Indiana University Athletics
Peterson Speaks On Rowing (02-09-05)
2/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Bloomington, Ind. --With the season still over a month away, head coach Steve Peterson sat down and talked about a variety of topics from IU's trip to Tampa, Fla., how winter training has gone, what makes a good rower and crew and the trip to South Carolina before the start of the season.
The Hoosiers open the season on March 19 when they travel to Clemson, S.C., for their race against Clemson, Marist and Purdue.
Thoughts on the winter trip to Tampa, Fla.:
SP: "We were in Tampa, Fla., from January 1st through 8th, and the trip was fantastic. Since the weather was so good, we were able to get in a lot of quality work on the water. Practices mostly consisted of technical work and long distance rowing in eights to develop our endurance base. However, in addition to that, we did a lot of evaluation through seat racing, which allows us to compare the individual rower's boat moving skills."
Thoughts on training to date:
SP: "It's going really well. This time of the year is probably the hardest time for the rowers, because we can't train out on the water. We are spending 18-20 hours a week (about three hours a day) lifting weights, running and, of course, using the rowing machines. The hard work is paying off though. We can see that we are getting stronger in every part of our training. The rowers are lifting heavier weights and the erg scores are improving every day. It's been a great winter of training but everyone is looking forward to getting out of the gym and back on to the water." (The Hoosiers had their first water practice this morning - February 14th)
What makes a good rower?
SP: "It's a combination of things. First you have the right physiological makeup. Our sport is a muscular endurance sport, so both power and endurance are important to rowing success. That is why we spend so much time doing aerobic and strength training work. But almost more important than that is the rower must have the right attitude. It is critical for rowers to be very self motivated. We train an unbelievable amount of time for such short races, and the rowers usually do it without much recognition. So there has to be a lot of self-motivation to do this sport. In addition to that, each individual has to be able to push themselves through a tremendous amount of physical and mental pain. Those who can push themselves the hardest, and endure the most pain, usually make the best rowers. Finally, the taller a rower is, the more leverage they will have over the oar. That is why we are always stopping tall women on campus and talking to them about rowing."
On the trip to Clemson:
SP: "We travel to Clemson (S.C.) for spring break. This trip is our last chance to make final changes before our racing season begins. It gives the crews and coaches an opportunity to refine our race plans and make any final line up adjustments to crews. Our race at the end of the week gives us an early idea of what type of crew we are going to be."
Is it better to start fast or pace your crews for the final stretch run?
SP: "Starting fast in a race gives the rowers a mental advantage, because we are the only where the athletes (the rowers) are facing backwards. Having a fast start means you will get ahead of the competition early in the race and allows you to see your competition, making it easier to react to their moves during a race. However, physiologically it makes the most sense to row an even paced race and conserve some energy for the sprint. So to answer your question, we look to have a combination of both. We want to have a good start so that we are leading or are with the leaders and can react to any moves they make during the race but we don't want to expend so much energy that it takes away from our sprint."
What can the average fan expect to see at a regatta?
SP: "First, rowing is all about teamwork. The crews that are rowing in unison and moving together the best, are usually going to be the fastest. Much like the timing of a car engine, all of the pistons, or in our case, the rowers, need to be moving exactly together if we want to race fast. Second, rowing is a very deceptive sport. The rowers are exerting themselves at such an unbelievable level, yet the best make it look effortless. Simply put, if you see a rower moving all over the place and making all kinds of faces, they are probably wasting a lot of energy, and not moving the shell as effectively as they can. So when you are watching a regatta, look to see which rowers movements are perfectly timed and whose oars are moving in and out of the water the cleanest. That will tell you who is doing the best job rowing. But of course, the crew which is out in front is doing the best job racing."
The Hoosiers open the season on March 19 when they travel to Clemson, S.C., for their race against Clemson, Marist and Purdue.
Thoughts on the winter trip to Tampa, Fla.:
SP: "We were in Tampa, Fla., from January 1st through 8th, and the trip was fantastic. Since the weather was so good, we were able to get in a lot of quality work on the water. Practices mostly consisted of technical work and long distance rowing in eights to develop our endurance base. However, in addition to that, we did a lot of evaluation through seat racing, which allows us to compare the individual rower's boat moving skills."
Thoughts on training to date:
SP: "It's going really well. This time of the year is probably the hardest time for the rowers, because we can't train out on the water. We are spending 18-20 hours a week (about three hours a day) lifting weights, running and, of course, using the rowing machines. The hard work is paying off though. We can see that we are getting stronger in every part of our training. The rowers are lifting heavier weights and the erg scores are improving every day. It's been a great winter of training but everyone is looking forward to getting out of the gym and back on to the water." (The Hoosiers had their first water practice this morning - February 14th)
What makes a good rower?
SP: "It's a combination of things. First you have the right physiological makeup. Our sport is a muscular endurance sport, so both power and endurance are important to rowing success. That is why we spend so much time doing aerobic and strength training work. But almost more important than that is the rower must have the right attitude. It is critical for rowers to be very self motivated. We train an unbelievable amount of time for such short races, and the rowers usually do it without much recognition. So there has to be a lot of self-motivation to do this sport. In addition to that, each individual has to be able to push themselves through a tremendous amount of physical and mental pain. Those who can push themselves the hardest, and endure the most pain, usually make the best rowers. Finally, the taller a rower is, the more leverage they will have over the oar. That is why we are always stopping tall women on campus and talking to them about rowing."
On the trip to Clemson:
SP: "We travel to Clemson (S.C.) for spring break. This trip is our last chance to make final changes before our racing season begins. It gives the crews and coaches an opportunity to refine our race plans and make any final line up adjustments to crews. Our race at the end of the week gives us an early idea of what type of crew we are going to be."
Is it better to start fast or pace your crews for the final stretch run?
SP: "Starting fast in a race gives the rowers a mental advantage, because we are the only where the athletes (the rowers) are facing backwards. Having a fast start means you will get ahead of the competition early in the race and allows you to see your competition, making it easier to react to their moves during a race. However, physiologically it makes the most sense to row an even paced race and conserve some energy for the sprint. So to answer your question, we look to have a combination of both. We want to have a good start so that we are leading or are with the leaders and can react to any moves they make during the race but we don't want to expend so much energy that it takes away from our sprint."
What can the average fan expect to see at a regatta?
SP: "First, rowing is all about teamwork. The crews that are rowing in unison and moving together the best, are usually going to be the fastest. Much like the timing of a car engine, all of the pistons, or in our case, the rowers, need to be moving exactly together if we want to race fast. Second, rowing is a very deceptive sport. The rowers are exerting themselves at such an unbelievable level, yet the best make it look effortless. Simply put, if you see a rower moving all over the place and making all kinds of faces, they are probably wasting a lot of energy, and not moving the shell as effectively as they can. So when you are watching a regatta, look to see which rowers movements are perfectly timed and whose oars are moving in and out of the water the cleanest. That will tell you who is doing the best job rowing. But of course, the crew which is out in front is doing the best job racing."
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