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Hello again Reader
November is the switch-over month – the big head races are over or happening this month, and some masters rowers aren’t going to be racing until next year.
Time to focus on technique.
Investing in a back-to-basics technical focus will pay dividends in three months time. Take a look at your rowing style, form and skill handling the blades. Best way to do this is by having a video taken of yourself doing 3-5 strokes, side view. Then compare how you row with a model of good rowing. This is a slow motion video I use as a model when coaching – this fella’s good!
Slow down your video and compare your body sequence, your oar height and how your head moves through the stroke.
You will see areas where your stroke is not aligned with this model. And those are what to focus on improving.
Masters rowers may have to make compromises, and we aren’t always strong, but we can certainly strive to row with good technique.
Winter training in your club
Is your club one of those who hire a coach through the summer and then let them go once your river freezes and you go off the water?
Masters clubs use the Faster Masters Rowing club training program to keep members fit and engaged through the winter months. Included in the program are workouts, strength and conditioning, technique, peak performance tips, aging well advice and a bonus. The Club Program includes a monthly zoom call which can be video review, Q&A – you choose what you need.
Hit reply if you’d like to chat over the options, get a behind-the-scenes look at the program and enable your leadership to take a detailed look.
This week, see if you can improve your shoulder flexibility.
Rebecca
This week’s podcast
It takes a long time to become an all-round rower. What could the athlete pathway be for a masters rower over 20+ years? How can we structure our clubs to enable looping in and out? Click the image to watch.
When you learn just one useful thing from our podcast, become a supporter from $1 per month. This helps cover overheads and enables us to continue our work to improve masters rowing around the world.
What to wear for winter racing
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 in the past rowing in Wanaka, New Zealand (early morning 2 degrees, high of 15 degrees centigrade with a wind chill).
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.
Winter Rowing Kit Rules
Rowing clothing – the layering principle
Have many layers and take them off to suit your needs on that day. Our check list for winter rowing:
I’m continually shocked -don’t know why- at the number of regatta volunteers working the dock for recovery that have no idea to keep the oars low and level with the gunwale. It never fails that said volunteers want to help you dock by grabbing the oar and LIFTING the blade up to them with the end result being a near disaster by dumping the entire boat in the river/lake. It’s especially bad in the 1x. Even after yelling “keep it low, keep it low” you see them repeat it over and over with each boat that docks. Anybody else? Just me??
Are Faster Masters Rowing programmes right for you, Reader? Customers have strong views and we got this testimonial from Belfast Rowing Club, Ireland who raced (and won) at the World Rowing Masters Regatta in September.
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