Steady State Podcast

If you were at the Head of the Charles in 2022 and stuck around Boston through Sunday afternoon, you might have caught a glimpse of a Community Rowing, Inc. crew with a combined 720 years of rowing experience. Coach Catherine Saarela put together what she calls her dream team – an Octogenarian 8. In this episode we’re talking with Coach Saarela, 86-year-old coxswain Bill Becklean, and 83-year-old rowers Lee Warren and Alan McClennan. They shared insights on lifelong fitness, being relentlessly active, and those moments you can only find after shoving off the dock.

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CATEGORIES: Coaching, Coxing, Culture, Training

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TIME STAMPS

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To see photos of Community Rowing Inc.’s Octogenarian 8, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

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This episode is made possible in part by the Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Lake Washington Rowing Club, and our Patrons.

When she learned to row in the late 1970s, Liz Winter was excited to have a place be “unladylike.” She fell in love with putting power behind the oar and moving boats fast. After landing in Pittsburgh in the ‘80s, Liz was involved in developing Three River Rowing Association, focusing on creating community. Now retired, she’s combined her experience as a lawyer, social worker, coach, and educator, with a USRowing Level 3 High Performance Coaching Certification. We talk with her about coaching education, trauma-informed coaching, and building trust.

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CATEGORIES: Coach, Train

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TIME STAMPS

00:00 - Intro

04:10 - Rowing week: Winter training means a transition to the erg and resisting the urge to peek at your teammates monitors

11:09 - Rapid Fire Q&A

13:10 - Learning to row at Oxford in the mid-1970s: freedom to be “unladylike” and altering men’s heavyweight equipment for women

16:44 - Seeing a shift in perspective about women’s rowing beginning in the 1980s

20:15 - Leaving a career in London, traveling around the world, discovering Pittsburgh's rivers, and a deep involvement with developing TRRA with a community-first focus

25:38 - Law + social work + coaching education = integrated formula for ”do no harm.” For coaches to earn the trust of their athletes they have to be consistent, have integrity, and be transparent.

31:30 - Trauma-informed, allowing rowers time to learn, and “outside in” coaching

39:00 - USRowing Level 3 High Performance Coaching Certification: every rower, at every level, deserves a high performance coach

42:44 - Team Based Learning approach

46:00 - Coaching rowers with anxiety: start with small, incremental challenges

54:00 - Passion project: Partnering with the Puerto Rico Rowing Federation to establish a coastal rowing program

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To see photos of Liz, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes at www.steadystatenetwork.com/podcast/s3ep25-liz-winter

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This episode is made possible in part by the Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Lake Washington Rowing Club, and our Patrons.

Isaiah Harrison is a huge talent in the next generation of American single scullers. Born and raised in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, he started erging – and setting indoor records in 2016, when he was just 12. Today, this 6’9” 19-year-old currently holds 35 indoor rowing world records across multiple age groups. Isaiah made the transition from the erg to a single, coached by his Dad, and quickly started racking up medals. Independent of a school program or community club, Isaiah climbed the ladder to the Junior National team and now the U23 National team. He was just named the 2022 USRowing Under 23 National Team Male Athlete of the Year and has his sights set on Paris 2024.

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Categories: racing, training

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TIME STAMPS

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To see photos of Isaiah, and get links to the people and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes at www.steadystatenetwork.com/podcast/s3ep24-isaiah-harrison

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This episode is made possible in part by the Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Lake Washington Rowing Club, and our Patrons.

00:00 - Podcast intro

Before he was the Director of Marketing for King Racing, 13-year-old Brent Keuch was watching TV when rowing came on the screen. That was when he knew he wanted to learn to row. Looking for direction, Brent found a boarding school 120 miles from home where he could study and row. Later, rowing helped him land his first job, and introduced him to the woman who would become his wife. He’s coached juniors and masters. Today his personal and professional philosophy is all about getting more people in boats and sharing the life lessons that this sport holds.

In [S3] Ep20 we interviewed New Zealand Olympic gold medalist Eric Murray, known for dominating in the men’s pair with partner Hamish Bond. The wide-ranging conversation covered his terrible novice season, impressive U17 erg splits, World Championship and Olympic training and racing, and a lot more. So much more we couldn't get it all into one episode.

In this 15-minute bonus episode, Eric tells us about racing in the 2014 World Championships when Hamish dipped his hand in the water at 38spm, and the preparation necessary to have the confidence to pull that off.

He also shares a story about an Amsterdam World Cup race nearly sidetracked by an errant water bottle; hydration and chronic sweating; and dialing in heavy pre-race warmups on land.

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Just a heads up: Eric does swear a bit in this episode ...

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This bonus episode is made possible in part by the Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Lake Washington Rowing Club, and our Patrons.

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www.steadystatenetwork.com/podcast

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Steady State Podcast is a production of Steady State Network.

This episode was written, produced, and edited by Tara Morgan and Rachel Freedman. Rachel also manages our website and social media.

Our theme music is by the Free Harmonic Orchestra.

When Sophie Brown wanted to learn to row a coach asked her, "why would you do this if you're disabled." Her reply was "why not?" More than a decade later, a drive to find the perfect stroke has brought her two Henley wins. She'll be checking off a bucket list item when she crosses the pond to race a para mixed double at the 2022 Head of the Charles. 

We first met Sophie when she began working out with us during our virtual Steady State Sunday erg workouts. She's been a lively and spirited fan of the erg work and our podcast, and this was our opportunity to talk with her about adaptive rowing, racing, and awareness.  

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To see photos of Sophie Brown, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

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This episode is made possible in part by the Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Lake Washington Rowing Club, and our Patrons.

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Steady State Podcast is a production of Steady State Network.

This episode was written, produced, and edited by Tara Morgan and Rachel Freedman. Rachel also manages our website and social media.

Our theme music is by the Free Harmonic Orchestra.

New Zealand Olympic gold medalist Eric Murray is known for dominating in the men’s pair with partner Hamish Bond. We know. You might be saying: “An Olympian? I thought you were all about celebrating the everyday rower!” We are. And we always will be. But we have to admit that when Eric reached out and asked to be on the podcast, we had a total fan moment. There was no doubt we’d invite him for a chat.

From humble beginnings as an awkward teenage athlete, Eric quickly discovered that being 6’5” translated into impressive erg splits. Coaches noticed too, and he soon found himself on the podium at U16 and U17 events. From there, it was a one way ticket to the national team, World Rowing Championships, and the Olympics. Between 2007 and 2015, a commitment to be the very best brought Eric four indoor rowing world records, eight World Rowing Championships, and two Olympic gold medals.

Retired from flat water rowing since 2017, Eric is keeping himself very busy working with Concept2, the Asensei rowing app, and is a member of the World Rowing Indoor Rowing Commission. And if that wasn’t enough, he recently took a turn as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

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Just a heads up: Eric does swear a bit in this episode ...

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To see photos of Eric Murray, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

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This episode is made possible in part by the Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Lake Washington Rowing Club, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is a production of Steady State Network.

This episode was written, produced, and edited by Tara Morgan and Rachel Freedman. Rachel also manages our website and social media.

Our theme music is by the Free Harmonic Orchestra.

Like many women who grew up before Title IX, Kathy Frederick spent her young life studying ballet. When, at 42, she learned to row it felt like dancing with partners and she was immediately hooked. Just a few years later in 1993, the loss of a dear friend to breast cancer prompted Kathy to host a fundraising event on Portland, Oregon’s Willamette River. From those modest beginnings Row for the Cure was born, with regattas now hosted across the country in support of breast cancer care, support, and research.

Kathy opens up about:

finding her competitive drive

rowing with her husband, her “permanent mixed double partner”

becoming a rower with a mission

Advice for first-time regatta planners

To see photos of Kathy Frederick, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

Steady State Podcast is a production of Steady State Network.

This episode was written, produced, and edited by Tara Morgan and Rachel Freedman. Rachel also manages our website and social media.

Our theme music is by the Free Harmonic Orchestra.

Concept2 oars and indoor rowing machines are nearly synonymous with rowing. But did you know that it all started in the early 1970s with brothers Pete and Dick Dreissigacker? They were just a couple of grad students messing around with carbon fiber and fiberglass in a kitchen hoping to develop a better oar - their “secret weapon” for finding more speed on the water.

And to keep training through cold winters in Vermont? Nail an old bike to the floor and pull on the free end of a chain. Voila! The mass market indoor rower was born.

Pete and Dick open up about:

getting hooked on rowing

how Title IX expanded the demand for oars

being champions of rowing in the 1980s fitness market

hoping to get it all together by the time you reach the HOCR start line.

GUESTS

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TIME STAMPS

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This episode was made possible in part by our Patrons, Concept2, and Lake Washington Rowing Club. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

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EPISODE MENTIONS

CAMPS

CLUBS

COACHES

EQUIPMENT

EVENTS

RESOURCES

ROWERS

UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS

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To see photos of Pete, Dick, early oars and ergs, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.