February News - psst it's big!

This Sunday, a fierce group of our athletes will be representing SCULLHOUSE at the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships at the Mississauga Fine Foods Center.  They will be racing 2000m as fast as they can. 

 

This is a daunting task, as anyone who has ever undertaken a 2000m race can tell you.  There is a special pain that comes from racing this distance, a distance that is neither an endurance race nor a full sprint.  Athletes must pace themselves at their maximum sustainable output for anywhere between 6 minutes to 10 minutes.  As lactate begins to accumulate in their muscles, they will have to continue to push through this feeling until they reach the finish.  

Please join me in wishing all our athletes the best of luck and more importantly, to let them know that their crew and coaches are proud of their efforts regardless of the result!

If you're interested in hearing some accomplished rowers discuss the special pain associated with 2000m, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPHwv4cNyOs

Introducing Team TRUE nOARth - 24 hour row
 

At this point, you've probably heard about the 24 hour row taking place at SCULLHOUSE on February 29th.  What you may not know is that this is actually just the first event that will kick off TRUE nOARth's larger mission.  What's that you ask?  Well, our mission is to be the first Canadian team to cross the Atlantic Ocean in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, dubbed "the toughest race on earth".

On December 2, 2021, myself and fellow SCULLHOUSE coach Sandra Farwell, along with two other crew members, Charlotte Sobolewski and Colleen Whelan, will attempt to row across the Atlantic Ocean, from the Canary Islands to Antigua. Welcome to TRUE nOARth!

Our 24 hour row kicks off this epic journey and in doing so we hope to raise funds to support two amazing Canadian charities.  The Red Door Family Shelter & The Nature Conservancy of Canada. 

We would love your support.  Our goal is to raise $10,000 CAD for each charity, for a combined $20,000 CAD!   To learn more about how you can donate and support this mission, please visit www.truenoarth.com.

FEBRUARY IS HANG MONTH
 

As those of you reading this know, rowing well, ie. with power, requires a fair amount of technique.  The legs create the majority of the power in the rowing stroke, but the resistance in the stroke comes from the weight behind the handle (or oar).  As a result, we must connect the legs to the handle with our core (not just those abs, but also our back).

This month, your SCULLHOUSE coaches will be adding in some additional drills to help you feel the "hang" on the handle.  We want to make sure our crew is feeling their lats, core and back engage from the catch so that we can connect the leg drive to the handle, for an efficient and powerful stroke.  When executed correctly, you should begin to feel as though your body weight lessens on the seat as your weight begins to feel as though it is suspended between the handle and the feet.

Expect some work at lower rates with emphasized power and lots of technical calls.  If you're not feeling connected to the handle through your core, be sure to let your coach know as now is the time to master it!!  Next month's focus will build from the hang, so nail it now before the focus moves on.

Thank you all for being part of our SCULLHOUSE crew.  Have an awesome February!

Kristin