Uni Rowing teams

It depends, I suppose.

Like any other sport, there's taking the rough with the smooth, bad days when everything goes wrong and good days that feel awesome. As a novice you can have a steep learning curve that then becomes shallower as you get better; you can only make smaller and smaller improvements.

Generally, at Cam, we try and enter people into as many races as possible. There's races just for novices, and then there's the great fun and excitement of bumps which any boat can aspire to. Yes, training does get boring, but there's generally light at the end of the tunnel and plenty of smaller goals, such as smaller off-cam races, to work towards.

Reply 42

Consie

do 'positions' get asigned early on. Like do you become a 'stroke' in the same way you become a centre midfielder for the footy team?

Reply 43

You'll generally get assigned a side (bowdie or strokeside) and a position within the boat, but that's not set in stone and can and will change as and when needs arise.

Reply 44

El Stevo

FadeToBlackout

Exactly. Very few people at my uni are around in the summer, hence as they tend not to do regattas they've not got many ARA points.

Personally, I now live in my uni town and cox for both my college and for a town club, so that's the best of both worlds.

Doubt it; you're not a member of the German national squad so the Boat Race is probably off limits to you ATM :p:

1:50... well, try and do an hour's erg, keeping your split below 1:40/500m and THEN you'll know the true meaning of pain!

I managed a 1:33 500m the other day, which bearing in mind that I'm a cox isn't too bad. I'm going to try again when I'm next on an erg (next week) as I've had a lot of coaching since then and have improved my technique.

you're a cox and you can do an hour at 1 min 40 splits? strewth. when i was in relative shape and rowing my college first xii i did an hour at 1:58, but that wasn't at my peak. i could beast out a 1 min 26 500 tho :p:

Reply 45

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7

El Chueco

you're a cox and you can do an hour at 1 min 40 splits? strewth. when i was in relative shape and rowing my college first xii i did an hour at 1:58, but that wasn't at my peak. i could beast out a 1 min 26 500 tho :p:

I'm not entirely sure, but I think he may have been implying that his crew does 1:40 splits, rather than himself. Anyone other than 6'5, 15 stone giant will find a hour at 1:40 a very challenging task indeed.

Reply 46

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I'm not entirely sure, but I think he may have been implying that his crew does 1:40 splits, rather than himself. Anyone other than 6'5, 15 stone giant will find a hour at 1:40 a very challenging task indeed.

Feck no, not me! I'm slightly larger and heavier than the average (college) cox, true, but I can barely manage 5 minutes on an erg, let alone an hour!

I know one person who, as a challenge, tried an hour with 1:40 split or lower and managed to vomit up his lunch...

But then again he's completely crazy. Most of my crew (the second men) have a 1:30-1:40 split and can hold that for about 20 minutes before it really goes downhill- the guy with the lowest in the boat managed a 1:07 or something 500m and then fainted!

Reply 47

TRB

FadeToBlackout

Most of my crew (the second men) have a 1:30-1:40 split and can hold that for about 20 minutes before it really goes downhill- the guy with the lowest in the boat managed a 1:07 or something 500m and then fainted!

Thats annoying, Im a big guy and when I did 1000m in 3:10 my biceps siezed, rowers must be stupidly strong, hats off

Reply 48

Consie

hey. when i went on the rower i mainly used my legs anf finsihed off the motion with my arms, but i kept smashing the piece of wood i was holding into my abs, and it ****ing hurt because i was giving it loads. Is it meant to be like that?

Reply 49

Technically not.

The first part of the stroke to learn is "backstops". There, your legs are horizontal and you're leaning back so as to be able to draw a vertical line between the front of your shoulders and the back of your arse. Your forearms are flat and the handle is a few inches away from your stomach.

To move off from this, the hands slide smoothly forwards, and then you tilt FROM THE HIPS keeping the back straight.

Only once your back has moved do you start to bend your knees. Keep your body still with the arms forwards and the chest vertical. Start to rotate your pelvis when your knees have just started to bend.

As you get to the front of the slide, you should be reaching a reasonable way forwards with your arms. Don't reach too far- I'll say why in a sec. Basically, your legs come up until your shins are vertical, and your thighs are touching your stomach with your hands out forwars, straight.

This is the catch position, or "frontstops". In an actual boat, you'd have rotated the shoulders and one arm would be between your knees to keep the shape.

At Frontstops, you need to be able to transition smoothly from sliding forwards to powering back.

First thing to do it to SQUEEZE backwards with the legs. ONLY the legs should move at this point; the body should be rigid and still. You want to feel your weight come off of your arse, almost as if you're standing up. This is where the real power comes from.

Imagine you're pushing against a weight with your shoulders. You need to keep your pody rigid and strong to be able to fully use the immense power of your legs.

As you come through the stroke, your back will open up naturally. When your legs are flat again, your back rotates until it is in the finish position.

Then, you draw through with the arms, holding them level. Don't wrench at it or pull too hard; you'e finishing off the stroke and giving it a little fineagle of strength, not propelling the boat; that was your legs. The handle should finish a couple of inches in front of your chest. It's best to imagine that you're wearing a bra, and you're drawing the handle through to where the band under your boobs would be. That's the correct height. (It's easier to coach girls...)

Basically, don't rate too high (20 strokes a minute is useful to start, otherwise your technique falls apart) and don't have the resistance on the erg (rowing machine) up too high- 3.5 - 4 simulates the resistance of the water.

Reply 50

Willa

FadeToBlackout

They have a Development Squad over the summer to help that.

The best person to talk to about this, if you're serious, is Willa who rowed for the Lightweight Blue Boat. :smile:

hmmm...this explains why my ears were burning :p:

yes, any specific questions about uni level rowing at cambridge you can ask me about, via PM.

Reply 51

El Stevo

Willa

hmmm...this explains why my ears were burning :p:

yes, any specific questions about uni level rowing at cambridge you can ask me about, via PM.

yeh... he doesn't want to give away trade secrets publically :wink:

...

Reply 52

Consie

Thanks very much for the info fadetoblackout.

Reply 53

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7

FadeToBlackout

Feck no, not me! I'm slightly larger and heavier than the average (college) cox, true, but I can barely manage 5 minutes on an erg, let alone an hour!

I know one person who, as a challenge, tried an hour with 1:40 split or lower and managed to vomit up his lunch...

But then again he's completely crazy. Most of my crew (the second men) have a 1:30-1:40 split and can hold that for about 20 minutes before it really goes downhill- the guy with the lowest in the boat managed a 1:07 or something 500m and then fainted!

Actually the only person who I think could come close to holding a 1:40 split for an hour is James Cracknell. According to the concept 2 website he set the 5K record at around 1:31 splits , which is absolutely amazing. I would be happy if I could a 1:31 split for 1k, let alone 5k!

Reply 54

Willa

churchill are pretty poor this year though I have to say. They almost got spoons in this year's lent bumps

Reply 55

Echolife

How tall do you have to be to stand a chance of getting a try out if you've never rowed before. (I'm 6ft by the way)

Reply 56

Huw Davies

A few of our first-boat regulars are 6' or shorter - if you show promise height isn't the most important factor (outside the absolute top level where obviously there's the pick of candidates and selection is for any edge you can get).

Reply 57

Echolife