============================================================ INDOOR ROWING NEWSLETTER #42 ======================== 10-August-2001 ======================= _________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S 1. Banyoles Training Camp 2. Hello! Magazine 3. World Championships 4. Tel's Tales #1 5. Hotel Finder 6. Forthcoming Events 7. New British One Hour Records 8. Tel's Tales #2 9. DYNO News ________________________________________________________________ ========================================================= Banyoles Training Camp ========================================================= There's been some good news on the Banyoles training camp front. After negotiating some top hole deals on both the flights and the hotel, we've been able to knock over a hundred pounds off the original price (well, 101 pounds to be precise). It now costs just 499 quid, which includes all flight, travel, accommodation and food costs. Get in. For more details on the two camps, which run from October 6th to October 13th and October 13th to October 20th, either contact Concept 2 on 0115 945 5522 or info@concept2.co.uk or check out http://www.concept2.co.uk/birc/news.php ========================================================= Hello! Magazine ========================================================= The humble Concept 2 Indoor Rower finally made its entrance into high society this month. After years of growing up in a house with an outside toilet, we've finally got to hob with the nobs, and it's all thanks to racing driver Eddie Irvine, our own 'enry 'iggins. Plastered amongst various minor European royals and actors, this month's Hello! magazine features a big spread on Irvine, both at home and at play, including possibly the coolest ever shot of an Indoor Rower, as Irvine casually pulls a couple of strokes on the back of his power boat parked somewhere in the Med. Now, rather than just a simple puff piece to show off that we're in Hello! (no, seriously), what we actually want is to see if anybody can match, or even top, that picture. If you've got a photo of you rowing on a Jamaican beach, up a Himalayan mountain, just outside the Rings of Neptune or by Milton Keynes' concrete cows, then make sure you send it in. Any we receive will be posted on the web site in a special section called "Odd or Exotic Places People Have Rowed An Indoor Rower" (title subject to change). There's no time limit on this 'competition' and all entrants will earn a special Indoor Rowing badge (like a Blue Peter badge, but non-existent). Send digital photos to webmaster@concept2.co.uk and old school style photographs to: Photo Competition Concept 2 Vermont House Nott'm Sth and Wilford Ind Est. Nottingham NG11 7HQ Oh, and two of these Indoor Rowing badges go to reader Iain Cowell for bringing this to our attention. We're not totally sure we believe his assertion that "I didn't buy Hello! myself....it was on the coffee table and I couldn't help seeing some of the contents!" but we figure we'll let him off just this once. ========================================================= World Championships ========================================================= The FISA world rowing championships take place from the 18th of August through to the 26th at Lucerne in Switzerland. The biggest rowing event in the world after the Olympics, the championships will hopefully see Britain continue its position as one of the sport's major powers. Amongst those flying under Union Jack colours will be Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell, who are doubling up in both the coxless pair and the coxed pair. After Matt and James, the hottest favourites for a gold are Ed Coode, Rick Dunne, Steve Williams and Toby Garbett in the coxless four, all of whom, apart from Dunne, were part of the Leander team that beat Royce's Gym in last February's Head To Head (http://www.concept2.co.uk/rnr/index.html). Also competing will be former or current British indoor rowing champions Debbie Flood, Frances Houghton, Cath Bishop and Katherine Grainger in the Women's Eight. Those four will also be doubling up in the double and the pair respectively. The Men's Eight will be attempting to match their Olympic gold, although last year's BIRC silver medal winner Kieran West has been forced to drop out through injury. For more news, as well as a live results service, visit http://www.fisa.org ========================================================= Tel's Tales #1 ========================================================= Wearily King Arthur wiped the blood off mighty Excalibur before placing it back in its scabbard. He turned to the man by his side. "Merlin, my oldest friend, my greatest companion. For one last time I crave your advice. We have fought off the hordes of Sir Bertilak The Green. Mordred's forces are gathering as we speak, while Morgana Le Fey schemes in the wings. This one question I ask of you: what should I set as the damper setting during a race?". Merlin paused before answering, "Jiggered if I know, Arty old boy. Drop an e-mail to Terry O'Neill at tels-tales@concept2.co.uk. He's the fella." Jayne Creamer: I'm sticking to the 2,000 metre training programme [http://www.concept.co.uk/v4/training_prog.htm] pretty much as you've suggested and I have a couple of questions. 1. What is the purpose of training during the early stages in the ranges of 18-24 strokes per minute, given that the actual 2,000 metres will be done at a much faster rate? 2. Why do we do lateral dips? I'm a female and would rather not develop my obliques any more than they are. If it's for core stability, am I OK to use other exercises e.g. on a Swiss ball? Terry O'Neill: The benefits of training at the low intensity are threefold. 1. To teach the muscles the correct technique. Muscles have a memory and by repeating a sequence of movements they become automatic. 2. Improve muscular efficiency by increasing the number of capillaries around the muscle fibre. 3. Reduced risk of injuries during the early part of the programme. The programme will bring you up to race pace and by developing a sound aerobic base your race pace should be higher than if you train at a higher intensity from day one. The lateral dips are for core stability and general muscular balance, any other exercises that achieve the same objective are fine. The way this weight training programme is designed you would be unlikely to see significant hypertrophy (increase in muscle bulk) but if you are happier with the Swiss ball that's fine. ========================================================= Hotel Locator ========================================================= There's a bloke who drinks in the Indoor Rowing News' local pub who can find anything for a small fee. Well, when we say anything, he seems to be especially good with car radios, videos and plaster casts of Queen Victoria. What if you wanted to find a hotel, however, and more specifically a hotel with an Indoor Rower? Well, you could ask the bloke in the pub but, bearing in mind he's pretty tasty, it's probably more trouble than it's worth, especially as you could just check out http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/hotels.php, which has over 600 hotels from up and down the country on it. While still in it's infancy, with any luck, it'll soon grow into a surly teenager, and from there to an adult. Which is where you come in. If you have visited a hotel, or indeed own a hotel, which has an Indoor Rower and it's not already there, then if you add it to the database that'd be well groovy. Incidentally, although all the hotels at the moment are from Britain and Ireland, there's nothing to stop anybody from adding hotels from further abroad, so if you want to help out your fellow international traveller, feel free to do so. Indoor rowing: the most fun you can do in a hotel without booking in under the name Mr and Mrs Smith. ========================================================= Forthcoming Events ========================================================= 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 Name: Imperial Cancer 100,000 metre Challenge Date: 7th October Venue: Havant Leisure Centre, Hampshire Distance: 100,000 metre team event Other: Contact: Robert Piggott, Tel: 02392 476026 Name: Rower's Revenge Triathlon Date: 7th October Venue: Higginson Park, Marlow Distance: 4,000 metre row, 25,000 metre cycle, 7,500 metre run Other: Annual event Contact: Mike Spencer-Jones, E-mail: mikes-j@tinyonline.co.uk Web: http://www.rowersrevenge.co.uk Name: Nottinghamshire IRC Date: 27th October Venue: Newark RC Distance, 500 metres, 2000 metres, one minute event for Under 12s Other: Closing date for entry: 21st October. Entry fee: 5 pounds Contact: Graham Price, Tel: 07970 136054, E-mail: gprice@keymax.co.uk ========================================================= New British One Hour Records ========================================================= Bosh! Another record's gone, and another! Both in the newest record event, the four person One Hour Team Event. On August the 2nd at One on One Fitness, Worcester, four ladies joined forces to batter the existing record into submission. Anna Bailey, Janet Parker, Sylvia Speechley and Jane Fisher rowed an impressive 15,998 metres, smashing the old mark of 13,985 metres. A worthy achievement, especially, as Sylvia points out, for women with an average age over 46 and a team that combined two lightweights with two heavyweights. Then, today, a BG Mix Max team comprised of Will Whitmore, Andy Sansom, Becky Biddulph and Cara Catherall broke the mixed team record with 18,761 metres. In fact, not only did this bosh the old record, but it's over a thousand metres further than the current Men's one. This is in addition to the 100,000 metres mixed team record that BG Mix Max currently hold. The records are now: Men's: Whatever Socrates Can Do..., London, 17,483 metres Women's: Worcester Ladies, One on One Fitness, 15,998 metres Mixed: BG Mix Max, Reading, 18,761 metres ========================================================= Tel's Tales #2 ========================================================= Tony Watts: "Any clues as to the theory behind what position to put the footrest in? At present I'm rowing with 4 holes showing as this enables me to get a strong leg drive and prevents my shins going beyond vertical in the beginning/catch position. However, this also makes it harder for me to completely straighten my legs in the finish position. "When ever I set the Damper to give a Drag Factor much over 150 I struggle badly, get instant Lactic build up and my training times drop off sharply. Should I train above this on some sessions and try to adapt to it or just train at whatever Drag Factor gives the best times? "Also, what's a decent amount to expect to knock off my 2,000m time in a year? So far this year my PB's dropped from 7:02 to 6:52 and long term I want to get it below 6:30. I expect to be able to do 4-6 times per week following the Indoor Rowing Training Guide. Go on stick your neck out!" Terry O'Neill: The adjustable footrest has three functions: to accommodate rowers with different size feet; different ratios of shin to thigh bone length; and finally lack of flexibility in the hamstring that would prevent rocking the shoulders over ahead of the hips. In a rowing boat, the heel is normally in the range of 16-18 cm below the seat with the waterline coming half way between. This gives the resultant leg drive along the waterline, which is important to an oarsman. On the rowing machine there is no waterline so there is more flexibility in where you can set the height of the footrest. From a mechanical point of view, the closer to horizontal the leg drive then the more efficient it is and this would be where the ball of the foot is level with the lowest part of the seat. As far as the drag factor is concerned, what you have to realise is that rowing is a question of power. Speed is a component of power, so if you can pull a full length stroke in 0.7 seconds at a drag factor of 150, this represents a certain power output. If you increase the drag factor and maintain the speed then you are generating more power, but if you increase the drag and it takes you 0.9 seconds to pull a stroke, then you could be developing less power. Every person has what is known as muscle threshold. This is the speed at which the muscle can contract. To achieve your best performance you would need to row at your muscle threshold and the only way to find this is by trial and error with the damper setting. [NOTE: To display the Drag Factor, to display the drag factor press READY and REST together and then row a few strokes. For more information about how the damper setting works, checkout the Indoor Rower FAQ on http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/product.htm] As to the benefits of training at different damper level settings, there is a rationale here. By increasing the drag factor you could improve your basic strength, which you could then convert to more power. A relatively small improvement in strength could produce a significant improvement in power, but don't forget that speed also has to fit into the equation. Therefore, you could incorporate into your programme sessions where you increase the drag above your optimum for strength gains, then drop it below optimum for speed gains, then place at the optimum for specific power training. You could try this twice a week with short interval training, moving the damper between intervals. Try 9 x 1 minute pieces at (level 10, level 1, level 5) x 3 and see how it goes. As to predicting your time, this is difficult because the effort required to reduce your 2,000 metres is not linear: as your time goes down it requires even more effort to reduce it further. But, sticking my neck right out, I reckon that if you train four times a week your time will go down from last year but you will not get it down to 6:30. If you do the full programme of 6 times a week then you might. ========================================================= DYNO News ========================================================= Some news about the DYNO, and then some news about the news about the DYNO. When the Indoor Rower first started in this country, one of the biggest initial markets was for rugby training. Coaches and players up and down the country quickly realised that the Indoor Rower was ideal for cross-training purposes for the sport, as it could be used to develop both the aerobic endurance parts of a player's game and the anaerobic explosive parts. Many early training programmes were devised for rugby players, and you can still see the results today, as rugby greats like Andy Ripley and Roger Utley have gone on to carve a name for themselves in the indoor rowing arena. According to Karl Marx, history repeats itself, the first time as comedy, the second time on BBC2 on a Monday night. Well, we always preferred Groucho anyway. What is true, however, is that once again rugby clubs and teams are amongst the big early adopters of the machine. Clubs like Newcastle and Wasps have all brought DYNOs, while the Welsh RFU have brought ten to distribute around all the Welsh clubs. The English RFU, meanwhile, have adopted it as part of their fitness test for the England Under 21s. Cool. One other thing. There's now a DYNO news section on http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/dyno_main.htm. You might as well check it out now, because where rugby leads, the rest of the world inevitably follows. ______________________________________________________FEEDBACK Like what you read? Dislike what you read? Ideas for future newsletters? Spotted a really silly error that would have been picked up by an eight year old proof-reader? 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. 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