Hello again Reader New joiners are the lifeblood for masters rowing - more midlife novices come to rowing than any other group. Planning and organising your learn to row group is an important part of masters club strategy. It's important that they both have a good experience and that they get fed into a masters rowing pathway too. We got this question from a club in Australia. I have a group of late 30 something (age) ladies that have children rowing and would love to try rowing, I am torn as...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello again Reader Sickness and injury in your squad are a common frustration among masters coaches. Any time off training is a step away from the water and progress. So when I saw that British Rowing had built a decision flow chart which helps guide the athlete's answer to the question "Am I Fit to Train Today?" I thought you'd like to use it too. Click the image to download. [Note: GP means Family Doctor.] More coach resources We discussed limiting beliefs in the Mastermind group recently....
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hello again Reader A lot of us are using this time to simplify our digital lives. And unsubscribing from unwanted emails is often part of a January detox. Please hang in there with Faster Masters Rowing. Rebecca in her garden We are a micro business focused on creating community for masters which is something that we all care about. I need you, Reader in my club. This newsletter is one of the primary channels the business uses and it's valuable. Think about your two rowing best friends. I...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello again Reader Aging is inevitable but being frail is not. I started improving my strength 18 months ago and I have a personal goal to get "Michelle Obama" arms. She looks amazing. No bingo wings for me. [That's a British humour thing... look it up.] I am delighted to announce that Alex Wolf has joined Faster Masters Rowing as a strength and conditioning coach. Alex worked with the British Rowing team for 15 years and has designed our strength training program from the ground up. If you...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hello again Reader Happy new rowing year - just a quick newsletter this week in which I'm asking for your help and feedback about food and nutrition. Our next webinar is Powering Performance in the Masters Athlete. It will cover roles of specific macronutrients, nutrient timing, macronutrient sources, good meal & snack examples, hydration, micronutrients (and what's different for older athletes), supplements that can have a (legal) ergogenic effect, and effects of caffeine, alcohol, and...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hello again Reader Rose wanted to talk about steering down a buoy line while rowing in the dark. We had a good chat - she'd booked herself in for a 20 minute Rowing Concierge meeting. Regular readers will know that I talk often about investing in your rowing education and how being a good student of the sport is essential for refining your skills and experience. When a situation arises and you want to learn more or get another perspective, please ask us. We may be able to help or guide you...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hello again Reader Rowing legends have a habit of resurfacing as masters rowers. This week I was discussing a project with a new collaborator and he mentioned his business partner and he had both rowed at Oxford. I knew he meant the University and also probably that he was a Blue and had done the Boat Race against Cambridge, not just that he had rowed in the city once or twice. Although there's an ongoing trope about Yale alumni being the only ones who mention (often) that they're Yale...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Hello again Reader Many crews do a little secret santa each year and it's always challenging to find new ideas for long-term rowers and also good gifts which rowers may like to receive. Can we help? Ideas for your secret santa Boat lights Set of red/green and white lights for bow & stern. Buy now Row straps Keep your feet tight on the erg - unique design Buy now Spacer Placer tool The easy way to take out adjustable height washers so they don't ping off into the water! Click the image to...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to myrow, a connected fitness experience that transforms your Concept2 rowing machine into an immersive fitness adventure! Featuring a 22” tablet, on-demand classes, enhanced stats & tracking, group rows, and more. Visit www.myrow.com to get started. Hello again Reader After watching Greg Benning's 1% talk from the Older Athlete and Aging conference, my crew got together for a shared meal and to brainstorm the things we could do one percent better. After a lot of post-it notes and...
4 months ago • 4 min read