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29 November Newsletter
Published 27 days ago • 4 min read
The newly launched MyRow offers a large 22-inch tablet made exclusively for the Concept2 rower with a rich library of on-demand workouts and turns it into a connect to fitness exercise machine. Check it out at www.myrow.com!
Hello again Reader
How do you stay warm at winter regattas? I was contacted by a London-based Faster Master who expressed concern about the way long distance races are managed in the UK. In general, the slower crews are set off last and as a consequence, masters are frequently marshalled at the back of the line, sometimes having to wait a long time in the cold before they start their race.
Here’s what I did when rowing in Wanaka, New Zealand (early morning 2 degrees, high of 15 with a wind chill too).
I layer up, big time. I pack 3 changes of clothing per day of the regatta.
We were wading out into the water to wet-launch our boats into the lake. I am bare foot, have my warmest leggings on; socks in my waist band. Get in the boat and put the waterproof socks on first (before fixing up so my feet start to warm through).
I wore four layers on my torso – silk undershirt, t-shirt, thermal long sleeve and a waterproof jacket. I had a neck warmer (half fleece, half cotton) and a beanie hat too.
For my hands, I have shooting mitts which are sheepskin but leave my palms open to the oar handles. Those are fine most of the time…. pogies don’t keep my hands warm, I’m afraid. And if I get wet I always change my clothing so I stay dry on land, even if it means putting wet clothes on to go out to race. Read the rest of the article.
Have a happy Thanksgiving if you're celebrating, and don't forget our Black Friday discount coupon BF2024 for 30% off our webinars lasts all weekend.
Rebecca
This week's podcast
Boat speed is the net of acceleration in the power phase and deceleration on the recovery. 4 things to try which will improve your recovery and slow the boat less.
When you learn just one useful thing from our podcast, become a supporter from $1 per month. This helps cover overheads and enables us to continue our work to improve masters rowing around the world.
Erg Intensive free kickoff
Join coach Sam Dutney and Rebecca for the Erg Intensive kickoff this weekend on Sunday 1 December.
Erg Intensive is a 3 month training program to prepare you for 2k or 5k erg races in early 2025. So if you've ever wondered just how "fun" erg training in a group can be, this is your chance.
Coach Sam will lead the introduction video in which he'll explain the training program, set out some core technical principles for masters training on the erg and introduce you to his testing protocols. These are important so you train at the right intensity for YOU.
Click the video below and it will show you the date/time in your timezone. You will be watching on YouTube.
We got a customer question about how to choose the right program for your next race event.
I just signed up for annual [program], and I really want a long-range plan for head racing next fall. When do you post the new plan? I’d like to get started right away. Will you post it by December 1st?
The Faster Masters Programs are released on the first of every month. We never share a whole year at once.
For an athlete who is training for fall 2025 long distance races, you will follow the 5k long distance training through to March 2025 (even if you don't do a race event, it's good training to build up your strength endurance). Then when others start to do 1k racing, you will also start their program because the early months are lower rates and still include the aerobic endurance workouts which you need for head racing. As the 1k plans take a few months to build up to race pace, you will stop doing those plans in July and switch to the 5k plan which takes you through to fall head racing.
Through the year, you will choose the following programs
Lots of folks in northern or southern hemispheres row at o’dark thirty. One of the safety elements we did was light our dock with these roadway PV lights. We chose blue so as not confuse with fishermen or nature folks lights on shore. These lights make much safer for launching and landing in the dark. We also placed them at different angles to provide water side visibility.
Join us to discover the fun in our global rowing community. We race, we train, we go on rowing vacations, we meet other masters, we discuss, we learn, we laugh. Join in
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...
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...
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...
