a bad race. Neither cancels the other out. You accept the outcome and your next race is still ahead. As masters there's always another age group or challenge to move into.
You're going to take one thing from your toolbox of skills, mental strength, fitness and change it. Changing everything resets expectation and creates another gap. You can only test the effect of what you've changed if you change only one thing at a time.
Ask yourself - what's one thing I already know how to do better, but I didn't do today? Your answer is already there, in your toolbox. Use the "and" mindset as you think about this. I
You are learning how to do this and pattern recognition is an important part of this learning. Experiencing different situations will teach you if what you have in your toolbox is sufficient to help you close the anger gap. Training alongside another crew can help you experience more race-like situations.
Go to your crew mates and coach and find out what their gap was and discuss what you're going to do about it next time.
By Nicky Knowles, Cambridge Rowing Club, New Zealand
I am a mediocre rower.
There, I said it — and honestly, I’m okay with that.
Maybe it’s because I’m inherently a bit lazy at times and I lack motivation when life gets in the way perhaps? A conversation for a different time I feel
Rowing is technically a very hard sport to master, especially when you didn’t start as a nimble teenager. In theory, once you have good technique and solid fitness, you can accomplish anything. In reality, life tends to get in the way — work, ageing, niggly injuries, and all the rest of it. But there’s one thing that overrides all of that:
“Row because you love it.”
That’s my mantra. When everything else gets in the way, just get in the boat and see how it goes. It is what it is. Rowing is a bit like golf — always chasing that one perfect stroke, ideally without injuring yourself in the process.
This is my story from a recent regatta.
I was lucky enough to compete at the South Island Masters at the stunning Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park. Picture-perfect doesn’t even begin to cover it.
My preparation? Let’s just say… not ideal.
Between lack of training, questionable fitness, being a woman in my 50s dealing with menopause, an extra 5kg that refuses to budge, and a collection of niggly injuries (back, shoulder, calves, Achilles — take your pick), plus work stress — and yes, being a travel agent during global chaos has been a lot — I wasn’t exactly arriving in peak condition. So, my expectations were low. A participation certificate and soaking up the scenery would’ve been more than enough.
I started rowing at 42, and over the last decade my brother Peter Fraser has always made time to row in boats with me, and he and I have competed together regularly. Our results? Let’s call them… consistently average. Plenty of middle-of-the-pack finishes with no “wins” on the board together.
But this weekend, something unexpected happened.
We were part of two crews that crossed the line first.
Two gold medals. 🥇🥇
I was genuinely gobsmacked. This had never happened before. Massive thanks to Pete and the rest of the crews — and yes, maybe the old saying holds true: stick around long enough and eventually your competition retires… or dies. 😂
So you’d think that would be the highlight.
But it wasn’t and read on.
On the second day, there was a bit of reshuffling due to scratchings and last-minute changes. Our club had commitments to fill composite crews, so things got moved around, and I found myself rowing with someone new from another club.
Let’s call her R, She was a second-year rower in her 50s, had faced some health challenges, and was still building confidence in the sport. I figured we’d just head out for a relaxed paddle — no pressure, no expectations.
She was in the stroke seat and understandably nervous as we approached the start line. I tried to reassure her — nothing fancy, just the usual encouragement you’d give anyone.
Then we discovered our boat had been accidentally scratched.
Disqualified.
So instead of racing, we rowed outside the course — just a casual paddle, staying clear of buoys, enjoying the moment. No pressure. No expectations. And honestly? It was great.
We even had a slightly enthusiastic interpretation of where the finish line was, but we got there in the end. A good wee paddle. No complaints. To me, it was just another example of pitching in — helping get boats on the water, which is something I’ve always believed in.
(and it’s in the title of this piece “Row cause you love it”)
But after the regatta, I received this message from her coach:
“Please give Nicky special thanks for rowing, supporting, and her kindness to R. She really appreciated it. R needs a lot of confidence and support, as she feels she holds people back as a newbie amongst experienced crews. Having a stranger support her like Nicky did meant a lot.”
That message hit me hard, made me a bit teary.
Because what felt like a small, throwaway moment to me clearly meant something much bigger to someone else. And it’s a reminder: you never really know what’s going on in someone else’s world.
The gym I go to has a philosophy:
“Consistency is key. More than nothing. Progress, not perfection. Get fit, live life, be strong.”
That middle part — more than nothing, Progress, not perfection — really sticks with me.
And I hope R keeps rowing. If she’s still around for the South Islands in the Deep South in 2027, I’d happily jump in a boat with her again.
So what’s the takeaways here?
Firstly, somehow those two gold medals I’ve always coveted — finally sharing that win with my big brother, which I am incredibly proud of us for achieving — have taken a back seat to that race with R. It reminded me that being completely focused on the prize isn’t always what real life is about. The real win — the one that actually matters — is helping and supporting others to “progress, not perfection.” That, in itself, is still a very valid reason to row… so they love it too.
Secondly, rowing clubs — like many environments — tend to attract strong A-type personalities. Competitive, driven, focused. That’s great… but sometimes people need a reminder that giving a bit of time and energy to others matters too. Because while coming first is important, you still need participants like me — and rowers like R — to make those wins possible in the first place.
A small gesture can make a massive difference.
And in the long run, it lifts everyone.
So yeah — I’m still a mediocre rower.
But I show up.
And most importantly…
I row because I love it.
Hi, do you have post menopausal training plans? If so, how do they differ to others?
Thanks
I’m post menopause and I understand what you are asking about.
We do not have specifically different plans for women post-menopause. Let me explain why,
When you work with Faster Masters Rowing you start by doing three baseline fitness tests - these reveal where your personal strengths and weaknesses are (aerobic, lactic or peak power).
The testing reveals your training zones in terms of heart rate - train within the correct zone for you. Then re-test 6 weeks later to track progress and re-do the training zones.
Within the training program is a recommendation that you do a minimum of 3 sessions a week. All the other sessions are optional. We suggest you choose additional sessions to address your personal weakness. So if it’s peak power (common among us older women) that would be a strength session in the gym.
In addition, I personally do a daily heart rate variability test which tells me how well recovered I am from the training I did the days before. When I am not fully recovered it’s very obvious and I either cut down the training or skip training that day. This is how I adjust the programme to suit my post-menopause body.
I hope this answers your question.
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With proper training, most masters athletes can improve their 1K time by 10-20 seconds within 12 weeks, and 20-40+ seconds over 6-12 months. The exact improvement depends on your current training status, technique efficiency, and how much your previous training was misaligned with masters physiology.
Scenario: You're rowing 3-4x per week with no clear structure, moderate intensity most days, no strength training.
Realistic improvement in 12 weeks: 15-25 seconds
Realistic improvement in 6 months: 30-50 seconds
Why this much? You're likely leaving massive gains on the table through inefficient training, poor recovery, and muscle loss. Structured programming with proper periodisation and strength work can unlock fast improvement.
Scenario: You've been following a structured programme, training 4-5x per week with some intensity variation.
Realistic improvement in 12 weeks: 5-12 seconds
Realistic improvement in 6 months: 10-20 seconds
Why less? You're already capturing the "easy" gains. Further improvement comes from technical refinement, strategic periodisation, and optimising the details.
Scenario: You were competitive 5-10 years ago, took time off, now getting back into it.
Realistic improvement in 12 weeks: 20-35 seconds
Realistic improvement in 6 months: 40-60+ seconds
Why this much? You have muscle memory and technical foundation. Your body remembers how to row efficiently. With proper programming, you can regain significant fitness quickly,though not quite to previous peak levels.
Potential gain: 8-15 seconds on a 1K
Small technical improvements create massive speed gains because you're optimising power transfer, not just generating more power.
High-impact technical fixes:
Why this matters at 50: You can't out-power younger athletes, but you can out-technique them. Efficiency is your competitive advantage.
Potential gain: 5-10 seconds on a 1K
Your VO2 max is declining, but your lactate threshold remains highly trainable. Focusing on threshold work,sustained efforts at race pace minus 2-3 seconds,drives performance gains that matter for 1K racing.
Effective threshold sessions:
Frequency: 1x per week, year-round. This isn't pre-race work, it's continuous capacity building.
Potential gain: 5-12 seconds on a 1K
If you're not doing dedicated resistance training, you're losing 3-5% of muscle mass per decade. That's literally power leaking away. Two strength sessions per week can stop this loss and potentially rebuild lost muscle.
Focus areas:
Timeline: You'll see strength gains in 4-6 weeks, rowing performance gains in 8-12 weeks.
Potential gain: 5-10 seconds on a 1K
Many masters athletes are chronically overtrained. Simply recovering properly, 72+ hours between hard sessions, adequate sleep, proper nutrition,unlocks performance that was masked by fatigue.
Signs you're undertrained vs. overtrained:
Most competitive masters athletes who are "stuck" are overtrained, not undertrained.
Athlete: 52-year-old male, been rowing 3 years Starting 1K: 3:48 After 12 weeks: 3:35 (13 seconds faster) Primary changes: Fixed catch timing, improved sequencing, added 2x/week strength Quote: "I'm rowing at the same heart rate but 13 seconds faster. I wish I'd fixed my technique years ago".
Athlete: 48-year-old female, competitive background Starting 1K: 4:02 After 6 months: 3:42 (20 seconds faster) Primary changes: Reduced volume by 30%, added strategic intensity, prioritised recovery Quote: "I'm training less but racing faster. Turns out I was just tired all the time".
Athlete: 55-year-old male, rowing 10+ years Starting 1K: 3:52 After 6 months: 3:38 (14 seconds faster) Primary changes: Added 2x/week strength programme, maintained same rowing volume Quote: "The strength work made rowing feel easier. My power per stroke went up measurably".
1. You're training through injury Pain is your body saying "stop". Rowing hurt doesn't make you tougher, it makes you slower and eventually broken. Fix the injury first.
2. Recovery is inadequate No amount of perfect programming works if you're sleeping 5 hours, eating poorly, and doing high intensity 4x per week. Adaptation happens during recovery.
3. Technique is fundamentally broken You can't fitness your way past terrible mechanics. Major technical faults need correction before performance improves.
4. You're not consistent Training 3x one week, 6x the next, skipping weeks entirely,inconsistency prevents adaptation. Four consistent sessions per week beats six random ones.
Week 1-2: Adaptation to programme, may feel harder before easier Week 3-4: First technical improvements click, workouts feel smoother Week 5-8: Measurable power increases, steady state splits improving Week 9-12: Race-pace work feels more sustainable, 1K test shows improvement Month 4-6: Continued refinement, additional 5-10 second gains possible Month 6-12: Marginal gains phase, optimising details for final improvements
Our Masters Performance programme has helped 400+ masters athletes drop 15-30 seconds off their 1K times through:
Stop guessing. Start improving.
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What are the "ingredients" that make up a personal best performance? Whether it's on the rowing machine or on the water, there are elements which you can learn, combine and refine to deliver yoiur best possible perfgormance. And who can want more than that?
Before diving into the detail, understand that the ladder of learning is real you will not become an elite performer without first going through all the intermediate steps from where you are now. Learning each element and then being able to string them together in a pressurised racing situation takes practice. And everyone can learn how to do it.
Personal best times, PBs, PRs, whatever you call them happen when you can reduce the difference between the fastest and slowest quarter of your race. For a 1k this is the 500m split you achieve for each of the four 250 meter sections. This differential reduction applies regardless of the distance you are racing - 5k, 1k, whatever. Your goal is to have the smallest variation in performance over the whole race.
The core elements are:
After publishing my original Bucket List Head Races blog, a generous reader got in touch and shared a much more comprehensive list of Australian events. It quickly became obvious that Australia deserves its own bucket list, there’s a real mix of races on offer and some of these races are unique by world standards.
From classic river heads to marathon distances and even rowing through the outback, Australian head races combine travel, challenge, and a strong rowing community vibe. This list is aimed at anyone planning a rowing trip, looking for a new personal challenge, or simply keen to experience some of the best long-distance rowing Australia has to offer.
As always, this isn’t a fully checked or exhaustive list. Dates, distances, and formats can change, so please confirm details with the organisers before entering.
Head of the Yarra – Melbourne, VIC
Held on the Yarra River in Melbourne, this is the largest eights regatta in the Southern Hemisphere and regularly attracts crews from across Australia and New Zealand. For many rowers, this is the ultimate Australian bucket-list race.
Melbourne Head – Melbourne, VIC
Established in 2004, this event was created to be a major long-distance race on the Yarra and is often compared in ambition to the Head of the Charles. It continues to grow in profile each year.
Head of the Barwon – Geelong, VIC
A well-established singles time trial on the Barwon River in Geelong. A popular early-season hit-out that attracts scullers from across the state.
Distance: 4.5km
Head of the Mitchell – Mitchell River, Bairnsdale, VIC
Rowed on the scenic Mitchell River near the Gippsland coast, this event offers a choice of distances and a relaxed country regatta feel.
Distances: 3km and 5km
Usually held in October.
Foot of the Goulburn (River to Lake) – Nagambie, VIC
A point-to-point race starting on the upper Murray system and finishing on Lake Nagambie. A great mix of river skill and flatwater speed.
Distance: 5.2km
Typically held in October.
Melbourne Head of the Yarra (Schools Event) – VIC
Held one week prior to the main Head of the Yarra, this race is open to school-aged crews only and is a key fixture on the school rowing calendar.
Head of the River (AAGPS) – Sydney, NSW
A prestigious school rowing event that traditionally marks the end of the season for Great Public Schools in New South Wales. It is held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre and is a major fixture on the school rowing calendar.
Head of the Clarence – NSW
A river head race listed on the Rowing NSW calendar, typically held in December.
Nepean Head – Penrith, NSW
The Nepean Head is a series of head races on the Nepean River, popular with masters, club crews, and school-aged rowers.
Bill Beach Memorial Head – Lake Illawarra, NSW
Hosted by Shellharbour City Rowing Club, this long time trial is a favourite with endurance crews and masters rowers.
Distance: 10km
Usually held in September.
Head of the Shoalhaven – Shoalhaven River, NSW
A popular masters-focused event offering racing for eights, quads and fours on a fast-flowing river course.
Distance: 7km
Typically held in October.
Lower Clarence Time Trial – Grafton, NSW
A classic regional long-distance race hosted by Grafton Rowing Club on the Clarence River.
Usually held in September.
Head of the Manning / Wilkes Shield – NSW
One of the longer Australian head races, rowed on the Manning River and often used as a serious endurance test.
Distance: 16km
Usually held in late September.
Bentley’s Australian Outback Regatta – Thomson River, QLD
This is true bucket-list rowing. Held across two outback towns, crews race primarily in eights with sprint racing in Barcaldine followed by a long head race in Longreach. Equal parts rowing, travel and adventure.
Day 1: Short sprint races (Barcaldine)
Day 2: 6.5km head race (Longreach)
Usually held in early October.
Head of the Brisbane – Brisbane River, QLD
A long, winding course through the heart of Brisbane, offering challenging steering and varied conditions.
Distance: 9.5km
Typically held in October.
Head of the Tweed – Murwillumbah (NSW–QLD border)
One of the longest head races in Australia, this iconic event is rowed upstream on the Tweed River and is not for the faint-hearted.
Distance: 21km
Usually held in late June.
Round the Island Regatta (Alex Ramsay Regatta) – Delfin Island, Adelaide, SA
A distinctive long-distance race looping around Delfin Island, offering sheltered water and technical racing.
Distance: 7.3km
Typically held in November.
Head of the Huon – Franklin, TAS
Rowed on Australia’s southernmost rowing course, this event is known for its scenery, variable conditions and welcoming local clubs.
Distance: 8km
Usually held in October.
NERC Long Distance Races Regatta – Tamar River, Launceston, TAS
A two-day regatta with a strong endurance focus, culminating in eights racing on the Sunday.
Distance: 11km
Typically held in November.
Col Panton Memorial Marathon Regatta – Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra, ACT
A marathon-style rowing event with multiple boat classes, including mixed masters eights, held on Canberra’s iconic lake.
Distance: 7km
Traditionally held on the second Sunday of October.
Bridge to Bridge Mary River – Maryborough, QLD
A long-distance time trial on the Mary River, offering a true endurance challenge and a relaxed regional regatta atmosphere.
Distance: approximately 13–14km
Usually held in August.
RWA Perth to Fremantle Head Race – Swan River, WA
A classic long-distance head race rowed down the Swan River from Perth to Fremantle. This iconic event is a staple on the Western Australian rowing calendar and is known for its length, changing conditions, and strong club participation.
Distance: approximately 16km
Typically held: October or November
Australian head races offer something genuinely different - big rivers, long distances, strong club culture and the chance to turn a regatta into a proper trip away. If you know of other Australian head races that belong on this bucket list, I’d love to hear about them.
A rowing friend asked me if I had a list of all the head races in the world. I don't. There are a lot of head races - in the UK every club has a winter and a summer regatta and the winter ones are usually head races. She was looking for ideas of places where she could travel abroad to race.
So here's what I have gleaned from some web searching. Needless to say these are NOT all checked and information can go out of date fast.
Upcoming head races
Recent past head races
Major head races in the UK
Other notable events
Notable head races
Major head races
Key head races in Australia [And MORE head races in Australia.]
Key Head Races and Long-Distance Events
Specific head races in Germany
Major Rowing Head Races in the Netherlands
Major head races in Italy
Other notable rowing events in Italy
Notable Argentine Head Races
Warsaw Head International Rowing Regatta: a 4km race for eights on Vistula river in Warsaw. Usually takes place on the second or third weekend of June, between 30-60 crews from different countries participate. Both elite and master crews participate.
When racing, it's important everyone knows what a call means. Whether it's 'sit up' or 'push' or 'sting and float'- there are depths of meaning behind that call.
I remember Mike Spraklen coaching my crew and in a debrief he asked what the coxswain called. She said what it was. Then he went round the circle of athletes asking each of us what those words meant to us. Every one of us gave a slightly different answer. A clear demonstration that we hadn't agreed what the call meant and what we did when we heard it.
In the anecdote below by Drew Ginn he explains that you have to set up the crew/boat to be ready to do the call as well as actually doing it. This shows the level of depth and clarity needed for really successful execution.
Set up the call first - everyone must have a common understanding. Then decide how to use that call. What purpose does it serve in your race plan? To answer this I copy below the words used by Australian legend Drew Ginn. He explains the race plan and how important it was that they got the race "set up" in the first half.
[Taken from his Facebook page.]
In 2006 the race plan was consistent with previous years in pairs and fours. This race was a good example of focusing on our process and staying with boat speed. First 250m set up and solid 2nd 250m and by focusing on length and breathing we established our rhythm early and held boat speed well.
Below were the focuses and reminders I would make sitting in the bow seat.
Once into the 2nd and 3rd 500ms the calls were simple and focused on front end, then back end of the stroke. And each call was made with this type of process: prep call, make the call and feedback on the call. This would be a few strokes before and after each call which was times with each 250m or 45sec.
In any boat having clarity is critical and in pairs its obvious that any inefficiencies and differences in mindset and application has a massive impact. Not straight away but 2 to 3min later the pair just gets heavy and you find out around 800m or so you lose speed and this is why so often pairs who can stay with the speed of the boat and be efficient stand out.
Sequence, length and power leads to rhythm and staying calm under pressure means the boat runs. I always loved the sensation of the Catches call at 500m and thinking 'slide my hips off the front and staying super long in the arms'.
Hips speed, handle speed is about athleticism and I often found you could keep boat speed up but not feel like it was working, verses moving with it and staying with it.
Always loved sitting behind guys like Duncan Free, James Tomkins, Mike McKay, Josh Dunkley Smith as they we great at leading the drive and being connected in the first foot. Which meant in the bow it was about supporting them but being in and on at the catch, and then just hang for as long as possible to let them work. And this was the trick. Accelerating through them to add value while not making it heavy.
The magic of a pair of synchronicity with a little syncopation.
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