An aggregate resource for all those riding in the 9th seat
Training & Nutrition Video of the Week
I’ve talked about this before but this video does a good job of explaining how to know if you’re good to continue working out while you’re sick or if you should just stay home.
Related: How to train when you’re sick … as a rower
Like they said, it’s better to lose a small amount of gains by taking time off when you first start feeling sick than it is to prolong your illness by continuing to workout, which can ultimately end up costing you more in the long run.
Hi! So I contacted you back in November and I just wanted to say thank you for replying, it helped quite a lot. Spring season started today (March 7th) but I’ve been out for 3 weeks with sinusitis, which I still have. I came back to practice last week but I’m only slowly improving day by day. I’ve tried the workouts but I cannot breathe at all if I’m sprinting or putting a lot of work into the piece. My coach is super okay with me feeling 100% better but it might take another full week. I’m coughing and cannot run either. I missed all of the 2k work but I know that I might not get out on the water until I do a 2k…but that might be a little while. I’m a junior as well so I know worrying about getting back into this won’t help but I just really wanna get better. Maybe I’m just asking you to let me know that I’m on the recovery and improving each day? Or maybe I’m asking you for help? I’m not really sure but it feels good to type this up. It seems as if I am allergic to winter.
Do you have allergies? I did pretty bad when I was in high school and they were always worse in the winter because the air was drier and I was spending more time inside with the allergens that affected me the most, which were dust and pet dander. My allergies in general haven’t been nearly as bad since I moved to Boston but they’re always noticeably worse in the winter regardless. Dust, dander, and the low humidity are relatively easy to manage though – humidifiers are great and as long as you wash your bedding regularly you can keep dander (pet and human) to a minimum. I make it a point to avoid noticeably dusty areas (more so at the boathouse than at home) and that helps a lot too. I think sinusitis (or what we initially thought was sinusitis) and my incessant coughing was what prompted my doctor to recommend seeing an allergy specialist to my parents when I was in middle school so you might consider seeing one if you haven’t/don’t already. They might be able to prescribe you a different/better medication (aka the good kind of steroids) that helps you manage whatever’s going on and gets you back to being able to workout.
You’re definitely in a more fortunate position than most people in that your coach is cool with you waiting until you’re 100% before you resume practicing – that alone should be a huge weight off your shoulders. I get wanting to get back as soon as possible but if you’ve already got the all-clear to take your time and get better, take advantage and do just that. I’d talk with your coach though to determine what’s required for you to be able to get on the water once you are healthy and then come up with some sort of modified training plan that you can follow if one of those requirements is a 2k. In the mean time, try to do something like pilates, yoga, core, etc., that way you’re still getting a workout in but you’re not taxing your body to the point where you experience trouble breathing. If you’re comfortable swimming you could try doing that as well and seeing if it’s easier to get a harder workout in in an environment where the air’s not as dry as outside, at the boathouse, etc.
Being sick sucks and sometimes there is little you can do about it but as long as you’re getting enough sleep, taking care of yourself, and staying in tune with how your body feels day to day, eventually you’ll get back to where you were. Don’t rush it though – patience is a #majorkey to getting back to 100% and not setting yourself up to get injured or sick(er) in the future.
Coxing How To Training & Nutrition
Previously: Steer an eight/four || Call a pick drill and reverse pick drill || Avoid getting sick || Make improvement as a novice || Protect your voice || Pass crews during a head race || Be useful during winter training || Train when you’re sick (as a rower)
Coxing while sick is pretty damn unpleasant. If you’re not going through practice in a fog then you’re spending half of it hacking into the mic, which leaves you really sore and the rowers really irritated. I usually try to avoid coxing when I’m sick and I’ve been lucky that most of the coaches I’ve had were cool about giving us a break when we needed it but here are my three top tips for how to handle practice when you’re feeling under the weather.
Related: How to train when you’re sick (as a rower)
I usually have it at about ⅓ volume but when I’m sick I turn the knob about ⅔ of the way up. If you’re losing your voice, have a sore throat, or your chest/torso is sore from coughing (this tends to be my problem) turning the volume up will continue amplifying your voice while letting you talk a little quieter and with less force than you normally do. This can be a life saver if you’re treading the line between having a voice and losing it. Just make sure you tell your crew you’re doing this since getting blasted by the speakers isn’t the most enjoyable way to go through practice.
Related: What coxswains can do to protect their voice
Cough suppressants, nasal decongestants, etc. are usually fine to take but just be aware if you start to feel loopy or anything before practice or while you’re on the water. If this happens, tell your coach or a teammate immediately. This really isn’t the time to wonder or care if someone’s going to be pissed at you. My freshman year of college I made the mistake of grabbing the wrong box (because I was in a hurry and not feeling well) and taking the “pop these if you want to fall asleep ASAP” meds before practice, which I realized while on the bus to the boathouse. I told my coach and our assistant drove me back to my dorm but after that I made sure everything was very clearly labelled “drowsy” and “non-drowsy” since reading boxes while sick and rushing out the door wasn’t always my top priority.
Similarly, if you go to the doctor and they give you medicine (and clear you to continue practicing), be aware of any side effects that come with it. It is really hard to cox when internally you’re freaking out because you’re experiencing the shortness of breath side effect that supposedly only a very small fraction of patients experience with the new meds you just started taking. Had that happen (also in college, also during the same week as the drowsy drugs incident) while coxing a race piece and it was just a straight up awful experience.
If you’re not sick enough to miss practice but you’re not feeling 100% either, this is your equivalent to the rowers biking instead of going on the water to give their bodies a break. If I or any of the other coxswains were ever at this point my coach would have us ride in the launch and take video for him. It was an easy way to keep us engaged in what was going on, which we all definitely appreciated since getting sick can be a guilt trip-inducing experience for coxswains.
If there are no other coxswains that can rotate in for you, you pretty much just have to suck it up and do the best you can. Presumably if you’re at practice to begin with, even if you’re planning on riding in the launch, you’re OK enough to cox so this shouldn’t be too difficult to do but just communicate with your coach and crew so they know you’re not feeling great and can take that into account if you’re not up to your usual standards.
College Ergs How To Training & Nutrition
Previously: Steer an eight/four || Call a pick drill and reverse pick drill || Avoid getting sick || Make improvement as a novice || Protect your voice || Pass crews during a head race || Be useful during winter training
It’s inevitable that at the start of a new school year/semester or season (winter … always winter) a bug will make its way around campus and will eventually spread throughout the team. It’s happened on every team I’ve been a part of and never fails to make everyone downright miserable for the two weeks it takes to get over it. If you’re training while sick (or considering it), here’s a couple tips + reminders.
Related: How to avoid getting sick during winter training
Even though you’ll probably feel less productive due to lower energy levels, don’t skimp on sleep to make up for whatever work you’re not getting done. In theory it doesn’t sound like the worst plan in the world but trust me, the only thing that’s on the same level of regret as working through a hangover is working through a nasty cold. Accept that you’re sick and need to take a break. Communicate with the appropriate people to get an extension if you need it or to cover your shift at work and just go to sleep. Stay hydrated too by keeping your water bottle nearby and downing water, Pedialyte, etc. at regular intervals. If you can handle eating small meals, do so. Since moving to Boston, whenever I’m sick my go-to meal is chicken noodle soup from Wegmans so if you have one near you I highly recommend having a friend pick you up some. I don’t know what magical potion they put in there but I swear it speeds up my recovery time like no other. (Plus it’s delicious so there’s that too.)
You’ll typically hear this referred to as “above the neck” and “below the neck” symptoms. If you’ve got a runny nose, congestion, a sore throat, etc. then you’re typically OK to practice (unpleasant as it may be to do so). Backing off on the length and/or intensity of your workout for a day or two is usually smart in these cases just to give your body a bit of a break. Your standard cold isn’t going to have much impact on your performance but once your temperature starts spiking, you start experiencing widespread muscle soreness, or your cold turns into something like bronchitis (this happens to me every year without fail), you’ve gotta take it more seriously and go to a doctor or the student health center on campus. This is the point where similar to a physical injury, if you don’t take it seriously you could end up hurting yourself more in the long run.
All of this obviously requires communication with your coach so none of that “I can’t tell my coach I’m sick” bullshit. (If that’s where you’re at then you’ve got bigger issues than the common cold to deal with.) “But I have a 2k/6k/seat racing tomorrow and I have to be there…” Yea, no. Again, if your cold is minor tell your coach so they’re aware (do this BEFORE, not after) and then proceed with whatever you’re doing. Get plenty of sleep the night before, stay hydrated, fuel as best you can, etc. If you’re really sick, tell your coach (or have your parents do it if you’re in high school and think your coach will get pissed at you) and ask to make it up when you’re healthy.
This should be common practice anyways but make sure you’re diligent about cleaning the erg handles, weights, etc. after using them to avoid spreading germs (or something more severe like MRSA) to the rest of the team. Wash your hands, don’t share water bottles (don’t do this anyways but especially don’t do it when you’re sick), etc. Basically follow all the rules you were taught in elementary school about proper hygiene and you’ll be good. If you come to practice with a minor cold and someone else catches it, it’s not the end of the world but it should be a reminder that you need to take the necessary precautions to ensure it doesn’t spread any further.
College Q&A Teammates & Coaches Training & Nutrition
Hey, quick question: I’m a coxswain on a collegiate club team and lately we’ve been having some issues with sick people missing practices. Our (very old-school) coach’s opinion is unless you’re dying, you’re at practice, but some of my teammates want to stay home if they’re feeling a little sick because they think rowing while sick will make the illness a lot worse and take them out for longer. I’ve also heard that it’s safe to row if the sickness is below the neck but that you should stay home if there’s an issue with the head or throat, but I’m not sure if that’s medically accurate. So I was just wondering, at what point is someone “too sick to row” in your opinion?
I’ve got a post on this exact subject scheduled for next Thursday so keep an eye out for that. The “above the neck/below the neck” adage is pretty standard and what most athletes tend to follow (typically on the advice of their athletic trainers, coaches, or family doctors). Runny noses and sore throats are generally OK to practice with (just back off on your workouts for a day or two and you’ll be fine) but if you develop a fever or your cold makes its way into your chest (like with bronchitis), then you definitely need to take a step back and rest for a couple days.
We’ve got several guys on the team sick right now (one with mono who is out for the fall, one with bronchitis who I haven’t seen in like a week and a half, another who found out last week that his persistent cold is actually asthma (on top of him actually having a cold), etc.) and as tough as it can make putting lineups together, it really is in everyone’s best interest that they take time off to recover and get back to 100%. The guys that have a standard cold will come and erg, row in the tanks, bike, or go for a run in lieu of rowing so they’re still getting a decent workout in but they’re able to go at a more “relaxed” pace (or stop midway through if necessary) based on how they’re feeling. No one abuses the coaches understanding and generosity when it comes to giving them time off or an alternate workout when they’re sick and in return, the coaches trust the rowers when they say they’re sick and as such expect them to follow up with our trainers/doctors accordingly.
As far as what defines being “too sick to row…” … I don’t know if you can say what being too sick to row is because it’s going to be different for everyone. Obviously if you have a fever, a cough that’s making it hard to breathe, or something like that then you should definitely not be at practice but if it’s just a regular cold then I think you have to trust the person who’s sick when they say how they’re feeling. I would give them the benefit of the doubt if they say they need a day off because faking your symptoms just to get out of practice or whatever is just pathetic (especially as a college student/adult) and if they’re an otherwise committed member of the team, you don’t really have any reason to not believe them when they say they’re not feeling 100%.
Since you’re a club team, I assume that the majority of the policies in place are enacted by team-elected student officials…? It might be worth discussing with them some sort of official “sick” rule that lays out when people should and should not be at practice, what the alternative workouts/plans are if you’re not well enough to go on the water but still OK to practice, and then present that to your coach so that there’s no (or at the very least, fewer) issues going forward. Old-school coaches tend to be very set in their ways (I had two in high school and while they were great in so many ways, we did occasionally have issues similar to this) and of the opinion that if they can survive all the ailments and maladies they had to deal with growing up (without the benefits of modern medicine), then the rest of us should be able to do that too. Different times call for different measures though so sitting down with the team leaders and hashing out a “team sick policy” is probably your best long-term solution.
Q&A Teammates & Coaches Training & Nutrition
Hi I am a rower who recently developed some unknown sickness which long story short means I cannot do any workouts of value and am losing speed by the second. I’ve always been a top rower on my team and trained really hard to stay there. I’ve never been the one on the sidelines and it is really frustrating watching people beat my times and know that I can’t do anything to get better. Basically I’m just wondering if you have any advice on how to not get so upset when I’m watching myself lose all of this training time as I try to figure out what is wrong with me.
Being sick is the worst. Not only do you feel like shit physically, you feel like shit mentally too. I get that because I’ve been there too, just as probably everyone reading this has, but you cannot – CAN NOT – throw yourself pity party after pity party day after day. By all means, give yourself a day or so to wallow in the fact that yes, this is gonna set you back a bit and yes, your teammates are gonna make some progress without you but recognize that that’s the reality of the situation and you’re not a special snowflake by being the only person to ever experience this. I say that because a) that person who turns every practice into their own personal “woe is me” session is the worst kind of person to be around and b) that kind of attitude isn’t confined to just you – it transmits to everyone around you via your body language, facial expression, and overall demeanor. If you’re gonna be a Debbie Downer, don’t go to practice. Just don’t. It’s not good for your mental health, first of all, but it’s also just not good for your teammates because you’re inevitably going to make them feel guilty for something they have no control over and isn’t even their problem.
If you’re the contagious kind of sick then you shouldn’t be going to practice at all because, as I’ve said plenty of times before, that’s selfish and kinda makes you an asshole because you’re exposing your teammates and coaches to whatever you have and increasing the likelihood that they’re gonna get sick. I’m particularly salty about that this year because both times that I’ve gotten really sick have been because guys were at the boathouse when they should have stayed home. Don’t be that person that thinks they have to show up when you’re hacking up organs and spewing germs everywhere just to stay in people’s good graces.
If you’re the kind of sick that’s not contagious, which it sounds like you are, go to practice and be the best sidelined teammate you can be. Don’t turn into Cheerleader Barbie (please don’t) but at the very least have a positive attitude. I’m a fan of turning non-contagious-sick-people into honorary coxswains while they’re out just because it gives them something to do (thus eliminating the chances that they’ll be in pity party mode for two hours) and gives them a new perspective on things for a change (which is always fun). If you can help the coxswains set up the ergs, re-fill water bottles, etc. that’d be awesome. When the rowers are doing their pieces, talk with the coxswains about what they’re seeing and then figure out how you can use those observations to your advantage. This is kind of your opportunity to ask questions about technique issues that you have, observe the good (and not good) habits of your teammates, etc. – all things that can really benefit you once you’re able to start training again. Another thing you could/should do is cheer your teammates on when they’re doing hard pieces, particularly if they’re testing. We did our first 2k of the season last week and one of our guys who is unfortunately out for the spring with a back injury was there supporting the other guys, getting right in their ears like the coxswains were, and just making sure that he was giving them the same amount of support that the guys have given him.
Watching your teammates improve really shouldn’t be that much of a downer for you. If anything, it should be motivation to really put your heart into training when you’re able to so you can get back to where you want to be. When you’re training you’ve always got a target on your back because there’s always someone vying for your spot and up to this point you’ve probably been one of those people with a pretty big target on your back. Now you’re the one chasing the target though but keep in mind that that’s a good thing. Good solid, respectful competition amongst teammates can only make everyone better. It’s like how in order to have a really strong first eight you’ve gotta have an equally strong or nearly as strong second eight that pushes the first eight in every piece they do together.
Keep in mind that that getting back to your former glory might not happen right away or even this season depending on how long you’re out but that’s no excuse to just give up entirely. Rob Gronkowski was out for like, two years with the issues he had with his arm and whatever else he had going on and this year he won Comeback Player of the Year. Be the Gronk of your team. Don’t look at the workouts you can do as lacking value just because they don’t involve 80′ of SS at 6k + 7″ or 30′ of 50 on/10 off circuits. Something is almost always better than nothing so find something you’re able to do and commit to it. Yoga is a good workout because is there really such a thing as too much flexibility when you’re a rower? Plus it’s relaxing (or so I’ve heard … I don’t really have the patience for it but the benefits for rowers really can’t be denied so it’s worth trying even if you’re impatient like me and prefer more high-intensity workouts).
If you can do some core workouts, try to do 10-15 min (or whatever you can handle) of easy exercises that’ll at least help you maintain some some your core strength. My suggestion though, if you haven’t already, is to talk with a physical therapist or one of the trainers in the athletic department if you’re in college, simply because they can probably give you a better idea of what your body can tolerate (compared to what a general practitioner could) while you wait to hear what’s actually wrong with you. As long as you heed the advice of your doctors and don’t push yourself too far in the name of not losing any more speed then you’ll be fine.
Last thing I’d suggest is to look at this whole ordeal as an opportunity to really work on your mental toughness game. We’re all well aware of how important it is for an athlete to be mentally strong and situations like the one you’re in where you’re sidelined and having to watch everything happen without you can really test that (positively and negatively). There’s a reason why when elite athletes are injured part of their recovery training is regularly meeting with a sports psychologist. In most cases they’re part of their regular training plan too, even when they’re not injured. It’s a skill that has to be developed just like anything else so try to spend some time reading up on sport psychology (it really is a fascinating subject – easily one of my favorite classes at Syracuse), mindfulness training, etc. and start working some of those techniques into your everyday routine. I’m not sure about D2/D3 schools but most of the big D1 schools have sport psychologists on staff or at the very least have relationships with some at local hospitals that they could put you in touch with. It’s definitely something worth looking into though, especially if you think you might be out for an extended period of time.
Anyways, hopefully all that helps and gives you some food for thought. If anybody else has been in a similar situation or are dealing with something similar now, feel free to leave a comment down below with any advice, tips, or tricks you have on how to stay positive while not being able to train with your team.
So … your boat flipped.What do you do?
Recently in exchanging emails with other rowers and coxswains a slightly scary trend emerged in that it seemed like a lot of coaches aren’t going over water safety with their athletes. There is a video from USRowing that everyone is supposed to watch but that thing is so ridiculous that it’s unlikely that the majority of people who do see it actually pay attention to what’s being said or demonstrated. (Raise your hand if you’ve seen it and the only thing you remember is the part about crabs.) Some people have said their team doesn’t even show it anymore because of that exact reason.
This is a problem though because what if something happens while you’re out and you end up in the water? It makes me incredibly nervous when an experienced coxswain says “our four flipped today, the water was freezing, and none of us knew what to do”. (That’s from an actual email I got.) If you don’t know what to do if/when this happens, I honestly can’t imagine a more dangerous situation to be in.
There are a couple different aspects to water safety but what this post is going to focus on is the basics of what you should do if you and your crew end up outside of your boat and the effects that cold water in particular can have on your body. Every aspect of water safety is important but in my opinion these two things rank at the top of the list, particularly right now since some crews are going to be entertaining the idea of getting back on the water within the next couple weeks.
The first thing you must do is remain calm. This is not the time to be throwing blame, trying to figure out what happened, laughing because “haha this sucksss“, etc. The good thing in this situation is that regardless of how much water is in the shell (or if it flips) it will still float. The oars will also float and can be used by everyone to hold on to. Because the hull floats, it’s not necessary to remove the oars from the oarlocks so it’s best to just keep them in there. Coxswains, you should grab on to your stroke’s oar – don’t worry, it will support both of you – and quickly do a head count to ensue everyone is accounted for. This might not be easy to do, particularly in the heat of the moment when you’re likely a little panicked, so it’s crucial that the rowers do their best to stay quiet. Similarly to how backseat coxing isn’t OK in a normal situation, it’s even less OK now.
Once you’re sure everyone has been accounted for, the next thing to do is keep everyone with the boat. Do not try to swim to shore. I don’t care if you’re the second coming of Michael Phelps, do. not. leave. your. boat. It is very, very easy to underestimate the distance to shore or how you’ll be affected by the elements (air/water temperature, wind, the current, fatigue, etc.), which can lead to you drowning. When you’re going against the elements and/or are in cold water, being a good swimmer is at most a psychological advantage and nothing more.
The vast majority of the time you will likely have a launch nearby that will already be on its way to you. If the launch is in sight but doesn’t see you in the water, yell, scream, make as much noise as possible to try and get their attention. The launches are required to carry life jackets on board so once it comes over the coach will distribute them and get everyone out of the water. When getting out of the water and into the launch, distributing everyone’s weight is going to be important in ensuring that the launch doesn’t also start to sink. Keeping a low center of gravity will also be important.
If you want to know what not to do … ever … like, EVER … watch this video.
The one good thing about that video is at the end they show how you should get the boat out of the water once you’re back on land. First, you’ve got to bail out as much water as you can using buckets or a pump. Next, you’ll need to get hands on (probably at least two boats worth) and pick it up a little so you can tilt it on it’s side (do not rest the riggers on the dock) and let more of the water flow out. The next step is to get it up and over heads. Yea, it’s gonna be a waterfall and yes, you’re gonna get wet (see here). From here the coxswain will tell you to tilt it left, then right, then left, then right to get even more water out. When you do this you’ll want to make sure the bow and stern caps are open too. (They should always be closed when you’re on the water.)
The most important things are keeping your head above water and continuing to talk to one another so that everyone stays alert and conscious. You’ll also want to turn your backs to the waves if the water is choppy. When the air/water temperature is on the colder side, getting everyone on the same side of the boat can give you a little bit of warmth. In this situation I’d recommend linking arms while holding on to the gunnels or riggers, just as another way to ensure everyone stays above water.
Coxswains, you should always stick with the stern pair. Remember, the hull floats, so if the water is particularly cold or you need to get someone out of the water, you can climb (gently) on to the boat and drape yourself across it. If the boat is submerged (but still right side up) then you can roll it over (you can leave the oars in the oarlocks, just make sure everyone is out of the way), which will trap air underneath it and allow it to sit up just a little bit higher out of the water.
A few things.
You lose body heat 25-30x faster when you’re submerged in cold water compared to just sitting in the open air.
Your gut reaction is going to tell you to keep moving and tread water in order to generate heat. It doesn’t work like that when you’re submerged in cold water though. This will actually cause you to lose body heat faster, which will increase the rate at which hypothermia sets in. You need to stay still, stay upright, and keep your head above water
Within 10-15 minutes your core temp begins to drop, causing your arms and legs to go dumb and eventually resulting in a loss in consciousness (which then could lead to drowning).
You’ll start shivering as a way to generate more body heat and as hypothermia sets in (around 95 degrees Fahrenheit), it will become more intense and you’ll lose the ability to voluntarily stop shaking. When the body temp reaches around 90 degrees Fahrenheit you’ll stop shivering completely because it’s no longer effective. This is usually a sign that you’re in serious danger because after you stop shivering the rate at which you lose body heat rapidly accelerates.
There are several stages of hypothermia ranging from pre-hypothermia to severe hypothermia. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to remember every detail of each stage but the most important stage to watch out for is the “pre” and “mild” stage symptoms. If you recognize that someone is showing these signs then you can get them out of the water and up onto the hull. This is why it’s very important that you keep talking to each other.
Physical symptoms: Hands and feet become stiff and sore as circulation decreases and muscle tension increases due to shivering (although at this stage you can still voluntarily stop). You might also start feeling tired and lethargic, symptoms that could be exacerbated by the fact that you were most likely just rowing.
Mental symptoms: For the most part, you’ll most likely still be all there.
Physical symptoms: You can no longer control your shivering, your fine motor skills are deteriorating (making it difficult to hold on to things, which is another reason why linking arms with the person beside you with one arm and with the oar or rigger with the other is important), your heart rate and breathing have increased (because of the shivering), and your speech will start slurring.
You might also notice that you spontaneously start peeing – this is pretty standard as part of the fight-or-flight response (and also because you’ve probably been drinking a lot of water) and occurs because the majority of your blood volume is migrating to your core in order to protect the vital organs. The downside to this is that it can rapidly lead to dehydration (you can read about some of the effects of that towards the end of this post).
This is the point where you need to get out of the water to prevent losing any more of your body heat. Hopefully your teammates have recognized this and are taking the necessary steps to get you on top of the hull. When draping them across the hull, don’t just get them on there and go back to where you were. Stay on either side of them and hold on to their arms and legs to keep them from sliding off.
Mental symptoms: You’ll start becoming confused, maybe unaware of your surroundings or how you ended up in the water. Doing simple things like counting from 1-10 or saying everyone’s names can be difficult to do.
Physical symptoms: At this point, your body is no longer getting anything out of shivering so it stops. Your speech is very slow and you probably sound like you’re drunk when you try and talk. Your muscles have become very stiff and your heart rate and breathing has decreased dramatically. Because your breathing has slowed, less oxygen is getting to your tissues which results in less body heat being produced. If you’re still in the water at this point, the likelihood of you breathing in water (and drowning) has increased because your cough reflex is no longer functioning.
Mental symptoms: You’re operating under pure confusion right now and probably feel like taking a nap.
Physical symptoms: At this stage you’re dangerously teetering on the edge of the point of no return. Your heart rate will be extremely slow and your breathing will be very shallow and less stable. Your teammates will probably think you’re dead based on physical appearance. Drowning is a very likely and very real possibility if you’re still in the water. Even if your teammates were able to get you up on to the hull, waves can still present a threat to water entering your nose and/or mouth.
Mental symptoms: You’re unconscious.
This all depends on the water temperature. The colder it is though, the more rapidly the onset of symptoms will be. According to USRowing, if it’s under 32 degrees you could be unconscious in as little as 15 minutes. In water that’s around 40-50 degrees, it could be up to an hour before you reach unconsciousness. It’s important to remember that just because you’re out of the water once you’re on the launch or back on land doesn’t mean you’re safe from the effects of hypothermia, especially if you’re still in wet clothes.
Check out this video. Some of the stuff doesn’t necessarily apply to rowing (basically everything involving life jackets) but overall it does a pretty good job of communicating the dangers of being submerged in cold water. (I promise, it’s not super corny or anything and is only ten minutes long.)
So, moral of the story is this: stay out of the water but if for whatever reason you end up in the water, make sure everyone is accounted for, try to get the attention of your coaches, keep everyone talking, and watch for signs of hypothermia in yourself and your teammates. Also, bring up the subject of water safety with your coaches and have them go over it with everyone if they haven’t already. It’s important stuff that everybody needs to know.
Ergs Novice Rowing Technique Training & Nutrition
Blisters suck — this we can all agree on. What most rowers and coxswains don’t know are the specifics of how and why they form, how to treat them, and how to prevent them.
One of my former coaches used to tell us that there was nothing more character-building in rowing than the blisters you get. A lot of the time you’re encouraged to just deal with them because they’re inevitable but a point in time comes when you have to stop just dealing with it and start taking the proper steps to protect the ones you already have and prevent more from occurring. Do not be careless when it comes to your blisters. There are few things more eye-roll inducing than rowers (novices) who are like “look at my hands, they’re completely torn to shreds, clearly this makes me the most badass rower ever!” Just … no.
There are two kinds of blisters – your regular, run of the mill blisters and blood blisters. Regular blisters are pockets of fluid in between the upper layers of your skin. They’re most often caused by friction, which in rowing could be from overuse, having too tight of a grip, etc. The other kind of blister is a blood blister. These kinds form when blood vessels near the surface of your skin are damaged but the skin itself isn’t broken. There are two main causes for blood blisters. One is consistently rubbing the skin back and forth on or against something. The other, and more common cause, is the skin being pinched together (say, for example, when you’re rowing and suddenly the boat goes offset to one side and you smash your pinky in between the oar handle and the gunnel).
There’s a lot of opinions out there on what you should do if you get a blister. Pop it, leave it alone, drain it, rip the skin off, sob quietly in the corner of the boathouse because your significant other will never want to hold your hand ever again, etc. I’m firmly in the camp of “leave it alone” if and when possible. As long as the blister isn’t having any kind of impact on your rowing you should aim to just let it be so as to avoid getting an infection in the open wound. This is one of those moments where you need to know the difference between pain and discomfort. Don’t deliberately mess with the blister if you don’t have to. If you develop a blister that has filled with fluid and is painful or disrupting your rowing though, you’ll want to drain it.
Before you do anything, wash your hands. It’s probably going to hurt but you never know what microbial nuisances might be lurking on your skin. Antimicrobial soap + warm water + at least 30 seconds per hand = acceptable. When you clean your blisters, especially the really bloody ones, try to avoid using peroxide if possible. Betadine is a better antibacterial alternative because it’s not as harsh on your skin and doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as peroxide does. Peroxide gets the job done quite well and there’s even some cool (read: gross) foaming action that happens with the really bad blisters but that being said, it hurts like a bitch.
As a pre-step to draining the blister you need to sterilize the needle or pin you plan on using. Don’t skip this step. It takes like, two minutes to do. You can sterilize whatever you plan on using by running it over a flame until it’s red hot and then letting it soak in peroxide for a few minutes.
When you’re ready to drain the blister, you’ll want to drain it from the side, not the middle as I’ve tried to illustrate below. To avoid creating a hole that would allow the skin to be easily ripped off it’s often suggested that you poke it with the needle from the top edge near your fingers. Keep the needle as close to your skin as possible.
Once the blister starts releasing the fluid, try not to let it run all over your hands. At the same time you’re poking it with the needle, hold a cotton ball or tissue on the blister so that the fluid can be immediately soaked up. Press gently with the pad of your finger to get the liquid out. Make sure that you’re actually pressing in the direction of the hole you just made too and do this until the blister is completely flat.
Once you’ve got the blister(s) drained you should put some Neosporin on them but keep them uncovered to give them an opportunity to dry out. NewSkin is another option but that seems to be a fairly hit or miss choice with most rowers. Some swear by it, others hate it. One thing that I’ve heard of people doing is rubbing Neosporin on a piece of sewing thread, putting it on a needle, and pulling it through the blister. Usually this is done before draining it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be effective post-draining too. Doing this allows the medicine to get inside the blister and helps to prevent infections.
I’ve also heard about rowers using tea bags to help dry out and harden the blisters (via the tannic acid) – has anyone tried this? What have your experiences been? Another option is filling a bowl with epsom salts and warm water and allowing the salts to dissolve before soaking your hands for 20-30 minutes. This will help to dry out the blisters and keep them clean. Conveniently this process also allows you the time to catch up on all those TV shows you never actually have time to watch.
If you’ve already got blisters the next step is learning how to protect them while you’re practicing. Tape, band-aids, etc. are going to be your best friends if – if – you use them properly. Before anyone suggests it let’s get this out of the way right now: gloves = NO. You can’t get a good grip on the oar (yes, even with golfer’s or batter’s gloves) and your hands sweat inside them so much that you end up with way more blisters than when you started. You’re going to be tempted to ask your coach or coxswain if you can wear gloves but I’m here to save you from that embarrassment. Just don’t do it.
If you have blisters on your fingers, I recommend the knuckle band-aids since their little wing-like things allow them to stay more securely on your fingers. An additional option on top of – not instead of – the band-aids is to get those rubber finger protectors and slide one of those on. The rowers I’ve seen do it say that it holds the band-aid in place better so they don’t have to worry about it sliding around. If for whatever reason the blister starts bleeding, by having it in the protector you’ll avoid getting blood, bacteria, and who knows what else on your handle (and transferring whatever is on your handle into your open wound).
The issue that most rowers have is taping up the blisters on your palms and right below your fingers. If you just wrap the tape in a circle, about 1/3 of the way through your warmup you’ll notice that it’s starting to bunch up and expose your blisters to the elements. My recommendation is to wrap your hands similarly to how boxers wrap theirs. Obviously the tape wouldn’t need to be nearly as thick and if the blisters are only at the top of your palms you don’t need to wrap all the way down to your wrists but having the tape secured around your fingers though will ensure that it stays in place and you won’t have to worry about it.
Below is a video that you can use for reference. The loop that goes around your thumb (or whatever finger you choose) is what really secures your tape in place.
If you have a lot of blisters, buy your own tape and band-aids. Your coxswain is not a walking first aid dispensary. Anything that’s waterproof and flexible will be good since it’ll move with you and not restrict your movement.
You should be changing your tape and band-aids before and after every practice too because a) you need to clean your hands and get all the grunge off of them and b) the tape is going to be disgusting, rolled up on itself, and not effective at protecting your skin anymore.
Getting blisters as a rower is inevitable — it’s going to happen. You can limit the severity of them though simply by rowing with proper technique. Understand the difference between “relaxed grip” and “no grip” — “loose” does not literally mean loose as in flimsy, it means a happy medium between a death grip and no grip.
Avoid the death grip on the handle and instead keep the hands relaxed. On the recovery you should be able to freely wiggle your fingers while still maintaining control of the handle. You’ll know if you’re doing the death grip if your forearms and wrists are really sore and you’ve got hands that like they were rubbed on a cheese grater for a few hours.
Keep the towels that you use to wipe down your boats, oars, etc. clean too. At the beginning of the year it’s worth having everyone on the team donate an old rag or two to the team to use that way you’ve got an abundant supply. Also make sure the oar handles are being cleaned regularly too, especially if you’ve bled on them or had blisters open up during practice.
MRSA. Sepsis. Cellulitis. Leptospirosis.
All of these are some of the potential consequences of bacteria coming in contact with your open wounds. All have been suffered from by rowers at some point or another. A prominent case that I remember reading about three or four years ago was the death of Andy Holmes, a several-time Olympian and gold-medalist from the UK, who died of leptospirosis after coming in contact with contaminated water. This resulted in British Rowing posting a notice on it’s website to rowers to remind them that good hygiene and proper care of blisters and track bites are crucial steps in not developing an infection, especially one that elevates to the severity that Holmes’ did.
It’s important for you to pay attention to any changes in the blisters themselves, the skin around the blisters, and most importantly, your overall health. If something looks or feels “off” don’t just suck it up — go to your local 24-hour urgent care facility and get someone to look at you. I know I say this all the time but I really mean it every time I do … better safe than sorry. Know how to separate discomfort or soreness from rowing from the symptoms of something more severe. If something feels off, tell your parent(s), coach(es), sibling(s), teammate(s), etc. so that someone else can keep an eye on you.
I’ve known three different people, two rowers and one coxswain, who developed MRSA as a result of not taking proper care of their blisters. On a scale of one to ten, two were probably at about a “six” with regards to severity and the other was at least a “nine”. That person got really sick and was hospitalized for about a week. This isn’t just stuff we make up to scare you into taking proper care of yourself, which you should be doing already. It can and does happen. Be proactive so it doesn’t happen to you.
Below is a quick rundown of each of the infections I listed above, in addition to their signs and symptoms.
MRSA is a strain of bacteria that causes infections in the body and tends to be resistant to most commonly used antibiotics. It’s transmitted either through touching someone who already has it on their skin or by touching something (for example, oar handles) that has the bacteria on it. Signs of an infection include the skin around the initial wound being red, swollen, warm to the touch, more painful than normal, and potentially contain pus. Typically skin infections that are related to MRSA are mistaken for spider bites since spider bites look similar. If the infection spreads to the respiratory system, you could develop pneumonia and experience shortness of breath, a fever, chills, or a cough that you don’t otherwise normally have. If you go to the doctor and are given antibiotics, pay attention and see if you are actually getting better. If the infection continues to get worse, you develop a fever or the fever you have gets worse, or there are no signs of improvement after three(ish) days, go back to the doctor.
When bacteria enters the blood it’s known as a condition called “bacteremia”. Since the blood is typically sterile, the presence of bacteria is considered abnormal. Previous infections in the body’s organs can spread and lead to sepsis, which itself is a secondary set of symptoms, but it can also occur from bacteria entering through an open wound and being transported throughout the blood. Typically you’ll develop a rapid heart rate, a fever, and extreme chills, in addition to a rash that can appear in the form of skin discoloration or small red dots clustered across the body. Joint pain, disorientation, nausea, decreased blood pressure, vomiting, and clammy skin are additional symptoms you might experience if the infection progresses. At it’s most severe, your blood pressure drops to dangerously low levels which prevents your organs from getting the proper amount of oxygenated blood, leading to septic shock, which can cause (multiple) organ failure and death.
Cellulitis, which is an infection of the connective tissues, is caused when bacteria (typically staph or strep) enters the body through broken skin (cuts, burns, blisters, etc.) and as it progresses, spreads to the deeper tissues, blood, and/or lymph nodes. The infected area will be warm and tender to the touch, red, and swollen. If it’s progressed to the point where the lymphatic system is involved you may notice that your lymph nodes are swollen and that you have streaking on the skin as the infection travels through the body. If the infection enters the bloodstream you will also most likely develop a fever.
This is a common bacterial infection transmitted between animals and humans. Typically we don’t come in contact with too many animals while we’re rowing but we do come in contact with a lot of water that presumably many animals have urinated in (another reason to work on splashing…). When you’re rowing and water from backsplash gets on your hands, legs, etc. that bacteria can enter your system through any open track bites or blisters you might have. Leptospirosis is a two-phase disease that starts with flu-like symptoms (headache, chills, muscle soreness, etc.), jaundice, red eyes, etc. before appearing to resolve itself. There’s a brief period where the person displays no symptoms before the second phase begins. Once that happens you get knocked out with illnesses ranging from meningitis to kidney and liver disease to full on renal failure.
The great thing though is that all of these conditions are preventable by taking proper care of any open blisters, cuts, etc. you have. I hope this helps answer some of your questions on how to handle blisters. If you’ve got a foolproof method that you turn to in dealing with your blisters, please leave it in the comments!
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How To Teammates & Coaches Training & Nutrition
Previously: Steer an eight/four || Call a pick drill and reverse pick drill
I’ve had a really bad cold for about two weeks now and while I didn’t get it at crew, it got me thinking about all the times I have gotten sick while participating in sports or marching band or other activities. It’s not fun and puts a wrench in training and rehearsals but 20/20 hindsight reminds me that it’s almost always preventable.
Common sense, right? After a rower ergs, the first thing they should do is clean if off – the tracks, the slide, the monitor, and most importantly, the handle. Most boathouses will have a bottle of antibacterial spray lying around for this exact purpose. The handle should be obvious why it needs to be cleaned, but you should also clean the rest of the erg because sweating, coughing, bleeding, hacking up a lung, etc. can all lead to bodily fluids being spewed all over the place.
Don’t forget about the oars either, especially if you bled on them. You can easily clean these off after practice using water and bleach.
After a hard work out or an erg test there’s usually some high fives going around and I’m all for it but in the winter, especially post-erg, I’m all about the air-five … followed up with a generous amount of hand sanitizer.
There were numerous times in high school where one of my parents would say “you are not leaving the house wearing that!” in response to me wearing shorts and a t-shirt in late fall to marching band rehearsals or leaving without a coat in the middle of January (while it was snowing) to head to the boathouse. I rolled my eyes every single time because I knew I was either going to be inside the majority of the time (crew) or I’d get hot while on the field (with band) and end up shedding the extra layers anyways but regardless of what activity you’re doing, whether you’ll be inside or out, you have to wear the right stuff if you want to avoid getting sick.
Related: What to wear
If you’re inside and you want to wear your uni while you erg or lift, go for it but make sure you’re wearing something over it so you don’t freeze when you leave. The guys I rowed with in college would frequently wear their unis, a hoodie, and nothing else when going to and from the weight room and if you know Syracuse weather, you know that’s a bold choice between November and March. Similarly, if you’re going for a run during practice, wear the right stuff so your body stays warm. You’re more likely to catch a cold from being indoors where germs can fester more easily but keeping your hands, ears, neck, feet, and extremities warm will go a long way in preventing you from picking something up while outdoors.
Seriously, if you’re sick just stay home. If you didn’t go to school that day or you went home early, definitely do not go to practice. If anything, stay home out of respect to your teammates. No one wants a walking cesspool of germs walking around coughing, sneezing, and hacking on everything. Literally no one will appreciate you “toughing it out” and coming to practice if they end up getting sick as a result. If your body is fighting a cold, do you really think it’s in any position to do a 2k or lift weights? It needs time to rest and ultimately it’s better to miss an erg test and make it up when you’re at 100% than to do it when you’re at 50% and potentially screw yourself.
If you miss a few days of practice from being sick, yea, it sucks but your teammates will appreciate you keeping your germs to yourself and just getting over whatever you’ve got. Stay home, catch up on Netflix, eat your chicken noodle soup, and get healthy before you return to practice. Also, go to the doctor. Don’t prolong your illness (and waste valuable time) by not going.
All of this is common sense but it’s easy to get caught up in the rigor of training and forget or ignore these little details. The more diligent you are tough about keeping the equipment clean and taking care of yourself, the better off you and your teammates will be.