Issue #152, 22 December 2006
» Concept2 Christmas Card
» Concept2 Euro Open
» Concept2 Videos
» Rudi Cole
» Cartoon By Rog
» Tel's Tales
» National Indoor Rowing Championships
» Internet Adaptive Rowing Race
» London Youth Rowing
» Forthcoming Races And Events
» Upcoming Races And Events
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A guide to some of the more common terms used in indoor rowing can be found at http://www.concept2.co.uk/rowing/glossary.php.
If you're anything like the Indoor Rowing News, you
only half-noticed the fact the deadline for sending cards this Christmas
appeared to be something like October 12th. Fear not, however, for you can
still send a guaranteed-to-arrive-on-time Concept2 E-Card, with the only
slight downfall being you'll look like you're rocking the Ebenezer Scrooge
look a little this season.
There's a selection of five cards to choose from, all designed by our master cartoonist Rog, so pop along to http://www.concept2.co.uk/resources/ecard.php now and make Aunty Gladys happy.
The Concept2 Euro Open took place in Amsterdam on December
16th. Under the grey skies and the horizontal rain of a lowlands country
in December, Team GB brought home a cracking haul of 11 golds, 7 silvers
and 5 bronzes.
Full results from the day are now available on our website, along with race analysis, a detailed report, photographs and a short video from the day.
Results: http://www.concept2.co.uk/euro/results.php
Report: http://www.concept2.co.uk/euro/reports.php
Video: http://www.concept2.co.uk/euro/video.php
Photographs: http://www.concept2.co.uk/euro/photographs.php
Talking of videos, we've gone slight crazy for them recently and you can now find a number of them on our website. As well as the Concept2 Euro Open video, there's one on the British IRC and indoor racing in general, a video on the Birmingham Schools IRC at Nechells recently, as well as a short video featuring people's responses to what indoor rowing in schools has meant to them.
British IRC: http://www.concept2.co.uk/birc/video.php
Birmingham Schools: http://www.concept2.co.uk/schools/video_birmingham.php
Indoor Rowing In Schools: http://www.concept2.co.uk/schools/video_mean.php
Rudi Cole was the star of the 2006 Concept2 Schools Indoor
Rowing League poster - all gritted teeth and determination.
Since that picture was taken at the British Indoor Rowing Championships in 2004 it turns out that Rudi, having been turned onto an active lifestyle at school, has taken his energies and directed them in a slightly unusual direction.
After leaving Holyhead School in Birmingham, he is now studying full time for a degree in contemporary dance at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds.
"Our school was part of a Steve Redgrave Trust project which meant we were given a few Indoor Rowers for our school.
"I was just really keen in trying something new but there was one P.E. teacher, Mr Knox who I liked to challenge every so often. Not that I ever beat him but it was fun to race people who seemed out of my league."
"Sir Steve visited our school and that really motivated me to do more rowing and got me into competitions. It was something I could do that I really enjoyed and was good at."
And as for the indoor rowing these days?
"Unfortunately I haven't been able to get on a machine for a while now my studies involve dance training for around six hours every day, so in the evenings there is not much energy left to go to the gym.
"But I definitely remember the 2004 British IRC at the Birmingham NIA. Before racing I remember just closing my eyes and picturing the race before it happened and then as soon as I heard the starting siren I put so much energy in that one race, there was around 5 staff standing around me, egging me on which made me push myself that much more."
As for his dancing, Rudi is hoping to graduate with his degree and kickstart a career as a professional dancer.
Rudi's example just goes to show that getting kids turned on to active lifestyles at school can positively shape the way they live their adult lives.
If you want to find out more about the Northern School of Contemporary Dance visit www.nscd.ac.uk
For ideas about how you can introduce Indoor Rowing into your school please go to www.concept2.co.uk/schools or for questions call or email Tom Kay on 0115 969 4325 or tomk@concept2.co.uk.
Tel's Tales is the column written by three-times Olympic
Rowing Coach Terry O'Neill. If you've got a question you'd like to ask
Terry, send it to terryo@concept2.co.uk.
Fabian: "I have been working out with my Indoor Rower for a couple of months now and am getting sore back muscles as I work out. I have to get off every 10 minutes or so just to stretch them out so I'm not so uncomfortable. I am about 40 pounds overweight and it's helping me a lot to lose it, but is the back discomfort something that should go away as I get stronger and lose more of my belly fat?"
Terry O'Neill: When you get overweight you adjust the way you stand and walk to counteract the excess weight, especially if it is built up around the belly. This puts the back under stress which, in turn, can be aggravated by the rowing action. The fact that you have to get off of the machine every 10 minutes is in itself not important because to lose weight is a question of burning calories, so it does not really matter if you burn them in a series of 6x10 minutes or one hour but it would be better if you could eliminate the discomfort. Your back will get stronger as you continue to exercise and your back will come under less stress as you lose weight but it might also help if you carried out the core stability exercises that can be downloaded from our website at http://www.concept2.co.uk/guide/guide.php?article=core_stability
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Brian: "I gather that there have been heart attacks/deaths in indoor rowing competitions (we all sign that disclaimer) and wondered if such occurrences were spread across the age spectrum or concentrated amongst the older participants? In my own case I sometimes get exhausted to the point where it crosses my mind that I may have gone too far after I have finished. Within a few seconds I know I am recovering but the thought does occur.
"I think I have the inbuilt safety mechanism that most have in that, normally, if I feel truly whacked during a row, I will stop. That is always overridden though if there is less than 500m left to do and absolutely everything always gets thrown in for the last 100m, resulting sometimes in the condition stated above. "I retired aged 53 on medical grounds diagnosed as 'a minor heart condition' and now, chiefly as a result of my use of the erg, my specialist agrees that that condition has been reversed to the point of no longer existing. So I have nothing but positive views on indoor rowing as an excellent, beneficial activity."
Terry O'Neill: First of all I am unaware of any deaths that have occurred at indoor rowing events but that is not to say that it could not, or has not, happened. At this year's British IRC one person did have a heart attack during a race but this was due to a pre-existing condition. Following treatment on sight and subsequent treatment in hospital he has made a full recovery. The nature of his condition was such that the heart attack could have happened at any time and the feedback we got from him was that it was lucky that it happened when and where it did with medical support immediately to hand. Had it been, say, while out shopping the chances are he could have died.
The point here is that people with heart disease are likely to have heart attacks regardless of what they are doing.
You can look at the population as being divided into three groups. There are those with no heart problems: these people are at no risk exercising or competing on the rowing machine.
Then there are people like you, who were at risk of heart disease but underwent a change in lifestyle where exercise forms part of the cure. Here initially you need to exercise with a degree of caution until your condition has normalised.
Finally, people with serious heart disease, these people are at constant risk and in the unfortunate event of them succumbing to their illness, on their death certificate it would state "Cause of death coronary heart disease", not rowing or what ever else they happened to be doing at the time.
People tend to associate heart attacks with extreme exercise because with the effort the heart starts to race but this is perfectly normal. What are not normal are situations where you get stressed, say in traffic jams. Here the body releases adrenalin which floods into the blood stream in the same way as it would during exercise. The difference is that with exercise the balance of the blood is restored as the adrenalin is burned off. In the stress situation it remains in the blood stream festering, which can lead to a number of stress-related illnesses.
You are right to believe that you have an in-built defence mechanism that will stop you killing yourself long before it happens. It is estimated that we run at about 40% of our ultimate potential. Therefore from exercise you are only at risk if you suppress this defence system with performance enhancing drugs or you have a precondition that affects your performance and means sedentary life is all you can manage.
The Irish IRC took place on the 10th of December at University College Dublin. Full results can be found at http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/result.php?race=irishirc2006 along with race analysis and race replays.
The English IRC takes place at the Manchester Velodrome on Sunday, 28th January. The second biggest race in the domestic calendar, you can download an entry form from http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/calendar_uk.php?id=184.
A date has also been announced for the Scottish IRC. That takes place on Sunday, 11th February at the Time Capsule in Coatbridge. This year, the indoor championships will incorporate the Scottish Universities Indoor Rowing Championships as well as senior and junior team events. The closing date for entries is Friday 27th January and forms can be downloaded from http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/calendar_uk.php?id=200.
The Queen Elizabeth II Conference in Westminster
recently saw the Inclusive Fitness Initiative's first ever National
Conference, 'Fit For Inclusion'. The conference attracted over 250
delegates, including Sports Minister Richard Caborn (pictured left with
adaptive rower Shaun Sewell) from across the fitness sector to a landmark
event focusing on what the industry has done, and needs to do to include
disabled people.
During the conference, the IFI teamed up with Concept2 to deliver an adaptive rowing race live over the Internet. World Class GB adaptive rowing athletes raced each other over a 500m stretch with the athletes taking part from across three different locations in the UK, Elmbridge Xcel Leisure centre, Rushcliffe Arena Nottingham and the QEII conference centre in Westminster.
Delegates were able to watch the athletes progress throughout the race on a large television screen within the main exhibition room.
The race got off to a great start with Naomi Riches, racing at the conference, taking the lead. Alastair McKean and Alan Crowther came back halfway through the race and quickly caught Naomi. The delegates got right behind Naomi and her pacer Katie-George Dunlevy supporting them right to the finish line. Alan piped them to the post winning the event in a time of 1:40.2 with Alastair not far behind in 1:40.8. Naomi came through with the encouragement of the crowd in 1:45.0.
Concept2 representatives were on hand to discuss the technology used and how it can be utilised within the fitness suite. Shaun, Naomi and Katie-George were available throughout the day to answer any questions about adaptive rowing including questions on training, equipment, their accomplishments and their future goals.
For more information on adaptive rowing, contact Ben Addison on bena@concept2.co.uk.
London Youth Rowing is a sports initiative that brings
together the resources of the Federation of London Youth Clubs ("London
Youth") and the Royal Albert Dock Trust ("RADT") to launch a community
based youth rowing programme to operate across the whole of Greater
London. London Youth and the RADT are independent charities with a common
focus on providing activities for young people in London. London Youth
Rowing has three core activities: rowing programmes for schools and youth
clubs, indoor rowing as a sport for young people in London and adaptive
rowing programmes for young people with disabilities.
As part of Volunteering Week from the 8th - 14th January 2007, a London Youth Rowing film will be shown on the Community Channel - Sky Digital channel 539 and on Freeview 87 between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. during five half hour programmes called V for Volunteer.
The London Youth Rowing film is part of Episode 2, so will be shown on Tuesday 9th January at 6.30 a.m., 10.30 a.m., 18.30 p.m. and 22.30 p.m., and again on Sunday 14th January at 14.00 p.m.. If you miss it or need more information about LYR go to www.londonyouthrowing.com or contact Matt Rostron at mrostron@londonyouthrowing.com.
If you've got an event you'd like adding to the Event Calendar, the full version of which can be seen at http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/calendar.php, then e-mail editor@concept2.co.uk.
Name: Surrey
IRC
Date: 13/01/07
Venue: Whitgift School, Haling Park, South
Croydon CR2
Distance: 3000m, 805m, 3.5 Minute Relay
Organiser: Neil
Ridge
T: 020 8669 8510
E: neilridge@googlemail.com
Other:
Entry form available at http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/calendar_uk.php?id=196
Name: English
IRC
Date: 28/01/07
Venue: Manchester Velodrome
Distance:
2,000m
Organiser: Rebecca Caygill
T: 07815 788215
E: rebecca_caygill@hotmail.com
W:
http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/calendar_uk.php?id=184
Name: Scottish
IRC
Date: 11/02/07
Venue: Time Capsule, Coatbridge, North
Lanarkshire
Distance: 2,000m
Organiser: Scottish ARA
E: iain.somerside@scottish-rowing.org.uk
W:
http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/calendar_uk.php?id=200
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