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New book; The New Toughness Training for Sports | Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.

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Timestamps

04:15 How tough are you? Have you ever thought to yourself, it’s never over until it’s over or never give up? Or said, I could have rowed faster if I had stayed concentrated in the second half of the race; I wasn’t thinking clearly.

Building mental and emotional strength, an essential ingredient for success in rowing and sculling, is what James Loehr’s book; The New Toughness Training for Sports is all about.

Buy from Amazon https://amzn.to/3yI3fnm

[affiliate link]

Loehr’s classic book covers issues related to recovery, understanding the language of emotion, signs of overtraining, the performer-self versus real-self, balancing stress and recovery, as well as the role of awareness in the mental toughening process.

Loehr describes toughness training as “the art and science of understanding your ability to handle all kinds of stress-physical, mental, and emotional-so that you’ll be a more effective competitor.”

06:00 Common words that we associate with toughness; cold, mean, insensitive, or heartless, are not those included in the definition of toughness here. Phrases such as responsive under pressure, resilient, and flexible rise to the surface.

Loehr describes four indicators of toughness.

First is emotional flexibility,

Second is emotional responsiveness, “the ability to remain emotionally alive, engaged, and connected under pressure.

The third aspect is emotional strength, “the ability to exert and resist great force emotionally under pressure, to sustain a powerful fighting spirit against impossible odds.”

Fourth, emotional resiliency, “the ability to take a punch emotionally and bounce back quickly, to recover quickly from disappointments, mistakes, and missed opportunities and jump back into the battle fully ready to resume the fight.”

09:10 There are many athletic situations when the way that you really feel isn’t the way that you know you need to feel to perform at your best level.

The way that you really feel is referred to as your real-self and the way you need to feel to perform at peak is referred to as your performer-self.

Positive and negative emotions are constantly intertwined in our daily feelings. You must develop the capacity to move from the real-self to the performer-self on demand, which calls for precise thinking and acting skills.

12:30 Performer skills include disciplined thinking and imaging skills that keep your emotions focused. In addition, physical acting skills that help you act the way you want to feel to achieve your ideal performance state. This is your body language.

14:30 For racing this is why doing time trials and scrimmage races can be critical to improving your performances; you have the opportunity to practice new reactions.

Learn how to tell yourself to hang in there. Avoid showing weakness on the outside and let yourself know that you are right where you want to be so you stay passionate and fight no matter the circumstances.

16:00 Balancing stress and recovery is a major focus “Stress is anything that causes energy to be expended; it occurs physically, mentally, and emotionally. Recovery is anything that causes energy to be recaptured; it occurs physically, mentally, and emotionally. Unfulfilled needs represent forms of stress. Fulfilment of needs is recovery. In order to fight great battles in competition, your energy deposits should be roughly equal to your energy withdrawals. Your goal should be to enter battle fully recovered whenever possible. Balancing stress and recovery is fundamental to becoming a tough competitor.”

To get tougher taking risks in life and competition is a natural part of developing strength.

Spend time talking with your coaches, friends, or family about your problems or keep a training journal to help sort out your thoughts.

19:35 Work hard but recover equally as hard. Your recovery schedule should receive as much attention as your training plan does.

Sleep ranks number one when it comes to recovery methods.

Eat a healthy well-balanced diet with adequate amounts of water and nutritious food.

Enjoy both passive and active rest activities.

The application of stress is the stimulus for growth but recovery is when you grow.

26:06 In 1986 in preparation for the world championships, C.B. Sands-Bohrer and Christ Ernst practiced various race scenarios; they went on the win the gold medal in the women’s lightweight double.

Blade depth on the drive | Faster Masters Rowing Radio

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Timestamps

02:30 Keep the top edge consistent level and covered at this height through the drive.

Important for an effective drive.

It affects the length of time the oar is in the water.

04:00 common errors with blade depth

Going too deep

The blade has floatation and will sit in the water at the correct height if you just leave it with no pressure.

Add pressure to the blade does bury it a little more.

Lifting the hands too high causes deep blades.

Use the reference point for the handle “aim for where your knees were” Norm Graaf advice.

Opening up the body too early on the drive sequence. If the body lifts away from the knees this causes the blades to go too deep “rowing up over the barrel”.

07:00 The blade is not fully square when it goes into the water.

This causes it to dive deep.

Is there enough height above the water to square on the recovery?

A solution is to relax the handle. If you hold too tightly the water isn’t able to fix the blade depth and square placement.

09:30 Drills and skills to build blade power

Blade depth drills

Row in circles - leave one blade flat on the water with the handle next to your body. Row with the opposite hand.

Watch your blade as you row - make corrections to the depth.

Check the waterline on the oar shaft - it should stay consistent until the oar comes out of the water.

13:45 Backing down drill

Keep the blades in the same position as you row (don’t counter-feather). Build your confidence increasing the stroke length from arms only to full slide backing.

You can see your blades as you back. Practice the correct recovery sequence - arms / body / legs flow up the slide as your hands separate. Practice in sweep and sculling boats.

16:30 Half blade depth drill

Row with your oars half way out of the water. Requires more control over the oar - finesse. You can’t row hard but allows you to practice the handle control. Practice full blade depth as well.

20:00 Bungee rowing drill - put the elastic bungee to the stern of your foot stretchers. This slows down the boat on the recovery and gives you resistance feedback.

Try rowing one stroke with power and one light pressure easy alternating. Goal is to apply pressure to the handle keeping the blade at the correct depth.

4 sets of 8-10 strokes focusing on higher power.

21:45 Vary pressure through the stroke drill.

Change from quarter to half pressure (50%) at the release.

Row 20 strokes with this focus.

Then go from 50% up to 75% pressure at the release. Maintain handles horizontal and drive length through the water.

Lastly try 75% up to 100% full pressure.

23:30 The silent pyramid exercise

This helps build up to full pressure strokes; it also helps concentration.

Start with 1 stroke with power and 1 stroke easy light pressure; then 2 on and 2 off; 3 on / off; Up to 10 strokes with power and 10 strokes off easy - then work your way back down the pyramid, 9 - 8 - 7 down to 1 stroke.

26:00 Managing training with long Covid

The effects take a long time to recover after illness.

A useful measurement is heart rate variability. Morning resting heart rate gives you a norm.

If you are fatigued from training this will change - elevate. Rule of thumb 5 beats above normal you should take it easy that day or do a light training to keep your heart rate low.

28:30 Heart rate variability - measures the amount of time between heart beats. This reacts to how much fatigue you have and indicates if your body is in a relaxed or stressed state. It indicates whether your sympathetic nervous system is over-active (fight or flight). In a relaxed state your parasympathetic nervous system is activated.

Measure using an app HRV4Training it measures heart rate and asks questions about your lifestyle - sleep, training, injury. The factor is personal to you and indicates what’s normal for you.

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

01:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing - who is the fund raising group in your club?

04:00 Corporate rowing if you’re interested in a discussion - get in touch.

05:00 Marlene’s rigging dock talk

07:00 book of the Month with Jess di Carlo is Olaf Tufte’s Skjerpins.

https://www.ark.no/boker/Olaf-Tufte-Skjerpings-9788241953811

This literally means “sharpening” or more prosaically “Get a grip - you can always get better”.

It's in Norwegian and Jess used Kindle translate function to read it.

10:30 Olaf is strong on visualisation and spent 10 minutes working on the first stroke before the Beijing Olympic final.

15:00 Hiking with his family - he found himself in trouble and said 'get the breathing right and the head will follow'.

21:00 Start rowing slowly and rebuild the stroke from the basics after a set back.

22:30 Rest and recovery

Peaks require a rest and reset before another peak event.

Recover - between your sessions each week - between each is a recovery period.

Sleep is terrific for recovery as is nutrition and hydration.

Glycogen in your muscles fuels muscle action - heavy legs

26:30 Doing 2 sessions a day versus 2 days between sessions. Hard and easy days take planning.

28:30 Rest and sleep means 7-9 hours per day asleep. When you sleep your hormones are active. Maintain weight, mental sharpness and dehydration.

Interrupted sleep is a common issue for masters.

Naps are a useful tool to use.

30:30 Other types of rest include sports massage, sauna, contrast showers (hot and cold) all help flush your system,

Plan the rest days in a week's schedule

Plan the rest weeks in an annual schedule.

Cross training can be a rest and a change too,

33:00 Heart Rate Variability measures the fluctuation of what is happening between your heart beats. Compares the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Different ways to track are available.

Get age group comparison data and personal day to day changes in your analytics.

High values mean you are more recovered.

35:00 Active Recovery is rest or sleeping an extra hour.

Simple ways to test your recovery.

Check your waking heart beat in the morning for 1 minute.

If it’s 10 beats higher than normal don’t do hard work that day or take a rest day.

37:00 Rebecca used to track using the Daily Diary from Harry Mahon

https://www.rowperfect.co.uk/how-useful-is-a-training-diary-for-rowing/

If it’s 5 beats higher than normal you could have a virus coming on. Err on the side of caution.

40:45 De-conditioning takes a long time. You have to stop training for a long time to get to lose your fitness. Two sessions a week are enough for fitness maintenance. Keep it low intensity.

Two sessions a week are enough for maintenance at low intensity

Who are you becoming? the importance of contemplating this question - become the athlete you want to row with.

Support this podcast

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Timestamps

03:00 This past week Rebecca was at the South Island Masters Regatta.

05:00 There is a need for handicaps in masters rowing to make the races work better.

What do you think are the benefits?

08:00 Who are the athletes you want to row with?

Can you row with them?

Why do more experienced athletes warmup square blades?

different attributes of an athlete - Trainers, Racers, Technicians

What is it they do that I would like to also do?

12:00 Attributes of rowers you admire and aspire to be like

- positive attributes

They show up, on time, volunteer, open minded, pay dues on time, friendly and build community, convivial and congenial, social sharer

14:00 Open minded on the water

gives and asks for feedback.

Use the same language that the rowers use for a discussion about feedback.

17:00 How's it going? is a good way to ask for feedback during a training session.

19:00 Advance a common understanding in your crew and group. A common language.

Mike Spraklen asked us what does "stride" mean to you?

21:00 Can we give confidence to other people in our crew as we discuss the outing?

Ask the question carefully. What words to use when you give feedback?

You sit behind me - uniquely positioned to see my technique. Can you remind me when you see me doing something wrong or right in the boat?

Ask opinions - helps people to feel they are being heard.

"What are you personally working on?"

25:00 Start the positive behaviours yourself.

Begin before you get on the water - where are you going? What to do today?

Did I do what I set out to do?

Quality score points out of 10 for rowing practice, acquisition of skill.

27:00 Openness in rowing - is this challenging for masters compared to youth rowers?

Our practice ebbs and flows through the year with more intensity.

Small moments of joy in what you are doing. Smiles and grins after the row.

32:00 Why do we row?

Where do we get enjoyment?

Process goals - lead the change yourself that you seek in others.

What is the ideal athlete for your club group.

It's incumbent on rowing leaders to be inclusive of returning rowers (who rowed as youth) and those who learn as adults.

Isaac learned to row for an Atlantic crossing and has since rowed the length of the River Thames with Emma Green who is also new to rowing.

Benjamin Ajayi-Obe is Isaac's rowing coach from Putney Town Rowing Club and Emma Green was his crew-mate on one of the trips.

We discuss their journey and learnings.

Timestamps

03:00 Isaac sees the big challenges in life which require him to act.

I like to set challenges outdoors - his first was the English Channel swim

06:20 Endurance is the ultimate test of mind, body and soul.

Ben invited Isaac to row the channel

08:00 Ben was 2-3 years into his own rowing and decided to the the Atlantic Row. Isaac has incredible resource for the campaign. Ocean rowing can be learned during the row.

10:30 Putney Town Rowing Club lent us a boat 2x.

Ben let Isaac learn by trying. the priority was boat feel - the rowing machine is forgiving

Self-correcting is a new mindset.

13:00 On the ocean crabbing is part of the row.

Isaac said our first wildlife encounter is 10 days in when it was quiet and he heard a massive whale come up 5 meters away.

Ben's highlight was unexpected. Cameron and Ben were rowing at night - a full moon and it started to eclipse. The moon turned right red. It's an event which happens 28 times a century. A super Blood Wolf moon.

19:00 Emma heard about the Atlantic row from a friend.

Isaac's next challenge was rowing the Thames River

I thought, I could do it if he does it with me!

22:00 We did Abingdon to Kingston over 3 days.

A team of 9 in a sweep eight. Locks are hard to navigate with a long boat.

24:30 Emma did a Learn to row course at Marlow Rowing Club. Once a week for 5 weeks.

Emmas's Dad coxed for CUBC, Lawrence Newman in 50s.

27:00 We chose Cure Parkinsons Trust as our charity for the Thames row.

On the last day everyone wore the t-shirts

Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.

Timestamps:

01:00 This Past Week - we launched the June training program.

06:50 Fundraising for rowing clubs.

Little and often is a good mantra.

Regattas - every club should do a winter and summer regatta.

Different types of regatta - boats are provided, racing for time, skills and drills, juniors and masters are good companion athletes.

13:00 Summer head races - Maine State Championships around 3 buoys for 5k.

The "Killer Meter" a 1k race with a mass start.

The CRI Classic is a preparation for HOCR.

The Head of the Kevins - 3 series of races seeded by time

Cambridge Winter League over 3 months with cumulative time.

19:00 Small fund raisers

- a service fee on race entries

- bottle returns and tin cans

- jumble sale / rummage sale / bake sale

- junior disco

- raffles - donated merchandise in kind and gift certificates

28:00 Run a learn to row for parents of juniors

30:00 Corporate rowing

is a league possible?

37:00 Resources within the membership - who is already a member who could help you?

Local library

www.spacetoco.com allows you to list rooms for hire (a commercial Air BnB for club rooms)

47:00 Catchy things like "sponsor 10 strokes"

Buy a row or buy 1 hour or 1 outing.

3 core drills to combine into a crew | Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.

Timestamps

01:00 This Past Week - what you can learn from elite athletes. Intention and attention.

08:00 Crew lineups - combination that can cooperate.

Good rhythm and flow and energy.

Does it "click?"

Is the recovery matched up?

15:00 What should I adjust?

- Blending into a crew starts with following the stroke. Can you improve your precision?

- Start from the finish position - align this.

Arrive at the finish blade extraction together.

Check blade angles are parallel in a static position check.

- Come out of the water together

- Focus on getting to the recovery perpendicular blades together.

19:00 Use peripheral vision to see the finish of your oars

20:00 Drills for crew alignment.

- Pause drills use arms and body away. Get tot he same position before the knees rise.

- Double Pause drill - count "One one thousand, two one thousand, row"

- Pause at the finish with blades on the water if the balance is poor

Why do trials and tests? | 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

01:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing.

Marlene is coaching a camp - why go on camp?

https://fastermastersrowing.com/how-to-select-a-camp/

07:00 The role of trials and testing

Situations where rowers don't want to do a time trial.

But coaches want a measure of fitness.

- race in single sculls

10:30 Are you trying to boat the best possible crew?

What is your philosophy of training - how do you measure progress?

Have the strategy discussion. What do you want from your rowing? Why are you here?

These will guide your boat lineup choices and testing and trials.

14:30 The main tests you can do

1 - On indoor rower do a 10 second peak power ini Watts. Who's the strongest? No preparation needed.

2 - 1k test - shows your top end fitness. Compare to world C2 rankings. What percentile is your score in?

3 - On water test - sub-maximal - do a 2k piece taking the rate up two every 500 meters. Start at rate 24 and go up to 30 - record the 500m split for each 500 meters. Do it twice or three times in a session. Your 500m splits should go down 3 seconds each time you take the rate up 3 points. Repeat fortnightly. This will help you predict your race splits. The increase in rate / reduction in split is linear up to around rate 32, then drops to 2 or 1 second per 500m

22:00 If you don't want to measure progress, don't test.

25:00 Do not be afraid of trials.

Mahe Drysdale article "Why do rowers fear the erg?"

https://www.rowingrelated.com/2010/12/winter-workouts-why-do-rowers-fear-erg.html

30:00 Book of the Month with Jess Di Carlo

The last Amateurs by Mark de Rond about the 2007 Oxford Cambridge boat race.

https://amzn.to/3lCjwD3

Economist article by Mark de Rond

https://www.economist.com/business/2007/03/29/rhythm-and-blues

This book tries to answer the eternal questions

- How do coaches pick crew lineups

- Why is this crew off-balance?

Seat racing - can you blend your crew to make it go faster than the sum of the parts?

You are competing with your squad to make the lineup but then once you are in the crew, you have to gel to make the boat go fast.

Should you row differently in a headwind and a tailwind? Why and what and how?

Sponsored by LifeProof phone cases https://amzn.to/39IBIIj

Support this show with a donation

https://fastermastersrowing.com/podcast

Timestamps

01:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing.

07:00 Lifeproof phone cases - demonstration of how to use them in a rowing boat. Waterproof phone cases damage and drop-proof for mobile phones

08:30 Belt clip attaches to a boat tie on the rigger

10:00 Handlebar attachment - a small tube stays on your boat.

12:00 Arm strap - 3 different lengths of velcro

15:00 Rowing in a headwind

Headwinds slow down your power phase.

Expect a more 1:1 ratio.

Be patient, control what you do - don't allow the wind to rush you.

Maintain your length in the water.

Adjust stroke rate so it feels good. You aren't "rowing in mud".

18:30 Changes to make for headwind rowing.

Square later

Be patient at the catch - legs can be slower

Hold onto the finishes - keep back and arms dynamic

Use your body weight

Back-end load the stroke.

Headwinds push you to shorten up.

Use high elbows to hold onto the finish longer.

22:00 If you have cop and rough water which often comes with a head wind.

Rowing in peaks and troughs of waves.

Keep handles low so you clear the wave caps.

Article - rowing in rough water

https://fastermastersrowing.com/how-to-row-in-rough-water/

25:00 Rowing in a tailwind

Tailwinds push you along.

It can feel like the power has got away from you and you've missed the catch.

Less load on your blades.

27:00 Changes to make for tailwind rowing.

Pay attention - don't let the wind control you.

Be sharper with your transitions during the power phase.

Feel the boat for release timings

Everything happens a little quicker.

28:30 Front-end load the stroke

Early leg drive.

Tap the finish out earlier and don't get caught in.

32:30 Rigging Strategies for windy conditions

Practice before any race event - don't make first-time changes on the day.

1 cm adjustment on the button.

Move footstretcher one notch for Tailwind - towards the stern.

Clams can be kept on your oars and used / adjusted on the water.

The wind can change too during an event!

37:00 Experiment in smaller regattas with these changes.

Picking lineups | 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

03:20 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing.

06:00 Picking training lineups

What does each crew need? Stroke, bow, designated caller and the 2 seat is your thinker

Where to sit a newcomer in a rowing boat crew.

16:00 Type of practice

Select crews depending on the workout plan

Do race lineups for key races and for practices.

20:00 Ricking race lineups

What are your priorities over the season?

You won't peak for every regatta

SElect your boatings / events which will be priority

Diverse crews when a long way from the peak event.

Do split sessions with 2 crew lineups in one practice.

24:00 Be practical about groups of 2 and 4 athletes.

Group people into 4s and then split them into two doubles. This makes the day structure easier to consider.

28:00 Heats / reps / semifinal and final all in one day is a lot of races

Or are you racing straight finals / divisions?

Know the likely number of races for each event

31:00 Picking crews - loaded /stacked boats we want to race

I don't advocate picking events based on "weak entries". Race your strongest crew in the events you want to do.

34:00 As a team boat rower - challenge yourself in a new crew or in a 1x -think of it as a new experience in your rowing life.