When I was an older teenager, my parents didn't ever comment on my rowing. They asked me question about how things were going, and I begrudgingly provided one word answers. Eventually they gifted me a framed image of the silhouette of a sculler at sunrise, sitting at the finish, blades on the water, the body language looking exhausted, with the caption, "First ask yourself what you want, then do what you have to do". I stuck it on the wall and read those words every day.
Looking back, and now being a parent myself, it was the best thing they could have done. For me it broke down the challenge ahead, followed by the solution to meeting that challenge. Today this still forms the basis of ensuring I live the life I want for myself and those I love.
"Unfortunately the starter on race day does not collate a list of excuses for why you missed training sessions and handicap the race accordingly"
It would seem logical that athletes know what they want and are prepared to do everything to achieve this. However in my experience, this is far from the truth with even experienced athletes faltering in their execution of a macro training cycle and subsequently in competition. Compounding this is an inability to identify the reasons why or their lack of consistency in the first instance.
I have experienced this and seen it time and again. When you are immersed in training/competition, you lose the ability to see the forest for the trees and to step outside the daily grind to understand what it is you need to take the next step. Below we explore some core principles to mitigate this aspect of the rowing challenge.
Be clear in what you want to achieve
Whether you are starting out on your journey or are 15 years into a successful rowing career, it is crucial that you are clear in why you are doing what you do. There was an elite rower I spoke with earlier this year who was struggling with motivation. As usual this manifested itself in the third 500m which we can all understand! Like all athletes, they had experienced the highs and lows and were at this time not getting the support they needed. My comments to them were twofold;
Take some time to remember why you are here, doing what you are doing. What started you on this journey?
Make the most of every opportunity. You have done the work, reap the rewards!
The next day the athlete dominated, winning comfortably. I am not saying it is because of what I said (they were already an amazing athlete who had done the work, they just needed to unleash it), but the feedback they gave me after their final was that my comments helped. Job done! Without going into the "goal setting" process, the lesson here is that you need to tattoo into your subconscious the basis of why you are taking on this challenge in rowing and never forget it.
Understand what lies at the foundation of your development
In future articles we will explore in detail the physiological and psychological elements of performance. More broadly speaking, there are some core fundamentals to becoming a winning rower;
Physiological adaptation requires a consistent stimulus, then recovery. Training hard for 10 days then having 5 days off isn't achieving optimal adaptation. This applies to all training modalities and includes optimal nutrition as part of your recovery strategy.
Injury prevention. Getting injured will prevent you from being consistent in your training. Strength and flexibility training should focus on developing your body over time to prevent injury and allow you to get more work done. Different training modalities carry varying inherent levels of risk (cycling!) so the risk/reward question should always be at the front of your mind.
Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule. I am not sure I agree with this because 10,000 hours of garbage rowing just makes you a really bad rower that is probably fit. But there is no doubt you have to actually row on the water to improve. You also have to race to get better at racing because training and racing are not the same thing (remarkable, I know!).
Rowing specific training. This is obvious but needs to be said. To go faster in a rowing race you have to spend time rowing in a boat. Cross training (cycling), land training on a static rowing machine, and avoiding racing to do more training are all popular alternatives but not the best use of your time if you want to be a faster rower.
No excuses. Just get the job done. Unfortunately the starter on race day does not collate a list of excuses for why you missed training sessions and handicap the race accordingly. The cream rises to the top and those that have done the work consistently over months, years and even decades will be at the front of the field.
Good coaching. The greatest rowers in the world can benefit from great support and direction. Get coaching from a coach with a proven track record of success at making rowers go fast, and immerse yourself into a strong club culture where possible.
Move beyond the fear of failure
The most significant impediment to optimal psychological performance in rowing is the way you frame your participation in the sport. This framing impacts how you respond to environment cues in training and racing. In the heat of competition, these responses are reflexive, subconscious and instinctual. You must be clear that at the foundation of your journey are some fundamentals guiding principles for your pursuit of success in rowing;
The simple goal of being the best rower you can be.
Understanding you are a better person for trying and failing than not trying at all.
When your rowing is over it is not the medals that will make you proud, but the relentless pursuit of personal excellence that you committed to. Only you will know the journey you have taken and the work you have done and that is all that matters.
Making the commitment, doing the work, day in and day out is incredibly empowering. Never underestimate the power of respecting the person you see in the mirror to dominating rowing races and leading a fulfilling life
Success is a self fulfilling prophecy
If you knew right now, that if you do the work on the water and in the gym, that you will be an Olympic Gold medallist, how would that impact your training?
Some rowers train/race like they are going to win, and some train/race like they have zero faith that they will ever win. Turning up to training, doing the 5k and 2k ergometer testing and taking the best possible stroke every time becomes so much easier when you truly believe that you will succeed and be rewarded.
This topic deserves an article of its own because a lot of people think that giving everyone a ribbon instills confidence, will make little Johnny happy and a fulfilled adult one day. They couldn't be more wrong! What helps individuals to believe in themselves is making the sacrifices, consistently doing the work, seeing the PBs improve, getting some small wins and realising that they themselves hold the keys to their destiny. The fire is then lit and away you go - the entire process becomes self perpetuating.
Rowing rewards hard work
The best thing about rowing is that, more than any other sport, it rewards hard work. All the data is completely objective, the stopwatch does not lie! The task is simple - get the bow ball from the start line to the finish line as quickly as possible. We compete independently of our competitors and we even get to watch them disappear behind us as we row away from them!!
There are some incredibly naturally talented rowers, however through my rowing and coaching career there is nothing better than seeing "average" athletes become champions. Seeing the consistency of their training, their relentless pursuit of being the best they can be, and then seeing the hard work pay off. It is so enjoyable to watch.
The best thing is that we all have this opportunity! So what are you waiting for?
"If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don't
If you'd like to win, but think you can't, it's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost, for out in the word we find success begins with a fellow's will
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you're outcasted, you are
You've got to think high to rise
You've got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win a prize
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can."
Walter D. Wintle
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Calvin Coolidge
"Persistence is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely, and the likely definite."
Robert Half
