With the days beginning to grow colder
lately, it’s important to remind ourselves that rowing in winter can be very
different from the summer conditions we have gotten used to. The cold winter
weather increases the risk of hypothermia, but we can advert this by focusing
on being prepared and wearing sufficient clothing. Several thin layers of
clothing, preferably with a waterproof garment on top, hats or earmuffs, thick
leggings and waterproof socks are all good options for clothing.
Coxswains, especially, need to ensure
warmth around the head, neck, lower back and extremities. Clothing should
ideally be wind and waterproof but avoid undue bulk.
As well as wearing appropriate clothes for
partaking in rowing, it’s important to have spare clothes to change into in the
event of a capsize (no matter how unexpected that may be!). Keeping a spare bag
of warm, dry clothes to change into in your car is a good idea to be prepared for
all eventualities this winter.
Although cold weather rowing requires more preparation and thought, I hope I haven’t put anyone off it. The crisp, frosty Saturday morning’s where the mist rises of the glassy flat river are definitely worth it!
2020 has certainly been a different year! From full lockdown to getting back on the water on a restricted capacity, it’s tested skills and confidence.
In line with Scottish Rowing guidance, the period from the end of June through to October has predominantly been in single sculls. This initially posed a challenge for the club as many members hadn’t experienced being in a single up until this point. But with the purchase of some stable singles with floats, that was all to change! 🙂
We asked 4 of our members to recap on their experience and how they have progressed. Below is their comments. We hope this will inspire many more to give it a try in the confidence that their coaches are supporting them every step of the way!
Sean Peter;
“Me, in a single, not a hope in Hell!” That’s what I always said when asked the question. So what changed, well COVID came along a forced a new set of rules on us. The club went out and bought singles with floats to enable us to row, and all credit to Lucy and Heather, they kept gentle nudging me towards the new bright orange singles. Then the day arrived, the day I had been dreading for years, me out in a single! The floats were firmly anchored to the side of the boat, I was shown how to get in and out safely, so off I went. The first thing I did was to test the floats, I wanted to know how much, or little, support they gave me. Immediately I knew there was no way the boat was going to go over, what a relief. I think I spent the best part of 2 hrs on the water that day. Then came the time to take the floats off, was I nervous, definitely! How far will I get from the slip before I am swimming back?
Off I went, I was still on top of the water and keeping every instruction I had just been given in my mind. I made it up to the bridge and back down a couple of times that day and was converted. Since then there has been trips down to the red boy and back, up to the bridge, turning the boat around and some set pieces on the water. This was going great
And then, there I was, swimming in the river. Yep I had my first, and so far only, capsize. So what happened, I don’t really know. I had stopped, then things went in slow motion, apparently it was quick but not for me! I saw 1 blade go under the boat, then the next, then I was in the water. At that moment the training we had in the swimming pool came straight into my mind. I swam and pushed the boat to the side, signaled I was fine, got back in and rowed back to the club. It was a good bit of learning to keep your balance and wits about you the whole time. Since then I have been out in the new heavy weight single down to Inchyra as well and loving the new challenge. We have a fab group of people in this club with a wealth of experience, trusting them helped me take that step into singles and I am loving learning from them and taking on the challenge of the single.
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Fiona Barrowman;
Well, I never thought that I would ever be out single sculling on the River Tay in Perth, but that’s exactly what I managed to achieve during the last few months, with the help of our amazing club coaches Lucy Rogers and Heather McKenzie.Once lockdown was lifted and the club got back up and running, due to Covid-19 restrictions, we could only go out in singles, which I liken to sitting on an oversized matchstick. My first outing was in one of the clubs new bright orange Glide One boats with floats and I absolutely love it! I felt completely safe and the floats gave me the confidence to go out in all weathers and varying conditions. Then the time came to progress, the floats came off, and it all got serious!Sitting in my oversized matchstick, without my trusted floats, certainly made me feel vulnerable, exposed and tense. Initially, I was so petrified that I couldn’t do much other than encourage myself to take a stroke whilst cursing. The coaches were always there with some helpful hints and tips: Heather told me to “relax and smile” and Lucy reminded me to “breathe”, all of which are easier said than done when you’re shaking like a leaf and realise that multitasking isn’t an option through fear!One Wednesday evening session with Lucy was pivotal in my progression: I was put through my paces and taken completely out of my comfort zone and guess what… it worked. I was actually sculling in a single, not with any degree of amazing skill, but I was actually singling and dare I say enjoying it! The support, guidance, encouragement and dedication of our club coaches Lucy and Heather is and has been invaluable to my introduction to singling and I feel very privileged to be part of such an amazing Rowing Club which has so many equally amazing people!
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Elliot Wood;
So the man on the news said we could venture out of our homes again, and someone mentioned that we could get back to rowing, but not any sort of rowing i’m used to. Rowing in those tiny little boats, you know, the ones you see racked in the shed owned by people who know what they are doing. Not really my thing, I’m a big boat kind of person, hiding in the middle of an 8, maybe a 4, or a double if there is really nothing else going, but certainly not a single.The truth is that i was never going to be able to do it, i’m too big, too uncoordinated and i’ll whisper it, but it looked quite hard. Every rower knows someone who has fallen in when they were in a single, and therefore were best avoided.Turns out I didn’t have a choice. It was that or nothing. The arrival of the fleet of orange boats gave me hope. They looked rugged enough that even i couldn’t break them, and most importantly of all, came with stabilisers, a safety net for the hard of talent like me.It turns out that a safety net is just what I needed. From that first outing, I was forced to rethink everything I knew about being out in a single. I could do it, slowly at first and with more than a few wobbles, but even I managed to progress to removing the stabilisers. It was wasn’t so hard after all, admittedly you couldn’t blame your crew mates for the boat being unstable/down on one side etc, but even I managed it. And now everyone in Tay RC knows one more person who has fallen in while they were out in a single, but don’t let that put you off, it’s well worth the effort.
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Margo Peter;
Me row in a single? Never!! Nervous enough in a double. The orange boats arrived and I stood back and watched as others ventured out. I watched from a distance for a few weeks while listening to others gentle encouraging words. Then one day I decided to go for it, I was so nervous I actually felt sick. Very quickly discovered how stable these boats are with floats on and I was off. Really enjoyed my first outing. Been out a couple of times, still using floats and really enjoying it. Great experience to find and understand your faults and help correct them. Not sure I will ever graduate to no floats but who knows, after-all I did also say I’d never go out at all!
Anyone who’s ever been on a club committee can
probably agree that when it comes to organising events, competitions, or even
regular training sessions, sometimes it all comes together and the planning
pays off. There are also times when the running of a club feels like a slight
uphill battle. Individual work commitments, holidays, family, illness and
injury, child care, studying, and just general everyday life can make it a
struggle to keep the club spirit alive. When it comes to rowing; throw in
extreme tides, bad storms, floating debris, rough water, high winds or damaged
equipment and it’s a wonder we can ever pull off a single outing. Now the
amazing weather and flat waters have arrived and there is something brand new
to prevent us from pulling on our all-in-ones.
I was told about the Lockdown League by a
fellow committee and club member. It was a few weeks into the lockdown by this
point and, while I was obviously missing being out on the water, the erg was
becoming my friend again. I had a look at the link and loved how simple it was
to get involved – no registration required or complicated way of logging
information. We have been able to lend a few of our club ergs to TRC members
and there are some keen cyclists and runners amongst us. Best of all, this
challenge seemed to hit the spot with our club members and we really hit the
ground running (and cycling and erging).
Most of us partake in regular exercise for our
own satisfaction or personal fitness goals and it has been great to be able to
put the hard work towards something extra. By clocking our metres it really
feels like we are doing something for our club and, with the addition of the
weekly workouts, I think it has also been a great way to stay motivated. Above
all, it has given me something to post about on our Club Facebook group so it
looks like I am continuing to dedicate some of my newly acquired free time
towards my duties as a committee member.
Tay Rowing Club is one of the smallest and
newest clubs in Scotland (I would say the
smallest and newest but have not fact checked this so do not want to start any
unwanted interclub rivalry). To nestle ourselves firmly in the top 15 from week
1 was a huge achievement for us! We’ve since seen ourselves jump around in the
top 10 and I am immensely proud of everyone who’s been involved. We are very
excited to see if we can hold our place in the lead for the most metres per
member when the revised table comes out next week. We welcome a bit of healthy
competition from the likes of Inverness, Stirling, St Andrew and Castle Semple
who have been battling it out for those medal places over the past month. We’re
pleased to see our local rivals river allies, Dundee University, never
too far away either.
To all the clubs involved, we have thoroughly
enjoyed sharing this with you and look forward to hopefully seeing some of you
for the real thing in the not too distant future. Thank you to Scottish Rowing
for keeping us going and, though it will be a shame when it comes to an end,
hopefully that will mean that things are returning to some kind of normality
for the Rowing Community.
It’s fair to say the last 10 weeks during lockdown have been challenging for most. Let’s face it, we’re used to our freedom and definitely not used to being told to stay in our homes and only venture out once a day for exercise! On top of that, the endless amounts of negative press and focus on this horrendous virus have left many on an emotional rollercoaster!
As we start to slowly ease out of lockdown, following the Scottish Governments 4 phase plan, no doubt new challenges and worries will arise. Just as we were getting used to this “new normal” , the next adjustment phase could also take some getting used to!
Having been void of social interaction, other than a zoom call or two, one of the first things we’ll be keen to do is meet with family and friends … from a distance of course! The next thing might be to get back to our beloved sports / hobbies such as rowing!
As we wait for guidance from Scottish Rowing as to restarting, the Tay Rowing Club Committee are now in planning for getting members back on the water, safely! Risk Assessments, cleaning and distancing rules and session plans are all being considered. We want to make the transition back into the club environment an easy one with the wellbeing of our members in mind.
If you’re feeling anxious about things starting to get relaxed and what risks that might pose, here’s some tips to help you prepare;
Plan to do the things you love –
We have been living in a time like no other, so, naturally, it may take time to get back into the swing of things once lockdown is over.
A simple way to help relieve heightened levels of anxiety is to plan ahead; make a list of the things you want to do again (hopefully rowing is high up there!), friends you want to visit and places you want to go.
Re-establish some former routines –
When things begin to return to ‘normal’, re-establishing familiar former routines can be helpful, but it might also be a good opportunity to reflect on whether you can continue some of the things you’ve been doing differently.
Review your priorities in life –
When it comes to our personal lives, many of us are finding the current pace of life easier to deal with, as we’re less pressured to attend social gatherings, for example. It’s worth reflecting on whether we want things to return to how they were before, or if there’s an opportunity to review our priorities and really think about what makes us happy. Perhaps you’ve got a new fitness regime that you want to continue with, or a new found love for baking! (cakes are always welcome at TRC) 😉
As lockdown restrictions gradually begin to lift, remember that it will take a while for life to get back to ‘normal’ — and it’s OK if you take longer to adjust than others. It’s important that you do things in a timeframe that works for you. Just know that you have the support of others and your wellbeing is the utmost priority!
Being part of a sports club isn’t only about keeping fit and active but also about the social element with people who share the same interest. During lockdown TRC members haven’t just been missing being on the water, but also the interaction with others from the club so we decided to make good use of Zoom and have a lockdown quiz!
The first Tay virtual quiz night held was a success, with lots of interesting (and some difficult) questions being posed while members enjoyed a blether and a glass (or two) of wine. Questions spanned general knowledge, Scotland, geography and of course there had to be a rowing section too! Not sure we’ll be winning any quiz leagues just yet, but it was a fun evening which we hope to repeat sometime soon!
We hope to continue club events throughout the lockdown period while we can’t get out on the lovely river Tay and all club members getting involved and participating in really fantastic.
Most of us will be finding it harder than ever to meet the government’s recommended target of 150 minutes of exercise a week. For the essential workers and business owners among us, while you are taking on extra shifts with reduced staffing levels or fighting to keep businesses afloat, sitting on the erg for 30 minutes every evening is not your number one priority just now. For those of us lucky enough to be furloughed, a sudden abundance of free time can also make it surprisingly difficult to find the motivation to get off the sofa and put on some fresh lycra.
A bad day in our house might start with the self satisfaction of making it out of bed before midday, sniffing yesterday’s leggings and sports bra to see if they’ll pass for another wear (don’t judge – no one outside my house will be coming within 6 feet of me and I’m in my pyjamas much longer than my day clothes at the moment). I’ll get distracted with some cleaning or washing for about an hour and every time I step over the rowing machine to get from room to room I’ll keep promising myself that I’ll get on it at some point. I’ll then end up pouring over a crossword in the kitchen for about 3 hours listening to true crime podcasts and playing on my phone before realising it’s time to get the dinner on. Obviously I wouldn’t want to do anything too vigorous on a full stomach and… woops! – I’ve drunk a bottle of wine so should really just call it a day. I eventually go to bed after watching TV until a ridiculous time in the morning.
As I said – that’s a bad day and thankfully they don’t happen too often. I have on occasions managed a few consecutive days of running, cycling, yoga, erging or even the odd living room circuits session. When I can feel the burn in my thighs as I struggle to lower myself down to the toilet or get up from a chair, I feel great! But then a ‘bad’ day follows and I can’t help feeling guilty that all the hard work will be undone in a matter of hours. Rest assured – Google informs me that someone moderately active could go several weeks without exercise before you start to lose muscle! Overall, I have been really enjoying my lock down exercise and I think I’ve achieved quite a lot. We are all human and we all have bad days. So, what keeps us motivated so that one bad day doesn’t turn into two and then before we know it we’ve spent a week changing from PJs to lycra to PJs again, not knowing if we’re showering enough or showering too often given that we’re doing very little to warrant the gymwear that we keep putting on?
We have been inundated with posts and adverts about virtual exercise classes. My personal favourites are the Rowhouse Go! videos on Facebook and Yoga with Adreinne on Youtube. The Asensei app for erg sessions, Couch to 5K audio courses, and of course, Joe Wicks’ PE sessions have also been very popular. I’ve also started using Strava for bike rides and British Rowing is a great resource for training programmes. The list is endless and everyone will have their favourites. Self employed gym instructors and fitness coaches are obviously struggling just now and most have tapped into the virtual market. So, we have access to this great plethora of programs, most of which we can get for free, and a lot of us have got plenty of time to do it. If we’re still struggling to pull on our trainers then what’s missing?
Although I don’t currently have one, I see value in gym memberships for more than just the getting fit part. I think most of us at some point, while paying upwards of £25 a month to go to a body pump class or use the treadmill, have thought to ourselves ‘I could do this in my living room with some baked bean tins or go for a run outside for free!’. We don’t actually pay the membership to get our heart rates up or build muscle. We pay for the motivation. For the company. For the instruction. For the routine. For the spa facilities, perhaps. For not having to make an excuse about the weather. Maybe the whole act of paying the money itself is the incentive. We can still get some of these benefits while the gyms are closed. A quick search brings up pages of online gym subscriptions that you can purchase and sign up to. Many of the online tutorials via Zoom or Facebook Live are scheduled so that you can plan and show up at a specific time. This may be particularly helpful if you think a lack of routine is having an effect on your fitness. To avoid using up too many words discussing the pros and cons of the gym and telling you things that you already know, I’ve come up with a few things that might prevent you from putting on your finest Reeboks to spend an afternoon binging box sets.
If working from home, try to separate your work area from your work out area.
Make sure the area is bright and you have enough space.
Have a drink and towel ready and anything else you may need nearby.
Go to the toilet before you begin.
Spend some time making a new workout playlist to listen to during your session.
Buy some new gym clothes that you’ll be excited to try out.
Schedule a circuit class with friends via one of the many video calling platforms.
Find a simple challenge or set yourself a goal. For example; aim for an achievable 2Km time on the erg; try to build up to a 3 minute plank; see how far you can erg, run or cycle in 30 minutes and try to beat it.
Keep mixing it up. If you’re bored of running around the park then try something else.
It’s better to move your goal post than give up. If you went into lockdown thinking you’d be able to run a marathon by the time it was over yet you peaked at 7Km and haven’t been for a run since then try for 10Km or cycle or row a marathon instead.
Look back at what you’ve actually managed to achieve, not what you set out to do, and feel proud about it. (So, you’re not running a marathon yet but you managed to run 7Km – that’s fantastic! You haven’t beat your PB 5Km time but you’ve been on the rowing machine twice a week – good job!)
Always have a plan. Don’t just sit on the rowing machine and see how you get on. Do a specific interval workout, distance, route or time.
Get nerdy and learn about the exercise you’re doing, what muscle groups it targets, what the numbers mean, how to improve technique. Whether it’s erging, cycling, planking, running, rollerskiing – there will be plenty of scientific studies and information available to help you. Can you use your fitness tracker or phone for more than just counting steps?
Finally, look after your equipment and learn how it works. Clean your yoga mat, search Youtube to see what servicing you can do on your bike or erg yourself*. Will your trainers benefit from some fresh laces or insoles?
I appreciate that video calls are not the same as actual gym sessions and these ideas cannot replace a sunny Saturday morning down on the beautiful waters of the river Tay. For now, though, there are plenty of things to try. Share your ideas, let us know what you enjoy and, most importantly, don’t feel guilty about those bad rest days.
*I take no responsibility for that extra part you’ve just found if you’ve dismantled your equipment and think you’ve put it all back together again.
Under the advice of Scottish Rowing, Tay Rowing Club have made the hard decision to suspend all club based rowing until further notice due to the #COVID19 virus.
We will continue to monitor the situation and hope we can all get back out on the water, safely, soon!
Our first learn to row course of 2020 was fully booked in just 3 days of releasing the date. If you missed out and would love to learn, we plan to run another course around May / June. 🚣♀️
👉To get the best chance of securing a space join our waiting list where you will get advance notice of the dates and details giving you a head start on booking. Just email comms@tayrowingclub.com now! 🙏
A space has come available on our next Learn to row course starting on Saturday, 28th March.
The course will comprise of 2 boats, each with 4 crew, completing 10 coached sessions over 8 weeks (both the 1st and last sessions will be double sessions).
The last space is for a Saturday morning session, starting at 8.30am (be there for 8am) and typically lasting 1.5 – 2 hrs.
No previous rowing experience is required, however participants should be able to swim at least 50 meters, have a base level of fitness and be capable of helping lift / carry the boats.
The course had fully booked up in 3 days, so if this last remaining space is of interest, please get in touch asap to secure your place.
Tay Rowing Club are very excited to announce that we have secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund for the purchase of rowing machines in order to set up and run an indoor rowing schools pilot.
Rowing is a new sport in Perth and Kinross and the establishment of an indoor rowing programme linked to Tay Rowing Club will offer opportunities to young people to benefit from a sport they have never done before. Rowing is well known for developing individual self esteem and teamwork amongst those who participate. The provision of a new sport within the school communities will provide opportunities for young people to participate in something completely different that will assist in developing their own potential, make them feel good and develop team building skills that will set them up to maximise the opportunities that will come their way be it through participation, competing, coaching, volunteering and officiating
