Rest Day 10/24/13:
Racing the Single at HOCR!
How do you get motivated?
The Head of the Charles took place last weekend in Boston. A lot of rowers used the Head to get motivated by setting goals to place in the top 20, top 10, or top 3. If you got a chance to check it out please share your thoughts and pictures. Did witnessing one of the most awesome rowing events in the world get you motivated to commit toward your own goals or an upcoming event?
I’m looking forward to getting the Renegade Rowing Club up and running for the winter and training for CRASH-B’s. More details on the Renegade Rowing Club and the Renegade Rowing League will be out next Thursday, so keep a look out!
Approaching Western Ave. Bridge at HOCR!
Below is an excerpt from a great blog on motivation by Alex Black of Wicked Good Nutrition. Check it out and tell us how you’re getting motivated this Winter!
The Land of Motivation
Motivation can be tough. It can be hard to find your way to Motivation-land, and once you get there, it can be even harder to stay. It takes at least a month to turn a behavior into a habit, and that month will typically be rife with challenges. Because, you know, the minute you decide to give up sugar or beer the next three social outings your friends plan are a baking pot luck and outing to your favorite craft beer bar…
On top of that, some research suggests it can take up to 3 years to reset your body’s homeostasis (sense of balance) at a new weight. What this means is, if you lose 20 pounds, it can take 3 years before you body recognizes this as its new and healthy weight.
But all that aside, there are a few tricks you can use to help you get motivated and stay motivated. These include:
Renegade Rowing 
Just rowing in HOCR gets me motivated for at least 6 months…the chance to row with some really high-powered athletes, the spectacle, and running into some of the world’s best on the towpath after the races is a huge high. Plus, knowing I can jump into a sweep boat after a year of sculling and be able to row high with great technique is a validation of the past year of training for me, which feels good. What race are the pics from – you were bow #10? Looks like a nice Hudson? I was bow seat of bow #17 in the Alumni Eights – we finished 15th.
Awesome ScullerX! Ya, I feel the same way about HOCR. I usually row with the UVM Alumni 8+ as you know, but this year I decided to get crazy and race a single. It was an absolute blast. A battle from start to finish. A friend of mine at CRI was nice enough to let me borrow that Hudson. It was a great experience! Can’t wait to see what happens next year! Congrats on 15th!
Patrick, I am considering following your training posts for SWEAT in Dallas, particularly if I can find a training partner.
Is there anyway for me to see your group individual results for the WODS as a frame of reference – otherwise I’d be training in a vacuum.
Jurassic
Hey Ward, that’s awesome! I’ll definitely share our work/results with you once the group starts. Right now everyone’s training in the gym regularly and we’ll be starting the Renegade Rowing Club in a few weeks. I’ll be sure to keep you updated. Have a great weekend!
Great! Thank you.
Patrick Just curious – once you begin programing for the rowing club, in a very general guesstimate, over the course of an average week how many WODs will be strictly rowing and how many will be in combination with CrossFit movements? Jurassic
Ward Sent from my iPhone
My very first race was last year at the HOCR in the mixed double. That experience really got me motivated for this year and last Saturday I got to race in the Women’s Club 8+ of CRI. We placed 4th, loosing by 1 sec from Riverside for place 3rd (ouch! We are even more determined to get them next year!). Within 3 hours of the club 8+ (literally hotseating at the CRI docks), I raced in the mixed double. In the start chute we were waiting for 10 min next to Olympic and 4x World Champion Hamish Bond (!) and his girlfriend. We exchanged pleasantries while waiting. After the start we never saw them again 🙂 On Sunday I was volunteering at the finish line. I got to see you and a lot of other great teams finish (it is so exciting to see them give it all in those last 20 strokes).
HOCR is by far my favorite regatta as a spectator, competitor, and volunteer. Can’t wait for next year.
Awesome Yvette! So glad to hear you guys crushed it in the 8+! I can’t wait to see you and Andrea back in here this winter 🙂 Congrats on racing the double as well! What a great weekend! See you soon!