Tough Call

This week I had to make a very unpleasant decision. I had to withdraw from the Head of the Charles Regatta due to an injury. I had an entry that many seek, and few get; it is a race that would have been the highlight of my rowing year. At first it seemed like some rest and intelligent training would get me through what appeared to be an overuse imbalance. It has become apparent that my need for rehabilitation is far greater than I understood; it is likely an old injury only now being unearthed by my PT. The realization, and the resulting decision to withdraw, was hard and painful to come by, but it has allowed me to think very hard about what it means to be a trainer, a coach, and an athlete.

Trainer. 

Whether they know it or not, my clients are placing their physical well being in my hands every time we work out. If I am not spending every moment fully focused on training my clients safely, then I am not respecting that responsibility, the most ennobbling one I have as a personal trainer. Had I chosen to take a risk and row in that race, in spite of worsening pain, what message would I be sending them if it resulted in further injury? How would I be able to advocate the benefits of exercise; the importance of safely pushing one’s physical boundaries? Would they be able to trust me with their well being during exercise if I was unable to knowingly avoid injury myself? I think not. 

Coach.

Similar to being a trainer, as a coach, I need to model exemplary behavior to my athletes, safety being the first priority. When I looked at my decision externally, through the eyes of a coach, the answer was clear. Would I ever force an athlete to get in a boat and row a race, after they had reported increasing pain, the origin of which was not quite clear? Would I push a student the way I was considering pushing myself? 

Never. Period. 

Perhaps this had to happen so that, if I am ever faced with that decision, I know I can trust myself to make that tough decision. Even better, I will know exactly how that athlete will feel; empathy may actually help me to offer consolation that won’t ring hollow. Now I can just hope I don’t ever have to cross that bridge. 

Athlete.

What is my responsibility as an athlete? Simply put, good sportsmanship. All too often we think of sportsmanship in abstract terms, honorable but ill defined. Does it really have definite qualities? Most certainly. Sportsmanship is nothing more than respect for fellow competitors, officials, and the integrity of the sporting event. Knowingly competing with an incompletely healed injury would have violated that respect. At best, I would have competed unsure I was doing so at the peak of my abilities. At worst, it could have resulted in my sudden inability to row mid race. I would have become an obstacle to others’ ability to perform their best, a headache for officials, and a liability for the event. 

 

Yes, I have done right by my profession. 

Yes, I have done right by my sport. 

Yes, I have done right by my body. 

Yes, I can now focus on getting better. 

Yes, it feels pretty crappy right now.

We all want to believe that we can recover or heal following timelines that fit into our training; get us well in time for a competition. Sometimes we can, sometimes we cannot. That is life. Now I respect the expression ‘listen to your body’. 

I sure hope it finds a way to thank me over the next year!

Drilling down

The most effective way for a rower to improve the form of their stroke is through execution of drills. Why is this so? Drills break down the complexity of the rowing stroke into its component movements, allowing the rower to instill each motion into their neuro-muscular system.

Movement patterns

The rowing stoke, like many other highly repetitive movements, is a movement pattern. This means that it is most effective when performed on a semi-involuntary basis. A common example of movement patterns is walking. It is a voluntary muscle pattern only in the sense that we decide when we walk, but our bodies have essentially created a movement pattern that is performed involuntarily. When was the last time you actually had to actively think how control each of the dozens of muscles the body uses when you walk? I can tell you, it was when you were about 1 year old. In fact walking is a movement pattern we take for granted, but it took most of us nearly a year and half to two years to learn! Is it any wonder that we have to devote the time we do to learn how to scull?! 

So, when we learn a new pattern, be it skiing, rowing, or a dance step, we have to actively repeat the motions hundreds (maybe thousands) of times for it to become automated enough to allow our brain to focus on refinements while our body takes care of the base movement on its own. This is what drills help us do. Below I describe several drills that I will have each of you learn and perform on during your workouts. As my primary reference, beyond my own experience, I have used "The Art of Sculling" by Joe Paduda. A great entry level book about sculling that I would happily recommend to anyone of you.

Bodywork drills

Straight arm sculling

This drill is the best way to fix the most common error novice scullers make, bending the arms at the beginning of the catch.  Using your arms at the beginning of the stroke is a reflexive movement that comes from other movement patterns and pollutes the rowing stroke. It is nearly impossible to eliminate by thinking.

With straight arm sculling, you perform a partial stroke that consists only of the leg drive. Your arms stay straight the entire time, and when your legs are fully extended, you simple drop the hand to pop the blades out of the water, and slide the legs back forward to the next catch. It certainly takes several tries to get the feel for this drill, it will seem very strange at first, but the more of this drill you do, the more automatically this problem will be corrected; often very quickly.

Arms and back

The partner drill to Straight arm sculling, arms and back involved taking very small, short strokes only using body swing and the arms. The Arms and back drill creates automation of the second half of the rowing stroke, and will emphasize the distinct sequence of arms and back motion as separate from the leg drive.

Again, this drill will feel strange at first, but it is a great way to clean up the overall stroke, and it is a great way to warm up the smaller muscles of the torso and upper body at the beginning of a workout.

Pause drill

Pause drills are great for slowing down the stroke, and allowing the sculler to stop at a crucial moment of the stroke so they can evaluate their body position. This is the drill where the brain and the body speak to each other through a feedback loop. At each pause, you can actually do what you really want to, take stock and think about what you are doing.

The arms away drill is where you pause at the beginning of the recovery. Your legs are fully extended, you have pushed your hands away and swung your body forward. Pause for a second, make sure everything is in its proper position, and then slide your legs up through the recovery to the next catch.

Bladework drills

Blades square

Helps to clean up the finish by ensuring the sculler releases the blades from the water square. Additionally, keeping the blades square during the recovery forces the sculler to maintain a lower hand height which will foster development of balance within the boat.

This is a very challenging drill, and at first, the sculler may row with blades 3/4 square, which is slightly less punishing. Additionally, rowing square can be learned by alternating between square and feathered strokes in any combination.

Novice scullers should not try to row square in the wind or on choppy water.

Feet-out sculling

Rowing with your feet out, or unstrapped, will ensure that the release is as clean and smooth as possible. Your hands will have to accelerate quickly away from your body at the finish, your back swing will have to be immediate, and you will NOT be able to pause at the finish, a common mistake with novice rowers.

This drill feels a lot scarier than it is. A great way to get the self confidence to do this drill is to practice it on an erg. Always learn this drill while rowing with low pressure rates, calm smooth strokes, and never row with your feet out if the water is choppy. 

References

Paduda, Joe . 1992. The Art of Sculling. Campden, ME : Ragged Mountain Press. (pg. 9 - 17).

Olympic Rowing

Racing shells at the Head of the Charles Regatta - 2009

Time to join in on the Olympic fever that has been gripping us all. The London games are turning out to be an incredible series of games on all levels and the British people should be proud of the bang up job they have done, it certainly looks worth all the inconvenience Londoners have had to endure in preparation. 

There has been so much attention focused on swimming and gymnastics, as usual, that I struggle to keep up with what has been happening on the water as rowing gets lower billing with the media. I want to take a moment and touch on a couple facts about rowing and the Olympics that you may not know. 

Pedigree

Rowing was one of the original 10 Olympic sports. In the 1896 Olympic games, events were held in Athletics, Cycling, Fencing, Gymnastics, Shooting, Swimming, Tennis, Weightlifting, and Wrestling. Rowing was on the docket but events were cancelled because of weather. The first Olympic rowing competitions were successfully held in 1900 in Paris.

Rowing is a sport with serious history under its belt. The Doggett's Coat and Badge sculling race in London has been held every year, without interruption since 1715, making it the oldest running athletic competition, in the world! In fact, rowing competitions are often amongst the oldest running events of any sports. Example, the Harvard-Yale Race (or Yale-Harvard Race, depending on your preference) is the oldest collegiate competition in the US and dates to 1852.

Longevity

Olympic rowers have incredible longevity as athletes. While Michael Phelps has dominated the last four years with the medals he has accrued, two Olympic rowers, Sir Stephen Geoffrey Redgrave of Great Britain and Elisabeta Lipa of Romania both achieved records that put Phelp's performances in perspective. Sir Redgrave won 6 medals in 5 different Olympic games from 1984-2000, and Lipa won 8 medals in 6 different Olympic games! They both earned Olympic medals over a 20 year period.

Lung Capacity

Olympic level rowers have stunning lung capacity. Matt Pinsent had once held the record for lung capacity of ANY athlete at 8.5L until Peter Reed surpassed him with his measurement of 9.38L! The average male lung capacity is 5.8L. By contrast, Lance Armstrong's capacity is 7L.

World Records

There are no world records in rowing. During the fevered races in the Olympic aquatic centers we can often see yellow stripes struggling to keep pace with the fastest swimmers. Announcers breathlessly urge us to the edge of our seats to see if we are witnessing not just a stunning victory, but the fall of yet anther record to superior sport science and athletic prowess. Not so with rowing. Rowing is so heavily impacted by wind, temperature, surface conditions, and water current that no two times in different events can ever be compared, at least not evenly enough for a world record to stand. 

Swimming home

There are two kinds of rowers, those that have flipped, and those that will flip. 

Me, with some help, NOT flipping a shell. Take that, water!

Since many of my students are very scared of the idea of flipping their shell, I have decided to put myself out their and set an example. I want them to understand that flipping happens, that you move on, and maybe even they will become a sculling instructor in spite of having to swim home to the dock.

I have been rowing now for just over 5 years, and I have had the pleasure of flipping my shell a total of six times. Each flip is ingrained clearly in my memory, and as I look back on them while teaching my students, I realize they are virtually a primer of the ways in which to flip a shell. No better way to teach than from experience!

Flip 1 : The wall

It was my first lesson, it was a cold and hostile November morning, and I got my tub pinned against the seawall north of the Fullerton Avenue Bridge. My port oar, stuck in the corrugation of the sheet piling was the problem. The solution? Hmm, let's see. Clearly all I have to do is pull the oar inboard and get it out of the way. Splash. I didn't even have time to close my eyes. I recall seeing the water line pass across my vision, and for a moment I was sure I was looking upside down at a startled fish. Thankfully, it was so cold that day, the water felt almost balmy, and I was relieved to learn that a shell ejects you so forcefully you come clear out of the shoes. No need to fear those straps.My fear at being in the water alone was quickly replaced by relief that no one saw that happen.

Flip 2 : The rock

My first summer rowing on the lagoon, I was having a grand old time rowing full laps by now. After turning around in the south basin I was charging back towards the club without realizing I hadn't kept an eye on my course. The water was low that year, and I ended up grazing a shoal with my port oar. A rock seized the moment. Splash. It was, I imagine, like sticking a rod into a bicycle wheel. Sudden and catastrophic. I was shot clear of the shell. (I was in a racing shell by now!) While trying to stand up I tripped in the water, and fell, cutting my hand on a razorback mussel. (Yes, Virgina, there is life in that lagoon.) No way to pretend this flip didn't happen with blood gushing from the palm of my hand.

Flip 3 : The oarlock

A one-on-one row with my coach Lev Skylansky. It was a beautiful summer evening and we were practicing some maneuvers near the dock, starts and turns and all sorts of fun oarwork. Strangely, as if fate wanted to me to watch, I looked over at my oarlock just in time to see the whole thing slip effortlessly up off of its pin. Splash. Helpless to even try to react, my shell freed itself from its stabilizing oar and rolled over on its back like a dog looking to get its belly scratched. I of course was beneath. I recall emerging from the water and yelling "Not my fault this time, the oarlock came apart!" It was how I learned that a flipped rower can be towed, with his shell, by holding onto the stern of a non-flipped shell.

Flip 4 : The dock

Ah yes, the lure of rowing whilst on vacay. I was visiting my mother in Seattle and I wanted to row on Lake Union. I contacted the Lake Union Rowing Club, and assured them I was a competitive rower, visiting from Chicago. It was Thanksgiving weekend, and naturally their open row was at 5:00 am. Yep. 5:00 am. In Seattle, in November, the rosy hued dawn makes the sky first blush sometime around 8:00 am. Naturally I sold my skills, so I had to do the fancy leg push off from the dock. It was just so early in the morning, too early for me to realize that I was entering the shell from the opposite side as I always do at LPBC. Try this sometime. It is like cutting your own hair in a two way mirror. Push off. Splash. Die of embarrassment in front of a group of strange rowers who don't know you from Adam. Oh, my mom was dock side too. Somehow I should have found a way to blame her. 

Flip 5 : The crab

The Grand Regatta, in Grand Rapids Michigan was the first time I had rowed on a river. Things had gone pretty well. I mean, I had rigged an oar with the oarlock on the wrong side of its pin, pushed off, learned what strong current feels like, (Quite scary, actually.) and then realized the error! I opened the oarlock, pulled the oar out, and flipped the oarlock around. All while out on the water. A more perilous or scrappy maneuver would be hard to imagine, and I pulled it off. If that isn't immunity...Fast forward to the last 50 meters of the race, I was squarely in second, perhaps first, when I look over one last time to make sure not to cream a finish line buoy. To this day it was too fast to know what happened. I suspect it was a crab. The next thing I remember I was being pulled into a launch. In front of all the spectators and my fellow club members. Somehow I saved my shoes, but that really expensive rowing seat was swallowed by old man river.

Flip 6: The wind

And we come full circle. My first lesson teaching LTS1 at the LPBC this spring. It was a beautiful day gone bad; halfway through the water portion of our lesson. Winds and current got whipped up, and I had students trying to turn around beyond the bridge, but being blown ever farther into Diversey Harbor. I had to save them! I had to instruct! There I was teaching the turn, verbally, and then when sign language. You know, if I just hold my arms out and turn my hands like oars, I can show her what to do. Damned Italian side of my family, have to talk with my hands. Splash. Well, now I am cold and wet, but my student is still blowing away. I stood up in the water to my waist and finished the tutorial, got my student turned and back off to the dock. That is when I realized I was not more than 20 feet away from...Flip 1. 

We all will flip, it is getting back in the seat and moving on that makes flips no big deal. This may seem like a litany of horrors, but let me tell you, they pale compared to all the amazing times I haven't flipped. I have rowed on the glacier fed water of Lake Dillon, Colorado, the papyrus trimmed banks of the Nile in Cairo, Egypt and the serpentine arcs of the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts. I have even started a humble collection of metal to hang around my neck. 

Every one of those flips was worth it.

Here comes the Sun

Now that the three weeks of Summer in March are a distant memory, it looks like we really are getting a taste of summer. While each shed layer of outerwear should be celebrated, it is important to remember that the sun poses its own challenges to rowers on the water. Intense heat, direct UV exposure, and the total absence of shade results in serious environmental exposure risks. Below are several preventative measures that all rowers should consider. 

Hats

Light colored hats of breathable material with brims that shield the face and keep sun and heat off the top of the head. Hats designed for runners are a good choice.

Sunglasses

Protecting the eyes is very important not just from health point of view but also for visibility purposes.  A rower is sitting low to the water, and reflective glare is often a serious problem, sunglasses will increase the ability of the rower to see obstacles on the water even when facing the light. Ensuring the sunglasses are tight fitting or strapped is a good idea should you flip your boat.

 Apparel

Light colored, moisture wicking, and highly breathable athletic apparel. Well selected fabrics can permit a rower to stay cool even with long sleeves which protect maximum skin surface from UV exposure.

Sunscreen

Perhaps the most important preventative measure. When wearing a hat, often people forget to protect the tops of their ears, their nose, and the nape of the neck. Additionally, the underside of the chin and the back of the thighs can get burnt from sun reflecting off the water at low angles of incidence. Rarely do people expect these areas to be burnt since they are usually in shadow. 

Additionally, if a rower is shirtless or wearing a tank top, extra care should be taken to protect the shoulders and forearms as rowing form often places these body parts at an angle perpendicular to the sun's rays.

Water

Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink. Make sure you have a water bottle in your boat. A long row is seriously dehydrating and you aren't going to reach over and drink from the water you are rowing on. Just because it is a water sport doesn't mean you can't get just as dehydrated as on land.

Tape Tip

Terry Smythe of UCanRow2 held a Concept2 Indoor Rowing Workshop at Rowfit Chicago and one of her clever tips will be the subject of this posting. With the use of electrical tape, a rower can set temporary and customized 'stops' on the monorail of an ergometer to help correct a number of form issues related to leg dive / slide positioning. Additionally, rowers new to the Pick Drill, or who struggle with partial slides during racing starts can use tape to help establish the correct seat/slide positions.

Note: Remove all tape frequently, ideally after each workout when you clean your monorail; it will cause some residue build-up after several workouts. The tape is a great tool for periodic evaluation and correction, but is probably best used only when a rower is actively correcting a bad habit. The bumps are strong, and while less disruptive than having a coach smack you on the head, not something that should be part of every workout!

The Catch

Many rowers over-compress at the catch, especially when on an erg. While this does extend the length of the stroke, it places the rower at a mechanical disadvantage at this crucial moment in the stroke. Liftoff occurs at the catch, and thus it is important that body be in a position of total power. Ensuring each joint is flexed to the correct angle allows the muscles to maximize mechanical advantage.

To find the correct slide position at the catch, sit on the erg and slide up the monorail until the shins are perpendicular to the ground. The heels will be slightly lifted up from the foot stretcher at the catch. Once in this position, place a strip of tape on the monorail just in front of the front roller of the seat. Each time the seat arrives at the catch position there will be a jolt, the tape is thin, but makes itself known!

Tape at the catch

The Pick Drill

The pick drill is a classic rowing drill that is used both as a sequential warm up and as a way to break down the rowing stroke into its component movements and body positions. A rower starts at the finish and begins rowing arms only. Next, body swing is added, and then the leg drive / slide. Typically the leg drive / slide is added in portions, either 1/2 slide and then full slide, or 1/4 slide, 1/2 slide, 3/4 slide, and finally full slide.

Once tape is placed on the monorail at the catch, fully extend the legs to the full slide position and place a strip of tape in front of the front roller. Divide the space between these two strips to mark the desired points, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4. Once these have been placed, remove the tape at the finish. (That position is fixed by the length of the leg.)

Tape at the catch, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full slide.

Racing Starts

Tape will be placed at the same locations used for the pick drill, to practice partial slides for racing starts, (typically at 1/2 slide, and 3/4 slide) but the drill starts from the catch. Practicing these partial slide sequences on an erg is of great value, as the mental stress level at the start of a race is incredibly high, the force differentials are maximal, and boat instability is not only at its greatest, but a bad set at the start can affect the entire race. Relying on trained muscle memory is crucial, and the stability of the erg can build family of drills that will transfer to the water.

The Power of Sculling

The drive starts in the legs; a solid contraction, a jolt of force against the shell. Immediately a single bolt of tension arcs through the entire body, is applied to the oars, and a full 2.5 meters out behind the rowers body the blade catches, sinking slightly, pressing against water. Hydraulic pressure holds the blade fast, mechanical advantage soars, and motion is born. As fast as the body can manage, the legs extend, the bow pitches down and out, and the body recruits a progression of muscle contractions, perfectly ordered in descending strength, the smaller muscles building upon the motion initiated by the legs.

The bow rises up and cleaves the surface, the gliding arcs of the oars skim over the bulkhead, the blades, fixed tight against an immobile crest of water create a shallow depression on their leeward side. When the body comes to the end of the slide, the opposing muscle groups take over. From head to toe a moment of recovery allows the boat to slip beneath the rower and onward into the cleft it is slicing through the water. Balance and control reign during the recovery; mental preparation for the next catch.

In the time of a few seconds, the rower has just exerted nearly every major muscle group, begun a steep ascent towards their anaerobic threshold, and if they are a great talent, to a spectator, begun a silent and graceful glide across the water mirroring many of nature’s most beautiful movements.

Rowing builds strength, endurance, and flexibility. Because it almost always throws a rower against their anaerobic threshold, it also demands extreme mental fortitude. Because the motion of the stroke is a closed chain exercise, and takes the body through natural full ranges of motion with little joint impact, it is a perfect sport to build full body strength and coordination.

Pairing rowing with lifting is both a natural cross training solution, but also, results in synergistic results benefiting each sport and, of course, the body itself. Rowing ensures an even development of the body and significant muscle density. Lifting generates power, muscle endurance, and anabolic growth. Taken together, the two are an amazing combination.

True strength. True symmetry. True muscle.