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RowingChat

RowingChat

By: Rebecca Caroe
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 Rowing Chat is the podcast network dedicated to rowing. We have many shows hosted from around the world on specialist topics from Strength Training to USA news, from interviews to data analysis. Produced by Rebecca Caroe, it brings rowing news, coaching advice and interviews to you. Go to https://rowing.chat/ for links to the latest episodes & subscribe in your favourite podcast software.All rights reserved
Episodes
  • Improving finishes for scullers

    Improving finishes for scullers
    Jun 2 2025
    How to coach the finish so that your finishes are not frantic, splashy or messy. Timestamps 00:45 Finding room to tap down before squaring. Start with the correct set-up at the finish with blades buried. Where are your handles? What's the gap between your hands? This is how you ensure you have room to tap down. If your handles are too close together at the finish, you cannot get out of separation and there's no space to push the handles down without them hitting each other. 02:45 Check your elbows are level with your wrist (or higher) at the finish when the oars are buried under the water. It's hard to tap down is your wrist is cocked and your elbow is lower than your wrist. 03:15 Drills for finishes Stationary stability drill stage two has a tap down and then feather. Learn how to do this whole crew without anyone holding the boat level for you. Videos of all these drills are in the Coach Mastermind Group as a joining bonus. Get yours here https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/coach-mastermind/ Pause drill at the finish - it helps to check you are finishing the stroke at the right position. Take the oar out of the water and then feather and return the oar to resting on the water surface. The reason is that your handles are at the same height as at the finish. Helps you to check how high your handles are actually rowing to in the full stroke. Goal in the consecutive strokes is to get your handle to the same place before you tap down to extract from the water. J-Curve Drill - tap down before feather. 06:30 Check finishes while rowing During continuous rowing, get your athletes to check handle heights at the finish while rowing - look down or feel where your thumb brushes your shirt. Hold onto the finish for 1cm longer while rowing. Helps them to keep pressure on the spoons until the end of the stroke before the extraction.
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    9 mins
  • The taper before racing

    The taper before racing
    May 25 2025
    How to train in the week before the regatta race. Timestamps 00:40 A taper is a reduction in training volume so you're ready to race on the regatta day. You should feel you are super-energetic, enthusiastic, you should feel ready for anything. You should find your adrenaline is up in anticipation for the event - this can also be due to nerves. When we train it puts our bodies under stress. The taper removes those stresses. 01:50 How to tapers work? In rowing we have one or two big events in the year - winter long distance and summer sprint racing. You can do more than one sprint peak in the year, remember after every peak you have to rest, reduce training volume as a reset before you go back into hard training again. The taper reduces volume, frequency and intensity of your training. Generally it starts one week before your event, if you're at a multi-day regatta, choose the day of your main event race as the peak day. Count back one week from that event. Depending on your normal training frequency, the taper varies. The workouts in the taper include shorter practices - less time on the water, workouts at higher intensities at or above race pace. Duration of the outing is less but intensity is high. If you train 6 times a week the days of the week you train should be continued in the taper week. 05:00 Travel is the big problem You have to load a boat trailer, fly or drive to the regatta venue and this can disrupt your normal training days. You often cannot train after the boat trailer is loaded. In the Faster Masters Program we recommend you train 3 days a week - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If you follow this pattern you get a rest day in between each workout. So your taper doesn't need to change from this pattern because you are already getting a lot of rest. Athletes who train 6 days a week do a different taper - the program has an asterisk on the 3 key days. 06:50 Practice your starts Each workout during the taper, you must practice your start sequence. If you are doing many different crews this is good because you get to do starts in your single, pair, quad etc. We also do race pace pieces which mimic different parts of the race. Some from the first half, some mid-race and some in the sprint for the line. Additionally it's great if you can do at least one of these practices on the race course you will be racing on. Familiarise yourself with the course, the warm up area, the start pontoons and rowing in between buoys. Practice backing into the start too. 08:30 Roll over the course workout Do every push you have planned in the race plan at race pace and row at firm pressure, SR 24-26 in between the race pace pushes. This gives bursts of intensity, practice on the course, keeps your blood going and makes you familiar with the race course. Your taper has to cover off your recovery - more rest than normal. Also optimising your psychological and physiological performance like race visualisations. Injury prevention is also part of the purpose of a taper because you're doing less and resting so you're less likely to get injured. Mental and physical freshness brings good energy levels to the event - overcome anxiety and nerves. Hormonal balance is also a benefit. 10:30 Tapers can also produce viruses As athletes taper they can succumb to viruses or allergies as the training pressure comes off your body. Do take extra care over personal hygiene, hand washing and face masks on a plane. Be protective of your own body - you've worked hard for this race event. Don't undermine your performance by succumbing to something which is preventable. Control the things which can be controlled.
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    13 mins
  • Policy leadership for rowing

    Policy leadership for rowing
    May 18 2025
    The policy leadership masters sport needs if it is to grow. What can public policy measures do to improve and grow masters rowing? Timestamps 01:00 Public policy for rowing Sophie Harrington is researching recommendations to improve access to womens and girls sport using public policy measures. Her focus on the male/female side opened up masters sport as a new area where sport for life outcomes could work. To grow masters sport inhibitors exist which prevent improvement. Some are structural - how we organise, think and run volunteer sport. 03:00 Growth inhibitors Ways to improve access and people's enthusiasm and interest in masters sport. Constraints include memberships - many clubs are annual fees/dues. Can we offer pay-to-play memberships? Also what about time of day pricing as our rowing equipment lies idle for 22 hours a day. Training at quieter times of day between early mornings and school afternoon sport times. Sweat your assets to get more money in for use when not in demand. 05:15 Coach education Teaching methods used for youth are not as appropriate for older adults. Consider psychology and physiology of athletes so coaches know how to work with a broader range of athletes. Competition structure is a growth inhibitor. We need 3 layers - local / regional and national competitions including those which are participatory not races e.g. Park Run. What is the rowing equivalent? Scrimmages, touring row or visiting another club. Some people take years before trying racing. Competition for those new to competing needs to be organised so you can go to hyper-local events with low friction (no equipment trailer). 08:00 Athletic Pathways for masters Ways for those of limited experience go to races against those whose experience is similar. Age doesn't work for a level playing field when years of experience is considered. Having plural athlete pathways which incorporate fitness rowers with challenges (not necessarily races) that move folks into competition gently. Social inclusion - having a coffee after the workout is important to build friendships and encourages them to stick around as a group. Facilitate sport for life is the outcome goal. Want easy live streams like this? Instant broadcasts to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn. Faster Masters uses StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5694205242376192
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    10 mins

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