RowingChat Rebecca Caroe

What is a rowing mindset? Do you need one? And can it be trained?

Timestamps
01:00 Rowing for life
Welcome Jack Burns from Edge Rowing who has an interesting backstory.
He enjoyed the process of learning to row rather than the external competitions and winning.
His struggles were around injury and mindset. He learned the systems and tactics for mindset improvement in a systemised way.
03:45 What is performance mindset?
Ability to handle external factors, to perform to the limit and ability to visualise what you want to achieve. Where is your attention going, how to handle distractions and nerves while dialling your focus to what really matters.
The Edge Rowing business is about getting the edge. Bringing high performance focus to anyone.
Jack wanted to say he had put everything he could into achieving his fullest potential.
08:00 Rebecca's 19 year old self also worked out how to focus.
09:45 Rowing gives transferrable skills for life.
Jack's early rowing progress was based on his drive and his will. He got injured with a good mindset and a good trajectory. When he returned he had a bad mindset and was lying to himself about this.
He trained inconsistently with poor focus.
Jack now helps rowers shortcut the process of learning rowing mindset.
15:00 Why Edge Rowing is different
The approach is to be athlete obsessed to deliver the best service possible. Row to the best version of yourself. Data analysis and tracking individually which is used to make changes to programs.
The coaching mindset is for Edge Rowing to be so good that it could take someone to the Olympics.
Attitude, motivation, understanding new concepts are all part of the athlete experience.
Masters' ability to recover means we cannot do 12 sessions a week - physiology and balance is key.
Each decade as you age through the sport of rowing is very different.
Jack thinks recovery is overlooked as an aspect of performance. He believes rowing is behind the curve in the application of science to training.
if the athlete doesn't succeed in the programme, it's the athlete's fault. But if the coach changes things and it doesn't work, the fault is laid at the coach's feet.
25:00 Riwing Mindset webinar April 23rd 2024
An early bird discount will be shared with members who receive the Faster Masters newsletter. Sign up here
https://fastermastersrowing.com/newsletter/
It will help you find the process you need to focus on within your mindset.
Get yourself a free self-assessment from Edge Rowing - you get a mark and it gives you a clue to whether you are rowing to the best version of yourself with a feedback report including what you need to improve.
https://scorecard.edgerowing.com/
Racing is 90% in the brain - a lot of successful outcomes can be trained. Set up your rowing in a way that will suit you.


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I heard today that Jimmy Joy the legendary coach and founder of the Joy of Sculling conference died. Today's podcast is my reflections and memories of his work.

What changes are needed when doing big or small boats - length / inboard.
Timestamps

01:00 It's all about gearing.
How long are your oars and what is the ratio for the outboard to the inboard?
Small boats versus large boats. You have to carry your share of the total mass of the hull, riggers and oars. In a single scull you are carrying around 14-17kg. As the boat gets bigger, you carry less mass because it's shared between more people.
If you have a bigger boat - you can afford a heavier gearing on the oars.
Coaches try to give each athlete a consistent load to move the boat so you don't have to work a lot harder in small boats compared to big boats.
They adjust the rigging to make this broadly consistent.
03:00 So you should be able to rate a similar strokes per minute almost regardless of which boat type you are rowing in. Generally people rate higher in larger boats.
03:50 The span and spread affects the load.
Last week we reviewed the arc through which the oar tip moves each stroke.
You want a wider span on a smaller boat (single = 160 cm) but in a quad it may be tighter 159 cm.
Sweep spread is measured from the mid point of the hull out to the pin and these will be wider for smaller boats.
05:15 The oar length
You have to be strong enough to move the oar past the fulcum. A 1k race is around 100 strokes and you need to be able to deliver each stroke to a similar power.
Sculling oar lengths - sculls will be set at a length of 287 - 288 cm long
Sweep 370-374 cm.
These rigs are what you expect for younger rowers.... and oars get passed around the club and the lengths aren't changed.
07:20 Jim Dreher invented the adjustable length oar - the story behind the invention.
10:00 Load on the body from the blade
Masters are a hugely divergent age and strength group of athletes. Increase the load for younger masters, tailwinds and for beginners.
Decrease the load for older athletes or it's a headwind. The more experienced are more dextrous and can cope with a higher load and can rate higher.
You have to be able to put the oar in the water at the same speed the boat is moving past that part of water.
13:00 Rig your own boat to suit you
How long are your oars and span/spread? How old are you, how fit are you?
Rigging for Masters webinar - Volker Nolte has a detailed chart for oar lengths and span/spread for masters. He considers most masters to row on much too heavy a gearing.
https://fastermastersrowing.com/rigging/
If you are older you probably want to decrease your load.
When buying oars and sculls the spoon size and shaft weight / flexibility are different options you can choose,
Cut an oar shaft in half - the internal diameter isn't spherical - there are more layers of carbon on the front and back edge. This gives more or less rigidity / flex to the oar shaft. The tensional stiffness in the shaft comes from the thicker carbon which is on the front / back of the shaft facing the direction of travel when the oar is square in the water.
Buy the webinar and get Volker's oar and scull charts.
https://fastermastersrowing.com/rigging/


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Ways to use your boat rig to get a longer arc for the oar. Simplifying why it works and some key principles.

Timestamps
00:30 Rebecca's new shiny object is a wing rigger mounted gadget to mount a stroke coach and water bottle over your rigger.
01:45 Rigging a longer stroke
Having the oar in the water longer (distance rather than time). Taking the tip of the blade through a greater distance each stroke.
Use the principle of the lever to understand how rowing oars and sculls work to propel the boat. Inboard and Outboard ratio is important to understand.
With longer levers you need a greater force on the handle to move the oar though the same arc in the same time.
03:45 Is longer better?
As long as your athlete has the physical strength and power to move the oar through the water then you can use longer oars. There is a point of diminishing returns.
The rowing sliding seat was invented to increase the arc through which the oar is rowed through.
A longer slide gives a greater arc.
05:00 Does the athlete have the oar handling skills such that they can put the oar in the water at full reach at frontstops so you don't miss water? Missing water means you have a shorter stroke than you are capable of.
Rigging a longer stroke is a good solution for someone who is less skilled in bladework. Suggest the athlete rows on a longer arc.
- Shorten the inboard of the oar/scull
- Move the footstretcher closer to the stern
- So the catch angle is the same as other athletes
- And they get a longer effective stroke when the oar is actually in the water
A physically short athlete where you want them to have the same oar arc as other crew members. Shorten the inboard and adjust the outboard so their gearing is the same as the rest of the crew.
07:30 Rig Diagram
This might be useful for you to try. Check the rigging diagram from Stephen Aitken - rowing angle changes presentation
https://www.slideshare.net/rcaroe/rowinangle-changes-duetospanandinboardjan13

08:00 Study the arc through which the rower's arm and oar moves during the power phase.
The solid line shows a reduced span (moving the pin closer to the side of the boat).
Th length of arc is determined by the athlete's anthropometrics (leg and arm length) and torso (height).
A formula to calculate typical arc lengths.
10:00 For small changes of span/inboard this is a useful assumption.
Review the faulty logic
- Only change one thing at a time (not always possible as one change affects other parameters)
- Options of things you can change span, inboard, stretcher position, gap between handles at the finish for sculling. Which COULD you change to lengthen the stroke?
12:00 The conclusion that there's only one option that works
Reducing inboard and span equally and adjusting footstretcher to keep the handle gap the same at the finish works with increases in all angles - catch and finish.
Stephen recommends first reducing the inboard and then reduce the span equally.
13:15 Standardise rig across your boat fleet
Keep oars the same - similar inboards for quad/double and adjust for single. For sweep adjust for eight/four/pair.

What rig should masters rowing boats and oars use? How can clubs set up their equipment to suit as wide a range of athletes as possible?

Timestamps
00:45 I got a pair of mis-matched sculls and so I''m on a rant.... this is easy to improve.
Comfort in the boat and ease of use are the most important for rigging club boats.
All clubs should have standardised rig across the boat fleet.
02:00 Rigging basics
Your rig enables you to move the boat in comfort - your torso and legs.
Be able to sit comfortably at the boat in the finish. Look for your shins not hitting the deck, hold the oar so forearm at the same height as the oar shaft and at the catch that you can get your hips through the work - at least hips level with the face of the gate.
[If you don't know what this is, buy our Sculling Intensive course and learn how to find work through the pin and ways to adjust to suit your needs.]
03:30 Oarlock height and forearm height are related
It's important that your forearms are level with or above the shaft and the oar handle. Otherwise you cannot get weight into the hands as you press the handle down.
04:20 Standardise the boat rig
Sculling spread of 159 or 160 cm; seat to heel measurement of 16-18 cm; oars /sculls 286 cm long and 87 cm inboard, maybe longer oars for men or younger athletes. Note the inboards are the same because men/women use the same boats.
Sweep rigging span of 84 cm; seat to heel 16-18cm. Oars 370 - 373 cm long. Inboards standardise from 114 for an eight down to 117 for a pair.
Put tape on the oars with measurements e.g. 370:114 so it's easy to see what the oar is supposed to be set at.
07:00 Enable quick adjustments for club members
Height spacer washers - put one above and one below the oarlock/gate on every boat. So the oarlock sits at the midpoint above the oarlock to saxboard sill height. So you can easily see if the heights have been moved.
08:20 Shoes with adjustable sizes - we bought ours from Ankaa with velcro adjustment around the heels.
Also home-made velcro instep straps for ladies to use larger shoes are cheap to make.
09:20 Spacer Placer tool - if you want the lanyard when you buy it, mention Faster Masters Rowing.
Buy from Revolution Rowing
https://www.revolutionrowing.com/collections/on-the-water/products/spacer-placer-tool
10:00 Oar designs for easy adjustment include Croker's clamp on the button to release and reset the position without needing a screwdriver and tools.
Give your rowers autonomy so they can adjust the boat and oars to make them comfortable for their needs.


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I am using a daily monitor app to better understand my need for rowing rest and recovery.
Timestamps
00:30 US Masters Rowing Camp April 2024 includes Rebecca as a coach.
02:30 March 2024 Masters rowing training programs by Faster Masters Rowing.
Head race program includes a taper week. The 1k May and June program is for sprint racing.
Imposter syndrome in rowing and how to cure it. McGill spine stabilisation big 3 exercises. Technique sequential versus concurrent stroke profiles.
Get yourself a program including discount coupon.
https://fastermastersrowing.com/join/
06:00 Heart Rate Variability tracking
This tracks the variation between heart beats and is is a good indicator of your state of rest and recovery. How ready are you to do a workout today?
Masters often row on the same rig as they used when younger - clinging onto what we used to do rather than testing and re-measuring your physical state and strength.
09:30 I use HRV4Training app
A daily one minute measure of Rebecca's recent measurements. This is very individual.
Homeostasis - my body's reaction to stress and the autonomic nerve system to keep the body in balance.
Read the blog post
https://fastermastersrowing.com/heart-rate-variability-in-masters/
11.00 HRV case study
After getting a very low score and a red warning on HRV4Training I backed off my training. I was getting a virus - some was normal body stress, and some was post-training stress. It took 3 days before the HRV score came back to the normal range. A clear indication that the invisible virus had enabled me to recover quicker.
12:30 Medical conditions affect heart rate
One community member had an ultra-low heart rate.
Another member has "slightly haywire circuitry" in his heart and knows this affects his HRV measurements.
The HRV measurements are taken by putting your forefinger over the camera light on your phone. It takes a week to get enough readings to set a benchmark.

Full disclosure - Faster Masters Rowing is a brand ambassador for HRV4Training.com

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