After a long year of indoor training and raging waters, the ABC has had less time to adjust to rowing on the water than neighboring clubs. Explosive enthusiasm abounds after being on dry land for so long. Never before has the river been so high for so long. It's like we're being let out to run free after being couped up for what seems like ages. It’s mostly a psychological thing.
There's a pretty steep learning curve to this sport. Which means we have to make the most of the time spent in training. Team up with someone while erging to practice hitting the catch together. Make use of interval training. A small pyramid is a good place to start. Printed excerpts on bladework can be found on the shelves downstairs. Please take a copy.
After you've reached a solid base of general training, it's time for full pyramids. Once warmed up, use a one minute interval followed by a minute of rest, then two mins with one rest, maybe up to four or five mins with a minute or two to rest. Then ease back down the same way you built up. This could also be done using distance instead of time. To build endurance use a longer cruise interval done at slightly lower intensity. Always keep the 10% rule in mind, don't increase your weekly distance or duration by more than 10% of your previous week's. Be patient. Build up endurance slowly. Try once during the week and once again on the weekend.
Same goes for cycling, swimming, and running. Build that base. Try doing a 50 or 60-mile bike ride without first building a base. Your neck, shoulders and backside may never forgive you! If you've been sticking to a proper routine, take every fourth week off to avoid overtraining. A Healthy Base + Speedwork + Technology = Peak Performance!!! |
