What OTW Training have you done today

[Yankeerunner]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the nice words. Here is a video of Zac Purchase. There is an obvious deliberate raising of the hands and getting the blades locked in before starting the drive. Since Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter dominate in the lightweight double, your kids might be convinced.



Hi Rick,

I'm kicking myself for not starting sculling sooner. I waited until I was 67 to take a learn to row course and became totally addicted after a few strokes my first time in a single. I have done some other sports, none as an elite but more as an enthusiastic amateur, such as bike racing (cycling) and cross country skiing but sculling on a scenic river early morning is something that words can't describe. The best I can do is say it is glorious, and once you get started there is no turning back.

Byron

Very nice. When I've been driving across the Rock's Village Bridge at abut 7:00am on my way to the Hard Nock's Gym the Merrimack River (Indian word meaning Swift Water) has been like glass and I've thought to myself that it would be great to know how to row and to be out on it. In my mind's eye I can see myself looking like Zac, although I realize that while in my mind's eye I look like Eskild Ebbesen on the erg in reality I'm an ugly sight with all my thrashing.

There is a boathouse in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts. Maybe I'll see if they have a learn-to-row program.

[Bob S.]

There is a boathouse in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts. Maybe I'll see if they have a learn-to-row program.

Beware, Rick. It is far more addicting than erging can ever be.

Bob S.

[Byron Drachman]

There is a boathouse in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts. Maybe I'll see if they have a learn-to-row program.

Beware, Rick. It is far more addicting than erging can ever be.

Bob S.

Hi Rick,

What Bob said. There are no 12 step programs as far as I know for the addiction. Sometimes I feel like a drug pusher.

Is the boat house for a rowing club? Most rowing clubs offer learn to row courses.

A few years ago I told a friend I would take a short video of him so he could look at it later. You see a quick glimpse of him in his high visibility yellow shirt go by in the opposite direction in this clip. Anyway, I had the camera aimed at him and was about to start recording when in the corner of my eye I saw our twice Olympic rower on the river. She is a lovely young lady with an absolutely gorgeous stroke, and I switched the camera to her. We put this short clip on our rowing club's home page:

http://lansingrowingclub.org/videopage.html

Part of the fun of sculling is the technical challenge. Most people look awkward at first, and as they progress looking graceful and at ease happens naturally.

This morning I had to pause during my row because there were some turkeys:

turkeys_March_18_2012_c_r.jpg (107.68 KiB) Viewed 11739 times

[PaulG]

There is a boathouse in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts. Maybe I'll see if they have a learn-to-row program.

Rick: You know you drive almost by my house on the way across the river. I've got the shell and you are running out of excuses. I need an early morning training partner for my open water races. Some day I will do the Blackburn Challenge: 22 miles around Cape Ann which I understand is like running a marathon with a chance of drowning. The best thing I did was take 3 hour morning lesson at the Durham Boat Club. There is a club in Methuen as well as Lawrence. Between the two of us we could set back sculling on the Merrimack by years.

Paul

[mikvan52]

like running a marathon with a chance of drowning. ..... Between the two of us we could set back sculling on the Merrimack by years.

Paul

I can hear the EMT sirens wailing already !

Seriously; We should plan a group outing... Maybe I could dig up an Ocean 2x for Mary and me...
or, even better, Mary and Chris...

[Yankeerunner]

Oh my. Methuen eh? Even closer than Lawrence. And outings with Paul, Mike, Mary & Chris. Does anyone have an extra PFD that would fit me? And how about some pontoons like Byron uses?

[Byron Drachman]

Oh my. Methuen eh? Even closer than Lawrence. And outings with Paul, Mike, Mary & Chris. Does anyone have an extra PFD that would fit me? And how about some pontoons like Byron uses?

Hi Rick,

I'm looking forward to hearing about your on-the-water experiences. As Paul says, there is no reason not to get started. You'll be good at it, trust me on this one.

The PFD and pontoons, as you know, are for cold water safety. The water is warm enough now that the pontoons and PFD are put away.

Some learn to row courses start out with the sculler deliberately capsizing the first lesson so you realize it is no big deal and you can be more relaxed when starting out. We don't do that. Our club starts scullers out in quads, then doubles, then recreational singles that are very stable, and don't ask people to go in the long, skinny boats until they are comfortable doing so.

Byron (Your friendly drug pusher)

[bw1099]

First time out this year. 6k in a racing single.

It is surprising to me that after a fair amount of erging over the winter (including yesterday), I find new muscles I didn't know I had after only 5 minutes on the water.

[Rockin Roland]

First time out this year. 6k in a racing single.

It is surprising to me that after a fair amount of erging over the winter (including yesterday), I find new muscles I didn't know I had after only 5 minutes on the water.

That would be because the erg offers no balance or directional change training. It's all done on a stable single action platform. There are so many more muscles involved from your core muscle group used in balancing the boat, taking the catch and sending the boat away at the finish. Plus the extra muscles required in feathering and squaring the blade. The erg can't possibly replicate all that. A Rowperfect erg goes considerably further than the humble C2 erg in doing this but still doesn't help you with the blade work.

Nothing beats time spent on the water.

[bw1099]

Nothing beats time spent on the water.

I couldn't agree more.

[Snail Space]

I wouldn't call it training, but I was OTW. Importantly, I wasn't ITW!

I have coached junior rowers for 7 years, but it was only 2 years ago that I took a learn-to-row course at my local club. Unfortunately, two surgical operations and convalescence have conspired to keep me away from boats until recently. Some unseasonally warm, sunny weather (it will probably be the best we get until September) persuaded me to do battle with a fine single.

I was pleased to have managed to take the boat off the rack, onto the water, and get myself away from the pontoon without assistance. As soon as the bankside blade was a hair's breadth of the landing, all the advice that I bellow at my juniors about relaxing in the boat was completely forgotten - every single muscle in my body became 100% tense. I held my hands level at backstops with my blades flat on the water to establish a feeling of stability, and to allow myself to loosen my arms. Then I raised and lowered my hands in a ssee-saw motion to prove to myself that I could regain stability by returning my hands to the same height. However, every time I attempted forward motion, using arms only, every slight wobble prompted a return of the weight-lifter's muscle contraction.

After half an hour, after which I had rowed a mere few tens of metres, I was so exhausted by tension that I slowly returned to the pontoon to rest with a rigger safely parked on the landing. After a few calm minutes I set off again. I don't know why but thhis time I felt a bit more relaxed, and on my second "outing" I felt SLIGHTLY easier in the boat. I suspect it coincided with making a conscious effort to avoid using effort on the drive.

I adventurously tried some arms-and-body, thinking about the release and rock-over, and felt a tiny sense of progress made. My forward progress didn't amount to more than a few hunndred metres, but at least the lateral movement remained a nett nil! I managed to return to the pontoon and extract myself from the boat without help, and return the boat to its rack in the boathouse.

Result: happy man - some progress (albeit minimal) and, most importantly, remained dry. Having said that, I am sure thhat (just like thhe weather) there are wet spells to come!

Cheers,
Dave.

[mikvan52]

BANNER morning..

light tail wind
a group of three boats *8,4,2x
2k time trial
Sun coming up
Everybody happy

Does it get much better than this?

[Bob S.]

I wouldn't call it training, but I was OTW. Importantly, I wasn't ITW!
Cheers,
Dave.

Great story, Dave! It made me think about what it might be like if I tried to go out on the water again. I have been "on the beach" for over 10 years now and age has made serious inroads on my agility. All the major joints ache and my balance has gone south. A friend has recently purchased a recreational shell, which is currently stored down on the sunny coast of Socal. She will be bringing it up here to the Eastern Sierra country soon and plans to launch on one of the local mountain lakes (9000 ft of elevation). It is probably clear of ice now. It would be tempting to ask if I can take it out for a brief paddle, but when I think of these brittle, osteoporotic bones being flipped into that freezing water, i get hit with a good dose of reality.

Bob S.

[Byron Drachman]

Hi Dave,

I know the feeling. I once had an anxiety attack leaving the dock in a Vespoli single that I had never rowed before. That first time I was so worried about flipping I couldn't do anything. I got a blade stuck under the water surface and didn't know at that time how to get it up to the surface (just relax, take off all pressure, and let it slowly float to the top.) I only made it a few feet from the dock and I returned and took out a boat I was used to. Vespolis are very nice boats and have a nice run but it had a different feel. Funny thing, the next time I tried that Vespoli it felt fine and I was wondering what the panic attack was about.

Hi Mike,

That sounds like fun. I had the river to myself except for the usual wildlife this morning and did a short sprint with a Canadian goose (The goose won, as usual.)

Hi Bob,

Maybe when the water is warmer you can get out.

[Snail Space]

Thanks, Bob. I can certainly empathise with your desire to stay out of that mountain lake water. Brrrr! It makes me shiver just to thhink about it. I was interested by your comments on age and balance. I suggested to our senior coach at the school boat club that he might want to join a coaches' paddle after training one weekend. He said the same as you - that with age his balance was shot to pieces.

I went out in the single again this evening, after work. I still won't be troubling the Olympic rowers, but I made some pleasing progress. I remained relaxed and, hey presto, the balance felt much easier. Even the occasional wobble didn't induce total body muscle contraction. I managed to progress as far as half-slide without feeling insecure. I only did 1000 metres, which allowed me to finish withh a sense of achievementt as I was still dry.

Mind you, my landing would have been an amusement for any onlookers. It probably took me at least 20 minutes to get into the landing. I tried backing down, rowing on, drifting, praying, hooking my blade on the planks, approaching at different angles from both stern and bow, but nothhing seemed to work. I could get my blade onto the landing, but not near enough to land the rigger. I don't know what lead to eventual success - I suspect some unidentified random motion combined with a huge chunk of luck. I'll have to ask some of the old hands for some tips.

Cheers,
Dave.