Meet Margot Zalkind as she shares her views on how many Head of the Charles Medals are enough to satisfy your competitive instincts.
Timestamps
00:45 Welcome Margot Zalkind a competitive masters rower and US Rowing administrator This question started with a team mate who's a psychologist who asked "We stress out and work hard - how many times is enough to win at the Head of the Charles Regatta?" This first time was our easiest row in the event as there were only 5 crews, now there are 87 crews!
04:00 For Judy Greer of Concept2 it was often sweeter if she won in the single scull because it was only her effort compared with the team effort of a crew boat. Does winning translate to your confidence off the water? Compare with another crew who enjoy the experience more than winning - we passed someone and we didn't flip - it was a fabulous race.
Rubini Jewellers will make your Charles medal into a belt.
When I show my credibility it's important to show your medals. But a colleague who wore her medals around the boathouse was seen as bragging. Could I race the Charles in a non-competitive crew?
Coaches look for "the pull gene" for winning crews. Often it's from people who are ferocious and competitive who think they aren't quite good enough - it's more than erg scores and seat racing. The Charles has a special niche - you have pride in it. It's a rowing destination for your bucket list. Does this translate to your life - do you feel more confident having won a gold medal? Hook people on rowing, not the podium. You have to enjoy the process of learning (and improving) your rowing.
Does it matter? Could I come in last and still feel I had a good race? And what if you're the only crew in the event? This often happens when you're older. Handicaps help adjust for times. It's not as sweet if there's nobody next to me who's my age. I don't rule out racing again - but you have to decide for yourself.
When you get to race with people who are less good than yourself. What are the motivations here? Giving back to the sport when you enable someone else to achieve their rowing goals. Can you both enjoy the competitive race and also the team vibe of helping someone else achieve their goals?
A friend who raced in a "rolodex" crew for a couple of years - they won races but missed the community feeling and went back to racing with their club. Giving to the universe. Women are more inclined to do this than men - what is the psychology?
A regatta asked people to recycle their medals a year later - by switching the ribbon it was repurposed. Some folks did this. Masters rowing is a broad church of people with different motivations - we accept anyone, we try not to be judgemental about people who do not race.
As we age, one year can be very different from the prior year for injury or health reasons or life commitments. So your decisions are different from year to year. This has to be our motivation - ask others how they see things and how they make choices (and are allowed to change your mind).
They are type A and ferocious strivers. Mark de Rond did a study about rowers - it's a balance of individualism and team motivations. These situations can be advantageous for business as they are complementary as well as competitive.
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Turn by turn video guide to steering the Head of the Charles by Jim Dietz
Head Racing for Masters - FREE ebook download
Handling varying levels of dedication to the sport in masters clubs. How do you give the both the person who wants to practice once a week and the person who trains daily a meaningful race situation?
01:00 This is normal for masters rowing. Training and practice commitment isn't an issue usually until it comes to racing. When going to a regatta you want to be in a crew where where you're the 'worst' in the crew. Competitive people want the best possible crew.
In most youth rowing clubs the coaches do selection - this takes the emotion out of the lineups. Types of race - in your calendar there are local events and bigger events like the masters national championships. Each year you will have 2 or 3 peaks which help you manage your training load. Typically most masters will do 3 + races in a single day.
In local regattas your racing priorities may be different. The more experienced people can race both with less experienced (mixed ability crews) as well as their own regular training group. To get the racing priorities accurate, the single scull is the best measure. The outcome is up to you alone.
Regatta organisers can enable a pathway into racing for masters - novice - new masters - age group. Differentiate based on rowing experience, not age for the first 5 years of racing.
Aligning can be challenging. Fitness matters a lot in racing; bladework skills are also important. Enabling compromise as part of your lineup selection can help give a meaningful experience. The fitter athletes find compromise less palatable rowing when with less experienced people.
There is satisfaction to be had from a mixed ability crew. Skill judging stroke rate and technical calls through the race is a worthwhile endeavour. "That was harder than childbirth". Achieving the best possible outcome for this crew.
Can you mentally set yourself up to see satisfaction from both types of races with experienced people and less experienced people?
Folks who always train together means there is no way in for a newcomer. Club priorities can enable coaches to make selections and validate their choices with the Captain (who's independent). A goal could be to enable your groups (elite, intermediate, new masters, novices) to all have at least one event in which they stand a chance of being competitive. I've found this is a method which helps to bring on less experienced people so that in future years they advance faster than if you just leave them to race in their skill group.
17:00 The art of compromise is discussion without emotion. Rebecca invites people to choose a priority crew which she tries to guarantee that race. Everything else is secondary. This means some events are "sub-optimal. The competitive spirit drives racers to selfish outcomes. This is an attribute of successful racers. It can be hard for athletes to accept their perception of being put in sub-optimal crew lineups. Independent lineup confirmation and discussion of compromises helps to frame these decisions. Balance our priority against the opportunity of this one regatta.
The club is the entity which should set the goals (3-5 years) and how this impacts regatta entry choices. Tell us how your club manages their crews for regattas.
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Is biggest fear you have doing a rowing race for the first time? How to prepare, what to expect and the aftermath.
First races and how you can help your crew mates facing their first race. As adults it's unusual to get into a situation we've never seen before. Children are different.
Kim Mulvey wrote to us saying "I'm not ready to race."
The first race fear is mostly about the unknown. You feel out of control and it triggers the flight-or-fight response. Practice in training The way to overcome this is to get familiar with the situations you'll encounter in a race.
One way to do this is to practice in training.
03:15 Practice the racing distance find a simulation as close as possible - how long is it and how intense will it be? Practice being alongside another crew as you race.
Discuss the race plan within your crew - how to approach the stages of the race. Coxing your first race podcast episode will also help you understand what to expect.
Have a checklist for the race day and the night before. Rowing Regatta Checklist article explains the different elements of the list.
The things which help you feel most ready for racing are practicing ahead of time and actually doing a race. Once you've done one race you know what to expect next time.
Stories of first races are fantastic. How the unexpected came about and what they did after it happened. Learn by hearing from your crew mates.
Read Rowing against the Current – Barry Strauss What you experience is unique to you, but you'll have a lot in common with everyone else's first race.
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You're preparing to race and are concerned you aren't rating high enough. Why rating matters.
Three drills you can do to get the rate up. What prevents you getting the rate up?
Resource: Practicing Racing Starts
3 Value Bombs
01:15 First you must know what your ideal race rate goal is for the main body of your race. Your training programme should have increasing race rates to help guide you closer to your race rate goal.
Can you get your oars in and out in perfect time with your crew mates? Increase the quality of precise practice. Have a clearly defined sequence of the rowing stroke cycle. Do these movements slowly and then test under pressure (rate, firm pressure).
Can you practice rating higher than your race pace rate?
20:00 What should your rate be in the race? Challenge your preconceptions about race rate by practicing drills regularly. Get familiar with the feeling of getting the boat up to higher rates.
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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 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.
Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.
06:00 This Past Week - things we do to advocate for and advance masters rowing around the world. Alan Oldham interviewed Rebecca for Rowing News - the article is titled Covid Connections
https://www.rowingnews.com/2021/03/17/covid-connections/
Marlene's Rowing News article is about a drill called the Stationery Stability Drill. When you can complete this and not touch the water you will be able to row oars off the water in any conditions.
Wellington Rowing Club is advertising for an independent board director - how many clubs use independents on their board?
Does your club offer social rowing memberships?
The Dutch mens eight use motors on their boat https://nos.nl/l/2372717
12:00 Our next webinar Functional Movement Assessment for Rowers. Learn 10 assessments and how to overcome the limitations. Tuesday 30th March 5 pm EST. Sign up for a free ticket
https://bit.ly/FunctionalMovementRowing
We are appearing on Tara Morgan's Steady State Network's Rowing Podcaster's Roundtable.
https://www.steadystatenetwork.com/rowing-podcast-roundtable
20:00 Your 2k race. Write down what you did to prepare and the race plan - what actually happened? Use this to improve your race for next time and to repeat what went well for you.
Give yourself credit for what went well.
24:40 The 3rd quarter of the race. What should you do?
It's going to be hard at this stage you are in oxygen debt. When the lactic acid is peeling the enamel off your teeth. You have to have a plan for the third quarter.
Simplify the plan as the race progresses. Practice the plan. Count 5s or 7s or 10s.
Rebecca recommends you pick a trick out of your bag to respond to what happens in your split. If it slips, which "trick" will you use to get it back?
Splits on Concept2 are run as a 3 stroke rolling average - this means it may take you a while to get the split back.
32:00 Plan your practice trials for competition. Develop the strategy.
35:00 How bad should you feel or not feel at the end of a 2k? To learn to row 100% is a skill. It takes time to learn how to cross the line. Ask yourself whether you could have done better or not.
40:00 Would you expect to exceed your maximum heart rate is OK? Calculations of heart rate are imprecise. Tests are precise.
43:00 Peak performance - did you ever have an out of body experience while racing?
Marlene and Rebecca talk about
- Finding a coxswain
- A new video tip
- Have experienced masters rowers got an 'attitude' problem?
Coxswains are essential to rowing eights and they are in short supply for masters rowers. Most of us find that we have to "grow our own" coxes - by that I mean recruit and train them up.
Frequently a cox will allow you to do a trainibg outing - you don't need them to be expert in coaching, just steering. And for getting out on the water that is a great first step.
04:00 Subscribe to our newsletter
https://fastermastersrowing.com/newsletter/
05:30 A National Voice for Masters Rowers in New Zealand
Join the Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/256708472122650/
07:30 Finding a coxswain
12 week training program for 5k races
https://fastermastersrowing.com/courses/head-racing-12-week-program/
Find someone's child - 8 years old or more. Teach them to steer.
Adult coxswains - build a plank with a rowing seat to sit across the gunwales to sit above the boat.
Get members to recruit their petite friends.
Starting to teach coxing. Be comfortable with making compromises.
We start by getting them steering first. And the commands for starting and stopping ONLY.
Let them repeat the commands relayed by the stroke.
Understand gentle steering. And hook the little fingers over the side of the boat - steer with your forefinger and thumb. Tape the midpoint of the steering wire - a visual reference.
15:00 Coaching the Coxswain book by Chelsea Dommert
https://www.rowperfect.co.uk/product/coaching-the-coxwain-revised-edition-2/
Use the phrase "On Point" and create discipline in the cox to always do this.
17:30 Rent an expert coxswain from the local high school. Take care of your cox and pay their way.
A talented cox even if they are heavy is better than an inexperienced one.
19:00 Some coxes don't want to cox grumpy old men. We recommend feeding them cake
21:00 Slow motion video tips. Use landscape not portrait. And check the slow motion playback on YouTube where you can go 2x and 3x slower. It makes it easier to see your rowing technique.
27:00 Port, Starboard or both? And which is dominant? Maoco Florann Elkins calls this bisweptual or ambidextrous.
32:00 Do rowers have an attitude problem? Consider the situation individually. If the coach says people don't want to be coached - find out what the rowers think too. Do you also get attitude from club junior coaches. Club culture matters. Learning the correct rowing etiquette is important for the culture of rowing.
42:00 If you don't want to learn - just go and row. but if you want to learn new habits then get coached. Use Slow Motion Video recording on your phone because it is much easier for people to see.
Marlene and Rebecca talk about blade depth in rowing and sculling, and how to pick races that suit your crew's needs in the September Faster Masters Rowing Radio podcast.
Rowing oars are designed to sit at the correct depth in the water - check it out when you sit stationary with square blades in the water, how much of the oar spoon is covered by water?
Normally it's fully below the surface except perhaps 1 cm at the top. Blades are buoyant.
We conclude that any variation from this depth is caused by the athlete doing something to make the oar more shallow or (more frequently) deeper than needed.
The oar designers spend time designing oar spoon shapes which work well to grip the water, to push it in front of the oar through the power phase and to release cleanly. If you are a student of rowing biomechanics you will know how important the combination of oar design and athlete strength is for rowing boat speed.
Randall foils are said to improve oar depth they are flanges which you glue onto the top edge of your oars. The flange projects at 90 degrees to the oar spoon and helps to prevent the oar going deep. It is said there's a speed advantage to using foils.
01:00 Recovery strategies - active and passive; race day and training
08:10 How to pick your races at a regatta to suit your needs and preferences
17:36 Blade depth while rowing and sculling. Level bladework drills video
Valery Kleshnev's article about blade depth
http://www.biorow.com/RBN_en_2015_files/2015RowBiomNews08.pdf?
24:00 Randall Foils to control blade depth - how to test if new equipment is effective for you and make the boat faster
Special offer on Randall Foils
https://rowing.chat/sponsor/randall-foils/
29:00 Customer feedback on Faster Masters Rowing Programs. The Program Guidelines advise that each session is designed for a 1 hour training session (as long as you don't faff about). Note Marlene marks with an asterisk the priority workouts
36:00 Faster Masters Kindle books from our original 2016 Faster Masters Gold program.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=faster+masters+rowing&crid=1Z9XDCZZJ51CX&sprefix=faster+masters+rowing%2Caps%2C309&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_21
Row Faster This Year!
Faster Masters Rowing Radio July 2019 is hosted by Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe. They write monthly training programs for masters rowers at www.fastermastersrowing.com
0:00 Introduction and summary of what’s in the July Faster Masters training program
4:00 Rowing and heat - home made electrolyte. Know your medications.
8:00 Rule number One for hydration. Calculate your sweat rate https://www.britishrowing.org/2018/06/beat-the-heat/
13:00 How too acclimatise to heat. The W.U.T. protocol. Pre-cooling your body.
20:00 Transitioning to doing high rates in the boat. Good bladework is key.
Four Workouts you can do:
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