Wow, so I wasn’t really expecting to write this post so soon. I knew there was a chance I’d go through this, but not 6 weeks into the programme. Moving from Henley Rowing Club to Leander has been a big step up for me in terms of training volume and the types of training I’m doing. The main difference came in two waves: weights & cycles.
We currently go for two 50-60k cycles a week. Cycling is something I’ve always enjoyed but never been good at, so I’m quite content with being in the slowest group! However I’ve been playing around with my bike set up for the past few weeks and I’m positive it’s still not 100% correct, as I have several niggles by the end of the 2+ hour ride.
On top of that we lift weights 3 times a week. The programme varies but generally it’s pretty heavy and it’s a big variation. At HRC I tended to do four mains lifts: bench press, bench pull, back squat and leg press. Now we’ve added in front squat, lat pull down, shoulder press, seated rows, deadlifts and cleans (not all in the same session I might add…). Leg press has always been an exercise I’ve excelled at: I have very big, powerful quads and glutes and I’ve been leg pressing now for the past 6 years and in general my lifts have only ever got heavier. With leg press you don’t load through your back, so it causes a lot less strain compared to squats, deadlifts and cleans.
Fast forward to someone making the comment I leg press X why don’t I deadlift Y, so I give a heavy deadlift a go. Foolishly. And like that my session is over. I try to complete as much as I can but afterwards head straight to the physio. We immediately worry it’s damaged a disc, so I take the rest of the day off and don’t go into work to be safe. The next day it’s still painful, but after a couple of tests we start to think it may be purely muscular. My back, glutes and hamstrings have started to seize up to protect my back and now we had the task of easing them back off.
This wrote me out of a pairs matrix. Although the pain has shifted I’m still not allowed on the water just yet and with Brit Champs looming I can’t help but worry one stupid deadlift has ruined my chance of a race. Thankfully my back feels 90% OK, and I think by the end of the week I should be holding an oar once more, but it’s been tough watching my team mates enjoying sessions whilst I’m stuck caning myself on the watt bike.
Thankfully at Leander we have the support of many life-time members to bestow excellent advice and I had an amazing chat with Debbie Flood. Just 15 minutes with her helped subdue any worries I had, whilst also giving me great advice about not letting the fear of being cut or not selected affect my rowing. At the end of the day: if you worry about failing you fail, if you push to succeed you’ll succeed. Don’t think about what’s going to be difficult at certain parts of the race, or the time trial, or whatever it is you may be doing. Think about all the work you’ve put in and think about what you’ll do at certain markers in a positive light.
Eg. Don’t think “Oh the water is really rough today I might catch a crab and that will ruin the piece”
Instead think “OK, the water is a bit rougher, I’m going to make sure I really make that shape around the finish and row with confidence at the catch”
Those little changes in thinking positive are sometimes difficult to get, but having a chat to someone who’s been through what you’re going through is a really great boost. So if you’re ever feeling stuck, no matter what level you’re training at, try speaking to some of the more senior members of your club for advice. I can guarantee you they’ll impart some excellent wisdom!
Natalie X
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