Learn how to back down a rowing boat.
Timestamps
00:45 Struggling to learn how to back the boat
Blades up or blades down when backing? 
Different countries do this differently - UK is blades down and NZ is blades up.
Blades down rationale - the oar spoon is curved and you want the curve to grip the water and push it backwards. Blades up rationale - the oar has pitch on it from the oarlock tilts the blade - this makes the oar go the wrong way and may cause the oar to dive into the water.
My personal view is don’t turn your blades upside down (they are angled and the diving (being sucked down) you experienced is because the pitch / angle of the spoon is designed for the oar the right way up (not upside down).
It's simpler to leave the oar blades up - because it's always the same whether rowing normally or backing.
04:00 How to learn backing down
Two videos you can use to learn shared lower down.
1 - Start by sitting legs straight and arms straight with oars square and under the water surface. Scullers ensure your hands are nested tightly. Sweep rowers ensure the boat is level by having upward pressure on your thumbs. This shows the height the handle needs to be at to keep the boat level
2 - Begin with rowing in place. This is only moving your arms just pulling the handles towards you and pushing them away without taking the oars out of the water. Keep the handles at the same height throughout. Don't take the oars out of the water. Get the feeling of backing down.
Notice that your handle height is key to getting this right. Diving or sucking down into the water happens when your handles go too high.
3 - Now progress to backing down with arms and body rowing in place first
4 - Then start backing down arms only; arms and body; then go to half slide and longer to full slide.
09:00 Counter-feather the oars
5 - Keep the oars on the surface when they are not being used to back the boat. Remember to counter-feather your blades and run the tip of the oar along the water surface when they are out of the water in between backing strokes. Keeping them on the surface means you maintain the boat set/balance. This gives you a point of reference as to where horizontal is to keep the boat level - it shows you how high to have your handles when the oars are out of the water. 
Remember the catch when backing down starts with the oars next to your body. It may help to learn counter-feathering one side at a time. You can hold the boat level with just one oar.
11:20 two videos to teach you backing down skill
Here’s a video about improving your backing skills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CODkUdEGc
And another about turning the boat which demonstrates the counter-feathered oar https://youtu.be/ThTrg1N6Obg
A final recommendation - get confident backing with good pressure. Try practicing 100 meters of backing down each time you go rowing.

Backing down

The very first episode of the Irish Rowing Podcast, hosted by Niamh Hayes who looks at the latest news and events around the sport of rowing in Ireland.

Thank you to our sponsors, https://pryglrowing.com/

Meet Niamh Hayes, the host of Irish Rowing Podcast. Hear her background, how she got into rowing and how this podcast came about.

Hear the latest news within the sport of rowing in Ireland.
https://www.rowingireland.ie/
http://www.greenblades.ie/

Hear some of the upcoming events within the world of rowing in Ireland.
http://www.iirc.ie/
https://rowfit.ie/

Irish Rowing Podcast Episode One

Part of the RowingChat network and the 5,700-member Masters Rowing International group on Facebook. You can subscribe on our website www.rowing.chat to receive notification of upcoming shows or send in news tips, and listen to other shows in the network wherever you get your podcasts.

Strength Coach Roundtable: Joy of Sculling Conference Recap (Ep. 15)

Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe set out their priorities for February training for masters rowers.

Sponsors - this podcast would not be possible without our advertisers.  Please visit their websites and buy their products. https://rowing.chat/sponsors/
Prygl Rowing Camps - 2 events in July and August ideal prep for FISA World Masters
https://pryglrowing.com/rowingchat
12 Week Head Race Training Program for HORR, Vets Head, Heineken Cup, WEHORR
https://fastermastersrowing.com/courses/head-racing-12-week-program/ 

Timestamps to the show
04:00 What's in the February Faster Masters training subscription programme?
06:30 Motivation in the winter months.  Atomic Habits how to build good habits and break bad ones https://jamesclear.com/habits
Track your training.  
Give yourself rewards.
If you miss a day.....don't miss another  one.
16:00 Planning a rowing training camp.  Camp goals - training / technique / crew selection.  NOT all three.
18:25 Invite a guest coach to your camp
29:00 Dressing for winter training.  Hats - keep your head and feet warm.  Pogies or knit your own mittens.
Have an eye to local rules about training temperatures and wind chill.
Hand warmers - Rebecca favors shooting mitts 
https://nurseysheepskin.co.uk/products/sheepskin-sporting-mitts

February 2020 Faster Masters Rowing Radio

Our exclusive interview with the legendary and inspiring Anita DeFrantz at the USRowing Convention kicks off our celebration of Black History Month. Plus, we’ll have a roundup of the week’s juiciest news in the rowing world. #RRUSAReflection

Ready, Row! USA #62: Black History Month Kickoff

Michael from Chicago Rowing joins me to discuss how AWESOME the gay Games are and what the realities of LGBTQ+ athletes still deal with. This humbling episode really shows us how federations still don't know how to "deal with" certain issues (this was fascinating!), how creative clubs are getting to recruit and include minorities and LGBTQ+ athletes, and SO much more! 

Gay and Lesbian Rowing Foundation: 
https://www.glrf.info/glrfcentral/

Stonewall Regatta:
https://www.stonewallregatta.org/

Gay Games:
https://gaygames.org/

The Candid Cox Cast: Realities of LGBTQ+ & Rowing (Michael Toutloff)

Rower, author, & speaker Arshay Cooper joins me to talk about how a group of all-black high schoolers in a rough area see a boat on campus one day and against all odds, become unlikely teammates that learn to trust and work as a very different kind of crew. Arshay's infectious energy and stories about finding his voice through rowing with athletes from many rival gangs is a do-not-miss story that made it to the cover of the newspapers and garnered attention from around the world!

Arshay's book "A Beautiful Thing" releases June 30!

Arshay Cooper Instagram: @arshaycooper

Whitney's Instagram: @IronWillWhit & @TheCandidCox

The Candid Cox Cast: Arshay Cooper's Most Beautiful Thing

Marlene and Rebecca discussed 
Timestamps
03:00 Rethinking the Olympics - what’s the purpose of it?  Striving to achieve the highest potential you can.
Dame Katherine Grainger on rethinking the Olympics
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1VG3FAbAVWZsUIYKqBbFFn?si=efZQWup1TNa2sc8iRY1sLQ
07:50 The Economist asks if electronic sports should be included in the Olympics
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/06/27/why-the-next-olympics-should-include-fortnite
16:15 Volker Nolte on the Olympics
https://rowing.chat/volker-nolte/
21:00 Sculling to lose weight. Obviously this year it is not possible for sweep masters teams to get on the water. So I have taken up sculling, is three times a week sufficient for weight loss?
How many times a week were you sweep rowing? Number of calories you need for weight maintenance how to calculate for your body weight.
26:00 July’s Faster Masters program - technique module backing into the catch drill which builds on the erg suspension drill from last month.  Performance module is Quick Boat Set Up for shared boats and the Bonus is a rigging challenge.
34:00 Elizabeth Bugert asked Does anyone know if you can connect a Garmin watch and Speedcoach on the same HR strap?  If yes, which straps would you recommend?
Garmin Vivofit https://amzn.to/3i2wLKe
Garmin Foreunner 935 https://amzn.to/3idgYZc
NK Speed coach https://amzn.to/2Cz8efp
Garmin HRM Dual https://amzn.to/2CCyuWd
Wahoo https://amzn.to/38d84X7
Polar H10 https://amzn.to/2VAtGHR
Coxmate GPS https://www.coxmate.com.au/product/coxmate-gps-2/?v=8e3eb2c69a18
43:00 Katherine Gross started a discussion on the Masters Rowing International Facebook Group
What fun/creative/meaningful/random/perfect/legendary name did you give your shell?

Faster Masters Rowing Radio 30 June 2020

Robin Dowell is mainly known as the coach of Swiss World Gold medal winning sculler, Jeannine Gmelin. He talks his journey as a coach from being a nearly-national team athlete from the British World Class Start programme through school, junior and international team coaching.

Timestamps
02:00 My personal journey as a swimmer into rowing as a talent identified athlete.  It’s the coach’s job to make you enjoy it and keep you coming back.  I joined World Class Start thanks to Peter Shakespear.
0800 Understanding what it’s like being around world class people.  They U23s needed a stroke side substitute for their seat racing and I got to go. That was my big break to step up which lead to the 8 for the European Championships.
12:00 Pulling together great coaching role models and experiences.  Henley Royal Regatta is another higher level of performance.
17:00 I tried to win Henley another season in the 4+ including having an infected blister on my hand  You may feel like a wet lettuce…. You’ve always got to bring your best to the race.
22:00 I decided to join Leander Club
25:00 When you find a pairs partner and it goes well it’s good You never want to stop.
28:00 Execute to a high level of proficiency - the fundamentals. We got our performances by repeating a pattern every outing.  Look for www.row.tv for archive footage of Henley Royal.
32:00 Playing “What Ifs” when watching YouTube rowing videos of races.
35:00 Switzerland Head Coach job was advertised after Rio in 2017.  I had 4 athletes show up on the first day.  Centralised training was from Wednesday to Sunday at Sarnen Lake.
43:00 Junior team in GB is more of a manager and education role  In Switzerland it was different - I coached every day.  My core focus was on the athletes.
44:00 Jeannine Gmelin - she asked me what she could to to prepare for my arrival.  Everything builds on the layer before
50:00 Transferable skills from life and other sports.  Ask, use them at the World Championships in Sarasota, FL.  Jeannine won a gold
Contact Robin at www.dowellperformance.com
Instagram @dowellperformance
Twitter @dowellperformance or @robin_dowell

Robin Dowell - Jeannine Gmelin's Coach

A brand new rowing competition just being launched.  Be the first to hear about it from Alix James, President and CEO of Nielsen Kellerman.

Timestamps
1:00 Background in sport - NK founded by Alix's stepfather. 
03:30 NK was the first company to do rowing electronics as a business. Friends with Ted Nash whose crew used a home made amplifier system.  Paul Nielsen fixed it - but suggested he could make a better amplifier. Later added stroke rate and timing.  
04:50 British founder chose the "Cox Box: name which is tongue in cheek from Alix's father who was also a Gilbert and Sullivan fan.
Concept 2 had made the rowing machine but hadn't worked out how to output wattage onto a screen.
06:00 The 500meter split was invented in 1981-82when Dick, Peter and Paul went for a run and were looking for a way to make the rowing machine output meaningful for rowers. It is aligned to the wattage / speed translation for a heavyweight mens 4- boat speed. 
08:30 Many rowing companies date from late 70s -  80s, it's not a coincidence that Title IX exploded the women's rowing programs.
10:30 The Summer Regatta Series. Use The Link Log Book and livestream data to enable anyone to watch worldwide.
https://nksports.com/speedcoach-summer-regatta-series
14:00 The incremental approach to building the functionality - you need a Speedcoach GPS and Training Pack.  The first race is 2,100 meters - modelled on Henley Royal Regatta.  Use the Compete tab on the website to find the details.
22:00 There is a goal to add local rowing courses into future races.  In future filtering in the Log Book will allow age, sex and weight rankings.  They also want to put an out-and-back race option.  They hope to create a standing all-time leader board of events and a directory of rowing courses worldwide with a map of pins.
35:00 Contact Alix info@nkhome.com
or Charlie Biddle cbiddle@nkhome.com with any feedback.

Speedcoach Summer Regatta Series

Dartmouth Lightweight Rowing has been suddenly cut...and they aren't the only ones. Stanford and UConn are also gone. Three athletes from Dartmouth come on to tell us the heartbreaking story about how they found out, what reasons they heard for getting the axe, and what they're doing about it. This story is as frustrating as it is sad. Be sure to follow:

INSTAGRAM: @SaveDartmouthLights

The Candid Cox Cast: Dartmouth Lights are Cut

Rowing Chat is the podcast network dedicated to rowing.  We have many shows hosted from around the world on specialist topics from Strength Training to USA news, from interviews to data analysis. Produced by Rebecca Caroe, it brings rowing news, coaching advice and interviews to you.  
Go to https://rowing.chat/ for links to the latest episodes & subscribe in your favourite podcast software.

Backing down

Rowing Chat

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