What Keeps You Committed?
Second in a series on my journey to Masters Nationals 2011. The first month of training is complete. I had written out a weekly plan ahead of time, and kept it within reach. Since April is still a busy month for work, I challenged myself to get on the water once a week, maintaining my workouts on land. I used a simple check mark to signify workouts completed. Only one workout... Read More
Flexibility Series: I
Man, this post is really a long time coming since it refers back to some talks I went to at the USRowing Conference in December. (Yes, that was over 3 months ago) There were a few great talks where FLEXIBILITY was a big focus. Two different speakers outlined two different approaches. If an athlete is having flexibility issues…do you work on correcting the flexibility? Or... Read More
Breathing while Rowing
There is nothing more important than breathing. That should go without saying. Strangely though, we’ve all forgotten to breathe at some point, especially in the midst of strenuous athletic activity. This shows, more than anything, how breathing is something that needs to be practiced. It does not, it seems, come naturally. I encourage the rowers in my classes to stay aware of... Read More
My Race Warm-Up
by Coach Sara-Mai Conway Here’s my typical race warm-up. Covers all the bases for me. You can do it in about 30-40 minutes, but I like to take longer and give myself 60 minutes. The WORST feeling before a race is to feel like you didn’t have enough prep time. Most new rowers don’t realize how much warm-up one really needs, or they go into the warm-up afraid that somehow... Read More
Feet Out Rowing: Parts 2 & 3
It’s feet out rowing time again! We’ve been using this drill as our July Drill of the Month. This is a great drill for developing an awareness of the connection between the bottom of your feet and the footboard. Without that connection – what are you doing? Nothing much. (See the Part 3 Video) I’ve done a blog on feet out rowing before, so this is just an... Read More
Maximum Heart Rate
First of all, “220-your age” is dead. The Spinning program has known this for years. An article from Spinning Instructor News in 2003 explains the origins of the 220-age formula for maximum heart rate. This formula was meant to allow cardiologists to generalize data, to ease discussion among academics, but was never intended for use by the public. Unfortunately, the simplicity... Read More
Indoor Rowing: Starting the Leg Drive
Generating Power on the Indoor Rower: Part I Listen, sometimes you do what you’ve got to do because there’s just one more 1 minute interval and you’ve already done 15 minutes of work at max, and you’re either going to finish in the top five or you’re going to die trying, and that’s just how it is. On the other hand, if you have some time, and you’re in training mode... Read More
Fly off the Handle
That’s right people, we’re going to get off the machine for a second. Although I still believe rowing is the perfect total-body workout, I also believe in cross training. I believe in cycling. I believe in mixing things up to keep balance in both the body and the mind. So let’s do something new! Presenting…Camp Flywheel: Envision a warm-up with a few minutes... Read More
The Journey is Within
San Diego Crew Classic 2010 In San Diego I had a great opportunity to once again be reminded that the true competition, no matter the situation, is within. I raced one hell of a race in San Diego and I’m in the best shape of my life. Our team raced a great race that pushed the limits of our abilities. We were defending champions in the Masters A race, and we were confident that... Read More
Stretching…
First, let me say that as The Supreme Workout Machine that does ALL – the Indoor Rower itself will help you improve your flexibility. Try keeping your heels down as you approach the catch, and you will improve your Achilles flexibility. Hold your knees down a little longer on the recovery and you will improve your hamstring flexibility. Have a problem with tight IT... Read More
