Just Keep Swimming!

Motivation

This morning was interesting. I spent an hour outside in the freezing cold wind, carrying, rigging and de-rigging boats. I was cold to my bones!!! After a while I was so cold that got in the car for a while and turned on the heated seats to warm me up! I switched on the radio and this guy was talking about some epic long distance swims that he'd done. Each swim took between 10 to 17 hours!!! He described one swim that he'd done when after a few hours he had lost all sensation in his spine. He thought he'd have to stop and get into the boat that was accompanying him. So what he did was to give himself a goal of swimming for just one more minute. And when he managed that, he swam for a minute longer, and so on. He was still swimming 3 hours later! Well! That got me out of the car and back to the boats! 20 minutes later, I'd finished the job! I was cold again, but it didn't matter!

Afterwards I did some pieces on the erg to warm up again. Once I was warm, I did 10 x 300m sprints and hit my ultimate PB (personal best)! It was amazing! A little bit of hardship goes a long way! Whenever I feel like giving up again, I will think of that dude who couldn't feel his spine, and I'll keep on going!

Work / Life / Rowing Balance

I have no life. I work, I row, I sleep. Training is increasing in intensity, and I'm needing more sleep as a result.

This is what my life looks like at the moment. When I get home from work in the afternoon, I have something to eat right away (so my food can digest before heading out to the rowing club) and then I'll usually rest for an hour. That is the only rest I get all day, so I savour it.

A Stretch in Time Saves Your Ass!

After that, I'll head to the boat club and train for an hour or two, which includes warming up and stretching afterwards. The stretching is the most important thing! For every hour of exercise, I stretch for at least 15 minutes. Usually some yoga poses along with the traditional P.E. stretches we all had to do at school.

When I get home I jump in the bath or shower, followed by dinner and bed.

Sweet Dreams

Now that my training is consistent again, I sleep so well and deeply. I love it. I'm exhausted when I go to bed, but I feel refreshed and energised when I wake up in the morning. I get between 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

Life

Friday's are my only day off training, so that's when I can catch up on my life. Last night I went out for a meal at the Cattle Grid in Windsor, which was really good. The best milkshake ever! The cobbled streets of Windsor look great on a postcard, but they're not so great when you're wearing stilettos!

Appetite

These past few days my appetite has started to catch up with my activity levels. I'm one of those people who doesn't eat breakfast, and if I have something for lunch, I'm not hungry at dinner time. I will have hot drinks (no milk) throughout the day, which tend to keep my hunger at bay, although I'll have a cereal bar or some fruit when I feel peckish and something small in the evening. These past two or three days, however, I have pretty much eaten two proper meals a day, with second helpings! I have been ravenous! My muscles are demanding food!

Good Fat for Healthy Organs and Muscles

Because I don't eat a lot in general, I make a conscious effort to eat the right foods. I don't cut anything out of my diet as such, but I do try and add the right kinds of fats and sugars into my diet. I eat lots of avocados because they provide the good fats that my organs need for healthy function, and that my muscles need for development.

Natural is a no-brainer when it comes to food

I use olive oil liberally because it's a good fat. I get worried when I hear about fat-free diets and fat-free foods. Some general rules of thumb that I use are: Good fat is good for you. Processed fat is bad for you. Natural unprocessed food is good for you. Too much sugar is bad for you, but there's nothing wrong with sugar that occurs naturally in food. Simples.

Windsor shenanigans

No rowing this morning because I went to Heathrow airport at 7am to say goodbye to my sister. She's moving to Australia for 14 months... Very sad to see her go, but really excited for her! We spoke to her on the phone a few times, right up until the plane was getting ready to head for the runway. A rowing holiday in Australia and New Zealand is in order!

Because it was still early when we left the airport, my parents and I decided to go into Windsor for some breakfast, but we ended up staying there until 1pm!

We had breakfast at the gorgeous Windsor MacDonald hotel, followed by some sightseeing and shopping. It was a great day. I don't like shopping, so I tend to avoid town centres. But when I do need new stuff, I add it to my list and usually buy it online or check the shops if I'm passing by. So I managed to pick up a few things whilst we were out and about. I got a new umbrella and some high-tops, and my dad very kindly bought me some new smart knee-high boots for work. He also treated me to some delicious fudge and chocolates... Yum! I am going to be so spoilt now that my sister is away!

Random clock in the pavement, Windsor

Windsor is so pretty. It reminds me of Bath and Cheltenham. It's so cool that the castle is right in the middle of town. When I moved to Warwick just over 3 years ago, I was surprised to discover that the castle was right in the town centre. But Warwick Castle has quite a lot of land and a moat surrounding it, so you can only see the castle boundary walls from the outside and not the castle itself. In Windsor, however, the castle itself is just another building in the town, with just a narrow grass verge surrounding it. Very cool.

It was quieter than I'd expected, especially as it's still half term, but it was nice to stroll around without the crowds.

It's not very often that I get to spend quality time with my family, because rowing takes up all my time, so it was a real treat to spend some time with my parents. They are very funny and good company, and it was a day well spent. We parted company at lunchtime. Back to work and training as usual tomorrow. My abs should have recovered by then, and be ready for some more punishment!

Back on the river after a month!

Today was my first outing in a boat in exactly 4 weeks! It was so exciting to have my first outing with the new club this morning! I went out in a quad with some of the ladies. A 6am start has never felt so good! I didn't care what the weather was going to be like, I just wanted to get out there into the elements!

There is a 2k stretch of river upstream from the club to the lock, and we did 8 lengths in total, which was 16k. It felt so good. We did a few 1k and 2k race-pace pieces at around 28 s/m. Such a treat after coming from a club with just a 700m downstream stretch; although, rowing on the Avon did have its advantages. It is fairly narrow, which means you get very good at steering. On the Thames, it seems that people don't get to hone that particular skill. We crashed into two other boats and narrowly missed a swan. There was another collision near the boat club when a double and a single collided and their riggers became locked into place so they couldn't separate. They then crashed into another boat, and it was the impact of that crash which separated them. So, I'd best look out when the responsibility of steering falls to me.

My core muscles are still feeling bruised from Thursday's session, but I'm not aching, thank goodness. I could really feel my stomach muscles engaging as I did the rock-over at the start of each stroke today. They're definitely getting stronger!

16k? Try 8446 miles!

Emma Mitchell, one of the women who recently completed an epic 8446 mile row across the Pacific Ocean, was at the boat club today. What an incredible achievement! Unfortunately I live in a cave with no TV, so I didn't see the news or know anything about it until today. She was very friendly and unassuming, and smiled shyly as the coaches told me all about her exploits. So impressive! And there I was, feeling good about my 16k!

By the time I got back home it was lunchtime, and I hadn't eaten any breakfast, so I was hungry! A nice bowl of chicken and spaghetti went down well. No more outings until next Saturday, but plenty of land-training to keep me busy until then.

Mad Dogs and Rowers

The ladies squad had priority use of the ergs yesterday evening, but people had other commitments so I was the only one who could make it. Our coach had said that she would come along to give me some pointers, but that didn't happen, so I did my own thing for 20 minutes. I just worked on my technique and trying to get a feel for the sequencing. I felt like I made some good progress.

It was fairly quiet at the club. There were 3 or 4 other people on the ergs at the same time as me, and the mens squad was using the weights for their strength and conditioning class.

Strength and Conditioning

When I was finished erging, I did some stretching on mats and I was in two minds about whether I should call it a day, or do one last set piece on the erg. Luckily I had an offer I couldn't refuse. The mens squad came over to the mat to finish off their session with some core work. They needed even numbers to do some of the exercises, but they were missing a body, so their coach asked if I wanted to join in and make up the numbers. Always one to embrace the punishing regime it takes to become a competitive rower, I said yes. The coach paired me up with his son, who was really encouraging and helpful throughout the session.

Train Like a Man

When I've seen the men training before, they make it look so easy. I thought us girls worked hard in our circuit training class... I stand corrected! Those guys work hard! It looks easy because they've worked for it! I felt like I'd been in a fight when I woke up this morning! I'm not aching, but I feel bruised! My ribs, and my lower back had a work-out like non other!

We did some exercises that I don't know the names of, but they were tough!

Don't Be a Push-over!

We did a variation of straight-leg leg-raises, were you lie on your back with your arms extended behind you so you can hold onto the ankles of your partner as they stand behind your head. You raise your legs straight up so your body and legs are at a right-angle, and your partner then shoves them back down (with force) but you mustn't let your legs hit the ground. They push your legs away either straight ahead, to the left or to the right, so you get to twist and strengthen your core at the same time. It was brutal! You do 20 reps, and only two sets (which I suspect was more for my benefit than the norm). You swap over between sets so you can stand for a bit whilst you recover, and you get to do the shoving.

The Crunch

Another exercise we did was crunches. Your partner holds your feet and you do crunches whilst holding a weight behind your head. I couldn't even do one of those, so that's one for me to practice! I held the weight on my chest instead.

These Are a Few of My Favourite Things... said no one ever!

We did some of the usual suspects, like lunges, lots of planks, some Russian twists with weights.

There was another exercise that the guys made look easy, but it was serious! You kneel down and keep your body upright from your knees. Your partner holds your feet in place, and you must gradually lean forward (keeping everything in line) as slowly and with as much control as possible before you fall completely forward into a push-up position. You must then launch your body back up in a single push-up motion, and lean forward again. Repeating the whole process. That worked out my legs, back and abs and shoulders like nothing else!

At one point, the coach took me away from the group to one of the pull-up bars. First, it was too high up for me to reach so I had to jump up and grab on! And then, he wanted me to pull my knees up and do a type of reverse crunch, but suspended in mid air. I did not think I could do it, but I managed a few. There was no limit on how many of those I had to do. I stopped when I was losing my grip on the bar.

One Plank Too Many... No Such Thing!

The class was punctuated with planks, and we ended the session with a plank. One of the guys next to me was chatting to me as we planked, but that was a punishable offence, so he had to do crab planks whilst the rest of us finished off. Brutal! I felt bad, but it's good for him.

The coach and the guys in the squad were very kind to me and very patient. It was a great session, and I shall certainly join in again if I am invited. The exercises are so effective, and I'm sure they get great results very quickly if you put the time in.

For the Love of Rowing

There are some things a competitive rower does for the love of the sport. Erging comes quite high up on most people's list. As do the early starts when it's cold and unpleasant outside. Another thing that features on that list will be circuit training.

Circuit Training

It is like passing through the seven rings of hell (if that's even a thing). Each hellish exercise is designed to make you stronger and fitter, and ultimately a better rower.

I get absolutely no satisfaction from circuit training. There are all sorts of things that the coaches find new and horrible uses for, such as Swiss balls, medicine balls, kettle bells, dumb bells, steps, benches, and ropes. The ropes are for skipping not for hanging yourself with, although it is very tempting!

This evening's session was no different. An hour of pure torture! We did each exercise for 1 minute, followed by 1 minute of skipping, and then the next exercise, more skipping, etc. for 1 hour.

Did I enjoy it at the time? No. Am I happy I did it? Hell yeah!

After the hour of fun, we did some resistance and core work on the mats, followed by stretching.

The gym at the rowing club was pretty much packed tonight. There were three squads using the ergs and the weights, and my squad doing circuits. We're all in it together!

And Beyond

The river is still quite high, so I don't hold out much hope of getting onto the water at the weekend, but I'm sure the coaches will find lots of stuff to keep me busy!

I've got a one-to-one erg session with my coach tomorrow so we can work on my technique. And then Friday is our day off. I have visions of Katsu curry with sticky rice and a crappy movie...

Anyway! I had a nice hot bath to soothe my muscles when I got home this evening, and I'm feeling good as new. How I feel in the morning will be another thing entirely...

Goodnight! :)

Erg and weight training update

Monday 15.02.16

Para-Rowing Training Session

I had such a great coached session on Monday! I tagged on to the para-rowing land-training session, and it was brilliant!

Monday's are my 'other' exercise days, when I can do whatever form of exercise I want. I really need to get loads more erging under my belt, so I joined the para-rowing erg (rowing machine) session.

Double Dose!

It was great because they did a combination of erging and weights. So, if you were looking to improve your erg time or beat your PB (personal best), you did an erg session first, followed by weights. But if you wanted to build strength and just get some cardio afterwards, you did the weights first. Simples.

Erg

I am looking to get back to my PB on the erg, so I started with that.

We did a 5 minute warm-up piece, which was just to get us moving. No effort, just movement.

After that we did a 10 min session, which looked something like this:

1 min @ 18 s/m (strokes per minute)
2 mins @ 20 s/m
3 mins @ 22 s/m
4 mins @ 24 s/m

The cool down was just sitting around to get the heart-rate down.

Once we'd done that, we didn't do any set pieces in terms of measuring total distance or overall time, but we did a cool challenge. The challenge was to do a few 5 minute pieces, in which we had to shave 5 seconds off our 250m split time. The split time is the average time it takes you to complete 250 metres.

Close Shave

So, if we did our first 5 minutes with a split time of 2mins30secs, the next 5 minutes needed to have a split time of 2mins25secs, and so on. We pretty much did that until we couldn't improve our split times any further.

The object of that exercise is to get you to give your best performance, even when you're tired, because on race days, you'll have to complete multiple heats to get to the final; and you'll need to be on top form for each and every race.

After erging, we did some weights. I really enjoy weights because there's no cardio involved, so you can just focus on lifting, or pushing.

Peak Performance

The coach wanted us to try peaking out, so we could shock our muscles into adapting to heavy loads. So the idea is, you lift your maximum load for fewer reps, in the hope that your muscles will adapt and get stronger quicker. That was great!!! I am feeling ok today, but the pain will come!

Tuesday 16.02.2016

Erg

On Tuesday I had a regular erg session with my squad. Only two out of ten us were able to make it for the session, so at least we could be erg buddies. Our coach was there for the first 20 minutes so she could check our technique and set the challenges, and then we just got on with it.

We did 3 sets of 10 minute pyramids (again), which looked like this:

4 mins @ 22 s/m
3 mins @ 24 s/m
2 mins @ 26 s/m
1 min @ 28 s/m

Followed by a 5 minute rest and repeat.

A good stretch and a nice hot bath when I got home were just the ticket!

I've got circuit training tonight, and I'm feeling ok, but I'll let you know how it goes!

Power and Symmetry

Land Training

I wasn't able to get out onto the river again this morning, but I did a 2K erg (rowing machine) piece. I really need to get my erg time back to where it was, and better! An erg a day will get me there. I'll mix it up with some sprints, pyramids and distance pieces.

Power and Balance

The only downside of doing all this land-training, as far as I can tell, is that it could affect your balance. Working on your power with an erg or with weights isn't the same as building up power and speed in a boat on the river. When you're in a boat, you cannot decide to concentrate on power and forget about balance. You have to do both, otherwise you will capsize.

Power Without Balance

Training on land does allow you to concentrate on power without worrying too much about balance, but that could create imbalance in your body, and you may not notice the consequences until you get in a boat again.

Doing yoga or pilates can bridge the gap, because all of the moves require balance and strength, and each move strengthens both sides of your body equally.

Symmetry Before Death

There's a great saying in yoga, that I really like, and it's 'symmetry before death.' Essentially, if you do a yoga move on one side of your body, you must do the same move on the other side to create balance and harmony.

A Good Stroke

A good stroke is all about power, balance and symmetry.

In rowing we are all aiming for that illusive 'good stroke', when the boat is perfectly balanced, the blades move in perfect unison and hover over the water without touching it. We start squaring the blades at the right time so they are ready for entry at the perfect moment; and we hear that single splash as both blades enter the water in stereo. We push off equally with both feet and feel the boat run underneath us as it cuts through the water. When it happens it feels amazing! And I'm sure we all want every stroke to feel like that.

Work more balance into your land-training routine today and feel the difference!

A Rowing Club to Call My Home!

A Steak Holder

I have finally joined a rowing club on the mighty River Thames! I had a look around the club last Saturday (6th Feb) and I knew it was the one. Plus, one of the members (who just happens to be a 2012 gold medalist!) recommended a great steak house in town for lunch afterwards, and it was the best fillet steak ever! It's a no brainer really!

Circuit Training

My first session was on Wednesday (10th Feb) evening, and it was a veritable baptism by fire! Circuit Training... A necessary evil if you want to win races. It was a really good session. We did each exercise for 60 seconds, followed by 60 seconds of skipping (with a skipping rope), and then move on to the next exercise. The playlist was good, which always helps, and there was a beep every 60 seconds so we knew when to move on.

The facilities are world-class, clean and modern, which is a far cry from circuit training in a cold and dusty school gymnasium. But I'm not complaining, because if you can consistently train in a horrible school gym at night when you'd rather be in bed, it will make an athlete out of you!

The Early Bird

My second session was at 7am this morning. Unfortunately, because the river is quite high and running fast, the coaches did not allow any small boats to go out. So, the senior ladies 8 went out, which left 2 of us to do some land training. Normally that would mean doing a couple of pieces on the rowing machine. But because we were dressed in our outdoor gear, my training partner suggested that we go for a quick jog around the town.

It's been months since I went for a jog, and it's a different kind of fitness required for jogging, but whenever I move to a new area, I tend to pick up jogging again as a good way to scope it out. It was drizzling this morning, but it wasn't too cold, so my lungs didn't go into shock. The jog was really good. We chatted a bit as we went along, and it came as a big shock to me that I could talk and jog, because I did not think I'd be fit enough! I normally jog alone, and I'm not in the habit of talking to myself generally, so that was a small victory.

When we got back to the boat club, we stripped off a few layers and did a 6K piece on the rowing machine at 20sm (strokes per minute). My last session on an erg (rowing machine) was Monday 11th January, so I was a bit out of shape. About 45 seconds slower than usual for a 6K piece. I fully expect to get back to my former level of fitness (and beyond) again, now that I will be training regularly again.

Races Are Won in the Winter

Here's what my weekly winter training schedule is going to look like until the Spring when we'll have mostly water-based sessions.

My next session is tomorrow at 7:15am. No more leisurely weekend mornings for me, but I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Yoga will Body Rock You to Fantastic Rowing

Flexibility in the hips is absolutely essential if you want to row without hurting your back. I see countless rowers hunched over as the reach for the catch, and it's a ticking time-bomb for their poor back and shoulders.

Forward Fold and Body Rock

The 'forward fold' is a key move in the yoga repertoire, and it simulates the rowing 'Body Rock', or 'Rock Over', move, which is at the beginning of the sequence of taking a stroke from back-stops. It stretches out your hamstrings and relieves the pressure on the back.

Stretch Your Way To Health

Stretching in general is so important for wellbeing. Whether you're an athlete or you sit at a desk all day. Our routines are full of repetitive movements with a limited range of motion, which can lead to tension and injury.

From Treat to Treatment!

Before I started yoga, the muscles in my back and shoulders would get really tight. A back massage was not a treat for me, it was a treatment! Since doing yoga, however, I don't need massages anymore. Yoga has made my core muscles so much stronger and my rowing is so much better!

The Core of the Problem

To clarify, the core muscles are not just your stomach. The core includes your sides and back. The centre of your body is your core. They are your muscle power-house! If the core is strong, supple and stable, it means that the rest of your limbs can get on with their jobs without having to overcompensate.

Start Your Yoga Practice Today

A friend of mine introduced me to this great website called DoYouYoga.com After randomly trawling through YouTube previously, it was nice to have a central location with a library of fantastic yoga courses. I started off with the Erin Motz 30 Day Yoga Challenge and moved on from there. I have subscribed to a few of the course over the past year, and they are great!

Whatever your body goals are, yoga will change your body and your life in ways that you couldn't imagine. Hey, and if it's good enough for the England Rugby team, it's good enough for me :)

Rower Without a Paddle

I literally cannot wait to join a new rowing club! I have way too much energy, and I am not sleeping!

Being 'between clubs' is the worst experience! There's no point joining a gym, because I won't need it when I start rowing. But if I don't do something soon, I will have a meltdown!

I need the sweet pain of rowing! I need to hear my blades on the water! I need to be in a boat!!!

To keep myself sane(ish), I am doing weights at home, but I haven't been on an erg for 2 weeks! I never thought I'd miss those horrible things!

I visited three clubs at the weekend, and I'm going to one more on Saturday. I may just sign up with that one out of sheer desperation!

The non-rowers among you may think that there are too many exclamation marks in this piece, but for the rowers out there, you know there are never enough!!!!!!!!!!!!

Danielle. Rower without a paddle...