NRC Captain's Blog

Age wins over beauty?

2011-03-14T11:02:00.003Z

Well first head race over and the WMas C 8+ crew come out fastest. The J18 lost fin will have cost them valuable time and they will have slowed down the J16's. So we'll have to wait for London to see what happens there......

Spring is in the air and 8's on the water

2011-03-03T11:10:00.004Z

How I wish I could get on the water during the daytime this week. The conditions look fabulous. Hope it's not raining by Saturday.

Training for the spring heads now - and the big questions is who will be quickest? The WJ16 8+, the WJ18 8+ or the WMasC 8+? All will be revealed come Runcorn Head and the WEHORR.

WJ 8+ in action at Trafford Head. Image from Henry Law at Trafford RC

Learn to love your erg part 2...

2011-01-20T14:26:00.002Z

Check out this great article on the row perfect website:

Why do rowers fear the erg
http://www.rowperfect.co.uk/2011/01/08/guest-blog-winter-workouts-why-do-rowers-fear-the-erg/

Winter blues

2010-12-08T10:55:00.003Z

Too cold to row? River frozen? Now's the time to learn to love the ergo. English Indoor rowing champs on 30th Jan 2011 in Manchester.

Devise an 8 week training programme by visiting http://concept2.co.uk/training/interactive

Just started mine.....:0)

How to increase senior membership ages 20-35?

2010-03-18T12:09:00.002Z

NRC has very active Junior and Veteran squads of both sexes but is struggling to attract and retain rowers in their twenties and early thirties. Where are they all?

University clubs seem to go from strength to strength but what are non-uni young people up to? And what about after uni?

Do we need to improve our facilities and offer smart gyms? Are the pressures of work too great or is everyone too busy clubbing and partying to find time for rowing?

Do we need to get paid coaches in to give structure to our squads and motivate the squads?

Meanwhile our senior women's eight at the WEHORR had an average age of nearly 43 and our senior men for HORR are 18!

Ideas on a postcard please?

Muscles aching?

2009-11-06T12:49:00.003Z

Back into winter land training this week. Circuit training is back on at the Mid-Cheshire College every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30pm. A great way to improve your fitness when it's too dark to row.

Strange goings on last week on Hallowe'en - the Junior Girls racing at the Dee Head.
Photo from www.mezzanotte.co.uk taken by Chris VERRECCHIA

Try this simple Ergo Fitness Test

2009-10-04T18:26:00.000+01:00

I have come across this basic fitness test on the ergo:
http://www.concept2.co.uk/training/oneill_test
Suggest you get all the squads to do this this week to set the baseline for winter fitness training?

Winter head races

2009-09-26T17:39:00.002+01:00

Aahh! My favourite season and my favourite head race coming up tomorrow - Chester Long Distance Sculls.

Shame there are no veteran women's quads and no WJ14 4x+. However very pleased to see some high quality women scullers coming to this event.

Here's a piccie from last year to get us all in the mood.

It's getting dark out there

2009-09-19T19:53:00.003+01:00

No sooner than the summer regattas are over than it's time to think about safety on the water in the evenings when crews are training and the nights are drawing in. Each week it gets dark about 15 minutes earlier - so right now (19th Sept) its lighting up time at 7:06pm and getting dark at 7:30pm!

A few rules for those thinking of going afloat in the dark or if it will get dark when you are on the water:

Seek permission from me first
Established senior crews only
Only 2 boats from any squad on the water at any one time and these boats must remain in sight of one another
Lights must be fitted in the stern and the bow of each boat, white on the bows and red on the stern
Experience coxes only to be out in the dark

Thanks - these rules are for your own safety and to ensure the club equipment does not get damaged.

Summer rowing

2009-07-16T22:33:00.002+01:00

Why is it so difficult to get crews out to all those lovely summer regattas? Just when the weather is good and the events so numerous it seems that all the squads have summer holidays.

It looks like the highlight of the summer will be Warrington Regatta. WE might manage a mixed double for that!

Matt Langridge Wins Elusive Senior Henley Medal

2009-07-06T21:22:00.004+01:00

Good to see Matt Langridge winning in style in the Steward's this weekend at Henley RR. It's 10 year ago that he won in the Fawley as a Junior.

This is him celebrating in the Champagne bar after the big win! You can just make out Doug Pickup in the background on the left in the cool shades!

Other NW heroes were Agecroft RC who won the Britannia and Richard Edginton from Warrington who was in the Steward's with Matt.

Young hopefuls from the Grange School Rowing Club competed in the Fawley this year - a crew of J16's who can come back for 2 more years.

Why is boat trailing such an issue?

2009-06-30T20:40:00.002+01:00

Just heard from Simms that our new eight is ready to collect next week. Can't they send it in the post? I wish.

Why is trailing boats to events always such an issue for clubs?

Wouldn't it be easier if we all borrowed each other's when we race at regattas?

Or maybe not given how long some people spend getting their boats 'just right'. And they would be bound to have the wrong size shoes!

Summertime and the rowing is easy....

2009-06-28T19:34:00.000+01:00

We had Junior crews competing today at Ironbridge Sprint Regatta - 13 crews in all so expect a few wins.

Meanwhile, back at the club the Senior and Vet squads had a lovely quiet row.

Rumour has it that the No5 seat in the women's eight has 'special properties' after two of the recent occupants announce they are pregnant!! You have been warned!