Rowing wise man Allen Rosenberg chimed in the other day when asked by someone how to improve an erg score. These steps were taken from that discussion. Although not length, their might be insight in here for you.

1)    Get into the mood: have no hesitancy or recriminations about working the erg. Shed the workaday stuff during the time well before the sitting down.

2)    Fuel up: don’t skip breakfast on the days you workout

3)    Fuel up again: snack 3-4 hours before work time with nuts, fruits whole grains and above all strong tea about 30 minutes before.

4)    Use high-test fuel: make sure your diet is rich in carbohydrates and proteins which, when combined, will release glucose and tyrosine for energy.

5)    Stress free: pay attention to being stress-free immediately before the work by checking  heart rate and staying close to normal resting.

6)    Control your surroundings: make your surrounding clean, pleasant smelling and not too cool or too warm, and make use of moving air using a fan for circulation, make use of pleasant sights and sounds with audio and/ or video tapes.

7)    Be special: treat yourself as someone special. Wear  fresh, clean workout gear.

8)    Get wet: hydrate all day well before the workout. Hydrate after the cool down.

9)    Plan: thoroughly plan workout well ahead so that you can (and  will subliminally think through the workout )

Allen Rosenberg is one of the best known rowing coaches in the world. I hope that he will continue to share his wisdom here. To read more about Allen click here.

Care to share your suggestions about improving an erg score . . . please use the comment box below.

Several years ago I wrote this article for row2k.com (one of my favorite rowing sites). It has become dated so I’ve added some text and links, since the time of season is right to think about this.

I love playing the contrarian. You know, that guy who just has to look at things from an alternate view. Or the person who really needs to go against conventional wisdom.

For instance, everywhere I turn I see people/businesses/coaches promoting “To Do” lists. Those David Letterman-like lists that are supposed to grab your attention and help you do the right thing.

In my email in-box this week I’ve received the following:

• Save money at the gas pump, use this 10-point TO DO List.
• Before your kids start school here are 20 safety things TO DO.
• Hurricane season is coming, use our TO DO list to prepare for emergencies.

Enough! I love the advice, but enough with the “TO DOs.” They can drive a person crazy.

Instead, how about this. Let’s try something from a different angle (said the contrarian). It seems occasion for a “TO DON’T” list. Therefore, I’m presenting to you seven “TO DON’Ts.” Seven things I highly recommend that you DON’T do before the start of the Fall head race season (and resources to help you not do them).

Buckle your seat belt, they’re coming fast.

DON’T Use The Same Rigging Numbers Used In The Sprint Season

Why? As I written about before the leverage used in sprint races should be different (heavier) than that used in head races. Longer races at significantly lower rating and rowed at a time when many rowers are not in strong physical condition dictate that things need to be lighter for rowers.

DON’T Assume That Your Water-Way Has Not Changed

Why? Because somewhere out on your river/lake/creek someone has either

• placed a net across your race course that is sure to catch everything alive (including a Mercury outboard)
• sunk a 40 foot cabin cruiser that lurks just 4 inches below the water and is just looking for a few skegs to join it
• put up a swim platform two hundred meters from the finish line of your course that is so low in the water the chances of a coxswain seeing it are about zero

DON’T Do The Same Workouts Training For Head Races As You Used Training For Sprint Races

Why? Basic physiology and psychology dictate this. Along with the understanding that 2000 meter erg testing in the Fall is about as popular as Brussels sprout ice-cream. Different racing requires different training, especially with athletes who spent the summer (all summer) loving life to the fullest.

Friend Tom Bohrer has posted an article on suggested training for head races that I recommend.

DON’T Think For One Moment That All Of Your Safety Equipment Is Where You Left It And It Is In Good Order

Why? Well for one reason, there is nothing that makes a better “fun box” for a three year old than a first aid kit. For another, it is amazing what a great nest a raccoon can build out of a bag of life jackets. And yet another, launch paddles have a way of sprouting legs, never to be seen again. Unless you put it under lock and key at the end of the Spring season, chances are slim it is where you left it.

DON’T Believe That All Of Your Equipment Is In Good Working Order.

Why? Because:

• Because we are rowers.
• Because we pull hard.
• Because we break things-a lot of things (and have habits of not telling people that, “Opps, I broke that . . . .”).
• Because non-rowers find rowing stuff and like to use it for non-rowing things (”Hey, Butch, this long paddle-thingy will be just great for cleaning your gutters.”)

DON’T Use The Outboard Motor Without Testing It.

Why? For the simple reason that getting two-hundred-meters-downriver-when-the-engine-cuts-out-and-the-second-day-novice-are-rowing-by-a-five-into-a-restored-(and very expensive)-cabin-cruiser-owned-by-the father-in-law-of-your-school’s-president is much more of an Excedrin headache than you really need.

DON’T assume that your rowers remember more than a smidgen of all that great technique you taught them last Spring.

Why?

• Playstation, DDR, Wii,
• Work
• Life
• Batman
• Beer
• ESPN2
• School

and a horde of other brain-cell grabbers that happen in a typical summer.

And finally (an extra bonus TO DON’T)

DON’T eat that donut that you just found under your launch seat from last year’s final practice.

Why? Just trust me. Don’t. Regardless of how hungry you are. Don’t.

I base each of these Don’ts on personal experience. So, now go to the boathouse and don’t do these things. Let me know how they don’t go. And if you’ve got a favorite DON’T before the fall starts, let me know.

Two more articles that delve into the science behind the Olympics, speed, and winning:

• Advanced rigging gave British crews the edge
• The appliance of science

Both with a British slant, and both worth a read.

Laurie just sent a great question about blade oar depth. She asks:

Hi Mike! Can you give me some guidelines on where best to place depth-marking tape on the sweep oar. If you have any ideas on this and if you could tell me from where you are measuring ie- the end of the blade or where the blade attaches to the shaft.
This is for some varsity college guys who are digging a bit and thought the visual may help…any thoughts?

Thanks Laurie, for the question. Let’s see if this helps.

Why To Do It

The oar during the drive moves rather quickly, often around 1 second, and it sometimes can be difficult to see the placement of the oar under the surface. A wrap of tape along the lower shaft of the oar (often called the throat) can help a coach or coxswain gauge the depth of the oar during the drive.

The tape also gives, from behind the shell, a view of how all the oars on a side work, or don’t work, together.

However, in conversation about this with Allen Rosenberg (coach extraordinaire) he noted that the blade depth is likely to change  as a boat’s speed increases. However, the tape could be a good tool for noticing fluctuations that shouldn’t be happening.

Personally, I’ve used tape, and then not used it—depending on the level of skill of the crew. I’ve found it to beneficial when coaching beginners but as the rowers become more experienced it was not quite as helpful.

How To Do It

The first part of the process is pretty simple:

1. Get the heights correct for each rigger
2. Then put boat in the water
3. Put oars in
4. Have rowers sit in boat with oars buried, at the finish.
5. Check oar handle height at release and blade depth to make sure they are correct

The second part is a little tricky. You then need to bring your launch over to the buried oars, use your fingers to mark the place on the shaft where the it enters the water. Then I gently lift the oar up, dry it and put a wrap of tape around it.

From here you can either do all the oars, or wait until you come in from your row, measure the distance on the marked oar, and then mark the rest.

My tape of choice is colored duct tape. If I don’t have that, colored electrical tape works well. The brighter the better.

When To Do It

I suggest that you do this process when you have some time to set it up correctly, and when you have time to be able to work with the results. The info you will get may prompt you to make changes in technique (not a great thing to do the day before a race).

Where To Do It

Do this on water that is flat and nice (preferably not at 35 degrees F). Flat water is critical.

I hope that helps Laurie. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know.

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When one is big, and the other is small, what should you do?

I just recently received the following email from Patrick, about rigging for different size rowers.

Hi Mike,

I’m wondering, I’m trying to rig a double up for my partner and myself to race in. I’m 5′11” and he’s somewhere around 6′4”. We’re rowing in a Wintech double so the adjustments have been pretty easy so far.
I raised my seat to its highest potential and moved my stretchers about 1/2 in up, but our angles are still off, people have been telling me to move my pins in and his pins out but I am not sure how much is too much or how much is enough.
Was wondering if you could give me some insight on this. Hope to hear from you soon.

Patrick brings up one of the most frequently asked questions I get from rowers who really want to get the most from their equipment: “What if I am a different size from my partner, what can I/we do?” This is not an easy one to answer. However there are some steps he can take to find a solution that may work for you.

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