erg technique

                           

                            Another good video from Decent Rowing:

 https://www.decentrowing.com/maximumpowerontherowingmachine-433787.html

A banner year

Recorded yesterday at the boathouse

For this year's novices, there was a post of Charlie in Boston last October, linked here. The video commentator must have been reading from an old scorecard when he read "Bishop Sullivan!"

A video link from Down Under.

A video worth watching:

 https://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Bl4B0&m=3ZTMC9KVEuj9YcT&b=rL5eP73PbavW55J8dYOaJQ

How rowers can train at home.

A video post from our boathouse

A short piece about high school rowing, recorded at our boathouse and aired Friday evening,
as shared on my Facebook page. (Sorry about the embed ads and the autoplay.)

Powerlink backstays for Four Mile Run

Four Mile Run is up and ready to go!

What to do for the next two weeks...

So we've encounter a "difficulty." As an old boss of my was found of saying, "There are no problems - just challenges and opportunities." So with organized practices halted for at least two weeks, and possibly much longer, the task of keeping in shape and being ready to start back up again in April falls on the rowers and coxswains themselves. Consider it a challenge and an opportunity!

Here are some of my thoughts:

(1) Fitness. Anyone should be able to improve their cardio fitness by raising their heart rate for a minimum of 20 minutes. Running, jogging, or even brisk walking can achieve this. Of course, if you have access to an erg that would be better since the motions are rowing-specific, but any cardio exercise will help keep the boat moving during that last 300 meters.

(2) Strength. Yes, strength is beneficial in rowing. Building muscles and decreasing fat will make your effort to move the boat more efficient. The traditional strength building exercises are lifting weights. This can be easily done by lifting your body weight. Push-ups and sit ups only require the floor. If you have a chin-up bar you can do pull-ups as well. Some folks may have access to free weights.

(3) Hand toughness. Blisters are not good in rowing. You can toughen up your hands by grabbing things. Try a rake, a hoe, or a shovel (you could be preparing a spring garden!) Try pushing a lawn mower to chop down those spring weeds in the lawn. If nothing else try grabbing a broken-off tree branch. Any thing to toughen hands will be useful once we again grab an oar.

(4) Think rowing. I have two DVDs that I'm willing to drop by your house to view. One is an hour- long documentary based on Dan Brown's book The Boys in the Boat, Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The film is called The Boys of '36 and was broadcast in 2016 on the PBS series American Experience. Here is the trailer. The second DVD is a 90 minute film by Adam Reist called Dare to Be. He describes it as documentary film not only on the sport of rowing, but also a film on the human spirit. It follows a series of rowers ranging from novice girls to women training for the Olympics, as they overcome obstacles and seek greatness. We learn along their journey that greatness can come in many forms and should not always be measured by traditional concepts of success, but rather by individual triumphs. Essentially suggesting that athletes can define what success looks like to them – not coming in last place, beating a rival, medaling for the first time, qualifying for nationals, or winning an Olympic gold medal. Here is its trailer.  If a couple of team mates want to get together one or both, write me an e-mail and give me your address. I'll swing by and drop the discs by your house.

(5) View short technique videos. There are many about. Here are a few:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chzHtP2SN9I&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=K0kzlODS8QY&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=tE34YYsSD8M&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ofKoueVeII&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=lmfM3EQA7b8&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=DqFZRks9gOA&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=5bm3qf_AJHM&feature=emb_logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ejp-HJJ1B8

It sounds a little bit "southern Californian" but visualization of you performing at a high level can help make that a reality.

Corona virus impacts the EVSRA event schedule

All:

As a board member, I received this Thursday evening from Denise Thomson, the president of the EVSRA.

Team,

Parent Orientation is cancelled for this Saturday.  With policy announcements coming out today, we need to take a step back and reevaluate how we move forward with our spring season.  I’m in discussion with the Board tonight and we are leaning toward canceling the March 21 regatta.  Paul will send an “official” statement in the next day or two.

Policies are changing day-by-day so my suggestion is to make a decision early next week regarding the March 28 regatta and possibly future regattas.  Based on feedback from most teams, after school practices are cancelled.  What is the policy on weekend events?  Bryan S. sent an email tonight from his principal and sports teams can’t compete in out of  area events - outside of VAB, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News; events within these areas are approved.

Please keep me updated as to what you are hearing and how your team will be moving forward this season.

Thank you,
Denise

Stay tuned as the days progress. As of Friday morning I have not received any direction from the school about practices, etc.

The Coxswain's clinic and the US Rowing Referee clinic have both been cancelled for this coming weekend.