PREPARATION FOR A REGATTA: THE SURVIVOR’S GUIDE TO HIGH SCHOOL ROWING

Contents

1. Preparation

2. Eat Well; Drink Wise

3. Set Your Goals

4. Do All The Small Things

5. Work With the Situation

6. Imagine Your Race

7. Work With Your Coach

8. Support Your Team-mates

9. Focus on what your job is in the boat

PREPARATION:

Preparation is the key to enjoying a regatta, and to being as successful as you can be. Weather will always play a critical role in rowing events; being prepared is essential! With luck, we will have mild sunny calm days for all of our regattas. In reality, I don’t know anyone who has had a full season of those types of days. You might have the best races ever, but not enjoy the regatta if you are miserably cold. We can expect everything from balmy warm sunshine to windy, rainy days. It has even been known to snow during these regattas.

Layers, layers, layers. You will need many different layers of clothing, some to wear on the water, others to replace wet on-water rowing clothing, and others to change into between races while your wet rowing gear dries out. If you don’t need to use it, take it home clean and dry. If you do need to use it, you will be very happy it came along! Polypropylene or “quick dry” is best; cotton will make you cold if it gets wet. Hats are essential in cold weather; even toques are necessary at times.

Socks – cold feet are miserable. Cotton socks + water = cold! Bring polypropylene or wool socks if you want to avoid frozen feet. Even if it’s not raining, socks tend to get wet. Bring several pairs.

Sleeping bags, blankets, chairs. All of these are important to be comfortable and warm while waiting. Parkland will supply a tent to huddle under in the event of rain; this will be the “base camp” for the team. Look for the Panther logo.

Activities: There can be long breaks between races. Bring a book, cards, homework or other activities to occupy the time. If you bring valuable electronic gear or any other precious items (that math homework that is almost done), leave it with a responsible person while you are racing.

Bring snacks with you. There will be a concession available that brings funds to the GVYRS. It is generally conscious of an athlete's diet, but selection can be limited.

EAT WELL, DRINK WISE

If you want to row your best here are some tips on how to fuel up. You give up rowing to race cars. After a year or two, you are so good that you are invited to the indy 500. The morning of the race you make sure everything is in working order one final time; the last thing to do is fuel up the car. You take a fuel can down to the swamp behind the track, fill it up with thick, muddy water, and take it back to your car. It is interesting that most rowers agree this is not very smart – and yet fill themselves up with their own kind of thick muddy water at competitions. WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY AFFECTS HOW YOU ROW!!

For two nights before, a high carbohydrate meal including rice, pasta or potato is a good idea, although carbohydrate loading for our race distance will make little difference. More importantly, you need to hydrate your self with lots of water.

On the morning of, do not change your routine too much. Ideally, your breakfast meal should "break" your overnight "fast". Your body goes gently into a state of energy storage rather than extraction from storage. It will also depend on what time your race is at. Many athletes prefer a breakfast that is:

• not too large
• high in carbohydrates; bread, cereal, fruit, pasta, and rice are better than sweet cereals
• lower in fat to speed digestion. If you don't like to race on an empty stomach then eat some healthy fats.
• well in advance of racing; racing on a full stomach can be very uncomfortable.
• hydrating

Top-up Snacks Between Events: (for breaks of 1-2 hours)

• Some good examples include: snack fruits, pita bread, raisin bread, low-fat muffins or scones, rice-cakes with honey or jam, plain crackers, low-fat yogurts, energy bars, fruit smoothies.
• Snack and hydrate within 20 minutes after a heat or race. It's VERY important to fuel up on healthy snacks.
• Don’t eat too much between races.

To recover after a day of competition:

• Cool down properly with stretching, then stay warm.
• Have something ready to eat and drink immediately following your final race. Should include all food groups.
• Avoid the fast food chains on the way home – their high fat will delay your recovery and effect your ability to train the following day.
• A bath, hot tub, or massage before bed would help, but depends on how accessible they are. A foam roller is also good.

SET YOUR GOALS

It’s hard to improve when you don’t know what you want to improve on or how you might go about improving. This is true for just about everything and rowing is no exception.

• Goals should be realistic – challenging but not impossible. For instance, if you are a new rower, getting through your first race(s) without repeated “crabs” is a realistic goal. If this is not your first regatta, select one aspect of your technique to focus on for one race. Ask your coach for help in selecting a goal.
• Before setting goals consider how you felt during the previous weeks training (Have you improved your finesse, strength, and/or skills)
• Goals can be directed toward posture, endurance, specific aspects of the stroke, or focus on the race (“keeping your head in the boat”)

DO ALL THE SMALL THINGS:

• Every journey begins with a single step – one of many truths in this statement is that great leaps are often the result of tiny progressions. This is definitely true in competitive rowing, where huge improvements on a team are most often the result of many smaller ones. To realize improvement in your rowing do all the small things that are too easily and too often forgotten.
• Warm-up the body (by stretching) and your mind (by thinking) before every row
• Remind yourself of what you are going to do well as you sit at the start line
• Follow a regular breathing pattern
• Keep your strokes long and smooth
• Listen carefully to your coach and mentally rehearse the agreed upon strategy.

IMAGINE YOUR RACE

• The ability to mentally prepare for an event is especially important in competitive rowing. Although it does not replace physical training it is the tool that allows you to harness all your strength, power, endurance, and skills and focus them into a single race. Mastering visualization is as difficult as mastering a rowing stroke and requires practice and perseverance. As with most things in life – you are likely to get out what you are willing to put in.
• Find a place where you will not be disturbed for a few minutes
• Take a few slow breaths to calm yourself
• Imagine yourself sitting at the start line
• You’re listening for the starter’s signal. You hear the words “we have an alignment, attention, row” and follow the stroke of the person directly in front of you.
• Visualize the first few strokes, until you have the start organized in your mind.

WORK WITH YOUR COACH

Competitive rowers require well developed skills and a high level of physical fitness. Rowing skills can be developed by carefully listening to your coach’s feedback and trying your best to apply what he or she has said. Physical fitness is gained by completing the practices and dry-land training set up by your coach. These workouts are carefully planned to develop your technique, strength, power, and endurance. If you choose to work with your coach by listening to feedback, applying it, and training hard, your coach will happily guide you to a higher level of competence in rowing. Here are a few ways you can demonstrate your desire to improve.

• Treat your coach with respect
• Communicate openly and honestly with your coach
• Approach change and learning with a positive attitude
• Listen carefully to feedback
• Attend as many practices as possible

SUPPORT YOUR TEAM MATES

Rowing is primarily a team sport, unless your are a senior racing the single event. You will have team-mates who share the same boat; others will be rowing in other races. You will enjoy the regattas much more if you take the time to watch the other races your team-mates are in, and cheer them on! It is through training and competing as a team that individuals will realize their greatest success. Remember, if you cheer your team-mates on, they will do the same for you. It’s wonderful to hear the excitement of the crowd as you approach the finish line.

Most of all, be safe and…. HAVE FUN!!