I N D O O R R O W I N G N E W S L E T T E R # 1 0 =========================== 10-April-2000 ==================== _________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S 1. Long Distance Rowing 2. Indoor Rowing Training Camp 3. Concept 2 Dyno 4. One Million Metre Phil 5. British Open Records 6. Tel's Tales #1 7. Land Of Our Fathers 8. Events Calendar 9. Tel's Tales #2 10. Other Sports 11. Adventure _________________________________________________________________ ========================================================= 1. Long Distance Rowing ========================================================= Our request for stories and tips from newsletter readers on long distance rowing brought forth an article from Andy Robinson. Andy was the man who did the 100,000 metre row at The Big One on his own last month. Having recovered from this feat, Andy's written a very interesting article on his experiences both before, during and after the row. As the article is quite long (about 1,000 words) and as we felt it should be quoted in full, we've put it up on the news section of our web-site at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/news.htm Any other tips, tales and anecdotes on long distance rowing (indeed on any aspect of indoor rowing) are more than gratefully received: this newsletter's New Year's resolution is to get as much input and articles from the readership as possible. So get writing to webmaster@vermonthouse.co.uk. ========================================================= Indoor Rowing Training Camp (A Tel's Tales Special) ========================================================= I arrived back from my European tour just in time to see the Boat Race. This year's race must go down as one of the best contests of all time, and I think the result was good for the event. For those of you who didn't see it, Oxford won for the first time in eight years. When one team dominates an event for a long period people tend to lose interest as they feel the outcome is a forgone conclusion. Another reason for my pleasure is that the Oxford coach, Sean Bowden, is a good friend of mine and we were both coaches in the British Olympic team at the Atlanta Olympic Games. He was telling me after Oxford were beaten last year that he needed a complete change of approach if he was to turn around the result. For some years both Universities have gone to training camps in Spain during the Christmas recess to finalise their crew selection and get in some really hard training. Oxford had been going to Seville right down in the South whilst Cambridge went to Banyoles in the North. Sean told me that the first thing he wanted to do was to change the venue of the training camp but didn't know where to go. I told him of a place I knew of that I had been to several times. It was off the beaten track and not many people outside of Spain knew about it. So, last September, Sean and I went to Mechineza in Spain to check it out. Oxford went there for their camp and they won the Boat Race. Now the whole point of this story is that in rowing, even the rowers at the bottom end of the scale will try to spend a week to 10 days on a training camp. Away from the pressures of daily life you can really focus on getting fit and improving your technique. So I thought, why shouldn't indoor rowers go on training camp? If we claim that we are a sport in our own right with National and World Championships, then we should prepare for major events like any other serious sport. So we're going to try and give it a go. We will go to Banyoles, which is near Girona in the North of Spain, 35 kilometres from the Costa Brava. The town is built on the side of a beautiful lake where they held the rowing events at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. We will stay in the Miralac Hotel, which is right on the side of the lake and will cost around £25 a day full board. The plan will be to go for the first week of October and we should take bikes, because not only is the scenery stunning, we can use bikes and running for cross-training. Now training camps are meant to be "A.R.D." so wimps and whingers forget it. Easyjet fly into Barcelona and their flights start at £20 one way, so I reckon all up it will cost around £250. I'll only be able to take a maximum of 20 so, if you're interested, digit extractus and let me know toot sweet. ========================================================= Concept 2 Dyno ========================================================= And now for something completely different. We've just updated the Dyno section on our web-site (in fact, we've just created a Dyno section on our web-site). Alongside the usual text and product shots, you'll also find images of all the major exercises plus videos and an on-line application form to take part in a free Dyno training day (which will also include instruction on the Slide and e- Row). Bearing in mind the Dyno is the piece of equipment about which triathlon legend and Benetton Formula One fitness guru Bernie Shrosbree said "It's fantastic, perfect for anyone serious about their sport. We've only chosen the best equipment and the Dyno will be an invaluable addition which we think will also become part of the testing and race weekend training equipment", then this definitely comes under the category of a gift horse. To celebrate this bounty, we're running a special Dyno quiz. To enter you can either e-mail your answers to the questions below to quiz@vermonthouse.co.uk or fill in the form on the Dyno page at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/dyno_main.htm. Five lucky winners will receive a lavishly printed indoor rowing Training Guide and Training Log. Closing date is April 30th, so no time to dawdle. The questions are: 1. What does Dinosaur literally mean? a) Giant creature b) Terrifying lizard c) Movie Franchise 2. Who would use a Dyno-rod? a) Plumber b) Electrician c) Actor 3. Which country do football team Dynamo Kiev play in? a) Germany b) Ukraine c) Austria 4. Batman and Robin are known as the Dynamic Duo. What is Batman's real name? a) Peter Parker b) Bruce Darren c) Bruce Wayne 5. Who invented the Dynamo? a) Michael Faraday b) Isaac Newton c) Christopher Lillycrap 6. The fundamental dynamic of Shakespearean comedy is shaped by the play between the radicalism of the form and the conservatism of the content, and any discussion of these plays must take as its bedrock the notion that they are all, indeed, much ado about nothing. a)True b) False c) There are arguments for both sides. ========================================================= One Million Metre Phil ========================================================= After 60 days and a total rowing time of 80 hours, 20 minutes and 18 seconds, Chief Petty Officer Phil White has covered an amazing one million metres on the Indoor Rower, losing nearly two and a half stone in the process. Phil took up indoor rowing in January of this year in an attempt to get fit and lose weight. He purchased his own Indoor Rower and, after discovering that someone had completed a million metres in 90 days and making a few calculations himself, Phil set some goals - to complete one million metres in 60 days, lose weight from his 6 foot two frame and also get fit for a reunion with his girlfriend at the end of March. She is also in the Navy and was on a four month deployment to Antarctica. Phil's indoor rowing challenge began in earnest on the 24th of January. Every day he covered at least 18,000 metres over a period of one and a half hours. His training went so well that after a month Phil decided to do it in aid of charity and subsequently raised £350 in aid of Haslar Hospital Radio. "There were times when I really wanted to throw the towel in. The constant regime really took its toll some days. The Concept 2 Training Guide says that you should never become a slave to the programme, but I did. My programme completely ruled my life," said Phil. On Wednesday 22nd March, in front of friends, colleagues and representatives from Haslar Radio Station, Phil completed the final 20,000 metres of his Concept 2 million metre challenge in the gym at HMS Sultan in Gosport. He was presented with his official Concept 2 million metre certificate and T-Shirt by Commodore Clayden, the commanding officer of HMS Sultan. He lost a total of 37.4lbs (17kg) and now weighs 84.8 kg, a weight he has not been since 1988 when he began his naval training. "I am now looking forward to getting my teeth into the 40 minute training programme and to sort out my 2,000 metre time." Phil's girlfriend knew nothing of his indoor rowing and weight loss regime. However, he was confident that she would be very surprised at their Cape Town reunion. ========================================================= British Open Records ========================================================= After a break of a couple of weeks or so, two more British records have tumbled this newsletter, both of them in the Open Lightweight category and both in national team testing. For the men, Tim Male pulled a nifty 6:07.2, while Helen Casey becomes (unofficially) the second fastest female lightweight ever when she broke the former British record with a row of 7:01:0. The final tests and trials for the Olympics will be taking place this week at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham. As a side note, although it's the policy of the Amateur Rowing Association not to publicise the results of their testing, anybody interested in what times the highly-rated American squad are doing at the moment, should check out the row2k web-site (http://www.row2k.com) where they're posted in the results section. Members of the American squad, including most of the eight fancied to take gold in Sydney, are rumoured to be planning to take a shot at the 100,000 metre team world record recently wrested from Leander Club by Royce's Gym in Wigan. ========================================================= Tel's Tales #1 ========================================================= From Paul Davis My question is regarding further improvement of my 2,000 metre Personal Best. I seem to be stuck in the 6:50 range for my 2,000 metres and would appreciate any training ideas on how to break the 6:50 barrier. I endeavour to mix the weekly training sessions with anaerobic and aerobic workouts and supplement this with weight work in the gym. Typical anaerobic sessions are carried out over 500m, or 2 minutes with 2 minutes recovery repeated six times. Aerobic conditioning would be between 40 - 60 minutes with MHR between 70 - 80%. I recently read that a 2,000 metre piece is 70% aerobic and 30% anaerobic. Based on this, should further emphasis be placed on aerobic conditioning and increasing the repetitions in the gym? Any thoughts gratefully received. ************* Paul, The exact contribution from the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems will vary from person to person and the 70%-30% is an average figure. The sample of training you sent me does address both systems so you are not doing anything wrong but still, you are stuck at this 6.50 level. This could mean one of two things: 1. This is it old fruit, the end of the line, with the future being all down hill thanks to old Father Time. 2. You are going to have to raise your basic training intensity level. How? I hear you type! First step is to increase your basic strength with weight training for 6 weeks. While you are doing this don't do any long pieces on the machine, although you can do some short interval work. Follow this with your long distance aerobic work but using your newfound strength to train at a higher intensity. You can do some strength retention sessions once or twice a week during this phase. Follow this with a programme of intensive intervals and fast weights, then taper and Bob's your uncle, either death or glory. Tel ========================================================= Land Of Our Fathers ========================================================= The cry of "o'r diwedd" can no doubt be heard echoing around the valleys now, as the results of last month's Welsh Indoor Rowing Championship have gone up on our web-site (http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/local.htm). People interested in the whole Wales/Rowing correlation should also check out the official Welsh Amateur Rowing Association web-site at http://www.rowales.org, which contains an "ergo ladder" for Welsh rowers and target times to aim for on the Indoor Rower. ========================================================= Events Calendar ========================================================= Our indoor rowing events calendar is looking a little sparse at the moment as we move into what has, traditionally at least, been the indoor rowing 'off' season. We know, however, that there are events taking place up and down the country which we never get to hear about, so if you're organising or taking part in an indoor rowing event in the next couple of months, make sure you drop us a line at webmaster@vermonthouse.co.uk and we'll pop it up on our calendar and, hopefully, cover it in a future newsletter. ========================================================= Tel's Tales #2 ========================================================= From: Keith Blount. I have a damaged lumbar disc caused through a bad parachute landing many years ago. The space between the 2 vertebrae the disc supports is therefore reduced and has resulted in a nerve becoming trapped. This in turn causes the surrounding muscles to spasm and become painful. The condition is stable and, barring any further trauma, should not worsen (I have had many chiropractic and osteopathic treatments without success). I have used the Concept 2 for many years and, being a naval officer, have found it an excellent way to keep fit in confined spaces! I have not suffered any pain when using the rower (except at the beginning of a session whilst the muscles warm up) and indeed have gained some relief through exercise of many kinds including cycling machines and steppers. A while ago I happened upon an article on the Internet saying there was some evidence to suggest rowing could aggravate lower back problems. I did not download it and have been unable to access it since. Could you put my mind at rest that, assuming I row correctly which I believe I do, I am unlikely to worsen my current condition or sustain any new injuries. Additionally, any good stretching tips for the lower back would be much appreciated. ***************** Keith, Sorry to hear about your back problem but what is a naval officer doing jumping out of planes? It is true that recently there have been a number of articles concerning rowing and an increase in the number of back problems, especially in young people. First of all these all referred to rowing on water, and not to indoor rowing on the Concept 2. Some little time ago a new type of oar came into popular use called the big blade. It was felt that this increased the load on the rower, which in turn led to an increase in lower back problems. At around the same time there was a change in the training emphasis and the amount of time rowers were spending on the water increased significantly, and some attributed this to the increase in back problems. A number of recommendations were made; one was that young people should scull and not row until they reached the age of 15. Sculling, like the Indoor Rower, does not involve any twisting and so young people would develop symmetrically. Also it was recommended that young people did not use the big blade but stick to the traditional shape. The rowing action carried out correctly should not in itself cause a problem but, if there is a problem in the lumbar region that has been caused by something else, rowing could aggravate it. In another survey amongst back sufferers, the root cause of the problems were traced back to an accident of one sort or another, a bit like in your case but not quite so dramatic (most common were car and bike accidents). All rowers need to make sure that they develop their abdominal and back muscles so as to stabilise the trunk and ensure that there is no slipping of the lower back. When you are driving with the legs and pulling with the arms and shoulders in the seated position, the lumbar region has to be held firm. The reason for this is that when you reach forward the back is curved in the reverse direction to its natural shape. There is not much movement between the individual vertebrae, so when reaching forward the lower back is at its limit in that direction. If you then put a load on the back causing it to go beyond this point, you can cause tissue damage. From what you say, that you experience no discomfort when using your Indoor Rower, I don't think you should worry too much. Make sure you maintain a good technique and always warm up and stretch before exercise. As to the question of good stretching exercises, there are a number of good examples in the Indoor Rowing Training Guide or on our web-site at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/stretching.htm Tel ========================================================= Other Sports ========================================================= It's been a definite mixed bag for those sportsmen associated with indoor rowing recently. Pete Goss and his boat Team Philips found themselves splashed all over the papers recently when their four million pound boat broke while sailing off the Scilly Isles. Recently launched by the Queen, rumours that the initial damage was caused by her smashing the bottle of champagne slightly too hard on seeing the name of the boat were denied by the Team Philips press office. Sticking with the waves, Ian Walker and Mark Covell carried on their fine form in the Star sailing class, finishing fourth in San Francisco in the Star Western Hemisphere Spring Championships. Their sustained form has been such that they have pre- qualified for the Olympics before the British Olympic trials in Weymouth later this month. Back on land meanwhile, Colin McRae recorded his first win in a while at the Spanish World Rally Championship, with Richard Burns tucked in at second to further extend his lead in the overall standings over Tommi Makkinen. Another Concept 2/Motor sport 1-2 took place in the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola when Michael Schumacher pipped Mika Hakkinen for the rights to spray people with champagne. More details, along with pictures, of how Concept 2 is used by various Formula One teams can be found on the news page of our web-site. ========================================================= Adventure ========================================================= Andrew Halsey's attempt to row the Atlantic single- handedly ended after 266 days last week, when he was plucked from the sea by Korean fishermen, scant hours from his death. Suffering from severe dehydration and exhaustion, Andrew said, "I have been to Hell and back. I ran out of food at the end of January and have been surviving on flying fish, sea birds and the odd shark since then. I literally did not eat a thing for 16 days. I was too weak to row. I just lay on the bottom of the boat and waited to die." More on Andrew's amazing tale can be found at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/news.htm. Just as Andrew's death-defying mission was ending, another one is just beginning. British adventurer David Hempleman-Adams is attempting to cross the Arctic Circle by balloon, something which if it's successful will create several world firsts - the crossing itself, reaching the Pole, landing a balloon on an arctic ice pack and surviving alone in a wicker basket for up to seven days in temperatures of - 60C. The Britannic Challenge, as it's known, will maintain the spirit of courage and adventure of Swedish explorer Salomon Andrée, whose 1897 attempt to reach the North Pole ended in tragedy when a sudden change in wind directions forced him to crash-land on the Polar ice cap and he and his team subsequently died. No one has succeeded in making the Polar crossing since. The Britannic Challenge will use a traditional Roziere balloon, a wicker basket and take-off from the same point - Spitzbergen in Norway. Hempleman-Adams has been training for the flight by firstly increasing the amount of time he spends on his Indoor Rower and, rather more uniquely, by spending the night in an industrial freezer in Swindon to prepare himself for the temperature. According to Hempleman-Adams, "This will be the greatest and most dangerous challenge I have ever faced in over 25 years of risk- taking. If we succeed, it will be the pinnacle of the adventurer's progress and prove yet again what we can achieve with the right team and motivation. And if we fail, we will still learn new lessons in endurance and survival that will help us, or our successors, to fulfil their potential". __________________________________________________F E E D B A C K We're eager to hear what you think of this newsletter. 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