RowingRelated

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning training on the ergo (Screen capture) This week's featured video comes to us from the ergo dungeon at Caversham, and takes a look at what the machine means to the rowers and coaches on the British national team.

British men's team cycling while on training camp (Photo: Pete Reed) The GB men's national team has been on a cycling training camp in South Africa as they begin the Olympic year, trading the British winter for summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Hanging loose on the water (Screen capture) This week's video comes to us thanks to Julien Bahain of Rowing Canada Aviron, and features a behind-the-scenes look at some of the training the Canadian heavyweights have been up to in 2015.

It's that time of year again (Photo by Eigenberg Fotografie/Flickr ) Given that we cover a water sport, it has been an impressive year on dry land.

London, looking east from Waterloo Bridge (Photo: B. Kitch) The London Marathon took place last Saturday, and there were more than a few rowers involved. The most notable result for an ex-GB oarsman was the very impressive 2:50 posted by James Cracknell , but a tip of the cap also goes to 2008 Olympic champion Zac Purchase , who raced as a member of U.K. SportsAid's team .

Conlin McCabe (right) and the #TrueNorthFour in San Diego (Photo: B. Kitch)  Wednesdays are coaching days here on RR, and today we thought we would shift gears a little bit from our Best Rowing Drills series, and take a look at preparation for that most important of tests, the 2k. We asked former Crash-B Sprints champion and Canadian Olympic silver medalist Conlin McCabe how he goes about getting ready for a test, from the night before to the warmup.  Here's what Conlin had to say. RR: Do you have a routine that you go through the night before a 2k test? If so, what is it (and what do you recommend)? Conlin McCabe: The night before I test I try to eat a feast — I know in the morning I will be nervous, and I'll have a hard time eating when it gets too close to the race. Thinking about the erg test is inevitable the night before, so I set a chunk of time aside in the evening (10-15 minutes) and make sure I have a solid race plan . Once I have a plan I am confident in...

Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite, by Augustas Didzgalvis (via Wikimedia Commons ) 2013 world champions Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite of Lithuania are no strangers to success, and while the combination suffered a slight setback last year (finishing fourth in Amsterdam), it's clear that they're determined to get back on the podium in 2015 in one of our sport's most competitive events. The below video is the second Red Bull feature on Vistartaite (who, like American Andrew Campbell , and Austrian lightweight  Paul and Bernhard Sieber , is one of their sponsored athletes), with the first coming roughly a year ago ( watch it here ). Vistartaite was also FISA's Athlete of the Month for May 2014. The race that appears as a series of clips in the above is the final from the 2013 World Rowing Championships, which was one of the most exciting races of the regatta—the Lithuanians led early, but found themselves struggling to keep pace with the Kiwi d...

Training indoors with BU Men's Rowing (Screen capture) This week's video comes to us from the Northeast, and we think you just might be able to relate—when winter training begins in earnest, "the only easy day was yesterday."

Best of RR, 2014 Edition We're mere minutes away from the beginning of a new year, and we can't wait to find out what the 2015 rowing season holds. However, there's never a better time to look back on the previous 12 months than New Year's Eve, and that's just what we're up to this evening. And so, without further ado, here are our top 10 posts (according to you) from 2014. 1. Stop Seat Racing: The Future of Crew Selection Virginia Men's Rowing head coach Frank Biller's take on how best to select your crew, given the increasing level of data available to coaches and athletes. 2. Head of the Charles Banter: Can We Talk about how Badass This Year's 'Great Eights' Are? Apparently, we weren't the only ones excited about the increased number (and level of badassedness) of the men's and women's Great Eights at the Head of the Charles in 2014. 3. So, are Naked Rowing Calendars a Thing Now? If the level of success that this p...

Remember when cassette tapes weren't just iPhone cases? After how much you said you liked year's fall rowing erg(o) mixtape , well, we felt like maybe we should make it a tradition—not that we're getting too serious or anything. It's on the electronic side, but it's also got a little dose of hip hop, and a mix of rhythm and bass that ought to get you through a long session of intervals, a 30-minute test, or just your everyday 10k (the playlist clocks in at approximately 45 mins). And, like we said last year, while we can discuss the problems and benefits of having music during training (having trained with coaches on both sides of that fence), we hope you enjoy it, and use it (or not) as you see fit. -RR

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 ...

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 video comes to us from Imperial College Boat Club's preseason cycling camp in France, and while it may be short on rowing, there's no shortage of tough climbs, mileage (kilometerage?), and banter in this one. In fact, over the course of the camp, the ICBC lads covered some 813km, and climbed over 16,000m, over the 11 stages of the trip. Thanks to ICBC athlete Josh Butler for putting together this montage—arguably the best way to get your training in order in a hurry . Earlier this week, we asked via Twitter if your team was getting back on the water and taking their #firststrokes of the 2014-2015 campaign. #firststrokes of our Novice Girls Rowing team @rowingrelated @rowingcanada @RowToPodium pic.twitter.com/LH5DkroTrK — Brentwood Rowing (@bcsrowing) September 13, 2014 Tag a photo with #firststrokes on Twitter and we'll share it via our account as the new season gets going in earnest! Also coming up this week: The fourth-annual RoRy Awards ...

This week's double-feature is all about winter training, be it on land, or on camp. The above video comes to us from Bernhard Stomporowski of California Rowing Club , who is in Mexico City with the U.S. women's lightweight double training on the 1968 Olympics course. For athletes Kristin Hedstrom and Kate Bertko , it looks like the trip was timed just right, escaping the cold snap in Northern California (it was a frigid—get ready for this—37 degrees for about three hours one morning in San Francisco) and catching some rays at altitude (the real reason for the trip, no doubt). Meanwhile, in France, lightweight phenom Jérémie Azou was at it again, breaking the French official record for lightweight men in a time of 6:06.1 (though this is not a personal best—last year, Azou recorded an unofficial 6:02.9 before picking up a silver in the LM1x in Chungju). Given that this result comes from early December, it looks like Azou will be even faster this spring—though whether his...

The records have already started to fall early in this 2013-2014 indoor rowing season. Just a few weeks ago, California Rowing Club's Kate Bertko broke her own world record for 6k, recording a 21:45.3 having weighed in a 129.6 pounds  (smashing her previous record of 22:06.3 also set this year). And now, the 26-year-old Olympian  Roel Braas has continued to add to what has already been an outstanding year with a new Dutch record , posting a 5:43.7 after an all-out battle with the young  Stef Broenink (just 23 years of age), who finished close behind in 5:45.3.  Braas announced his candidacy for the podium at the world level with a victory over defending Olympic champion Mahé Drysdale at the 2013 Holland Beker , and backed up that performance with a fifth-place finish in Chungju in a hotly contested final, which saw all six scullers finish within 11 seconds of one another (Braas' time was roughly seven seconds short of world champion Ondrej Synek , and three sec...

You don't go to the Olympics without pulling a solid 6k, and Will Daly is no exception to that rule—in fact, he just recorded the fastest lightweight men's score at the OKC High Performance Center earlier this month, with a 19:45.7 at the Midwest Speed Order. Here are Will's thoughts on putting together the right playlist for a 6k race piece: A 6k playlist has to be loud and full of energy. I like to start mine off with a song that is high energy, but not an anthem—something that is a little longer to really get you into the piece. In this case, I chose Teisto's "Love and Run." Then push the gas peddle down a little more with the Martin Garrix's new hit "Wizard." After that, we go into overdrive with "Stampede" by Dmitri Vegas & Like Mike vs DVBBS   &   Borgeous . SLVR and Antidote carry us through the real pain and grind. Finally, it's on to the sprint, and we have the huge anthem Tsunami to carry us home. I ...

Beijing Olympian and 2016 hopeful Will Daly is no stranger to logging high-quality miles on the erg. And, he knows just the kind of tunes that can help motivate you, whether you're knocking out an hour of power, or pushing through a 6k test. Our first installment is perfect for your Sunday afternoon workout—just over 60 minutes of music to help you stay focused and on point through your steady-state or controlled-rate piece. From Will: So I am big into EDM [electronic dance music], especially when working out. I think things that are up tempo and have a good beat make you want to stay active and keep moving. This playlist isn't overly energetic, with big anthems or too much Dub or Trap, but its something nice to get you through that hour of training. I am big into Rudimental right now, and I'm also a huge fan of the Avicii song, "You Make Me." I am also really into Hardwell at the moment. (Who isn't? He was just named #1 DJ of 2013. I recommend just putt...

Husky Rowing Triathlon 2012 from Washington Rowing on Vimeo . Two words: Winter. Training. The Washington Huskies are "putting hay in the barn" in grand fashion this year, and this video (shot in December, 2012) is further evidence that they are loving every minute of it. Following the traditional erg-run-stadiums triathlon, the Huskies earn 'recovery' food that is likely not at the top of every nutritionist's list—though undoubtedly part of a balanced breakfast (rowers run on Dunkin'). Props to Rick Gherst and the UW coaching staff for putting together another great training video! And, speaking of erging, the MidAtlantic Erg Sprints are in the books. There were some familiar faces doin' work in Alexandria, Virginia over the weekend. Former UVa standout, RR interviewee , and author of our first-ever ' On The Water ' series Matt Miller had another solid performance at MidAtlantics, successfully defending the men's open title in 5:51.8...

The above video puts together some silky smooth shots of rowing, a look at cross-training, and a little background on what it takes to push yourself to become better every day in pursuit of the Olympic dream. Patrick Loliger Salas of Remo Mexico has made some waves on the international stage, and is a two-time Olympian, having finished 15th in Beijing, and 14th in London, less than one second behind Danish lightweight phenom Henrik Stephansen at Eton Dorney last summer. Here, we get some insight into his thought process and emotions as he takes on the challenge of racing at the highest level, in his own voice (for those not proficient in Spanish, there is closed captioning available). Through the winter, it's important to keep in mind that every day is an opportunity to improve–rather than looking at the coming months of intense training as an obstacle, approach each day, and each session, as a chance to make yourself, however slightly, better than you were the day, or the ses...

Just to get you all in the mood for winter training, here's a look at what the Princeton Tigers have been up to recently–a great preview of the land-based fun to be had this season as the water starts to freeze and the humming of the ergo becomes an ever-present drone. As usual, the editors had a good time putting this film together–particularly good are the freeze-frame moments through the final minute (showcasing the watchful eye of head coach Greg Hughes ). We kicked off a contest for all our RR readers last week, and the submissions have already started coming in for a shot at some JLRacing swag and a featured VOTW for the best rowing recruiting video. Given the prevalence of small, HD video cameras with waterproof cases these days, putting together something worth watching shouldn't be too tall a task–and once you do, ship it on over! The deadline is 31 December, 2012. Want to suggest the next 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelated [at] gma...