Habits, Rituals and Mantras
I count...
I just count the strokes. 1..100 then 200,300..900 then I realize that I am counting in hundreds which gives no meaning and start all over again. Guess this counting is a habit inherited from weightlifting where it makes sense.
-JFO
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citiusaltiusfortius9
- Paddler
- Posts: 45
- Joined: November 26th, 2006, 9:21 pm
When I am racing a 2k in a single the first third of the race I think of all the possible ways to flip the boat and not have to row and then I realize that I'm almost half way done and that's when I start to count strokes and repeat montras. At a camp a few years ago I learned about the importance of montras and the example was "I'm feirce."
I changed that into an acronym for Focused Energized Intense Racing Everday. I take thirty strokes to focus, thirty for energy, thirty for intensity and thirty to gain.
Another thing I find helpful to do is just pick a name, word or phrase with good rythm and repeat it over and over.
Towards the end of a peice I count strokes 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 etc. and back down.
-sara-
I changed that into an acronym for Focused Energized Intense Racing Everday. I take thirty strokes to focus, thirty for energy, thirty for intensity and thirty to gain.
Another thing I find helpful to do is just pick a name, word or phrase with good rythm and repeat it over and over.
Towards the end of a peice I count strokes 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 etc. and back down.
-sara-
-citius altius fortius
faster higher stronger-
faster higher stronger-
The only way I'll make 200K for the HC is by rowing in the early morning, so my most important ritual these days is setting the timer on the coffee pot before I go to bed. A close second: setting out my rowing clothes the night before.
I'm not too swift first thing in the morning, so my HC will be mostly junk meters. I've decided to ignore the monitor and pick a number of songs (anywhere from 8 to 14) to row through for each session. Fourteen songs could last 50 minutes or an hour and 15, all depends on the luck of the shuffle. Doesn't matter to me, as long as I'm where I need to be to hit 200K by the 24th.
On long, easy rows I sometimes set the display to calories and see how long I can sustain 666 on the readout. But more often than not I just chase whatever thoughts pop into my head. Woolgathering, problem solving, writing, planning, whatever.
During my only OTW race many years ago, our very novice women's four, fresh from a learn-to-row class, was up against an experienced junior boat. Midway through we started chanting "Death! Death! Death!" and managed to kick their fit little butts up and down Lake Wingra, resulting in my first & only athletic gold medal. I haven't used that chant on the erg, but I did name my Model C Death Boat 2000.
I'm not too swift first thing in the morning, so my HC will be mostly junk meters. I've decided to ignore the monitor and pick a number of songs (anywhere from 8 to 14) to row through for each session. Fourteen songs could last 50 minutes or an hour and 15, all depends on the luck of the shuffle. Doesn't matter to me, as long as I'm where I need to be to hit 200K by the 24th.
On long, easy rows I sometimes set the display to calories and see how long I can sustain 666 on the readout. But more often than not I just chase whatever thoughts pop into my head. Woolgathering, problem solving, writing, planning, whatever.
During my only OTW race many years ago, our very novice women's four, fresh from a learn-to-row class, was up against an experienced junior boat. Midway through we started chanting "Death! Death! Death!" and managed to kick their fit little butts up and down Lake Wingra, resulting in my first & only athletic gold medal. I haven't used that chant on the erg, but I did name my Model C Death Boat 2000.