Tag Archives: sports

Video Review and Motivation for Warm Weather and Water!

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BC Men working on their Deadlifts and Cleans in Jacksonville, FL during Spring Training.

BC Men working on their Deadlifts and Cleans in Jacksonville, FL during Spring Training.

Are you sick of Winter?  I think I am, especially after visiting Jacksonville, FL with the Boston College Men’s Rowing Team over the last three days.  It was so nice to coach in flip-flops, shorts, and a t-shirt. To inspire you and motivate you to join Renegade Rowing on the Water as soon as the ice melts on the Charles River, I’m sharing a video of some 4+’s and 2-‘s that I coached this week.  This is their first time on the water since last fall.  What are they doing well?  What do they need to work on?  Are you focused on rowing on the erg as if you were going to row on the water?  Please share your thoughts in the comments section and consider joining Renegade Rowing for sculling this Spring.

Rowing WOD 3/4/15: 15 x :20 On, :40 Off – Post Fastest, Slowest, and Avg Split

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Rowing WOD:

Beautiful Sunset rowing in Jacksonville last night.

Beautiful Sunset rowing in Jacksonville last night.

15 x :20 On, :40 Off

Max Pressure

  • Post Fastest, Slowest, and Avg Split to Comments

Elite fitness is all about developing power through high intensity.  Today’s Rowing WOD is an opportunity to push your boundaries and test the limits of your speed.  Catch your breath and focus on the 40 seconds off so that you can put every ounce of energy into suspending from the oar and going low on the split.  Compare your results to your 2k race plan.  Do you last through the first 7, but die soon after?  Could you go faster at the start of your 2k?  What happens to your focus in the last couple?  Use your results to adjust your race plan and goal for our next 2k test which will be happening in about 5 weeks.  The idea of suspension can be very powerful when you’re trying to pull low splits under fatigue.  Check it out below.

1min Pieces during Spring Training 2015

1min Pieces during Spring Training 2015

Post your fastest, slowest, and average splits to comments.

Try warming up with a couple of strap drills to feel and practice suspending from the oar.    Have Fun!

Rowing WOD 3/3/15: Double Pyramids and Training in Jacksonville, FL

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BC Men working in small boats at Spring Training.

BC Men working in small boats at Spring Training.

Rowing WOD:

Double Pyramids

 

2 x 19min as follows …

  • 4′ @18 s/m, 3′ @20, 2′ @22, 1′ @24, 2′ @22, 3′ @20, 4′ @18

2min Rest

  • 4′ @20, 3′ @22, 2′ @24, 1′ @26, 2′ @24, 3′ @22, 4′ @20

    BC Men working on their Deadlifts and Cleans in Jacksonville, FL during Spring Training.

    BC Men working on their Deadlifts and Cleans in Jacksonville, FL during Spring Training.

Competing in the gym or on the water requires rowing efficiency.  Taking a little extra time once a week to focus on rhythm, timing, and overall form will go a long way in performance come game day.  Today’s Rowing WOD is a great opportunity for any athlete, experienced or not, to get a sense of form and rhythm without the pressure of intensity and competition.  Sometimes it’s good to slow down for an active recovery day in order to go harder and faster later on down the road.

Rhythm and Endurance are two necessities for successful competition in longer WODs.  A great example would be the KB Swings and Pull Ups found in “Helen”.  Those who find a consistent rhythm can flow through the movements naturally and rely on their aerobic endurance without dipping into their anaerobic energy supply.

In today’s Rowing WOD the focus is developing rhythm and endurance.  Another word for rhythm in rowing is Ratio.  By varying the ratio of the drive to the recovery rowers can maintain the same pace or split, but work more efficiently and make the stroke feel lighter or heavier.

When going from an 18 stroke rating to a 20 you should focus on more pressure with the legs and quickly redirecting the hands through the finish.  This will help increase the stroke rating while leaving you the same amount of time to sit up, breathe, and relax as you slide forward on the recovery.

Post you’re distance rowed to comments as well as your thoughts on Ratio.

Congrats to all CRASH-B Competitors! Get ready for new classes and the RRTP!

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Coach Pat and Renegade RowingIt’s been a long weekend, but it’s what we live for.  This past weekend I got a chance to interact and brainstorm with some of the best rowing coaches and athletes in the country at the What Works Summit at Community Rowing.  I got to hang out with the 4 alumni classes of the Institute for Rowing Leadership.  Then we all crushed it at CRASH-B 2015.

The morning crew at CRASH-B 2015. Great racing everyone!

The morning crew at CRASH-B 2015. Great racing everyone!

I was asked many times yesterday if I was racing.  While I would love to get on that Concept2 Erg and test my limits, I had a lot more fun coaching all 11 of the Renegade Rowers who competed yesterday.  Many of them PR’ed and all of them rowed like champs.  I’m proud to say that all of them were rowers yesterday as well as athletes.  They came prepared, went through their warmup, and executed a solid race plan.  All of them left it on the floor and I couldn’t be prouder.

So now what?

Lauryn and Terese getting in their warm up at CRASH-B 2015

Lauryn and Terese getting in their warm up at CRASH-B 2015

In the past we’ve taken a couple of weeks off.  This year we’re kicking it up notch and getting right back in the gym.  I’m on the way down to Florida, currently stuck in Charlotte, NC because of weather, but I’ll be there later this morning to coach the Boston College Men’s Rowing Team.  All of you Renegades at home should get right back in the gym and keep training hard.  The snow and ice in Boston will melt at some point and we’ll all be on the water.  Be sure to checkout the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for this week:

RRTP 3-2-15

Also, I’ve updated the Renegade Rowing Website.  Please take a browse through all of our new offerings and let me know what you think.  If you know any friends in the Boston area who could use Renegade Rowing, please have them sign up for a consultation!

New Classes start next week! Get Excited!

Leaders vs. Managers @ The What Works Summit 2015

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WhatWorks_2015_AYesterday I had the privilege of taking part in the What Works Summit 2015 at the Institute for Rowing Leadership.  Our afternoon was filled with break out sessions and boat meetings relating to the first 500m of the race.  We covered topics like practicing, priming, and executing on race day.  One of the best parts of the day was the panel discussion after dinner.  I was lucky enough to be placed in a small break out group with Charlie Butt, the Harvard Head Men’s Coach, as our leader.  Charlie is one of the best story tellers and coaches I’ve met.

Our task was to discuss Leaders and Managers.  Are they the same or different?  Charlie told us of his days working with Harry Parker as well as his current daily routine at Newell Boathouse. It quickly became apparent to me that a good leader and good manager aren’t necessarily the same thing, but a good leader is most often a good manager.

Charlie has mastered the ability of dividing up tasks, assigning responsibilities to athletes and assistant coaches, and encouraging everyone to get the job done through positive suggestion rather than strict demands.  To him there is no task to small or beneath a coach and a leader, whether it’s keeping the furnace at the boathouse going or recruiting new athletes.  By giving his athletes and coaches the jobs they are good at, he instills his trust and confidence in their ability to get the job done.  He’s also very good at knowing when someone needs support to keep moving in the right direction.

What are your thoughts on Leadership?  How does management play into being a leader to you?

Rest well today and get excited for CRASH-B’s tomorrow!