Had something really funky happen this week at practice. Ergometer trouble. The team was rowing a fairly standard Monday practice for us. Three sets of pyramids, with one set being: 30 sec on/ 60 sec active rest 60 sec on/ 60 sec active rest 90 sec on/ 60 sec active rest 60 sec on/ 60 […]
Rowing Shell Maintenance—A Plan For Success
How long should your rowing shell last? Three years? Five years? Longer? How long should your rowing shell last? Barring any unforeseen tragedies like fire, theft, or a major collision it is not unreasonable to expect a brand new rowing shell to last 10, 15, even 20 years—or more. That’s a lot of hard strokes […]
21 Tips For Safer Rowing Equipment Storage
I learned a hard lesson my first year as a head coach. It had to do with our rowing equipment storage. Spring season was starting and it’d been a tough winter. Athletes and coaches were ready to get on the water, excited about “real rowing” instead of “erg rowing.” Several of us ventured to the […]
Cool Rowing Equipment Website: Concept2
Even if you don’t use Concept2 oars, oarlocks, or indoor rowers you should to go to their web site. The reason why is because there is a wealth of information there. Yes, yes, yes…much of it is about their products. As you would expect. Yet, if you hover on their main menu bar, you’ll notice drop down menus. […]
My 2017 “Best Of” Rigging Tips
If you haven’t had the chance to read (and use) the rowing equipment and rigging tips I’ve been writing about in 2017, no worries. It’s been a crazy crazy year. Below are 11 of the tips that resonated the loudest with people, and I thought they were worth sharing with you. Give one, or all, a try: […]
Your Rowing Machine And The Super Power Of Preventative Maintenance
A rowing machine is a critical piece of rowing equipment. But I bet yours gets a very minimal amount of love. If any love at all. Which is a shame because you count on that machine. And one day, it might not be there for you. And it could be all your fault. Over the […]
3 Simple Tricks for Your Concept2 Indoor Rower
Most rowers would rather be rowing on the water than sitting on an indoor rower. Yeah, I get it. But if you find yourself on an indoor rower, especially that stalwart of equipment the Concept2 Indoor Rower, there are tricks-of-the-trade you can use. Simple tricks. I’m going to share 3 of my favorite with you. […]
You Know You Suffer From “Obsessive Compulsive Rigging Disorder” When…
Yeah. That’s a made up name. There’s no such thing as Obsessive Compulsive Rigging Disorder. I mean, it’s not in any manual. And of all the things in the world to obsessive over, or be compulsive about, rigging wouldn’t be one of them. Would it? Nah. Wrong! Rigging and rowing equipment are EXACTLY the things […]
7 Signs Your Rowing Shell Is Not Healthy
A rowing shell can’t talk (yet). But it can send you messages. Often those messages are signs your boat is not feeling well. With that in mind, here are 7 signs you should watch for, because each could indicate something unhealthy is going on with your boat: Sign #1) Bumps or wear in seat track […]
Rigging For Lousy Weather At The Head Of The Charles (or any head race)
“…pay attention to the weather, [at the Charles] that’s key. We’ve had all sorts of conditions here. One year it snowed. People can get hypothermia here very quickly.” – HOCR Emergency Services Co-Chair Jonathan Ellis This year is going to be your best Head of The Charles—ever! Your training was super. The team arrived safely. […]
