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Rowing is a complex sport, as it not only demands physical strength and expert technique but also a keen sense of cognitive function, specifically in terms of self-monitoring and planning and prioritization. Self-monitoring, the act of observing and assessing one’s behavior, thoughts, performance, and feelings, serves as an internal feedback system for rowers. It allows them to continuously gauge their performance, isolate weak points, and make timely adjustments.
Simultaneously, I value planning and prioritization because I think it forms the strategic backbone of the sport. It guides rowers in setting up a sequence of tasks, prioritizing workouts, and even scheduling rest periods to ensure maximum output. This cognitive skill set allows rowers to map out their journey in the sport, providing a clear path to follow.
Additionally, self-monitoring offers a platform for athletes to understand their individual capabilities and areas that need attention, which is pivotal when setting personal goals or collaborating with a coach. As we delve deeper into the dynamics of rowing, it’s crucial to recognize the importance of both self-monitoring and planning and prioritization. I have found that achieving real and sustained success in rowing requires a holistic blend of physical strength and cognitive prowess.
Self Monitoring
Rowers need to self-monitor to track their performance, identify areas of improvement, and set goals for themselves. Self-monitoring is observing and evaluating one’s behavior, thoughts, performance, and feelings and adjusting. Self-monitoring allows rowers to measure their progress and identify areas where they need to improve.
For example, if a rower notices that their timing is off, they can use self-monitoring to identify the problem’s cause and adjust their technique. Similarly, an athlete needs to evaluate their capabilities in certain areas. When starting to work with an athlete, an important question is to ask what they feel they need the most attention. Typically, an athlete will know where they are strong and where their development areas are.
I tell my athletes that they are often their own best coach. If coach is managing/coaching a couple of eights on the water, the amount of individual attention each rower gets is minimal. Suppose athletes self-monitor when learning and improving technique, assuming awareness of technical errors and strategies to fix the errors have been established. In that case, they stand a better chance of improving.
When building endurance volume, the technical application is also essential. We want athletes to have intentional mileage. As a result, making a note-card of technical points to focus on for a given period can make a difference. Instead of mindlessly grinding away the mileage, work on technique with deliberate practice.
Some aspects of rowing technique checking during low-intensity long duration training could include:
1) Are you fully engaged (from fingers to toes) as you drive through the stroke?
2) If your heels come off the footplate at the catch, are you getting them down quickly?
3) Are you engaging your core when you drive?
4) Are your shoulders relaxed and engaging through the lats?
5) Are you sequencing out of the finish correctly, i.e., arms away and body preparation?
6) Do you establish body angle early in the recovery?
7) Do you keep the hands and chain under control?
8) Are you driving horizontally?
9) Do you suspend your weight off the handle and push through your hips in the drive?
10) Is your posture supported during your stroke?
Mileage alone doesn’t make champions. Intentional mileage will be more productive. Self-awareness is critically important to make every part of the training count.
Quality Feedback Is Important
On that note, feedback for rowers needs to be targeted, concise and focused on the process. There is a difference between providing feedback that says, “Your catch is too slow,” vs. “I need you to place your blade in the water more accurately and time your catch with your arrival at front stops.” If you are too focused on the problem rather than the fix, the athlete cannot make the change needed for better performance.
I recently watched a webinar featuring Troy Howell, one of the exceptionally experienced coaches at Craftsbury and someone whose opinion I respect, talking about training the nervous system as an essential part of learning to row and continuing to improve.
I got great value out of the conversation because it meshed well with my current understanding of seeking mastery in our rowing journey. The content links well with self-monitoring concepts in rowing.
I especially enjoyed the part about discussing working on keeping the blades (spoons) off the water during the recovery portion of the rowing stroke. However, this achievement is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to row in a way that creates boat speed. The discussion mirrors discussions that I have had with other coaches.
For example, you could focus on a particular part of your initial drive because your force curve indicates a connection loss. This loss of force is evident in the early part of your force curve going concave to show a discontinuity in acceleration. Force application can be improved with drills and targeted work on improving technique. However, we must endeavor to keep the whole organic movement in mind rather than fixating on one particular aspect of the technical model. Ultimately, the goal is always about how a specific action and application feels. By self-monitoring this feedback, we can level up our mastery and progress. Sometimes, slowing down and checking in with our bodies is the key to taking the next steps.
Metacognition
The definition of metacognition is an awareness and understanding of one’s thought processes.
Rowers (or anyone really, for that matter) must understand the principles of metacognition. If I want to help an athlete reach peak performance, teaching them to monitor the thoughts that go through their mind is an excellent step to assisting them in improving and managing their performance.
For example, when working with an athlete that experiences 2K test anxiety which results in under performance, one of the first questions I ask is, “What was on your mind when you started to stall in the piece?”
I am looking for the triggering thoughts that drove the athlete to stop rowing or back off their intensity.
I wrote this piece about 2K rowing test mental approaches a couple of months ago. It discusses the importance of framing thoughts differently to control emotions in preparation for a 2K piece. However, the principles are universal in terms of training and competition performance.
The critical piece in terms of metacognition is this:
First, understand and accept that your brain can sometimes lie to you. There’s that voice of doubt trying to creep in. The solution to this is that it is really about your relationship with that voice. You must get out of your head and into your body. It would be best if you correctly reframed your thoughts.
Allow me to explain.
There is a difference between actually not rowing a personal best piece (this is real) and having a thought like “I think I am not going to beat my personal best…” (just a thought and not real). Therefore, understanding, reframing, detaching from your thoughts, and looking at them as context (not based in reality) is the critical mind hack here. This principle applies to anything in life. I use it daily.
When thinking about metacognition’s role in teaching and coaching, the critical point is that it is all about making the unseen become seen.
When I talk to others, concepts and knowledge that seem fundamental to me (almost rote) don’t necessarily exist in the knowledge and understanding of other people I work with or coach. We often assume that knowledge or metacognitive approach is in play in others and might not necessarily be there.
I have developed a worksheet that allows athletes to work through a metacognitive exercise and identify areas where triggering thoughts occur. The worksheet will enable athletes (and coaches) to resolve challenging thoughts or limiting beliefs.
Integrating metacognition into rowing preparation and competiton could involve several steps:
- Reflective Practice: Regularly take time after training sessions or races to reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and how you felt physically and mentally. This could involve journaling or discussing thoughts with a coach or teammate.
- Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness, which can enhance metacognitive abilities. Mindfulness, or being fully present and engaged in the current moment, can help rowers become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, influencing performance.
- Feedback: Regular feedback from coaches, video analysis, or biomechanical data can provide additional perspective for self-reflection. It helps rowers see where their self-perception matches reality and where it might be off.
- Goal-Setting: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for technique improvement, race times, or other aspects of rowing. Regularly evaluate progress toward these goals and adjust as necessary.
- Metacognitive Training: Like physical training, dedicated practice can improve metacognitive skills. This training might involve specific exercises to strengthen self-awareness, emotional regulation, or problem-solving skills.
Planning and Prioritizing
Rowers must plan and prioritize to effectively manage their time and resources and achieve their goals. Rowing is a sport that requires a high level of dedication and discipline, and the ability to plan and prioritize is essential for maintaining performance and achieving success.
Prioritization in rowing is critical because it helps athletes focus on the most impactful areas that will enhance their performance. It involves determining what needs to be done first based on the potential impact on the overall race outcome.
Planning and prioritizing allow rowers to set clear goals and develop strategies. For example, if a rower wants to improve their 2k time, they can use planning and prioritizing to set a goal, create a training plan, and identify the specific actions they need to take to achieve their goal.
When I start working with a client, we spend time at the start of each training cycle looking at their current schedule to decide when to schedule the training load. Additionally, looking at an athlete’s physiological profile helps us make important decisions about the focus of a particular training cycle.
Planning and prioritizing also allow rowers to manage their time and resources effectively. Rowers often must balance multiple demands such as training, competing, school or work, and personal life. By planning and prioritizing, rowers can identify the most critical tasks and allocate their time and resources accordingly.
Goal Setting
In the sport of rowing, the rhythmic motion of the oars through the water is as important as your focus and mental determination. Setting goals, whether you’re an experienced athlete or a beginner, is a key part of achieving success. Your progress in rowing isn’t solely determined by your physical strength, but also by how effectively you align your efforts with strategic goals. We’ll look at three types of goals that rowers should focus on – Achievement, Benchmark, and Action. These goals will serve as a roadmap for your journey, guiding your preparation and leading you toward success. It’s time to delve into the process of goal setting and learn how to shape your path toward triumph, one step, one record, and one victory at a time.
Achievement Goals: These goals are specific to the results of athletic competition. For example, a goal
in this category might be to win a regional championship or place in the top three at a certain event. The timeline for these goals may well be the entire season or several months of training in row. Setting one or two achievement goals each season is a good place to start.
Benchmark Goals: These goals consist of the performance benchmark needed to attain in order to
accomplish your achievement goals. An example of these types of goals could be to run a distance in a
certain period of time. Another example, might be to lift a certain amount of weight in a particular strength movement. Setting about four to five benchmark goals in area such as endurance, power, strength, technique and mindset should provide a good foundation to work toward.
Action Goals: These goals can be technical, physical, or mental. They could also address lifestyle (such
as diet, rest, sleep, academics, and work). These goals should address specific things that will help you
achieve your benchmark goals. You should set several action goals (as many as you feel you need to
help you achieve your benchmark goals).
When you are setting goals, try to be specific and include people who can help you. In addition, include a
time frame for achieving the goal in question.
Social Friction
Accordingly, it is essential to help athletes to understand that there will always be “social friction” when it comes to the pursuit of high-performance goals. As performance benchmarks increase and improve, more time is often needed to achieve those goals. For example, the amount of sleep an athlete gets each day or week is crucial to performing well (for anything, really!). However, athletes often have to make choices, usually when coaches are not present to help guide them.
For example, an athlete might be faced with a decision to attend a late-night movie with friends or a social gathering or dietary choices such as the consumption of alcohol (if the athlete is of legal age to drink). Other people in a person’s life (regardless of how well-intentioned they are) can cause social friction regarding an athlete making the best choices when they are not in the training environment. A successful athlete can manage this social friction when it occurs and prioritize performance when necessary.
As a performance coach, I often emphasize the importance of creating a supportive environment that understands and respects an athlete’s commitment. Athletes should communicate openly with friends, family, and teammates about their needs and the reasons behind them. In many cases, those who care about the athlete will become allies in their quest for peak performance, helping to reduce social friction and support the athlete’s priorities.
Moreover, athletes should be encouraged to seek balance in their lives. While training demands can be intense, especially for high-performance rowers, maintaining social connections and engaging in leisure activities is essential for overall well-being. It’s about making informed decisions, planning well, and sticking to priorities, but also about understanding that it’s okay to take a break, relax, and socialize. Ultimately, a happier athlete can often be a better-performing athlete.
To summarize, dealing with social friction requires excellent planning and prioritization skills. By developing these abilities, athletes can maintain peak performance while minimizing the impact on their social lives, helping them succeed in their sport and enjoy their journey.
Conclusion
Rowers must plan and prioritize to effectively manage their time and resources and achieve their goals. Planning and prioritizing allow them to set clear goals, develop a strategy, manage their time and resources effectively, and identify the most critical tasks. This helps them to stay focused on their goals and make the most of their time and resources. Additionally, planning and prioritizing help rowers remain organized and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the demands of the sport.
I hope you have found the discussion of self-monitoring and planning and prioritization helpful to you if you are a coach or athlete. In the swirling waters of competition, I have found that a rower’s mastery extends beyond physical prowess, permeating into the cognitive realm of executive function. The synergy of self-monitoring and planning and prioritization plays a vital role in guiding the rower’s voyage to success. Self-monitoring, akin to a vigilant coxswain within, allows rowers to consistently gauge their performance, assessing the alignment between current efforts and established goals. This internal surveillance fuels adaptability, propelling rowers to make real-time adjustments, whether it’s the grip on the oar, the rhythm of strokes, or even the pace of breath.
On the other hand, planning and prioritization, governs the broader course of the rower’s journey. It translates the rower’s ambition into a structured roadmap, prioritizing tasks, training modules, and even rest intervals in an optimal sequence for maximum output. The duo of self-monitoring and planning and prioritization thus serves as the cerebral rudder for rowers, steering them through the trials of training to the triumphs of tournaments. As we navigate the turbulent waters of this demanding sport, it is essential to recognize and nurture these critical aspects of executive function. For it is in the fusion of the mind’s resilience and the body’s strength that a rower truly emerges victorious.
In the final part of the executive function series, I take a look at how task initiation and organization can play an important role in training and competition. Stay tuned!
Attribution: Elements of this series were inspired and informed by professional development offered by The Center For Transformative Teaching and Learning and the “The Placemat” – MBE Strategies For Teaching and Learning. For more information on the CTTL, please visit this link.
