Rest Day 9/8/13: What Regattas will you go watch this fall?

The Renegade Rowing Team spinning at the start of the race course

The Renegade Rowing Team spinning at the start of the race course

Rest Day 9/8/13:

What Regattas will you go watch this fall?

Fall is a great time to experience the world of rowing.  Every September/October Head Races start popping up all over the place.  Head Races tend to be anywhere from 4-6 km and are usually run in a time trial format.  Go to regattacentral.com to find a regatta near you.  Get outside, enjoy the changing leaves, and cheer on your favorite crews.

Next Sunday, September 15 there will be a regatta at Community Rowing, Inc. in Brighton called the Rumble on the River.  I will be there with the Renegade Rowing Team and some brand new T-Shirts for those that are in Boston.  Come check it out and cheer on the Renegade Rowing Team.

Rest Day 9/5/13: 15min of Mobility – Share Your Focus

Rest Day 9/5/13:

BC Men's Crew pushing it out during Cindy

BC Men’s Crew pushing it out during Cindy

15min of Mobility

In rowing the longer your stroke the further you can move the boat and ultimately the faster you can go.  Same thing applies indoors, rowing on the erg.  The only problem with that equation is your positioning.  Are you in a strong position at the catch and finish?  Today is a day to work on mobility and improve that positioning.  Take at least 15 minutes, ideally longer, to work on your tight spots.  What limits you?  Ankle flexion at the catch?  Shoulder mobility at the finish?

Share where you tend to be tight during a row as well as your problem areas for WODs. What are you doing daily to work them out?

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Here’s a glimpse of practice this week for the Renegade Rowing Team!  They race at the Rumble on the River, September 15th at Community Rowing Inc.  Come cheer them on!

Rest Days 9/1/13 − 9/2/13: Enjoy Labor Day Weekend!

BC Men's Crew and I doing our first Row, Run, WOD, Run, Row on Friday afternoon!

BC Men’s Crew and I doing our first Row, Run, WOD, Run, Row on Friday afternoon!

Congrats to all those that tested their 5k yesterday!  It looks like there were a number of PR’s and everyone executed a solid game plan.  Labor Day Weekend is a time to rest, relax, and have some fun with family and friends.  With that in mind get outside and be active.  Grab a friend and go a hike a mountain or hit a swimming hole.  Play some golf or go for a ride.  I wish you all a happy Labor Day Weekend and I look forward to hitting training hard with you on Tuesday!

All the best!

Coach Pat

Rest Day 8/25/13: Which distances do you prefer? Short or Long?

Rest Day 8/25/13:

Which distances do you prefer? Short or Long?

This week the Renegade Rowing Team practiced their first 20 stroke piece in preparation for the sprint race at the Rumble on the River.  After we finished one of the rowers commented that they would rather do the shorter stuff all the time.  While short fast sprints can be adrenaline filled fun, there’s also something fun about chasing down a boat in a time trial head race.

Share your thoughts and preferences to comments!

Rest Day 8/18/13: Do you use Protein Powder? Share your thoughts!

What's your source of post workout protein?

What’s your source of post workout protein?

Rest Day 8/18/13:

Do you use Protein Powder?

Below is a great post from Alex Black of Wicked Good Nutrition.  Check it out and post your thoughts and what you use for protein to comments.

Pros and Cons of Protein Powders

Protein powders were once the stuff of pro athletes and ultra meatheads, but have gone mainstream over the past 10 or so years. I first tried it when I was 15. When I told a personal trainer I’d been seeing with my mom that my goal was to get a 6-pack, he recommended I take 2 scoops of muscle milk powder 1-2 times per day. So mom and I dutifully trekked down to GNC and bought the vanilla flavor. And it was AWFUL. I don’t think I took the recommended dose even once, and I certainly never got said 6 pack. I couldn’t get it to dissolve in anything – not water, not milk, not a smoothie. Only now, looking back with educated eyes, do I see how completely ridiculous it was for this bro to tell a 15-year-old athlete to take a mostly unregulated supplement! The industry has gotten much better since then in terms of taste and palatability, but it is still mostly unregulated and athletes should pay attention to ingredients and types of protein.

Click here for the full blog post!