Lightweight Eats

This is a really difficult process to stick to. Because I'm more rested going into each session, the temptation is to use that energy doing more work or adding other activities into my day. It's helpful to remind myself of all the times in the past that this has failed. This fall, I am embracing patience and balance.

If you'd like to follow along with my fall racing, here is my race schedule.

Head of the Riverfront - October 2nd - Hartford, CT
Last year, I won the open 1x in ridiculously slow headwind/current conditions. I loved this race as a low-key fall season opener. I'm entering the single again. If you're interested in covering the $55 entry fee through a tax deductible donation, send me an email or visit the Northeast High Performance Rowing Foundation website directly.

Head of the Housatonic - October 8th - Derby, CT
By the afternoon that entries opened, there was already a waitlist for the women's open 1x. If I make it off the waitlist, I'll be making my debut at this regatta. This is a slightly bigger race than Head of the Riverfront, so it will be good preparation for Head of the Charles.

Head of the Charles - October 22nd - Boston, MA
Last year, Morgan McGovern and I won the lightweight championship double. This year, we'll be back to defend our title—a tall order as we will be competing against the Swiss national team. A generous donation (thanks Chris!) covered the entry fee and gas money for this regatta; a friend's couch is covering housing.

Fall Speed Order - November 5th and 6th - Princeton, NJ
This is my least favorite race of the year. Since it is a two day affair and far from CT, it requires a two night hotel stay, which is expensive. It also involves a weigh-in and an erg test. And attendance is usually very low, with lots of last minute scratches. Attendance at this regatta is undecided.

Newtown Turkey Trot - November 24th - Newtown, CT
Back to the roads! The 2015 winner ran the 5k in 19:20, so I will have to have a big PR if I want to take the win. In any case, I'll definitely earn my Tofurkey.


What's on your race schedule? Will I see you at any of these regattas??


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Your coach gave you a training plan. You're following it, but you're impatient. You want to hit that PR asap, and you're motivated to do more. Where do you start?

Trophies are not won the day of the race.

Adding in a lot of extra work can really mess with the flow of a good training plan. Instead, try adding in just 10 minutes a day of extra work. Here's my suggestion:

Add in 10 minutes of:
Day 1. steady state
Day 2. stretching
Day 3. strength

Day 4. steady state
Day 5. stretching
Day 6. strength

Day 7. sleep

Here's the catch, though—you have to actually DO it. On paper, adding in ten minutes a day seems really easy, but it's much easier to add in 70 minutes once a week. The hard part is making the little bit extra a part of your habits, and that means coming back to it over and over again—even when you've stopped.

Some best practices:

Steady State
This is super easy work tacked on to the beginning or end of an existing workout. It can be 10 minutes of drills after a hard row, or an easy jog/bike after an erg workout. It's not enough to mess with the training plan, but over the course of a year, you're adding an extra 1,000 minutes of work. Think of it as setting yourself up for next year's PR.

The pace should be easy enough to take selfies and wear sweatpants.

Stretching
If you have mobility issues, this is a no-brainer. But if flexibility doesn't limit your stroke, it can be hard to remember to stretch. I find that 10 minutes of stretching right after practice or right before bed helps me sleep better, which makes all the difference in the world. I like stretches that focus on the hip area.

Strength
Here's an easy 10 minute strength session you can do: 2x1' each of body weight squats, planks, super-mans, pushups (or pull-ups, if you have a bar—assisted if necessary), rest.
If you're already lifting weights on the reg, change this to 10 minutes of easy core work: 2x1' sit-ups, bicycles, supermans, planks, rest.

Sleep
Yup. That's right. Wanna get faster? Use those ten minutes to sleep a little bit longer. In fact, if you're not feeling jazzed about steady state, stretching or strength work, feel free to sub in 10 extra minutes of sleep any day of the week. It's that important. Can't sleep well? Use this time to practice (or just lie down and relax).

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