Having a race plan which is customised to your skill and preferences is a thing of beauty. You know it WORKS for you and you can continually refine it.
Coach Sam Dutney leads the Erg Intensive training and has given this outline on how to build your plan.
For erg racing, Sam recommends aiming for an even split for each quarter of the race. This is because the relationship between watts (power) and split is not linear. It takes more energy to bring your split down one second per 500 the lower your splits. Therefore to keep your energy expenditure as constant as possible, even splits is the best strategy.
The purpose of a race plan is to set markers through the race, to help you plan strategies for each part of the race and to give you focus points to achieve this.
Breaking your race plan into "chunks" helps - it's easier to focus on a short term horizon. At a minimum four quarters is an easy breakdown. In a 1k race this is each 250 meters is one quarter. You need to have a goal for each quarter. If you prefer, you can do 8 or 10 chunks for smaller increments.
1st quarter - get yourself onto your target split as quickly as possible AFTER the first 10 strokes. Use these ten strokes to work your anaerobic reserves of energy - but they get depleted fast and so after 10 strokes, get onto your target. Focus on length and good body sequencing.
2nd quarter - Consolidate is your focus. The first challenge point in your race comes around 110 - 140 seconds after the start. This is where your energy system switches from anaerobic lactic to aerobic. It will hurt. But after you are past this point, nothing will hurt more than this in the rest of the race. You need to know how many strokes you take to cover 100 meters. Then this allows you to chunk into 100 meter sections. You may take 12 or 15 strokes to do 100 meters. Ensure your focus points DO get you through 100 meters each time so you can cover the distance.
3rd quarter - This is the 'gold medal' quarter. As you come into the third quarter at half way in the race you can make an assessment. How am I doing and can I sustain this pace? If you want, you can accelerate slightly to go faster - as long as you know you can continue at this new faster pace. In this quarter use most of your technical focus points. It may help to distract you from the pain with a focus on technique rather than a focus on effort / intensity.
4th quarter - If you are feeling good, can you accelerate as you come into this last part of the race? Maybe drop the split one point. Do this as a gradual step up in intensity, not a sudden shift. Don't start to sprint until 300 meters to go.
When deciding how much faster you want to go, here are some guidelines.
Changing your 500 meter split by 1 second (e.g. from 02:00 to 01:59) at 500 meters remaining in the race will make your tie 1 second faster at the finish. If you do the same change at 1000 meters remaining, you will drop your finish time by 2-3 seconds. And if you are in the last 200 meters of the race and you drop the split by 5 seconds you will still only take 1 second off your finishing time.
Practice one technical focus at a time. Do these in your tempo pieces during training. This will teach you how to do a range of focuses and you can use the to make improvements during your race. Think of these as being a "bag of tricks" and you need to choose the right trick for each situation.
Sam recommends your technique focus points work around the stroke cycle circle. So you need one for the catch/front end (e.g. engage the lats at the catch); follow this with one for the mid-drive (body swing hard), one for the finish (pull the handle up) and one on the recovery (keep your legs straight as you rock over). The benefit of this is that each technical point naturally leads to the next one in the stroke cycle.
When doing practice races, set your target split on the conservative side. The reason for this is that at the end you will know if you have more energy to give in future. But if you fail to hold the split in your practice trial race, you will find it hard to diagnose why you failed to hold your target split.
Remember, racing is 90% mental.
Meet Chair of the Indoor Rowing Commission, Filip Ljubicic and hear about the future of indoor rowing including an exciting announcement about the e-sports Olympics in 2025.
01:00 The global World Rowing strategy for indoor rowing - rules, events, innovations, collaborations with erg manufacturers, digital apps and new tools. Indoor rowing is important - around 20-25 million people use a rowing machine at least once a year. A pathway or goal is part of the strategy for all participants. 2018 was the first Indoor Rowing World Championships.
03:30 The goal is to do both physical in person events and virtual events. Being able to compete is an opportunity for those who cannot travel. A new format for 2025. All the age categories are offered in addition there will be a World Champion for Indoor Rowing for the first time.
More detail about 2025 World Indoor Rowing Championships.
It starts with open heats where everyone submits a time. Top 150 in each continent plus top 10 age category races progress to local timezone races the next weekend. Expect more tactical racing and a different mindset and challenge. First score submit date is 20th January 2025. There are endurance and sprint relays being offered including an age group 40-44 and 45-49 age group relay championship event.
08:30 Are drag factors recommended? No you choose your own. Finals day the top 50 will race live at once. The top 20 go through to the Grand Final giving the World Champion top 3 placings as well as age group champions if you get through to the last races. From this global standings will be produced for everyone.
Looking at sport as entertainment. We are competing for the audience's leisure time and how to make the sport interesting. Other sports like athletics have different distances, formats that suit different types of athlete. We are enabling this for indoor rowing. The Versa Challenge - 5 events over 2 days with points (like heptathlon). A 20 minute race, the person with fewest meters every 2 minutes gets cut - enabled tactical racing and new uncertainties as it was unpredictable.
In 2025 there will be a virtual series through the year including standalone monthly challenges. Also World Rowing has submitted it to be part of the Olympic E-Sports - Virtual environments and physical activity category. World Rowing is waiting to hear next steps. The plan is to grow the ecosystem around indoor rowing. Saudi Arabia is the host country for 2025.
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The Head of the Charles and all head races demand a good performance. How to find the ideal stroke rate for your crew.
Resource: The Ultimate Head Racing Guide for Masters [free download]
3 Value bombs
00:30 Do you have a question in your mind about whether you've got the correct stroke rate for race day?
A story about a crew and an experienced coxswain - they had 2 races in one day. In the first race he drove them hard, with pushes, focus points and technique improvements. Before the second race the crew told the cox that they felt uncomfortable and hadn't enjoyed the race. They wanted to have a stroke rate that they called "long and strong". The cox disagreed with them, but he did what they wanted. What happened? In the second race, the crew was 20 seconds slower than in the first race.
They felt comfortable in the second race, they felt confident and that they had everything under control. In the first race the cox pushed them close to their limits. It did not feel nice, they felt close to their limits, they felt awkward, out of breath, not fully in control and yet the boat went faster.
You will be doing workouts at different stroke rates from 18 up to race pace. Your trial test races will also be planned into your program. This is where you try different things. Training pieces are often at specified rates - get a boat speed measurement in 500m splits or meters per second (m/s). Download your workouts and put them into an analysis program like www.rowsandall.com [free] Find out how fast your boat went at different stroke rates. This is your base level of data. What was your average split in the piece. Where did you go slower or faster? Note wind and waves that upset your base speed.
Look at how the speed changes when the rate varies. Learn the inter-relationship between these two things. Our program for October 2024 includes ladders with changing rates. These show your boat speed at each rating. Rating is the only variable in the ladders. Use the data aggregated over a few weeks to review with your crew where the boat felt good and went fast.
See all our programs and webinars.
Learn how the boat speed and rating combine to learn which ratings are best for your crew. Remember they may be odd numbers (not even number ratings). Then test out the best rates in trial pieces and test events. Can you deliver the same boat speed under pressure of race conditions? Use what you learn to adjust your race plan.
07:30 Learn and revise
The key learning is to test your upper limit. As you train at higher stroke rates you get better at rowing at higher stroke rates, you get fitter too and more used to sustaining those rates. So your upper rate limit is changing over time. Take account of this - being good at 28 this weekend doesn't mean that next weekend you will still be good at 28, it may have lifted to 29 or 30 strokes per minute.
08:30 Three things you can do to push your upper limit stroke rate
Practice these three in every single workout you do. Then bring this to your training pieces as you work out your ideal stroke rate for the race. This gives you "tricks" to pull out of the bag or levers you can pull in the race to improve your performance.
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What to take, make a list:- kit, tools, food, comfort, medical.
Resource: Erg Racing Checklist
There is a lot going on and so it's easy to forget things. There are many distractions around you and some may affect your race outcome.
01:50 Write it down on a master checklist
Start with packing the night before you leave.
Buy Waterproof socks https://fastermastersrowing.com/merch/
It's easy to get distracted when others ask you for help and then you miss your own crew race preparation timeline. I set alarms on my phone - an hour before my race time with the name of the alarm e.g. quad race.
If someone asks to borrow your tools and you lend them they can get mislaid even if you name your tools. Ask the borrower to give you their phone or sunglasses while they borrow the tool - and they are more likely to return it.
The joy of elite rowing is tough racing, close margins and interesting racing plans. For masters, there are lessons we can take into our own practice.
We welcome guest Grant Craies who writes the programmes for Faster Masters Rowing subscribers.
Do the basics well Watching crews from different countries who may row differently stylistically. Despite this they all row the basics extremely well such as blade parallels are accurate, height off the water is the same, they square up at the same time. They are very consistent with these at low ratings as well as when racing. They always look unhurried with their movements. To achieve this you have to be accurate with movements which creates time in the rowing stroke. These athletes have extreme physical capacities compared to us. But we can bring diligence and practice to doing the basics.
Making the boat go faster with a "move" especially in the last 10% of the race affected the outcome. The positions the crews were in at 1500m weren't the same as at the finish line. Fitness is a component of this they would have practiced making pace changes in training. The crews must know how to effect the change and what the call is to do it.
Within the Faster Masters Rowing training programs is a change of pace during a workout to help train us as masters to be able to do this.
The Romanian womens 2x were doubling up into the 8+. They tend to race from the front. In their semi-final they didn't do this - racing in the pack. After 1500m they sprinted hard to win the semi final using the change of pace in the final stages. In the final they tried to do the same thing and couldn't overtake the New Zealand W2x who won the event. Their opposition would try to counter the change of pace because they had seen it happen before. They created a buffer between the NZ boat and the Romanian boat.
It takes around 2-3 strokes before you get a real response from your boat speed. If you can get 5 strokes on another crew before they realise you have changed your pace it may gain you a bit. The opponents have to both match your change of pace and make up the distance you already gained - going significantly faster than you to win the race. It is easier to be in front than to play catch up. You take a risk by sprinting early.
The mens pair race - the British crew were leading by a few feet over the Croatian pair. They countered the push the Croatian Sinkovic brothers did. Coming up to the line the British crew caught water and this slowed their boat. There were only 2-3 strokes left in the race and that was enough for the Sinkovic to win. You have always got to keep going until you cross the line.
20:00 Van Dorp versus Zeidler The change of pace in the mens 1x came from the unaffiliated Belorussian who overtook the Dutch Van Dorp. This race got delayed to after the eights because a bus from the Olympic Athletes Village had broken down and the Belorussian was on the bus.
22:00 Have a contingency plan Things happen. The starting boot failed in one lane and forced lane changes. Know what you are going to do if something happens. This affected the timing of everyone's warm up and pre-race plans. Adjusting your plans to suit the new situation and then execute your race well. Can you filter out the things which are unexpected and re-focus on the new reality.
25:00 Know what is within your control and what is outside your control. Mental training and practice can help you learn not to react negatively when things change. Stay in the zone and produce a great athletic performance. We saw people doing catch drills, legs only rowing, finish drills in their practices after racing was over. All the crews were very careful on the recovery - they were doing nothing to disturb the boat while rolling up the slide.
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https://soundcloud.com/rowingchat/lessons-from-paris-olympics
London RC won the British Masters Championships Victor Ludorum prize in 2024. We talk to coach and captain James Sexton-Barrow about their approach to training, racing and organising their masters squad.
01:00 The plan to win the trophy began with a tracking spreadsheet.
02:30 The common goal for masters at London Rowing Club - it's a very big club membership with 100-120 rowers. The vision to win the trophy started after the 2023 event. The rowing sub-committee set the goal in January.
05:00 There are many sub-groups within the masters membership with their own objectives. A kick-off meeting brought everyone together. The club's founding was about winning at Henley Royal Regatta. We can all do this and get our photo on the wall next year.
We have a limit to number of boats and trailer space - the logistical challenge was addressed early. Also members expectations were managed as all fours had to also be quads to save trailer space. [The regatta does sweep one day and sculling the next.]
Shared goals meant members had to do well in lots of events across a broad base of individuals. Time was allocated to crew boats and balanced against individual goals for the collective goal.
11:00 The members age from masters A but the youngest category race offered in BMRC is B. Crews had to be averaged out to accommodate younger members. Ages from 28 to early 70s took part.
Everyone was happy to mix-and-match. Most people did 3 races over the weekend.
Most crews were in championship age group racing, a few did intermediate category events.
Henley Masters Regatta and next year the Banyoles World Rowing Masters Championships is a future focus. We would like to retain the trophy in 2025 too.
The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of achievement in rowing. Once every four years we watch the world's best crews and we see spectacular performances.
Masters may think that because this is elite sport there's no relevance for us - I disagree.
I was privileged to watch every day of the Paris Olympic Regatta and here are some observations about the regatta which I believe masters can apply to our own rowing.
Changing pace is a really useful skill for masters to have. Incorporated into the Faster Masters rowing training programs is interval work. This is one way to train yourself and your crew to acquire the skills to be able to change pace. An example is below - taken from our 5k program. By increasing the rate for a short period from stroke rate 20 to race pace (which may be 26 - 32 strokes per minute depending on a master's age and what boat they are in) enables you to work on ways to dramatically change the boat speed within a few strokes.
Download two sample training programs to see for yourself.
Ever since the 2007 movie, we've started bucket lists for everything. Now it's time for you to plan your rowing event bucket list.
Resource: Download a masters rowing program sample free.
3 Value Bombs
00:30 Things we are going to do in rowing before "kicking the bucket". The Faster Masters Rowing self-guided training plan to help get you fit, faster and the confidence you're doing the right thing in your training. How to train as we age - masters rowers are not the same as youth rowers. If you train three times a week minimum, this program may suit you. Get a free trial download masters rowing program.
03:30 If you already have a program and want to read the articles we write on topics of interest to masters rowers, buy the monthly Masters Rowing Magazine.
Bucket list rowing is about doing things that are special and have value to you. Andrew Turner suggested this episode. Row on famous waters - places which are renowned in the sport of rowing. Row on Olympic courses - Sydney, Munich, Paris, London. The Assault on Lake Casitas by Brad Alan Lewis tells one story of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
The well known Henley Royal Regatta and Head of the Charles are well-known. These can be hard to get entries in because HRR does not have masters events.
Row on the same course in different events like Henley Masters Regatta - a 1k event in July. The London Veteran Eights Head of the River Race is on the Boat Race course and run in March each year. Australia's Head of the Yarra is the premier event in the Southern Hemisphere in Melbourne each November. The Amsterdam Heineken Regatta is uniquely over several different race distances.
Touring Rowing races include the Tour de Lac Leman (around Lake Geneva) and is over 100km long. Also consider the Canal du Midi in France touring event.
What about getting a session with a famous rowing coach? Some join camps which you can join. Best Rowing Books
Troy Howell, Volker Nolte, Marlene Royle, Jim Dietz, Al Morrow - all well known coaches who work with masters.
13:00 What bucket list trip would you enjoy? Ireland with the Tribesman Head and a driving holiday afterwards. Meet rowers from a famous club in your own country - Capital Rowing Center in Washington DC.
More Bucket List Events
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A reader asked me how I manage to stay warm when racing, especially if it's raining.
Out of interest, how do you cope and what do you wear as in gloves, socks, thermals etc for racing in cold temperatures regattas, like in Tassie, expected 1-3 ℃?
Louise, NSW Australia
Here’s what I did this past weekend rowing in Wanaka, New Zealand (early morning 2 degrees, high of 15 with a wind chill too).
I layer up, big time. I pack 3 changes of clothing per day of the regatta.
We were wading out into the water to wet-launch our boats into the lake. I am bare foot, have my warmest leggings on; socks in my waist band. Get in the boat and put the waterproof socks on first (before fixing up so my feet start to warm through).
I wore four layers on my torso - silk undershirt, t-shirt, thermal long sleeve and a waterproof jacket. I had a neck warmer (half fleece, half cotton) and a beanie hat too.
For my hands, I have shooting mitts which are sheepskin but leave my palms open to the oar handles. Those are fine most of the time…. pogies don’t keep my hands warm, I’m afraid. And if I get wet I always change my clothing so I stay dry on land, even if it means putting wet clothes on to go out to race.
Have many layers and take them off to suit your needs on that day. Our check list for winter rowing:
There’s a balance between clothing that is too tight and too loose which a rowing-designed garment should get about right. Too tight and it restricts your movement. Too loose and it flaps around or gets caught in the slides.
Your first layer should be all about keeping dry and not allowing the sweat to linger on your skin. You want it to evaporate as quickly as possible in an action referred to as ‘wicking’. The layer should be thin and snug. Don't wear cotton in winter because it doesn't wick and you get very cold wearing wet cotton clothing.
The second layer is about insulation – keeping your body warm while still allowing sweat to evaporate. A great fabric choice is lightweight fleece or wicking wool.
A sleeveless vest or gilet is a good option, especially if you are wearing a long-sleeved wicking shirt underneath. You can also opt for a full-sleeved top in fleece. Lightweight and medium weight fleeces are good options for rowers.
When choosing your insulation layer, you should opt for clothing that has a partial or full zip. The zipper allows you to open up the vest or the top slightly if you find yourself overheating and allows air flow.
Your final layers should focus on being as lightweight as possible and also be waterproof and windproof. If you choose the first two layers correctly, you may not need the third layer at all times. The idea is to only wear the third layer if the weather requires it – heavy winds, extreme cold, or rain.
While these tips will keep your core body warm and protected from the elements, winter also forces you to think about your head, feet and fingers. Cold weather means blood is mainly flowing to your torso in order to protect your internal organs. This leaves your toes, fingers, and head vulnerable to the colder air.
Select garments from the same insulating fabrics you used in your second layer. Although you can’t always change shoe size, check the thickness of your thermal socks with your rowing shoes to ensure the material doesn’t make them too tight. When choosing gloves, opt for something that provides proper grip to ensure you don’t get blisters. While gloves, good socks and a hat are generally enough, you might want to add a hood or neck scarf tube to cover your neck and prevent draughts.
In competitive rowing, where the margin between victory and defeat is often razor-thin, athletes relentlessly can gain an edge by training their mind. Most rowing coaches emphasise physical conditioning and technical finesse, neglecting the significance of mental preparation. One potent tool at rowers' disposal is visualisation—a practice that involves mentally rehearsing race scenarios and techniques to enhance performance.
To harness the full potential of visualization, rowers can follow a systematic approach.
Begin by finding a serene environment conducive to relaxation. Sit or lie down comfortably, ensuring minimal distractions. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing, allowing yourself to enter a state of deep relaxation.
With a calm mind, vividly visualise yourself in the setting of a rowing race. Picture the boat beneath you, the rhythmic sound of oars slicing through water, and the camaraderie of your teammates. Engage all your senses to create a lifelike experience—feel the surge and sway of the boat, hear the commands of the coxswain, and smell the scent of the water.
Learn how to do a guided visualisation from expert coach, Jack Burns in this paid webinar. Jack is an expert in using your mind to support your physical training.
Now, proceed to mentally rehearse each phase of the race, starting from the pre-race preparations as you rig your boat on the land and collect your race number. Visualise your body warming up as you approach the starting line marshalling area. Imagine the surge of adrenaline coursing through your veins as you back into the starting gates. Control your breath to calm yourself as you come forward ready to do your start. As the race commences visualise yourself executing the perfect stroke from the catch to the release when you settle onto the mid-race rate.
Pay meticulous attention to detail as you visualise your technique. Envision your body position, the angle of the oar blade, and the power generated with each stroke. Visualise the boat surging powerfully through the water, propelled by the synchronised efforts of your crew and add in the pushes and technical focus points which best help you.
As the race progresses, encounter and overcome potential obstacles in your mind. Visualise adverse conditions such as wind gusts or competing crews edging ahead, and envision yourself responding with resilience and determination. Maintain focus on your goals, visualising success with unwavering clarity.
Throughout this process, affirm positive thoughts and emotions. Visualise yourself crossing the finish line triumphantly, basking in the glory of victory. Embrace the sense of accomplishment and fulfilment that your peak performance deserves.
Consistency is key in mastering visualisation techniques. Incorporate visualisation into your training regularly, dedicating time to mental rehearsal. Over time, you will refine your ability to visualise with greater clarity and precision, enhancing its effectiveness as a performance-enhancing tool.
Coaches and coxswains play an instrumental role in guiding athletes through visualisation exercises. Provide structured guidance and feedback to athletes, helping them refine their visualisation skills and integrate them seamlessly into their training routine.
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