2008 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race

After an epic battle over the first half of the course, with Cambridge stealing a brief lead after Hammersmith, Oxford regained the initiative and moved steadily away to their third boat race victory in five years. They crossed the line to win the 154th Boat Race by six lengths in 20 mins 53 secs, the slowest time since 1947.

Start


Middle


Finish

2007 World Rowing Championships

This video contains some excellent technical rowing and very british commentators.



Courtesy of YouTube

Endurance, Strength, and Confidence

Rowers:

The 2000 meter erg piece is a combination of three things: endurance, strength, and confidence.

Endurance is hard work over an extended period of time. In rowing, if you have two athletes of similar body and muscle mass, the athlete who has more endurance is the one who can hold a certain split for longer. Example: Tom and Jerry are both 6'0 and weight 165lbs. If Tom holds a 1:50 split for 2000 meters and Jerry holds a 1:50 split for 2400 meters, then Jerry would have more endurance. Endurance is trainable.

Strength is simply the size and use of difference muscle groups. This category includes rowing with proper technique. Rowing with improper technique (such as over compressing at the catch, slouching during the recovery, opening your back early in the drive, etc.) prevents muscles from working with maximum efficiency. The stroke is carefully constructed to make the most of every muscle group. Therefore, muscle size and muscle use go hand-in-hand.

Finally, confidence is how aware you are of yourself. What are your limitations. How do you overcome them? What is your potential? How do you get there? The 2000 meter erg piece is a psychological test just as much as it is a physical test. To overcome the stress and anxiety of a 2000 meter piece, learn as much as you can about your stroke and fitness. The goal of any rower is to know exactly how he will perform before the race even starts. At this point, you are able to set reasonable goals.

Niskayuna Freshman Rowing Video

Rowers and Parents:



Courtesy of Flying Dutchman Productions and the Wiegman's

2000m Projected Erg Times

Rowers:

Friday is our first official 2000m erg test for the spring season. Use this table to see the relationship between average split and projected time. Keep in mind that our goal for the freshmen team is to have every rower below 8 minutes by the end of the season.

Split	2000m	Split	2000m	Split	2000m
1:40	6:40	1:51	7:24	2:02	8:08
1:41	6:44	1:52	7:28	2:03	8:12
1:42	6:48	1:53	7:32	2:04	8:16
1:43	6:52	1:54	7:36	2:05	8:20
1:44	6:56	1:55	7:40	2:06	8:24
1:45	7:00	1:56	7:44	2:07	8:28
1:46	7:04	1:57	7:48	2:08	8:32
1:47	7:08	1:58	7:52	2:09	8:36
1:48	7:12	1:59	7:56	2:10	8:40
1:49	7:16	2:00	8:00	2:11	8:44
1:50	7:20	2:01	8:04	2:12	8:48

Indoor Training Pictures - Spring 2008

Photos courtesy of Nate H.

The Push-Up

Rowers:

Here are some excerpts from a little article printed in today's NY Times that you might find interesting. Lucky for you, the simple push-up will always be a part of the Niskayuna Freshmen Crew training regimen.

An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push-Up
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Published: March 11, 2008

As a symbol of health and wellness, nothing surpasses the simple push-up.

“It takes strength to do them, and it takes endurance to do a lot of them,” said Jack LaLanne, 93, the fitness pioneer who astounded television viewers in the 1950s with his fingertip push-ups. “It’s a good indication of what kind of physical condition you’re in.”

The push-up is the ultimate barometer of fitness. It tests the whole body, engaging muscle groups in the arms, chest, abdomen, hips and legs. It requires the body to be taut like a plank with toes and palms on the floor. The act of lifting and lowering one’s entire weight is taxing even for the very fit.

“You are just using your own body and your body’s weight,” said Steven G. Estes, a physical education professor and dean of the college of professional studies at Missouri Western State University. “If you’re going to demonstrate any kind of physical strength and power, that’s the easiest, simplest, fastest way to do it.”

Mr. LaLanne, who once set a world record by doing 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes, still does push-ups as part of his daily workout. Now he balances his feet and each hand on three chairs.

“That way I can go way down, even lower than if I was on the floor,” he said. “That’s really tough.”

Rowing 2000 Meters in 5:37.0 (WR)

Interview with Matthias Siejkowski

Indoor Rowing World Record Holder

by Verena Loch -February 12, 2002
Translated by Oli Rosenbladt

row2k: Would you please describe the race?
MS: I kept the 500m at 1:24; 1:25, 1:25 and 1:23. That's an average of 1:24.2 over 2k. My opponents were elite national team members of Poland who had to qualify in several heats. Shortly after the 1000m mark I had difficulties keeping up the intense speed. That's when I got some help from outside. My former partner of 1993 (Polish Eight), Andrzej Krzepinski (who is now the chief of sport marketing for the Polish Rowing Federation), went ahead and yelled: "Wind it up, Maciej, wind it up!" Right in time with the rating, and again and again. At that point, I hardly felt strong enought to keep it up unless I would increase the stroke rate. Hearing the commentator's voice over the loudspeaker, I closed my eyes after 3.5 minutes and worked it up stroke by stroke.

Beforehands, I had prepared a note for myself and stuck it to the floor which said: "You can do it! Work with every stroke. No brains, just work!" Well, and then I stopped thinking about the pain and somehow there was the finish. I realized the score, broke down for a second, got treatment, but then managed to push away the paramedics. I rose up to new strength and got up again. Started dancing with joy, hugging and kissing everyone around.

row2k: At what point did you realize you were about to break Rob's record?
MS: At 1300m I went down to 1:23 (as I managed to peek through my right eye now and then). That's when I knew that I wasn't about to let it disappear any more. It appeared to me that this was THE day I had set the programme for. After all, it's just a head game. The psyche is the key to a successful competition. Of course, I had prepared both my body and my technique with a lot of precision. I inherited a book from my father, called "Psychology between the Starting Line and the Finish." It's from the former GDR and excellent, I recommend it to every athlete.

row2k: What settings do you generally use for your races? How did you pre-set your display this time?
MS: I usually set the drag factor to 155-160. My stroke rate after settling down was around 36, and I could see 500m splits of 1:25.

row2k: Why did you not row at the Olympics in Sydney?
MS: In the spring and summer of 2000 I had to make ends meet as a newly unemployed engineer, so I was very busy looking for work, and that had to be a priority. But my heart was bleeding while I watched the German men's sweep team have so much "success" in Sydney.

row2k: How much do you train? Do you do only ergs, or do you cross-train as well?
MS: In the peak training periods of October/November 2001, I was doing 19/20 hours per week. Everything else I think I'd like to keep a secret...

row2k: Who is your coach, and who writes your training programs?
MS: I do all that myself, I have 20 years of experience. >From time to time, people who know a little bit about rowing watch my technique, which is very important even on the erg, and give me valuable tips. In that area, you need outside input. I'm extremely grateful to all those who have supported me.

2 Pictures from Camp Bob

Photos courtesy of Steve Koch

Spring 2008 Welcome

Rowers and Parents:

Welcome to the start of Niskayuna's Spring 2008 Freshmen Crew Season. Until the Mohawk River completely melts and the docks are put in, we will spend the next couple weeks training indoors: increasing our strength, perfecting our technique, preparing our mental stamina, and defining our physical potential.

For those rowers and parents new this season, I encourage you to read previous blog entries. The rower's narratives, galleries and videos are probably the best places to start. They demonstrate the physical and technical demands of rowing along with insight into the rower's psyche.

This blog is created specifically for Niskayuna's freshmen "team," which, by my definition, includes the rowers, parents, friends, families, and everyone else interested in our success. Check the blog regularly for new posts; I am in the habit of adding new entries each week.

Finally, your participation and feedback is important: send me your photos from a practice, race, or pasta party, add your comments to a post, or suggest entries you would like to see included. Don't be shy to contribute because it is all for the best of the team.