RowingChat

Join coxswain Kim Degutis, (Riverside Rowing Club, Cambridge, MA USA) as we talk head racing and tips for coxing masters crews.

Dive deep as we talk

- what's different about coxing masters

- how to get a group who want to row eights

- advice to anyone wanting to start coxing masters

01:00 Rowing genealogy from our past. Marlene's ancestors were in the first families of Newfoundland, Canada. Alfred Royle was at Ottawa Rowing Club pre WW2.

Rebecca's Great Grandfather, WD Caroe Rowed for the First Trinity BC in 1880s. They won the Ladies Plate coxed fours event at St Neots Amateur Regatta winning a solid silver medal. Which Rebecca now owns.

05:00 When Marlene started rowing in 1977 Westside RC, Buffalo was the only club in town compared to 1900 when there were 11 rowing clubs.

08:00 Kim Degutis working with the mens masters sweep group of 19 athletes.

How Kim got back into rowing - "I saw a single oar with a broken collar and picked it up and returned it to the club and met the crew."

10:30 My first stroke taught me how to cox. I had a great relationship it was sometimes non-verbal.

11:30 what is it like coxing masters?

Depends on their age. It can be very intimidating.

Be confident and own that seat - they should be respectful.

You have to earn the rest by proving yourself. Masters appreciate a cat who is clear and runs a good practice. Know what you are doing. Appreciate that it's not a rower coxing.

13:45 At races coxswains get passed around to other teams. I had to jump out of the boat very quickly for a short turn-around between races. I'm 5' 3" and got very wet. I shoved off the dock too hard and went head over heels into the lake. When we got to the start the referee asked "Did

you guys have a pool party?"

I now have a reputation of flipping at the start in Canada at the Burnaby Lake Race.

16:30 A serious incident that happened helped me to learn a lesson.

On the River Charles, Elliot Bridge is the most dangerous going upstream. Boats coming down stream swerve wide and are hard to see. We 'traded paint' with another crew.

20:00 Advice to anyone thinking of coxing masters.

Take a fun, encouraging approach. You can be more serious if a crew is more competitive. Intonation determines how to speak to them.

Word choice matters. Vocabulary matters - explain the technique you are aiming for.

Time on the water teaches you a lot.

Working with coaches - use the intonation they use and fold this into what you say.

22:30 A competitive crew wants you to be demanding. If you want to go fast you need this.

23:00 How to organise a masters sweep group.

We try to make the 8 and he go out together with the 4 being a faster lineup so they can be similar

speeds. Kim is an eights specialist.

A bow-loader four is very different - it feels different, more intimate, finesse is needed. An 8 is a dump truck - just GO.

25: 00 Working with a new crew - tips.

They can have different flexibility and movement patterns and different technique.

How do

you get them together?

Pause drills work well for timing. Watch them row for 500 meters - see what's happening and look out for technical deficiencies. We do a lot of eyes closed rowing.

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Rowing is fun, so is a rowing vacation even more fun? There are amazing places in the world where water is near tourist landmarks. Rowing past the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or through Venice or Saint Petersburg are all possible. We talk with an expert rowing tour guide.

Timestamps

00:52 Ruth Marr of Rowing the World joins the show and tells us the story of how she started Rowing the World, her combined passion for rowing with her combined passion for travel.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Rowing the World

05:13 Ruth tells about her first tour experience with the FISA World Tour in 2012 in Sudbury Ontario.

07:32 Ruth spent 6 months in Switzerland and Northern Italy researching clubs to see if she could organize groups. Then did her first tour in that area.

10:03 The second trip was in 2013 on the Shannon River in Ireland, after the FISA World Rowing Tour on coxed quads. Tells about the events of that infamous FISA tour that made news and then her tour which had some adventurous moments too, i.e. boats in the cow field.

16:35 Sponsor message: Rowing through menopause, read description of speakers,

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19:15 Ruth tells us about a typical day on a rowing tour.

What happens from the time you get up in the morning until dinner in the evening. Every trip is tailored to the location and the focus is rowing; scenery, enjoying each other, and an enjoyable row. Ruth tells about visiting other boathouses, equipment, schedule, changing seats in the boat, coaxing, low rate steady rowing mostly in touring quads. Each day depends on the distance to be covered, where we need to land, the weather, can be point to point or central base trip out of one place like the Croatia tour or BC.

33:30 Description of the BC wilderness tour and base camp on the west coast of Vancouver Island and this year’s wellness tours in Italy are center based.

34:55 Another style of trip is a point to point trip is the Thames Oxford to Weybridge, around Lago Maggiore (Italy), or Turkey which is combined Bodrum point to point then to Istanbul to the Golden Horn. Coming up will be a Sweden tour point to point.

37:39 The physical preparation for a tour from the training point of view. Rowers need to have two years experience sculling. They need fitness but also to have good technique especially for some of the coastal trip. Need to be able to row for an extended period but also to do it several days in a row. Long steady workouts at low rates.

42:30 Marlene talks about preparation. A tour can fit into your racing schedule for base training. For the tour prepare the durability to go from day to day. Prepare tendons and muscles for durability and to develop your recovery ability. Cross training can help preparation too.

46:15 Ruth describes about rowing on different types of water river, open water, or lakes that may be different than from the water a sculler rows on at home.

48:38 Go to the page https://fastermastersrowing.com/rowing-the-world/ there is information about Ruth’s tours and there is a preparation program for touring.

50:00 Ruth summarizes the variety of the people and places where Rowing the World tours visit.

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Head racing rowing stories for you to learn the best tactics for overtaking, starting, fending off another crew, maintaining form, race plans, and sprinting for the line.

Timestamps

5 Tips for head racing

01:50 Head Racing is fun - we are going to share one tip each for five critical parts of your race.

Firstly, the key rule is to practice everything beforehand. DON'T do it in the race for the first time.

03:30 Clarifying your understanding of every call - what it means and how to do it. It's essential everyone in the crew has identical comprehension of the cox's calls.

04:00 Starting the race

- Be at race speed as you cross the line - do a moving start (half, half, three quarter, full full slide).

- Start close to the crew in front - try one and a half lengths. Position the boat hull to avoid wake from the boat in front's puddles as they come under your riggers.

06:30 Overtaking

- Pay attention to your blades if you are on the side closest to the other crew. Avoid clashing blades - adjust your timing so you place yours into the water in between their oars. Watch your oar and try to put it in behind theirs. Don't look at the other crew if you aren't on that side of the boat - your job is to keep the boat level while overtaking. Use a little lateral pressure on the gate.

- Get close behind the crew before starting to overtake and then steer late. Try to hold your line as long as possible and hope the other crew steers away first. It's like a game of "rowing chicken".

09.20 Fending off another crew from overtaking you.

- As you watch them coming take long strokes. Try to increase stroke length by one inch a stroke.

- Steer late and hope they steer around you first.

12:30 Maintaining form

- Have several "one word mantras" which are your key to row wall. This could be "legs" or "swing". Simple commands because the athlete's brain is oxygen-starved and not good at comprehending when tired.

- The coxswain should take control of the technique and tell the crew how to do the change they want e.g. "lift your hands to the catch" or "Length in the water".

15:45 Sprinting for the line

- Agree one landmark you will use for the finishing sprint

- Go for home early by gradually upping the rate.

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Learn to row programmes for masters. Masters rowing has two types of member - returning rowers who learned in their youth and adult beginners. Should club boards consider adding more learn to row programs? We discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

Timestamps

01:30 Learn to row - who wants to do it?

02:30 Clubs need a strategy and goals first. Does LTR fit into this?

Marlene coached in 1982 Boston, MA and it was the only learn to row in town.

04:30 What is the funnel pathway to membership of the club? This is important to figure out.

A community club needs presence with townsfolk.

06:00 when someone tries rowing it is either a yes or a no. Do they like it?

08:30 Pathways - some run LTR over 6-8 weeks and that isn't effective. it's better to do a weekend to get them hooked.

A 48 hour camp where you - row Sat/Sun and learn a lot.

12:30 For a small club after LTR integrating a whole group is challenging.

Large clubs with coaches can have 3 groups - beginner /intermediate / advanced

13:30 Give the Learn to Row course members the best coach you can - It's their first impression. So they feel understood. Many clubs host introductions to rowing throughout the year.

We recommend you add an entry level class - with a skills checklist to confirm skills before you can join the intermediate group.

17:15 LTR courses are a great fundraiser

The goal of the program is an adventure camp. Learn something new and fun.

20:00 Are masters receptive to coaching?

Or is it a lack of coach communication skills?

Masters attend camps because of coaching. When you ask what's important to them you find a focus for your coaching.

You can't coach masters like juniors. Give people time to explore rowing.

Masters Rowing - the book by Volker Nolte and Wolfgang Fritsch has a chapter on running a masters learn to row course. It's exactly the way Rebecca teaches her novices.

Buy the book

https://amzn.to/3sYSXJB

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Sybil is a rowing novelist, her book "Rowing Home" is about a Jewish family facing the rise of Nazi Germany and reviewing the appeal of Zionism.

Rowing Home by Sybil Terres Gilmar - buy your copy.

https://amzn.to/3I6dDtG

Timestamps

01:00 Introduction and background in rowing. Sybil started rowing aged 69 and she's now in her 80s.

Sybil visited Tel Aviv, Israel and saw a rowing club that was founded in 1935 - before the State of Israel was established and asked herself how and why that happened.

04:30 How did you research the history of 1930s Germany?

07:40 What was Zionism?

09:30 Exploring the character George - how he got interested in Zionism

13:50 Lessons for today from your writing.

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So you're going to do CRASH-B or another erg race. We share our checklist of things you should (and should not) do before the big event.

Timestamps

02:00 Erg races coming up.

04:00 The week before your event. You have started the taper recovery week on your programme.

- Get enough sleep

- Eat really well

- Get organised for your trip.

- Give yourself time for doing things.

- Keep stress levels down.

- Don't consider travel days as rest days.

06:30 Practice your warm up every day. Know if it works. When you do your high rate workouts, are you warm and perform well?

Routine and focus avoids distractions. It will calm you down.

09:00 Have a routine for your workout.

- Layout clothes the night before.

- Pack your bag the same all the time. e.g. water bottle in the same pocket.

- Be mindful as you pack your clothes.

15:00 Erg Rowing Checklist

- Your uniform

- Warm up jacket and pants

- A dry change of clothes

- A towel

- A HR monitor or watch

- Your water bottle

- Food and snacks

- Entry information & confirmation

- Hotel accommodation information & directions

- Information desk location.

- Orientation in the venue e.g. warm up area, toilets/rest rooms,

- Your race start time

- Erg assignment number

- Your coach, cox or referee assigned to you.

17:45 Once on your competition erg adjust foot stretchers and drag factor. Then the referee sets the race screen. [You may not be allowed to do this.] Choose a drag factor that works for you - do you like to feel more powerful or do you prefer to get more of a high rating/freewheeling feel on the pickup?

20:00 Balance the stoke rate with drag factor to give you the best score. Rob Waddell [Former world Indoor rowing Champion] chose his drag factor so the drive time in the boat and on the erg were the same,

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When our rowing friends or coaches die, what can we do? We discuss ways to memorialize rowers. And what we can do to support and celebrate with rowers facing end of life.

Timestamps

02:00 Rowing and death. Iconic coaches are passing away.

Makes you think about who influenced you and who you worked with.

03:30 Memorializing people.

- Write articles - their teaching.

- Tell stories about them.

- Set up a scholarship - Craftsbury has one for Larry Gluckman

- Harry Mahon website of his coaching methods as a learning resource..

07:30 Frank Cunningham from Lake Washington RC published a book comprising all his newsletter articles.

14:00 Rowers facing end of Life

Supporting sick rowers - we did a weekly quad outing which was gentle.

Marlene's friend wanted to enjoy time on the water after a cancer diagnosis. Keep line of sight in singles for safety. And wait for each other during the row.

People enjoy having something to look forward to each week.

18.30 Keep active as rowing makes you stronger, physically.

Psychological benefits - you are with friends, out in nature, on the water.

Adapt your boat to suit their needs.

20 00 Cyclical sports are healing sports - calming effect on the nervous system.

Pay attention to the small things as time becomes more precious.

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We discuss the different types of masters training programs - for elite racers, for club racers, for fitness rowers, for return-to rowing. Benefits of 'cross fit' versus the more traditional 'miles make champions' approach.

Timestamps

01:00 Types of training though year

01:30 The new "Spacer Placer" rowing Tool for pushing out spacer washers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvkCApr2-l8

04:45 Types of training what is your goal?

In a weekly cycle use a mix (polarised) low, high, medium pace intensity & strength training.

Different types of session you can choose.

• Endurance-low intensity 16-20 strokes per minute

• Medium intensity 22-24 spm

Aerobic system stresses

HIIT is a very broad definition - it could be oxygen utilisation 4×5' or a power 30" on 90" off.

07:30 Plan your training through the year.

Your 2 key days a week training and insert your low intensity a strength in between.

High performance racers - you can insert Crossfit only if the workout is inserted in the right place & right way for your goal.

09:00 Cross fit workouts are intense.

Prepare to do it.

As a master how careful do you need to be?

To do intervals and explosive work and not get injured, you need to be strong and ready to do the workout. The faster you do things the larger the injury risk.

Does this type of workout fit your needs and goals?

Also remember to check out your instructors - are they experienced and qualified?

Testing - speed of repetition amount in a given time.

12:30 make the right choices of training type to fit into your overall training.

Sport science reviews how to train your body.

A word of warning - if you do 2x HlIT sessions you can't spend that time in the boat too.

16.20 Racers' training needs.

Train three times per week. Aerobic work for one session and two endurance sessions with one at a higher intensity. How high that is depends on time of year. Use AT tempo endurance closer to the racing season.

Oxygen utilisation or 1K / 4- 5min pieces.

Speed and power workouts are shorter and quicker.

What stroke rate you want to race at?

18.00 Fitness rowers don't need extremely high intensity intervals.

How skillful are you in the boat? 30 stroke pieces if you want to.

Aerobic work is for fitness - combined with strength work in the gym.

19:45 Strength stimulates muscle metabolism.

At the end of the session do 6x 30" on / 90" off or 20" on / 40" off. Power works at the end of a strength session.

Combination workouts.

21:00 Return to rowing rule of thumb is to approach it gradually to build tolerance.

Take it easy.

Focus on technique and efficiency. Ensure your posture and body positions are correct. Hinge through the hips not the back.

22:50 Keep it fun and interesting focus on drills and steady rowing

Pick a theme for the day to keep the interest and focus aligned.

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Balance is lost as we age. How can rowers learn balance - in the boat, in life and physical balance?

How to balance a quad scull.

Timestamps

03:00 Balance as you age. Typically it changes around age 50.

There is a loss of muscle mass - it affects co-ordination like walking and neuro-muscular aspects like hearing and vision as well.

04:45 Balance can be trained and maintained.

Keep your muscles in good condition. Notice changes in your balance.

05:30 standing balance - it's more challenging.

Exercises to test and train your balance

- Stand on one foot and time how long you can do this.

- Incorporate into rowing training. 10 ankle circles per leg during your land warm up daily.

- Toe touching in a star shape exercise. Tap toe in front and behind moving in a circle.

- Yoga tree pose.

- Walk on a 2×4 plank.

- Tai chi and yoga have postures to train

08:30 Sitting balance.

Use a swiss ball /physio ball.

Sit with hips and knees at 90 degrees. Arms to side in a T position. Lift one leg and extend it. Does it challenge your balance? Get comfortable doing rhis. Then raise both legs off the floor.

11:14 Try a V-sit, sit on the floor raise legs as well as torso. Balance on sit-bones. Can you balance?

13:00 How to balance a quad scull.

First check your set up in the boat.

Then are your oars going in and out of the water at the same time?

Lastly, your skill handling the oars needs development and practice.

Put pressure into the pins.

17.00 'Transitioning land to boat - getting into the boat.

One leg squats help train strength.

Also concentric & eccentric motion.

Lower your weight to sit is a good progressive exercise.

21:00 Why a 2x is easier to balance than a single scull.

The boat is wider - it sits in the water with more surface area of the hull under the water.

A narrow beam is more sensitive.

23:00 Tension kills boat speed

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What are the limits to masters rowing? Can we challenge ourselves more? Is comfort more important than skill? Rebecca and Marlene discuss technical skill challenges and physical challenges as you age. Risk versus rewards.

Timestamps

02:00 are limits being challenged now? Pay attention to how our bodies are changing.

A class of masters who are high performance athletes exists. along with newcomers to the sport. Masters handicaps are less accurate for older athletes showing that masters are getting faster.

04:00 Head of the Charles results the top 50 year olds times were faster than 30 year olds and comparable to 40 year olds in recent years. They likely have more experience and more time to train.

07:00 I see people rowing in a comfort zone of technique, fitness and watermanship.

Without coaching, people settle into habits. A good coach develops your skill to meet the challenge to get better.

Marlene experiments every session.

11-00 The childlike approach to play and experimentation.

Comfort in the boat is the goal. Doing tricks in the boat proves you are comfortable.

Try rowing a circle with oarlocks open

Take your hands off the handle at the finish & at the catch.

13. 00 The pathway of learning technique.

Coaches need this to keep athletes interested. Starting with the core skills. Grading in achievable small steps.

Be an advanced waterman ship rower or sculler. Get in touch to see our technique pathway.

18:00 buy the best equipment you can afford. Responsive equipment helps you row better.

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