============================================================ INDOOR ROWING NEWSLETTER #40 ========================= 06-July-2001 ======================== _________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S 1. Training Camp 2. PPP healthcare British Indoor Rowing Championship 3. Red Nose Row 4. Tel's Tales 5. Rowers Return 6. Distance Competition(s) 7. Forthcoming Events 8. 2001 Concept Ranking 9. Corrections Corner ________________________________________________________________ ========================================================= Banyoles Training Camp ========================================================= Last issue's announcement of two new Indoor Rowing Training Camps to be run in Banyoles from the 6th to the 13th and the 14th to the 20th of October sparked a lot of interest. We've now finalised all the details and can give you a bit more information. The cost for a week is 600 pounds, which includes flight, transport, accommodation and food. The only money you need to bring is for beer and the odd copy of the Daily Mirror. As well as last year's mixture of rowing, running, cycling and socialising, this year will also have a couple of new features, not least of which will be the addition to the coaching squad of the two Italian crew class instructors who've been cutting swathes through every fitness exhibition in Europe. Check out http://www.concept2.co.uk/birc/training_camp.htm for a report on last year's training camp and to get a bit of an idea as to what it's like. Note: for those of you who do read this, it's VERY important to note that Terry O'Neill will have absolutely NOTHING to do with organising the bike rides this year. Instead they're being run by professional guides, which greatly minimises the chance of you being sent up the wrong mountain to the meeting point. In order to book yourself a place on a camp, you need to pay a deposit of 150 quid, with everything working on a first come, first served basis. For more information, or to book a ticket for the hottest show in town, e-mail sales@concept2.co.uk or call 0115 945 5522. ========================================================= PPP healthcare British Indoor Rowing Championship ========================================================= A quick update on the PPP healthcare British Indoor Rowing Championship, which this year is taking place on November 18th at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. Firstly, just to mention that the News section of the BIRC web site (http://www.concept2.co.uk/birc/news.php) now has maps on how to get to the NIA as well as information on how to book reduced price accommodation for those of you who want to stay overnight. Secondly, Gerald O'Connor asked whether or not there were any categories for disabled rowers to compete in the championship. Although we're unfortunately unable to offer any specific categories for disabled rowers, anybody is more than welcome to compete in the championship in any event. If you have any special needs on the day, make sure you get in touch with us beforehand and we'll do our best to help. Thirdly, due to what Shakespeare once referred to as "summer holidays", the next newsletter will be in three weeks time. For those of you following Terry O'Neill's training plan for the championships, the next six week block will be posted in the News section of the BIRC web site on Friday the 13th of July. Fourthly, just a reminder you can enter the champs on-line at http://www.concept2.co.uk/birc/entryform.php ========================================================= Red Nose Row ========================================================= Since March 16th, a team of crack accountants at Ernst and Young have been busy counting up all the cash raised for this year's Red Nose Row. Well, the last beads are being counted and the last abaci being flicked, and we can now reveal that so far you've raised over three hundred thousand pounds, a fantastic increase of over 50 percent on 1999's total. This is a stupendous effort and Concept 2 and Comic Relief would like to come round and personally pat on the back everybody who took part in any way shape or form. Ernst and Young have also officially audited the totals for the three individuals and clubs who raised the most money and who each receive a shining new Indoor Rower for their troubles. These are: Individuals: AJ Quinn, London, 7,530 pounds Gareth Callan, Leamington Spa, 5,260 pounds Charles Porter, Northampton, 4,211 pounds Clubs: Temple Cowley Pools, Oxford, 8166.32 pounds Rheindahlan Area Support Unit, British Army, 6178 pounds BNP Paribas Health Club, London, 4176.20 pounds. Hurrah one and hurrah all. For more information on the Red Nose Row, check out http://www.concept2.co.uk/rnr/index.html ========================================================= Tel's Tales ========================================================= Tel's Tales is the question and answer column written by three times Olympic rowing coach Terry O'Neill. If you've got anything you want to know, just send it to tels-tales@concept2.co.uk. Bearing in mind he's spent the last couple of days sipping Pimm's and hobnobbing at Henley while everybody else has been slaving away in a hot office, it'd be good to get that question you've been meaning to ask in this week. John Acton: "I have started following your 5 session training program. I have just completed the three weeks of training prior to starting the competition section. "My question is, I had about a month of idleness/erratic training before starting, and would like to know if this disturbance in my base fitness is causing me to struggle now. I do my sessions to heart rate, but have recently had a couple of sessions that I couldn't complete due to over heating, my heart rate was either low and wouldn't rise, or at the correct level for the session, but no work would come out of my sorry state of a body. "I try to drink water all day at work, but still seem to over heat. It's not hot here in Melbourne; do you think it is fluid intake, or failure to adapt to the training?" Terry O'Neill: A month off would have lost you some condition there is no question, but it would also depend on just how fit you were and how many years you have been training. If you were conditioned right up to competition level with several years of training behind you, then the greatest effect would have been on sharpness but your aerobic base should still have been pretty sound. Over heating and dehydration would normally cause the heart rate to rise above what you would expect to achieve from a given work load, therefore you need to consider other factors for the failure to get your heart rate up. This could be as a result of low blood sugar level in which case look at your diet. You need to go into a training session with enough fuel to complete the task, so if you have skipped meals or are not eating the right stuff then this would explain why your heart rate did not rise. Heart rate increase is a response to work increase, but if you do not have enough fuel then you cannot do the work and therefore there is no increase in heart rate. If you keep a training log then you need to add what you are eating to your training doses and then show both to a nutritionist who will be able to advise. There is also the possibility that it could be a medical question, in which case you should consult your doctor. ========================================================= Rower's Return ========================================================= Shortly before the Olympics, amidst the general morass of cookery shows, DIY shows and fly on the wall documentaries, the nation thrilled to a fly on the wall documentary featuring the coxless four and their preparations for the Games (the show also featured a spot of cookery and a bit of DIY, most notably when Tim Foster put his hand through a window). Last week they showed a follow-up called The Rower's Return (clever, eh) which edited together some of the highlights of the previous three programmes and also showed what they've been up to since. One of the most interesting parts of the programme was a recent ergo competition between a number of members of the British squad. The competition came down to a battle between the current British record holder Matthew Pinsent and reigning British champion James Cracknell. In the end James took the race with 5:45.5, nearly three seconds quicker than his winning time in Reading, and the first time he's ever beaten Matthew. Since then, Matthew and James have gone on to form a coxless pair and have tasted early success, winning the Zurich World Cup with a race to spare. The pair are now busy eating up the course at Henley in pursuit of a victory in the Silver Goblets and Nickalls' Challenge Cup. Also competing at Henley is Steve Redgrave as part of a quad in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup. Come on, you didn't really believe him when he said he'd retire, did you? ========================================================= Distance Competition(s) ========================================================= Since last fortnight, interest in a possible future rowing competition over a longer distance than the usual 2,000 metres has hotted up quicker than a hot thing doing a very hot activity on a hot day [Note to self: buy new book of metaphors]. As well as a Neil Rhodes organised competition to be possibly held in December, there's also now the idea of another competition in Grimsby as well. For more information and to register your interest, either contact Neil on neil.rhodes@classicfm.net or join in on the conversation on the Indoor Rowing Message Board (http://www.concept2.co.uk/messageboard.htm) - you can find the relevant thread in the News section. ========================================================= Forthcoming Events ========================================================= Name: Tropicana UK Cross-Training Challenge Date: 28th July Venue: LA Fitness, Sutton Coldfield Distance: Multi-discipline event. Other: See http://www.crosstraining.org.uk/course.htm#tropicana for details of course. Closing date for entry is 28th June. Contact: LA Fitness, 366 Gravelly Lance, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham B23 5SB. Tel: 0121 377 8081. Name: Royce's Gym 100,000 Metre Attempt Date: 12th August Venue: Orrell Rugby Club Distance: 100,000 metres Other: Attempt at 100,000 metres team world record. See http://www.concept2.co.uk/rnr/rnr_head2head_index.htm for details of their last attempt. Name: Birmingham IRC Date: 16th September Venue: Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre, Kings Heath, Birmingham Distance: 2,000 metres Other: Entry Fee: 5.50 pounds Contact: Paul Robertshaw Tel: 0121 464 0285 E-mail: Paul_Robertshaw@birmingham.gov.uk Name: Nuneaton and Bedworth IRC Date: 23rd September Venue: Dimensions Gyms, Bedworth Distance: 2,000 metres Other: Closing date for entries 11th September Contact: Stuart Gealy Tel: 0247 631 7702 or e-mail Monique Raaijmakers at monique.raaijmakers@nuneaton-bedworthbc.gov.uk ========================================================= 2001 Concept Ranking ========================================================= If William Caxton hadn't brought the printing press to Britain, at this very moment there'd be about 15,000 monks busy illuminating manuscripts for this year's Concept Ranking. But he did, so they aren't. This year's Concept Ranking is approaching gargantuan proportions. With over 10,000 entries for the 2000-01 season, plus reviews of last year, articles, interviews and more pictures of people gurning on a rowing machine than you could shake a dirty stick at, its 146 pages of perfect-bound A4 will be sure to trouble the dreams of many a postman over the coming months. Although it won't come back from the printers until the end of July (maybe the monks would have been quicker after all), you can pre-order it from our web site now at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/merchandise.php3. Costing an Ayrton Senna (tenner), you can also buy it as part of a special value bumper pack with an Indoor Rowing Training Guide and an Indoor Rowing Training Log for twenty pounds, a saving of a Lady Godiva overall. ========================================================= Correction Corner ========================================================= As part of our commitment to fidelity, accuracy and other words that sound like makes of watches, Correction Corner is where we put our hand up to any mistakes in the last newsletter. We reserve the right to bin this section when it becomes longer than the rest of the newsletter put together. Sam Smernicki is keen to point out that his winning time for the 19-29 Hwt category at last month's South West Scotland IRC was in fact 6:55.5, not 7:04.9 which was his previous best. The full results for the race can now be found at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/local.htm Last newsletter we wished a hearty round of good lucks to indoor rowing enthusiast Luke Milligan in his first round Wimbledon match against Juan Carlos of Spain. We shouldn't have done this as a) he was in fact playing Juan Carlos Ferrer, the number eight seed, rather than Juan Carlos, who's sort of the number one seed of Spain being, in fact, their king and b) because the curse of the Indoor Rowing News (like the curse of Tutankhamun but a bit more cuddly) meant that he was doomed to a straight sets exit. If you spot a mistake in the newsletter, sent it in to webmaster@concept2.co.uk. We'll be really, really happy to see it. _______________________________________________________FEEDBACK Like what you read? Dislike what you read? Ideas for future newsletters? Make sure to tell us at webmaster@concept2.co.uk. Or, of course, you could always say something at our message board: http://www.concept2.co.uk/messageboard.htm. Oh go on. _____________________________________________________BACK ISSUES Back issues of the Indoor Rowing News are now available on-line at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/newsletter_index.php3. New issues will be posted on the release date of the following newsletter. _______________________________________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO If you think you're on this mailing list accidentally, or you simply weary of it, just return the e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject header. If you're getting more than one copy, then reply with "multiple" as the header.