RowingRelated

There's certainly no doubt that the British Rowing squad, currently in the midst of an altitude training camp in the Sierra Nevada (Spain), is ready to go the extra mile. But, if we're to take Pete Reed's latest (banter-laden) film trailer (too) seriously, perhaps they're ready to go even further than that. Things to note: Reedlapse Films intro; Reed still on the 2014 push-up (or press-up) challenge , even in the snow; some, er, interesting barbell technique; further banter in the credits. If this is the teaser, we're certainly looking forward to the real thing, and if it's anything like Reed's other work, it will provide an excellent window into the team's training and overall experience of camp as the GB squad prepares for the 2015 campaign.

If you're up on the recent travel plans of the Canadian rowing squad (and who isn't?), then you'll know that they just wrapped up a cycling training camp in Southern California, where they put themselves through the paces, climbing their way through the Santa Monica Mountains.  Look fast, feel fast, go fast (Photo courtesy Conlin McCabe) Among the group that traveled south for the winter was 2012 Olympic silver medalist Conlin McCabe , who got his first taste of Southern California cycling, along with fellow Washington alums Will Crothers and Rob Gibson . Here, McCabe shares a little about the training, the cuisine, and the bragging rights from the trip. RR: Was this the first cycling camp you've done as a squad in Southern California? How did this camp differ from other cycling training you've done? Conlin McCabe: This was my first camp in California that was focused on cycling—I have cycled in Sacramento before with the team but the main focus of the camp was ...

Early morning at Conibear Shellhouse (Photo: B. Kitch) The 2014-2015 season is already shaping up to be every bit as interesting as last year, and we can't help but be excited about all that's to come. So, just because we all need something to read over the Thanksgiving holiday, we're kicking off the rowing 'hot stove' league with a look back at the fall, and the teams that made an impression heading into winter. Disclaimer: This contains opinions, and this is in large part based on fall results, which can be tricky to interpret, or downright misleading, depending on how coaches and programs approach the longer distance racing, and which teams show up at what races. Let's take a look, shall we? Heavyweight Women The Virginia Cavaliers are coming off their fourth straight Head Of The Charles victory as fastest collegiate eight, and have another talented roster, including Sam Casto (who just pulled a big erg at East Coast Fall Speed Order, and finished in ...

This week's featured video comes to us via 2014 U23 and senior world gold medalist Caleb Shepherd , coxswain of the New Zealand under-23 men's eight and the Kiwi Pair plus this season. The video features a mixture of water and land training from the winter season in the Southern Hemisphere—a few months back for the Kiwi coaches and crews now, but perfectly timed for those of us training in North America and Europe. Of particular note here is the consistency of technique and power application both on the water and on the erg—something which translated very well at the world level, where the Kiwi U23 eight scored its second gold medal in as many years. For more New Zealand rowing content here on RR, use our New Zealand search label .  Have a submission for 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelated [at] gmail [dot] com, send us your suggestions via Twitter , or get in touch via our Facebook or Google+ pages. -RR

The Silver Skiff course in Turin, Italy (Photo courtesy of Gevvie Stone) Gevvie Stone is no stranger to success in the single, nor over the long course. However, her recent trip to Italy put her in unfamiliar territory in more ways than one: Stone had never visited the country before, nor had she experienced the Silver Skiff International Endurance Race —a 40-plus-minute slog on a tricky course. Still, Stone's pedigree showed. When all was said and done, she had finished 48th overall in a field of more than 500, and had won the women's elite event ahead of 2013 winner (and four-time Olympian) Julia Levina of Russia. Here, we catch up with her about the travel, preparation, racing, and (most importantly) the gelato. For more on Stone's rowing career, check out her earlier RR interview from 2012 here . Thanks again to Gevvie for taking the time! -RR

This week's video comes to us thanks to Row New York , and is a reminder of the very best that the rowing community has to offer. It follows one member of the Row New York crew, Rehan, who gradually lost most of his vision roughly a decade ago. While he coped with the changes stoically, he also discovered something in rowing that has given him a new outlet to experience the outdoors, as well as access to a community of equally extraordinary people, who ply the waters alongside him. It's a beautiful story, at once heart-warming and humbling. Thanks to Row New York for all that you do, and for sharing this with us. You can learn more about Row New York via their website (linked above), where you can donate , or following along via their Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram accounts. And for more insight on just how much visually impaired athletes can excel in rowing, check out our interview from last year with Paralympian Andrew Johnson . Also, read more about Row New York...

Warwick rowers are all in again this year (Photo courtesy of Warwick Boat Club)  The phenomenon started four years ago with the Warwick Rowing men's squad. Then, the following year, the Warwick women's team joined the fray. Now, Newcastle University's men and women are back on the naked calendar train. So, the question is, have rowing and naked calendars become a thing? The above video features the 2014-2015 Warwick women's squad—the third edition of the calendar , and, from the looks of it, the raciest. However, perhaps not so racy as that of the 2014-2015 Warwick men (see below). But raciness aside, all four of these teams have chosen worthy charities and have gone "the full monty" to make sure that those causes have received considerable contributions. The Warwick women contribute to Macmillan Cancer Support —a cause for which Warwick reports it has donated some £5,000. The Warwick men? Sport Allies —a charity that combats homophobia in spor...

This week's video comes to us from the Swiss national team, and features their heavyweight men's quad that defended their U23 world title last summer , and (with two switches— Nico Stahlberg and David Arreger in for U23 athletes Damien Tollardo and Barnabe Delarze ) went on to place sixth overall at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. Not only are these guys slick on the water, but check out this balance training that Delarze is doing at 3:49—who says you can't work on boat stability on land? The video is nicely shot and features a number of (subtitled) interviews for those unfamiliar with Swiss French, as well as a great deal of off the water banter. Also, it offers access to their race planning session, and the calls that will be made as they move down the course—always of interest to athletes and coaches. Thanks very much to Hugues for submitting the video! Have a submission for 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelated [at] gm...

Oxford University racing the Head of the River Fours (Photo courtesy of Mike DiSanto) Harvard alum Mike DiSanto , who recently returned from a trip to New Zealand for the Gallagher Great Race , is back and training once again with Oxford University Boat Club —and, evidently, it's going well. DiSanto and his teammates turned a lot of heads on the Thames a week ago with their performance in the men's elite four with coxswain—an event that they won, while placing ninth among all crews (yes, in a field that included quads and straight fours). The following is the first dispatch from Mike for RR about his training and racing with OUBC, with more to come as winter looms.

The view from the MRA boathouse (Photo: B. Kitch) While the fall rowing season in the U.S. may be largely at an end, the Marin junior men's program are continuing to log the miles that make champions. Having narrowly lost the Men's Youth Eight event at the 2014 Head Of The Charles to Bay Area rival Oakland Strokes (the East Bay crew finishing just over one second ahead of Marin, who came in as defending champions), the MRA varsity men bounced back at the Head of the American (held at Lake Natoma, just outside Sacramento, California) the following weekend, winning the men's junior eight event over Southern California's Newport Aquatic Center by roughly nine seconds (though NAC placed three crews in the top 10, taking second, third, and eighth place—and, given the return of head coach Nick D'Antoni to Newport, they'll be a team to watch going forward this year). Have you been grinding out the low-rate, long distance miles as we gear up for winter? Sen...

Frandsen racing at Kona (Photo courtesy of Scott Frandsen) Triple Olympian Scott Frandsen, who earned a silver medal in the men's pair with Dave Calder in Beijing (just behind the famous duo of Drew Ginn and Duncan Free ), is no stranger to logging mile after mile of training on the water. So, following his second Olympics in 2008, Frandsen found the transition to Ironman Triathlon a natural one, giving him a release from rowing while still developing his endurance fitness and providing him with an intensely competitive outlet. Having raced in his first Ironman in 2009 (Subrau Ironman Canada), Frandsen has competed at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, twice, qualifying for the 2014 event by winning the amateur category (and placing ninth overall) at the Coeur d'Alene Ironman in a time of 9:16.36. Here, Frandsen shares what motivates him to train at the elite level, whether it be rowing or triathlon, as well as the importance of patience, nutrition, and ...

This week's pair of featured videos comes to us from Hammersmith Bridge, London, where Dickie Bannenberg was kind enough to camp out for the Head of the River Fours over the weekend. The videos show the first 120 crews between them—a field that included a number of Olympians, national team members (from various countries), and sterling results on the Tideway. The talk of the town following the race was the performance of the Oxford and Cambridge crews competing—the Light Blue and Dark Blue men and women all turned in strong races over the Boat Race course (albeit in reverse), setting the stage for the biggest and best Boat Race of them all this spring, with the women's programs competing over the same distance and historic stretch of the Thames as the men for the first time. So far, it looks like the Dark Blues are well positioned to repeat their dominant performances last year, with the top crew from OUBC (stroked by 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and 2014 world champion...

This weekend features a ton (tonne) of racing over long courses from the U.S. to Europe, with the Head of the River Fours taking over the Tideway earlier today, the Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, Portland's Fall Classic , the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival in Southern California, the Head of the Lake in Seattle , and many more. We'll have reaction and analysis for all of the above coming up over the next few days, but for now, here are some useful links and updates for Saturday and Sunday. Good luck everyone! A photo posted by University of London Boat Club (@ulbc)  on Nov 11, 2014 at 12:44am PDT