“The last great unknown, in terms of physiological training, is the optimum length of a piece. Is three minutes enough? Is ten minutes too much? No one knows. Perhaps someday the question will be answered-we'll find out that thirteen minutes is the perfect length for a training piece when preparing for a 2000 meter race. Until then, coaches will continue exploring the whole scale, up and down, from thirty seconds to sixty minutes and more, in hopes of capturing the optimum time.” KnowsEnoughWholeLastsThreeTermPerfectRaceToo MuchPiecesMinutesTenTrainingCoachesScalesThirtySomedayLengthSecondsSixtyExploringPreparingUp And DownThirteenMeterRowingPhysiologicalOptimumGreat UnknownSixty Minutes Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“The slow boat-I know it's the slow boat because I've been watching them for thirty-three weeks-won the first piece by a full length. Then the fast boat won the second piece. And so it went for the next four pieces, back and forth. Conclusion: I hate seat racing.” KnowsFirstsHateThreeNextPiecesFourWeekI HateConclusionBoatThirtySeatsLengthRacingBack And ForthRowing Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“Racing serves as a formal demonstration of your ability to ride the three-headed monster. The first monster is your physical preparation-lifting weights for strength, running for endurance, working on your technique. The second monster is your mental preparation-all our jabbering about humility, battling for your life, taking complete responsibility for the outcome. The last monster is your X Factor, your soul, your courage. Taken altogether, I call this three-headed monster the Process of Winning.” FirstsSoulRunningLastsThreeWinningProcessAbilityResponsibilityTakenHumilityWeightTechniqueMonstersFactorsPreparationYour SoulOutcomesEnduranceRacingFormalDemonstrationLiftingRowingLifting Weights Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“I slapped my face two or three times with both hands, as hard as possible. The slapping hurt. It snapped me to attention. My adrenaline started flowing... the Yugoslavs, sitting in the next lane stared at me in disbelief. The harsh slapping made me angry-exactly what I wanted. I did my best work when I was angry.” MadeTwoHardHandsWantedFacesThreeNextHurtAttentionSittingAngryHarshThree TimesDisbeliefBest WorkLanesAdrenalineRowingSlapping Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“I led by three or four feet, with Biggy (John Biglow) surging closer on each stroke. I hated him in those last few seconds; he was the only reason my guts were being strewn over the water like an oil slick ... I pressed one last time, and looked at the finish-line flagman. In that instant the flag jumped down and then up. The up stroke, identifying the second place finisher, was for me. John Biglow was the victor. I stared into the green-brown water watching my bloody soul drop through the depths, slowly rocking back and forth, occasionally glinting in the light, and then finally disappearing.” SoulReasonLightLastsThreeWaterLinesFourFeetDown AndGreenDepthOilDisappearHatedInstantGutsBrownSecondsFlagsBloodyLast TimeStrokesBack And ForthIdentifyingRowingFinish LineSlickSecond PlaceFinishersBiggy Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“A man goes through many changes in 2000 meters. Some are not very pretty. Some make you hate yourself. Some make you wonder if you've been rowing for only three or four days. To avoid that fate, we prepared for all possibilities. If a meteor landed 10 feet off our stern, we would not blink. [We] Would be aware, yet impassive, to the outside world. Every ounce of energy would be funneled into the water, and not wasted by looking around, worrying about opponents, wondering about things that didn't concern our primary goal-to be the first across the finish line.” IfsMenWorldFirstsWould BeHateThreeEnergyGoalWaterLinesWonderWorryFourFateFeetPossibilityConcernPreparedPrimariesOpponentsHate YouOutside WorldBlinkMeterRowingFinish LineMeteors Author:Brad Alan Lewis