Looking for the right training recipe to boost your results this year? Race pace workouts are a key ingredient for boat speed. Your conditioning is going to improve through the season. In the early weeks develop a solid base of fitness and technique where you stick to lower intensity workouts until you feel your technique will tolerate nudging up the rates. For practical purposes, let’s define race effort as the best pace you can row while maintaining your technique, efficiency, and boat feel.
The key to rowing race simulation workouts is to focus on the race effort versus the pace (rate). Trying to push the rate too high too quickly at the beginning of the season can cause overtraining, fatigue, and be deadly to your technique efficiency. Plus, early in the season, it may be difficult to know exactly what your race pace will be for your peak regatta. So row according to how your body and boat feels. Keep it “comfortably hard” with good rhythm, bladework, and run. If your slide catches on fire and your stroke gets ragged you need to gather your technique back together and pay attention to moving the boat well before trying those higher rates again a few days later.
Begin by adding “speed play” sessions into your weekly programme. Speed play includes short bursts of 10 to 20 strokes at race intensity interspersed within a lower stroke rate row.
For example, row three 20-minute pieces at a base stroke rate of 18; every four to five minutes include an acceleration of 10 to 20 strokes at the best pace you can row while maintaining good technique.
Next, you can include a session with more structured high-rate strokes such as three 20-minute pieces with the first 10 minutes rowed at a base stroke rate of 20-22 and the second 10 minutes rowed alternating 10 strokes at race effort then 10 strokes at your base rate. Pay attention to keeping a sharp rhythm and bladework when you make the rate transitions.
The next stage is to include longer segments so build up to three 20-minute pieces that alternate four minutes at a base stroke rate 18 to 22 with one minute at your best rating. When you feel you are ready for longer intervals start to progress the length and rates of your race pace sessions. Your body will naturally adapt over time as will your rating and boat speed.
Tell us what ratings work best for your crew and share on our Facebook page.
Would you like to publish this article in your club newsletter or website?
Join our Masters Rowing Advocates mailing list and we will send you one article a month. Sign up on our Advocacy page.
You can copy the text on this page. Or download the PDF.
Marlene talks to Hans Brunner and Dean Smith about erg racing. Dean Smith's indoor rowing world record at 95 years old
00:00 Introduction
01:35 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing Erg Racing Webinar announcement
03:00 Welcome to Hans Brunner, 71, and Dean Smith, 95, training partners
03:25 Hans tells about his rowing background and about being part of the first generation of masters rowers
08:30 The formation of their current erg training group
09:30 The importance of motivation from the group and having accountability partners
13:13 Dean Smith introduces himself
14:25 Dean started rowing at 80 at the Rocky Mountain Rowing Club
16:05 Dean tells about his first on the water experience in the boat, racing, and international competition
20:15 How Dean started erg racing
21: 55 Preparation for his world record row at the Huntsman World Senior Games
24:50 Dean trains every day; likes high intensity work
27:40 Dean’s warm up and how he paced his race
31:40 Importance of discipline in your race
33:50 The toughest part of the race
35:26 The start
36:55 Getting ready for Crash-B’s next
37:25 Dean’s tips for longevity in training
40:50 Importance of individual goals
42:20 Dean say coaching is key
42:45 The importance of rest
44:10 Dean says he is still learning at 95
Dean's record
Huntsman World Senior Games
(Indoor rowing results)
Oct 4, 2021 To Oct 16, 2021, St George, Utah (USA)
Hosted By: Huntsman World Senior Games
Dean Smith: First place, setting a new world record by more than 30 seconds in the 95-99 year-old lightweight men 2000m event, which earned him the Overall Championship award. In addition, Dean won gold in the 5000m event, held the previous day.
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
n
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.
n
After the summer racing regattas end, it's time to rest, reflect and plan the long distance races you want to do.
This episode explains how to organise the 3-4 month training block to suit your peak event and the training you need to do.
02:30 This Past Week - we had an article published on Ludum
https://ludum.com/blog/athlete-health-fitness/managing-your-training-in-masters-rowing/
First take the calendar and find the events you'd like to do. Select your peak event first - the big one. Your first race should be something local to where you live / train. You can row twice in one day and it should be low key and easy to travel to logistically.
14:00 Choosing your first race. The night before the race you may be nervous or excited. Practice sessions may be race simulations but they don't create this tension. Get your checklists sorted.
16:00 Spacing between races. Get 2-3 weeks between each race. Try to pick ones which dob't involve a lot of travel. Some people like to race the weekend before the peak event to kick off their training taper.
19:30 You can choose to race not at the peak event intensity e.g. rate limit your last race before the peak event.
23:00 How peaking works. The goal is to be fully rested before you race.
Super compensation is the principle of accumulated tiredness from a training period or block. The Taper period is reducing the volume of training. Maintain the frequency of training. The duration of sessions decreases over time. Your muscles start to recovery and replace muscle glycogen.
27:00 To tolerate pain you must be rested.
n
For folks going to the Head of the Charles - we have created a stand-alone program which peaks for the October Head of the Charles regatta.
It's very similar to our 5k program, and is based on the race distance 4,702 meters.
This is INCLUDED in any of the monthly subscription programs. No extra charge, Select the 5k training program in our Individual or Crew training memberships and trust Faster Masters Rowing to get you fully prepared to race.
Each training plan is designed for masters who row 3 to 6 times per week. It includes "core" sessions which you mustn't miss and optional extra workouts.
The membership also includes land training, rowing and sculling technique, performance and aging well.
We have got you covered.
The monthly subscription programs are customized with training zones to suit you.
CONTENT From this show
- Time to think about head racing
- What to do when motivation comes and goes
Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.
Support this podcast
https://fastermastersrowing.com/register/podcast-supporter/
01:30 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing. Henley Masters Regatta July 9-10. The new Knowlton Rowing Club.
05:00 The Faster Masters Rowing Program for July. Squaring technique focus; Mid-race strategies.
Find out what's going on in your mind. What is important to you?
Jim Loehr - The Power of Full Engagement Book
https://amzn.to/2Tu585u
12:30 Physical / Emotional / Mental / Spiritual pyramid. Check the physical first for clues about what's wrong.
17:30 The best stress reliever is to just do something.
Physiology - think of your average speed - this is key to your best race.
Train to improve your base average speed. Train your base aerobic mitocondria.
It also helps to know the race course as well for steering.
At low rates you can also work on technique.
Race pace is an anaerobic threshold AT workout. Ride the line of best pace before you get lactate acid build up in your muscles.
Improve your VO2 max during the next 3 months training. The higher ceiling means you can move up your AT. That brings a better average race speed.
25:50 Don't wait till September to start training. Plan ahead
Shift your attention to average split and target metres to complete the session.
Choose the meters per second erg display - use charts to analyse the split you need to do the time you want in the head race you are going to race.
30:30 If you are racing 1k in August - stay on the 1k program. Then when you finish that event, take a few days off - 3 or 4 days - to decompress. Then move on to the 5k program.
Stick to the prescribed intensity in the program workouts.
n
Picking your crew lineups for regatta is a delicate task for Masters group organisers and coaches. There are so many potentially “touchy” topics.
Rather than present a vanilla approach, I thought it would give insight if I share the process I use for my club group. We are a mixed club of racing and non-racing members with some who train 1-3 times a week and others who do 5 times plus.
When I am planning a regatta squad I start by creating a spreadsheet with a list of every single event in the order in which they will be raced. The critical issue here is the turnaround times between events. We normally find you need at least 3 races for one athlete to get adequate time to return to the start after racing.
I then make a list of all of the athletes who have signed up to attend including their age, and their sweep and sculling preferences.
Part of our club’s modus operandi is that we encourage members to ask for their number one preferred crew lineup. In this way we allow people to set their own personal priorities. We have an understanding that after you have your #1 crew, you will join any crew for which you are selected without complaint.
Many people say they only want to do two or three races, and we also try to boat crews of people who train regularly together. We find that if there is a group who enjoy training together that makes it super easy for crew selection!
I find it most straightforward to put people into groups of 4 athletes. In this way you have the same people in the same crews at the same time and there are fewer boat sharing and lineup conflicts between races. So for example 4 people may do a quad and then they may split into two doubles and they may also do a coxless four.
My next job is to run through the list of events and to write draft names next to each event. I already have a list of the priority crews so I put these in first.
I then run down the list a second time adding in each crew’s average age based on the people in the lineup. This shows me which age class they are in and which are close to the age limit.
Then I refer back to the list of names and I write the event number that each person is rowing in next to their name.
This quickly shows me that some people have got five races and others only have one! And so I review the list again and move people between boats so that everybody has a similar number of races. Knowing the average age of each lineup helps me to see where I will have to change age category when I switch out an athlete.
My last job is then to allocate boats and oars against each of the events. We have several boats which can be rigged for both sweep and sculling and so this adds in the necessity of allowing time to re-rig in between races.
Then the fun starts! I send the draft spreadsheet to a small group of people who review my work and point out some of the errors, omissions and overlaps. There have been some hilarious ones in the past.
Based on this I do a further revision and then send it round to the athletes as a draft. That allows people to see some of our suggestions and to come back with any objections or changes which they want made.
Another version is done; in the meantime people start training in their crew combinations. The final lineups are given to our entries secretary who manfully does the hideous task of putting in the regatta entries. I’m so grateful I do not have to do this.
And of course, on the day there are sometimes drop-outs and crew swaps... but those are relatively easy to manage compared to the work already done.
Would you like to publish this article in your club newsletter or website?
Join our Masters Rowing Advocates mailing list and we will send you one article a month. Sign up on our Advocacy page.
You can copy the text on this page. Or download the PDF
Getting ready to race takes a lot of practice. Fortunately come head racing season there are a lot of different events where you can practice and improve. As masters we enjoy the challenge of long distance rowing races and accept that we need to plan our training and practice before expecting to be successful racing,
When reviewing your plan for the season, you will need a winter “peak” event. This is your top priority for your group, crew or yourself. Frequently this event is the Head of the Charles or the Eights Head of the River or the Head of the Yarra. The trouble is that two of those events fall early in the head racing season and that gives you limited opportunity to practice and refine your race plan in advance with practice events. Ideally you want to do a race distance 2 weeks before your main event as a practice. If there isn’t a formal race, plan a local informal one against other people in your club or invite a nearby club to race you in a private match.
Don’t worry, Faster Masters Rowing has you covered. In this article we will cover off the 3 key things you need to have practiced and how to compose them into a written race plan which will see you through any head race event.
All races are the same. All races are different.
You need a plan for each race. All plans go out of the window once the race starts. Yes we know that sounds contradictory.... let us explain.
Exceptionally scary statements. All true and all things you need to learn how to execute to a high level of skill.
Having a rowing coach will help you become an adaptable athlete who can race in ANY situation. Faster Masters Rowing is your coach.
So every race plan has these 4 core elements:
Yes it’s as simple as that. You need to be able to get the boat from stationary up to race pace; you need to have some way to improve your technique; some way to go faster, and a finishing sprint.
How you string these together is where your race experience comes in. The degree of sophistication of each depends on your skill, your personal preferences and whether you are a longstanding or new crew. Because some take more practice than others and you NEVER want to do something different in a race. No. NEVER. Because you’ll likely mess it up. So don’t risk your race result.
Let’s figure out some options for each of your 4 elements of your plan. For each of these, choose the version which you think works best for you. Practice them all (at least 3 times) before you select one. There are no wrong answers - your choice is about the one that WORKS. And your skill at executing now may be different next month or next year... so your choice is not fixed for ever. Be open to new things as an athlete. It helps build your flexibility and adaptability.
In the description of the finish above I explain the type of risk that you may need to take while doing a head race. You risk running out of energy and power before the finish line by sprinting early. If you don’t take risks, you’ll never do your best race. Your risks can be small and incremental - like choosing to rate a half point higher in the mid-race than you think you want to. Or adding in a push when you sense mental capacity is getting tired in the third quarter. I hope that you are pleasantly surprised by your performance.
But if your risk doesn’t work out, you need a strategy to get back on track and to last the distance. One way to do this is to practice making a strong rhythm at a rate one point below your target race rate. Can you move the boat well at that rate? If yes, then try taking the rate and power up again after re-establishing the rhythm.
Look at the map of your race course, divide it up by distance, time, landmarks or all three and then write out long hand down a page what race plan you intend doing. Here’s an example
Start
250 meters hit the race rate and rhythm
Push 10 into 500 meters
Technique 10 - catches
Push 10 into first corner
Push 10 out of the corner
Etc .. you get the idea. This framework allows the whole crew to understand the logic behind each move. Pushes and technique interspersed with the distance / time / landmarks.
Plan variations during the race can happen based on what is actually happening around you. This is where your cox or caller needs to be trusted to judge a situation and select the response which will best advantage your crew. If there’s a crew up ahead which you can overtake, don’t wait for the corner to make your push, go for them early - tell the crew the distance from the crew in front (4 lengths, 2 lengths, overlap) and use that focus to maintain higher average speed. When overtaking, never stop pushing after you are past them, you MUST move away from that crew to prevent them sensing they could attack back and overtake you. If being overtaken, use your pushes to stay in front of them. If you are steering, leave moving out of their way until the last possible moment and then move gradually so you don’t upset the rhythm in your boat. Cut back in behind them at the earliest possible moment. And when you can see the crew behind, focus on your boat rhythm - too often crew members look at the other boat and end up rowing in their rhythm - which makes your boat slow down.
And so you now have all the techniques you need to build a robust race plan, you know how to adjust it based on different head race events of differing distance and also what to do when racing to adjust your plan to take advantage of situations. Now all you need to do is to practice those moves, agree your calls and enter a race.
If you buy a subscription training programme from Faster Masters Rowing there is a bonus welcome gift included. In the Performance module article Preparing your head race plan.
Would you like to publish this article in your club newsletter or website?
Join our Masters Rowing Advocates mailing list and we will send you one article a month. Sign up on our Advocacy page.
You can copy the text on this page. Or download the PDF
Join our community and get our exclusive Faster Masters Rowing Magazine, packed with tips, techniques, and inspiring stories. Includes four new articles monthly.
