How to blend your individual progress with the coaching resources (virtual and in person) available to you. How can I do each part better, not how can I do more.
Timestamps
01:00 Coach each athlete better
When you do not have a coach with you all the time you will be self-coaching or doing peer-to-peer coaching. Key is not how to do more but to have a pathway (not just this pathway). The training program shows what to do today; the pathway shows you what comes next so you see your own progress.
02:45 Rowing pathways
Masters are all on an individual pathway. You need to know where you are on the journey and what comes next.
Your training program is part of a training block of 2-5 months during which you have a specific end goal which may be a race. Base training is happening now with fitness, endurance and robust technique to set you up for 2027.
This involves low rate endurance and so you have plenty of time each stroke to think and check that your technique is having the effect you want each stroke. Athletes who tend to zone out – this doesn’t serve you well. You will slip off the rowing pattern you should be working to improve. The Faster Masters Rowing training program has notes below each workout which are detailed and explicit. In there are goals to set yourself for your skill, strength and capability. How to gauge your progress – our program structure includes repeated workouts – so you can learn the workout and note your progress from the previous time you did it. They may include a technical focus, a drill or skill with a reference video you can watch that shows you how to do it correctly and points you to things which may be going wrong that you hadn’t noticed. This is the advantage of working with an experienced coach.
06:30 Usable feedback
– Ask your coach what is my one thing I need to learn or achieve for this training block?
A singular focus allows you to sharpen your mind. On the website is the rowing skills ladder with beginner, intermediate and advanced skills for you to self-assess.
Find what you need to learn next.
– Build your own rowing library of information, videos, ideas, concepts you can use. Review and re-watch webinars from the Faster Masters Rowing learning portal.
– Research into motor learning that shows that learners who choose when to get their feedback tend to learn better. Get feedback and be open minded (not judgemental) about it.
– Technique feedback is best gained using a model of rowing in your mind. How do I want to look? Use video of yourself 3-5 strokes at low rate and firm pressure.
Compare your video to the model and ask what is actually happening compared to what I am feeling. Develop your rowing “eye”.
– Does your coach explain things in a way that makes sense to you? If it doesn’t work, ask them to explain differently or ask someone else. Or pivot and look at “where do we go from here?”.
– Tell your coach your goals. In the context of your crew, training group and club. That will help them to give you what you need.
10:30 Build a coaching system around you
Find what you need and locate the gaps. Always be ready to go back to the beginning of the stroke cycle and re-learn each part over again.