Welcome to Leichhardt Rowing Club A huge Welcome to all our 2017 LRC Corporate Challenge crews. It was great to see so many enthusiastic new rowers at the Club for Saturday s briefing session. We hope it helped prepare you for your first crew sessions and that you ve enjoyed mastering the ergs, riding the waves and watching the sunrise this week. We re very excited to have 17 crews taking part in the Corporate Challenge this year. It s great to welcome back a number of participants from previous years, with Challenge veterans, LRC current members and LRC alumni bringing new rowers into the sport. We re also delighted to welcome some new companies to the Challenge. In addition to loving introducing so many new people to our passion, it s going to make for a great regatta on 3 September when we take over the Sydney International Regatta Centre and race like it s the 2000 Olympics for corporate pride, medals and the Corporate Challenge cups and plate. Some of our new rowers getting their first close up look at a racing eight (above) and NBN takes out the first Corporate Four of the Challenge. Whether you ve rowed for years or have never been in a rowing shell before, our aim is to create an enjoyable experience which challenges every participant to work together in an unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable environment to build a strong team. We hope that this experience will give you new insights into how we can adapt and work together as individuals to achieve the ultimate goal to row together to the best of each of our abilities. Thank you for being part of the Challenge and for your commitment and enthusiasm. I look forward to meeting you all and hearing of your experiences over the next few weeks. Justin Milne, President Leichhardt Rowing Club 2016 Premiers
Erging Like A Rower During the first week of the Corporate Challenge, every crew spends at least some time on the ergometer and, if the weather s too windy (yes, we row in the rain) you might well spend more time erging over the next few weeks. Ergometers, ergs or ergos are an integral part of rowing training and power testing, and have become increasingly popular in gyms and as part of Cross Fit circuits because of the fitness benefits they offer. Love them or hate them, they have their good points, but, as you will have found out, it s not the same as being on the water. Because the erg doesn t wobble around, you can practice the elements of the rowing stroke without having to think about balancing the boat or being in time with anyone else. The other upside is you can do a quick workout without having to rig a boat, get on the water, wash it down, put it away etc. The downside of ergs is that you don t have to balance the boat, be in time with anyone else or put your oar into and out of the water. So you might get a huge score on the erg but not move the boat fast or be happy rowing with others. For those of you who ve done ergs in the gym, you might find the rower s technique is a bit different. At least during the Challenge, try and erg like a rower you ll probably find your power and endurance improves as well. Your coach will have gone through the elements of the stroke on the erg: broadly divided into the drive (when you PUSH) and the recovery (when you recover, breathe, try not to disrupt the run of the boat and get ready for the next push). Everyone has slightly different ways of describing the stroke, and if you watch Olympic rowing, you ll see that different clubs, individuals and countries row slightly differently. However, this is usually in terms of the emphasis or speed of each bit of the stroke, not the elements of the stroke themselves. If you have any questions about any element of the stroke, ask your coach. Other places to have a look are: Decent Rowing which has a series of videos starring Olympian Anthony Edwards at: http://www.decentrowing.com/3111-how-to-row-on-a-rowing-machine-with-anthonyedwards.html or the Concept Rowing Machine website has technique videos and training programs at: http:// www.concept2.com.au/indoor-rowers/training/technique-videos The Elements of the Rowing Stroke are described as: The Catch Arms are straight; head is neutral; shoulders are level and not hunched. Upper body is leaning forward from the hips with the shouldersin front of the hips. Shins are vertical, or as close to vertical as is comfortable for you. Shins should not move beyond perpendicular. Heels may lift as needed. The Drive Start the drive by pressing with your legs, and then swing the back through the vertical position before finally adding the arm pull. Hands move in a straight line to and from the flywheel. Shoulders remain low and relaxed. The Finish Upper body is leaning back slightly, using good support fromthe core muscles. Legs are extended and handle is held lightly below your ribs. Shoulders should be low with wrists and grip relaxed. Wrists should be flat. The Recovery Extend your arms until they straighten before leaning from the hips towards the flywheel. Once your hands have cleared your knees, allow your knees to bend and gradually slide the seat forward on the monorail. For your next stroke, return to the catch position with shoulders relaxed and shins vertical. The G Row crew from GeoOp have their first session on the ergometers under the expert tuition of erg queens Annalisa Armitage and Anna Cicognani.
From the Erg to the Water Rowing on the ergometer is great for training, but how does that translate to the water when you ve got an oar in your hand, 7 other people around you and a boat that won t sit level? British rowers are performing pretty well at the moment (continuing a long rivalry in the four and eight against Australia), so here s their take on how to place the oar and transfer the power of the rower to moving the boat. Gary Foster, who happens to have been trained by British Rowing, demonstrates how to use an oar to the Consep Oarvengers II (left) and the Qantas Groupies, coached by Alex Farkesh, show how to toss the boat to lift it from the slings and put it onto the water (right)
The First Week on the Water It s been a huge first week for our Corporate Crews, who ve braved the cold and winds to complete their first sessions on the water. Here s a first look at some of the competition. The Qantas Groupies row out of the sunrise under the guidance of coach Alex Farkesh with cox Hannah Smith (left) The BCG Breakers (above) and BCG Usain Boat (below) coached by Tim Mason and Virginia van Ewyk, guest coach Pravin Radhakrishnan and guest coxed Karen Kuzis Meyer and Jacqui Marks and the TTW crew coached by Anne Parbury and coxed by Margaret Bailey (left). Please send photos, comments or questions for the weekly newsletter to vvanewyk@gmail.com We d love to hear from you.
This has got to be worth getting out of bed for! The Consep Oarvengers II, coached by Gary Foster and coxed by Sandra Triulzi (left), enjoying the calm dawn water on Friday. While NBN Connect, coached by Isaac Everleigh, enjoyed a more leisurely 7am start time (below) Meanwhile, our mystery Harvey Norman crew is reportedly gunning for the Cup but are as yet unphotographed as the paparazzi were banned from the first training session. Coach David Ross reports they are training well with a leisurely cruise around Rodd Island. He believes they could be the Cool Runnings crew of the Challenge. He has penned this stanza for them.. Harvey Norman sent Leichhardt a rowing crew, Who pretend not knowing what to do, They rounded Rodd Island in an amazing ride, Thanks to a following wind & friendly tide.
What Does It All Mean? As if it weren't enough to be learning a whole new skill set, you ve got to learn a whole new language as well. This glossary of terms from Cambridge Rowing Club, will help you talk like a pro and hopefully might help you make sense of it all... Plus, of course: Easy Oar, which means STOP ROWING...and Check the Boat which means STOP THE BOAT now!