The morning crew at CRASH-B 2015. Great racing everyone!
Last week I shared my belief that life is all about motion and learning. To live and survive, we must be able to move from place to place and interact with the world around us. That’s great, but how does fun fit into that line of thinking? I recently had an epic weekend with my college buddies and they reconfirmed my love for competition and sport, which is where I find fun in life. Competition turns some people off, but let me explain why I think it’s an integral part of our daily lives that everyone should embrace.
Competition is the basis for all sport. People play sports because they’re fun. Sports are fun because every participant is given a chance to compete. It’s not the outcome or the opponent that matters. People enjoy competing because they’re given an opportunity to test themselves and their abilities in order to experience the thrill of an improvement toward a goal. Competition can be both individual and team oriented. By incorporating competition into everyday practice, Renegade Rowing allows us to track progress toward our goals, but more importantly to have fun and experience the journey.
In order to compete, athletes must develop mental toughness. Firsthand athletes are developed through competition when they harness the power of the mind. Our thoughts affect our feelings and our feelings affect our actions. Anyone can develop an ability to do work with regards to fitness and rowing, but when work capacity is combined with mental toughness, athletes can control their actions and reach their goals. Mental toughness is an athlete’s ability to commit to competition with a belief in oneself, to have a positive focus on the things they can control, and to embrace challenge as an opportunity for learning and self-improvement.
While the thrill of intrinsic motivation should be what drives us, we should not forget about the power of the opponent or the teammate in competition. We can push ourselves as
individuals, but the opportunity to push ourselves against others will only make us better. I’m a competitive guy and I like being pushed and challenged and testing my abilities against others. There’s honesty in giving it all you have against others, especially knowing they’re doing the same.
Rowing is an Olympic Sport that elite athletes train for year round. Some athletes may only compete 5 to 6 times per year and of those competitions they might only peak for one race. Most other sports have seasons filled with games allowing for learning and development during competition. Renegade Rowing incorporates daily competition so that athletes have the same opportunities that other sports have. Renegade athletes will have the confidence needed to perform on race day. By providing many opportunities to experience race day competition in practice, athletes will have a wealth of experiences to draw from when race day arrives.
If you enjoy the thrill of competition and are looking for a community of like-minded individuals who push each other to be better, Renegade Rowing is for you. Share your thoughts, comments, and questions below. We’d love to hear from you and compete alongside you!
Here is the training plan for the week:
Renegade Rowing 