Sleeping patterns

Sleep is critical for your best performance, but I don’t worry too much about duration and focus more on the quality of rest I get. 8hr feels good to me and I prepare for sleep by making sure I have gone over the race in my mind a few times to see it clearly and then let it go and practice calming myself and finding a sense of relaxation. This helps me sleep really well and is less stressful when you are readying yourself for a major race.

Don’t do anything new

Much of our preparation is done in a fashion that allows us to perform optimally on race day. We practice and rehearse as many aspects of the performance as we can. This is required so that on the day we go out and row the way that we have practiced; nothing should really change. We also train to be flexible and adaptable events that are outside our control and ensure we are not caught by surprise. This does and will happen and how you cope is challenging to train for. I think you can only row to your best and then staying aware of your competitors become as a secondary element.

Look after yourself leading into the competition,

This is a funny one for me as I have occasionally not looked after myself and it really does have a negative effect on performance. When it comes to the big events I am very conscious of ‘tuning-in’ to the occasion. This includes resting, down time, training on the regatta course, the social aspect of catching up with old friends at events etc. It is all part of the larger picture and enjoying the whole experience that is important…but moderation is a must.

Attention to diet and nutrition

Being a skinny heavy weight I have found that I need to be very aware of eating enough food leading up to competition. When I start to get nervous I find my appetite goes down and this means having little snacks to ensure I am getting the nutrition on board. As for the health meal we are some times at the mercy of the location. It’s great to experience a new culture and the foods that come with it, but when travelling I have to be smart because getting sick really can ruin what you’re there for. For food I think a balanced approach does the job.

Race Planning

Know your opponent

This is critical, but often can be taken to the extreme from knowing little to over obsessing. I like to take a snap shot of my competitors , make a basic assessment and then move on. The assessment is to gauge a comparison. Will I or won’t I be faster and at what points of a race would margins occur. People are creatures of habit and athletes are even more predictable. If you watch a couple of races of each competitor then you get a feel of what they are capable of and how they race.

Know the venue you are racing at

Knwing the venue is good if it can be done, but I usually find I like arriving and working it out over the week or so you have before the finals. As for some World Cup Regattas we have less time, but this is fine if you are open to the challenge and enjoy surprises.

Rigging requirements

I love to row long and am pretty happy as long as I feel I can lengthen out and that the blades are matched up from side to side. We have set ourselves up in the pair mainly on feel. Some times the numbers get in the way. If it feels comfortable and fast then go with it.

Plan for between races

This depends on the event. During our domestic season I can be racing a few times in one day. Keeping the body temperature down on hot days is a must. I like to keep moving particularly after the race and jumping on the machine and getting fluid on board is essential. I love a cold shower even if it is a one race day as it makes me feel refreshed.

Race plan

This is a sercret….Not really! Every crew is different. It feels easy when you are in front, but if you go for the lead then be prepared to go all the way. Settling opens the door for your competitors. The Athens final we decided the calls and focuses we would have and then considered how this would influence the race. For example, being clear about margins is a task we could work with. To me it is important to be aware of what’s possible in a rowing boat. It is challenging to learn how to maintain close to maximum speeds, but the times I have found the rhythm and ease of movement at these speeds means slowing down after the start is not even a consideration. This is the magic of harmony within the crew.

CONTINGENCY PLANS

The best laid plans will be tested at some point and I think being adaptable is the key. Being flexible will help you realise that none of your perceived problems really matter. When it ‘s time it’s time. Keeping a clear mind is needed and monitoring your thoughts and feeling is very helpful. If frustration, anger, fear, and doubt start to creep in, then I like to use various strategies to clear my mind. This is an ongoing technique, during race time or training.

Warm up plan

We have often worked around 1hr 10min at the regatta course prior to racing because it feels like just enough time to go through our routines and last preparatory things. I love giving the timber handle a clean and doing it on the pontoon. It allows me to soak up some energy for around the venue.

We take some time to be alone and go through the various things we do. I like to go for a walk down the course if possible and do some light stretching. We usually aim to be on the water 30min before race time. The last thing before taking the boat down to the water involves our coach. He gives us the last few reminders. Actually very little is said. It all feels pretty much preset, we look at each other and nod and smile as if to say, yep, here we go, lets enjoy ourselves.

That’s it really and once on the water we have enough time to do our warm up paddle and some faster work to feel ready for the race.

Importance of finishing well and how this may affect the next race

This is interesting, we have not been great finishers of races and I don’t really care to much for the last part particularly if your infront, but we have discussed this concept and what is important is to ensure the individuals are clear about how you want to finish. I believe if you have performed optimally and got the most out of yourself then the last 250m or maybe even more can only be maintained and keeping the movement syncronised to hold speed is more important than ripping it apart to do a grand stand finish.

Post Race & between races

Recovery after and between races

After racing, warming down and doing some form of recovery is very beneficial. We have used ice baths and cold showers to lower body temp to assist in recovery between races if quite hot. Obviously on water recovery is good but only if you can get some fluid and nutrients into you. Sport style drinks and breakfast bars work well, also jelly babes, particularly in the first 20min as this is the window to restore these types of fuels.

We have used ice vests and bags of ice to cool our systems down on the water as soon as possible after the race. We don’t like to hang around the regatta site as I think it is more draining to be sitting around talking about the race you had or watching other races. Starting the recovery process as soon as you finish the race is critical. It does not stop there though; making sure you follow up with some light activity a few hours after is great for clearing any residual effects from the performance. Stretching and massage really helps if you can do it and I like to go for a walk too as it helps me clear my head.

Editorial by Drew Ginn

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