Apr 13, 2008

ROWPRO ROW with the rest of the world!

I did my first 10K on Rowpro

Follow this link!


XENO
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

From a Rochester NY Newspaper: Women Cancer Survivors Put Their Oars In The Water,

It's almost universally true: People who survive cancer discover there's much more they can do with their lives, if they just push themselves a bit.

"I had never done anything like this," says Deb Gollus of Rochester, who participates in the women's oncology rowing program at Camp Good Days and Special Times.

Gollus, 57, who works for Thompson Health in Canandaigua, says: "I had no idea what these boats even looked like."

"It just infuses energy, and shows us that we can go beyond anything we have done physically before," says Pat Bernhard, 64, of Honeoye Falls.

Bernhard and Gollus are both cancer survivors who say the program has tested them in new ways and built a sense of community with other survivors.

The rowing program is called Naiades, named for mythical fresh water nymphs or goddesses whose existence depended on the water but who were thought by the Greeks to bring to the waters inspirational, medicinal or even prophetic powers.

It seemed like a perfect name for the groups, says Jen Shulman, a former Camp Good Days waterfront director and now a volunteer rowing coach. The women "love being on the water," Shulman says. "Rowing is a respite for these ladies, a vehicle to recovery, and it makes them feel alive."

The Naiades program was inspired by a similar one in Boston, where a group of breast cancer survivors raced in the well-known Head of the Charles Regatta in 2001. It took a few years to move from idea to reality, but Naiades launched three years ago and now includes about 30 women, some of whom are beginners, some of whom are purely recreational rowers, and some of whom now compete.

The latter group rowed last year in the Pittsford Regatta and the October Head of the Genesee Regatta. They hope to compete this October in the Head of the Charles.

The groups practices during the winter at the Pittsford Indoor Rowing Center, and then in the summer on both the canal and river, working from the Genesee Waterways Center near Genesee Valley Park. They purchased a new 60-foot boat this winter in conjunction with the University of Rochester.

"It's a wonderful full-body workout," Bernhard says. "The hardest part is eight old ladies carrying a 60-foot boat that weighs 300 pounds," she jokes. The new boat, by the way, is 100 pounds lighter.

"Fishing and water never really clicked for me," says Lisa Gesinger, 46, of Webster. "I thought I'd do this just to be with other women who've had cancer." But, she says, she quickly fell in love with the workout, the water and the camaraderie.

"This is so much different from anything I've ever done."

"It's a whole team effort," says Terrie Mahoney, 47, of Farmington, Ontario County. "Everybody works like a machine, and if everyone is doing the same thing at the same time, it's a very smooth ride. If not, well... "

Rowing at twilight on the calm waters of the canal or river is itself a very peaceful experience.

Being on the water is part of the joy of rowing, Shulman says. Seeing the canal walls or the riverbank whiz by as the oars slice through the water is very appealing.

"You do have to take your cues from the person in front of you," says Roxanne Zambito, 61, of Hamlin. "The idea is to get your oars in the water at the same time with the same pressure."

"I will give up almost anything to go and row," says Nancy Harter, 51, of Greece. "I just love the feel of it." She loves the team effort, learning to work through some pain, and learning how to support the other women.

"We all have out little quirks or weaknesses because of cancer," she says. "But we help each other, and you can just feel the strength coming back."

LINK: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080413/NEWS0201/804130353/1002/NEWS
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Apr 8, 2008

Rowing helps me win Boardercross at USASA National Championships @ Copper Mt, CO

Boardercross USASA Nationals @ Northstar-at-Tahoe 2007 This is where I crash
Boardercross USASA Nationals 2008 @ Copper Mountain, CO
This is where i stay ahead
and this is where i end up


Last year i had a good run for it, but mistake in a semi-final took me out of the race. This year i was more focused and experienced to make it all the way.

Rowing has been a big part of my training, as I am at Iron Oarsman 10-15 hours a week. Boardercross is quite unpredictable because anything can happen in a race. You don't know what will happen untill its all over. The key for me was having a quick start out of the gates, staying low and ahead of everyone else.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Apr 7, 2008

What to do if you have an achilies tendon that does not want to cooperate when you run...

Here is a question I got no too long ago.

"Hi!

I am fairly new to rowing on the C-2. My question is: do you think it is ok for a runner with left achilles tendinitis (mild) to continue rowing while rehabbing? I do about 20 to 30 minutes rowing 5 days a week.

Thanks!"


Caution: Do not over compress at the catch, which would stretch the tendon too far... Use a bungee cord and strap it around the track. This way you will not roll too far into the catch thus avoiding any over stretching of the tendon.

XENO
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Apr 1, 2008

This is a workout and story from my good friend Charles Pollak


Hello fellow rowers and friends. My name is Charles Pollak, and I am a close friend of Xeno’s and another rower as well. I graduated from Brown University in 2003, where I was captain of the crew team, and went to United States Olympic trails in the straight pair in 2004. Over the past few years I have cut back considerably on my training from being an elite oarsman in training, to that of a food connoisseur and over-worker in the office without any real sense of physical or mental balance in my life. Well that is about to change.

Over the next few months I look forward to having fun with rowing training again, by focusing on rowing, diet and cross training as well. I want to become an athlete again. Thereby, I will be posting thoughts on this monthly training letter about my goal of getting back into great rowing shape for competition and for everyday life. This will be done by sharing different workouts and training tips that I am putting together with Xeno: to help all of us all reach our training goals together, no matter how big or small they are.

Some of you are probably training to become internationally competitive athletes, while others are training just to have fun, or even to lose a lot of weight. No matter what you want to accomplish by working with Xeno’s iron oarsman training plan, we can all work together as a team to exceed our goals, and all have fun together in the process. Here is an erg workout that I did yesterday at the iron oarsman erg gym. It takes just over an hour to finish. I hope that you enjoy and please let us know any thoughts or questions that you have.



Warm-up: 15 minutes

Light rowing on erg 10 minutes
Stretching upper and lower body 5 minutes
*Drink water as necessary, always remember to stay hydrated.


Drilling and Breathing: 20 minutes

This helps to burn the proper rowing technique into the muscle memory. Also helps to continue with the warm-up so that we are thoroughly prepared for the workout ahead of us.

-start with arms only 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-add the back swing 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-move into quarter slide 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-half slide 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-3/4 slide 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-full strokes 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder

(If on sliders) move into one legged rowing building the stroke from legs only, to legs and back, into full strokes. Then switch legs. Do some harder strokes during each stage as well for 10-20 strokes at a time. Feel the blood begin to flow and continue breathing. 2 minutes for each stage of stroke per leg

Steady state 10 minutes
*Drink water as necessary, always remember to stay hydrated.



Workout: 25 minutes

This workout is a power workout for torque
Have fun with it and watch your splits drop throughout the three sets.
You can row at a controlled rating and use the power strokes like weights to build strength and gain muscle coordination

(40 seconds on / 20 seconds off) * 5
3 minutes rest light paddle, keep moving

(30 seconds on / 30 seconds off) * 5
3 minutes rest light paddle, keep moving

(20 seconds on / 40 seconds off) * 5
3 minutes rest light paddle, keep moving

*Drink water as necessary between pieces



Warm-down: 15 minutes

Do triceps and bicep curls with the erg handle for the ever important beach muscles. Summer time for Europeans in pink speedos is coming up! Do these while sitting with straight legs and tall lower back. 2 minutes

Do abdominal work for injury prevention. Do this on erg seat while sitting on front of the seat with a flat back and only going down as low as you feel comfortable. Do not over extend sit ups going down and risk tweaking a muscle or your back. Try different arm positions during sit-ups as you feel comfortable. 1 minute

Light row to warm down 5 minutes

Stretch to finish warm down and help muscles maximize gain from workout 5-10 minutes

*Drink water as necessary
*Always eat healthy some solid food within 30 minutes of completing workout to replace carbs and protein, etc. burned off from workout. Feel free to do this even if you are training to loose body weight, as this is really good for you. Enjoy!
*If training to be an elite athlete, feel free to finish workout with post sets on the weights and some more solid steady state on the ergometer. Have fun!
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Apr 13, 2008

ROWPRO ROW with the rest of the world!

I did my first 10K on Rowpro

Follow this link!


XENO
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

From a Rochester NY Newspaper: Women Cancer Survivors Put Their Oars In The Water,

It's almost universally true: People who survive cancer discover there's much more they can do with their lives, if they just push themselves a bit.

"I had never done anything like this," says Deb Gollus of Rochester, who participates in the women's oncology rowing program at Camp Good Days and Special Times.

Gollus, 57, who works for Thompson Health in Canandaigua, says: "I had no idea what these boats even looked like."

"It just infuses energy, and shows us that we can go beyond anything we have done physically before," says Pat Bernhard, 64, of Honeoye Falls.

Bernhard and Gollus are both cancer survivors who say the program has tested them in new ways and built a sense of community with other survivors.

The rowing program is called Naiades, named for mythical fresh water nymphs or goddesses whose existence depended on the water but who were thought by the Greeks to bring to the waters inspirational, medicinal or even prophetic powers.

It seemed like a perfect name for the groups, says Jen Shulman, a former Camp Good Days waterfront director and now a volunteer rowing coach. The women "love being on the water," Shulman says. "Rowing is a respite for these ladies, a vehicle to recovery, and it makes them feel alive."

The Naiades program was inspired by a similar one in Boston, where a group of breast cancer survivors raced in the well-known Head of the Charles Regatta in 2001. It took a few years to move from idea to reality, but Naiades launched three years ago and now includes about 30 women, some of whom are beginners, some of whom are purely recreational rowers, and some of whom now compete.

The latter group rowed last year in the Pittsford Regatta and the October Head of the Genesee Regatta. They hope to compete this October in the Head of the Charles.

The groups practices during the winter at the Pittsford Indoor Rowing Center, and then in the summer on both the canal and river, working from the Genesee Waterways Center near Genesee Valley Park. They purchased a new 60-foot boat this winter in conjunction with the University of Rochester.

"It's a wonderful full-body workout," Bernhard says. "The hardest part is eight old ladies carrying a 60-foot boat that weighs 300 pounds," she jokes. The new boat, by the way, is 100 pounds lighter.

"Fishing and water never really clicked for me," says Lisa Gesinger, 46, of Webster. "I thought I'd do this just to be with other women who've had cancer." But, she says, she quickly fell in love with the workout, the water and the camaraderie.

"This is so much different from anything I've ever done."

"It's a whole team effort," says Terrie Mahoney, 47, of Farmington, Ontario County. "Everybody works like a machine, and if everyone is doing the same thing at the same time, it's a very smooth ride. If not, well... "

Rowing at twilight on the calm waters of the canal or river is itself a very peaceful experience.

Being on the water is part of the joy of rowing, Shulman says. Seeing the canal walls or the riverbank whiz by as the oars slice through the water is very appealing.

"You do have to take your cues from the person in front of you," says Roxanne Zambito, 61, of Hamlin. "The idea is to get your oars in the water at the same time with the same pressure."

"I will give up almost anything to go and row," says Nancy Harter, 51, of Greece. "I just love the feel of it." She loves the team effort, learning to work through some pain, and learning how to support the other women.

"We all have out little quirks or weaknesses because of cancer," she says. "But we help each other, and you can just feel the strength coming back."

LINK: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080413/NEWS0201/804130353/1002/NEWS
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Apr 8, 2008

Rowing helps me win Boardercross at USASA National Championships @ Copper Mt, CO

Boardercross USASA Nationals @ Northstar-at-Tahoe 2007 This is where I crash
Boardercross USASA Nationals 2008 @ Copper Mountain, CO
This is where i stay ahead
and this is where i end up


Last year i had a good run for it, but mistake in a semi-final took me out of the race. This year i was more focused and experienced to make it all the way.

Rowing has been a big part of my training, as I am at Iron Oarsman 10-15 hours a week. Boardercross is quite unpredictable because anything can happen in a race. You don't know what will happen untill its all over. The key for me was having a quick start out of the gates, staying low and ahead of everyone else.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Apr 7, 2008

What to do if you have an achilies tendon that does not want to cooperate when you run...

Here is a question I got no too long ago.

"Hi!

I am fairly new to rowing on the C-2. My question is: do you think it is ok for a runner with left achilles tendinitis (mild) to continue rowing while rehabbing? I do about 20 to 30 minutes rowing 5 days a week.

Thanks!"


Caution: Do not over compress at the catch, which would stretch the tendon too far... Use a bungee cord and strap it around the track. This way you will not roll too far into the catch thus avoiding any over stretching of the tendon.

XENO
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Apr 1, 2008

This is a workout and story from my good friend Charles Pollak


Hello fellow rowers and friends. My name is Charles Pollak, and I am a close friend of Xeno’s and another rower as well. I graduated from Brown University in 2003, where I was captain of the crew team, and went to United States Olympic trails in the straight pair in 2004. Over the past few years I have cut back considerably on my training from being an elite oarsman in training, to that of a food connoisseur and over-worker in the office without any real sense of physical or mental balance in my life. Well that is about to change.

Over the next few months I look forward to having fun with rowing training again, by focusing on rowing, diet and cross training as well. I want to become an athlete again. Thereby, I will be posting thoughts on this monthly training letter about my goal of getting back into great rowing shape for competition and for everyday life. This will be done by sharing different workouts and training tips that I am putting together with Xeno: to help all of us all reach our training goals together, no matter how big or small they are.

Some of you are probably training to become internationally competitive athletes, while others are training just to have fun, or even to lose a lot of weight. No matter what you want to accomplish by working with Xeno’s iron oarsman training plan, we can all work together as a team to exceed our goals, and all have fun together in the process. Here is an erg workout that I did yesterday at the iron oarsman erg gym. It takes just over an hour to finish. I hope that you enjoy and please let us know any thoughts or questions that you have.



Warm-up: 15 minutes

Light rowing on erg 10 minutes
Stretching upper and lower body 5 minutes
*Drink water as necessary, always remember to stay hydrated.


Drilling and Breathing: 20 minutes

This helps to burn the proper rowing technique into the muscle memory. Also helps to continue with the warm-up so that we are thoroughly prepared for the workout ahead of us.

-start with arms only 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-add the back swing 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-move into quarter slide 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-half slide 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-3/4 slide 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder
-full strokes 20 strokes low 10 strokes a little harder

(If on sliders) move into one legged rowing building the stroke from legs only, to legs and back, into full strokes. Then switch legs. Do some harder strokes during each stage as well for 10-20 strokes at a time. Feel the blood begin to flow and continue breathing. 2 minutes for each stage of stroke per leg

Steady state 10 minutes
*Drink water as necessary, always remember to stay hydrated.



Workout: 25 minutes

This workout is a power workout for torque
Have fun with it and watch your splits drop throughout the three sets.
You can row at a controlled rating and use the power strokes like weights to build strength and gain muscle coordination

(40 seconds on / 20 seconds off) * 5
3 minutes rest light paddle, keep moving

(30 seconds on / 30 seconds off) * 5
3 minutes rest light paddle, keep moving

(20 seconds on / 40 seconds off) * 5
3 minutes rest light paddle, keep moving

*Drink water as necessary between pieces



Warm-down: 15 minutes

Do triceps and bicep curls with the erg handle for the ever important beach muscles. Summer time for Europeans in pink speedos is coming up! Do these while sitting with straight legs and tall lower back. 2 minutes

Do abdominal work for injury prevention. Do this on erg seat while sitting on front of the seat with a flat back and only going down as low as you feel comfortable. Do not over extend sit ups going down and risk tweaking a muscle or your back. Try different arm positions during sit-ups as you feel comfortable. 1 minute

Light row to warm down 5 minutes

Stretch to finish warm down and help muscles maximize gain from workout 5-10 minutes

*Drink water as necessary
*Always eat healthy some solid food within 30 minutes of completing workout to replace carbs and protein, etc. burned off from workout. Feel free to do this even if you are training to loose body weight, as this is really good for you. Enjoy!
*If training to be an elite athlete, feel free to finish workout with post sets on the weights and some more solid steady state on the ergometer. Have fun!
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.