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Hello and Happy Summer Rowing!

What an eventful summer we’ve had at MastersCoaching. We got off to a quick start in June when we took our first masters eight to the Henley Women’s Regatta in England. The experience surpassed expectations. It was exciting simply competing at that prestigious venue on glass-flat water in a beautiful setting. There’s nothing quite like it.  The regatta itself runs like clockwork on and off the water.  Races are run on 5-minute centers, so there are often two in progress at the same time -- GREAT for spectators! 

Our group of 11 was hosted by a local British family.  We had a great week of training, each day mixing in one touristy event, including visits to Windsor Castle, Eton College boathouse, Oxford and local pubs.  A favorite was Henley’s River & Rowing Museum. 

While we were beaten "easily" (as the British so properly say it), our crew was happy to smash their time-standard goal (based on their time in the 2003 Head of the Charles).  Ours was the oldest crew there by far — "We were old enough to change our competitors’ diapers,” one rower said — so we felt like winners simply by competing. Plus, we were cheered down the course by spectators who knew our story. Pictures are posted on our web site at www.masterscoaching.com/images/Henley04.htm

For our next trip to England, we’re considering racing at the Henley Veterans Regatta in July.  Any interest out there?

Once again, I am grateful to JL Design Enterprises for generously supplying MastersCoaching athletes with new unisuits to wear at Henley. Check out JL’s high-quality racing gear at www.jlracing.com.

This issue of MastersCoaching is dedicated to the drive.

Here’s to a great month on the water. Have fun!

Mayrene

In this issue:

¶      Drive Mechanics: Prying the Boat Forward

¶      Mayrene’s Toolbox: Drills for Drive Mechanics

¶      Coaching Corner: Your Questions Answered (Win a Free Coaching Session!)

¶      "Goal for the Gold" – Put Your Goals Into Action Now!

¶      Motivational Magic: Quotes to Inspire You

¶      From the Bookshelf: Recommended Reading

Drive Mechanics: Prying the Boat Forward

The POWER PHASE of the stroke is made with the legs as the blade enters the water. This connection is made by suspending your body weight from the fingers, lats, and feet to the blade in the water. The sliding seat simply allows the stroke to be longer and the boat to move further past the blade.  When done correctly, the rower will actually feel their weight become lighter on the seat. 

 

The leg drive (and therefore the seat as well as the oar handle) must move at the same speed of the boat through the water. The legs, back and arms work in an overlapping manner during the drive and finish together. When the rower feels her/his weight come back down on the seat, the blade should be out of the water. If you are sitting heavily on your seat, and no longer pushing with your feet and pulling with your lats/fingers, you have become an “anchor.”  Your blade in the water is checking the speed of the boat and your body weight is driving the bow down into the water.

Mayrene’s Toolbox: Drills for Improving Drive Mechanics

The most important thing about the drive is to feel the resistance as you start the legs. When you miss water, one of the results is you open too quickly with the back and/or break the arms early to catch up with the speed of the boat to feel the resistance. 

Here are five drills to incorporate into your warm-ups that will improve your drive. If you are in a team boat, start with most of the rowers sitting out.  All drills are done with square blades.

¶      Row 7/8 slide with legs only.  This helps you work on the pressure with the feet at the catch. It is important that the handle moves at the same speed as the boat. 

¶      Swing only. Watch the blade height as you swing forward so that you don’t swing too far forward and sky the blade.  Feel the feet connect with the stretchers and pushing as you swing.

¶      Legs and back (NO ARMS) only. Feel the legs and back finishing the stroke together.

¶      Legs and arms only. The body stays straight up and down. Feel the suspension between the lats and feet.

¶      5 strokes legs and back only; then 5 full strokes. Feel the added boat speed on the full strokes.

Incorporate these into your warm-ups for a month. You’ll see a huge difference.

Coaching Corner: Your Questions Answered

Q.  “Our coach is always hollering to us about handle height and setting the boat. I'm not sure our boat has ever been set. More often than not, it seems there is nothing I can do about it because the boat is leaning to starboard, and I can't even get my handle off the gunwale. Other times it’s the opposite and my handle is forced high in the air. What is the perfect handle height? Should I be focusing on my own personal technique or do I have to kind of roll with the boat, so to speak?”

            ~ Anne,Minnesota

A.  A wise coach, Buzz Congram, once said that anyone can balance their own seat in the boat. This is true, but sometimes extremely challenging, even for experienced rowers. The first thing I do at the beginning of each practice is to establish the “marks” of each person in the boat while they are all sitting at the finish with their blades squared and buried, and then again at the catch with blades squared and buried. This gives each rower both a visual and a kinesthetic reference to where the oar handle should be at each end of the stroke when the boat is balanced.  I urged Anne to be as consistent as possible with her hand heights and to avoid letting the lack of set in the boat force her hands down to the gunwales or higher than her marks. Depending on which way the boat falls off keel, this may necessitate recovering with your oar partially feathered on top of the water or skying on the recovery.

Another exercise that helps with set in an eight is to row by pairs, fours and sixes, so that rowers can practice their hand heights with a stable platform.  Sometimes this requires re-teaching those sitting out about how to keep the boat balanced.  That said, rowers can still feel what is happening during their stroke to pull their “seat” off balance.

Another drill that helps (and there are many) is to row with square blades up to and including all eight.

Win a Free Coaching Session!  Do you have a question about training or rowing that you’d like answered? Send your questions to mayrene@masterscoaching.com. Every month I’ll select the best question and award the submitter a free 30-minute coaching session focused on your question. So go ahead, ask. What have you got to lose?

While you’re at it, please share your comments, feedback and suggestions about the MastersCoaching newsletter. What features would help you? Do you have information you’d like to share with other readers? I love receiving input from you, so send it along.

Goal for the Gold: Put Your Goals Into Action Now!

MastersCoaching is pleased to announce GOAL for the GOLD, a free goal-planning tele-class that will focus your power, passions and productivity and turn the 2004 fall racing season into your most successful and satisfying one YET!

In a telephone conference call, professional coaches Mayrene Earle and Kate Woods will review the basics of goal setting and discuss how to convert your goals into meaningful, achievable steps. This is an interactive class in which you’ll create structures to ensure success. The class is free (no hidden costs, no obligations).

When: Monday, September 13th,  7:00 - 8:00 pm (Eastern Daylight/New York Time)

Where: From the comfort of your favorite chair. Simply call the phone number you will receive upon registration.

How: Register today to reserve your spot. Class size is limited to 24 participants. Please email Mayrene at mayrene@masterscoaching.com.

Cost: It's FREE!!

Motivational Magic: Quotes to Inspire You

¶     "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." ~ Henry Ford

¶     "Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground." ~ Theodore Roosevelt

¶     "Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it." ~ Chinese proverb

From the Bookshelf: Recommended Reading

Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life, Spencer Johnson, MD. This parable about change uses cheese as a metaphor for what you want in life.

Mayrene T. Earle, M.Ed.

Rowing ¶ Life Coach

“Empowering individuals through the sport of rowing.”

Founder: masterscoaching.com

phone: (508) 896-0076

email: mayrene@masterscoaching.com

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