Alice Baatz shares her top tips for taking on a long indoor rowing session
GB rower and #BRIC17 champion Alice Baatz share’s her training tips on how to make long indoor rowing sessions manageable
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 9: during the British Rowing Indoor Championships 2017 at The Lee Valley Velo Park on December 9, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker)
Although it’s now moving into regatta season, there are still plenty more long indoor rowing sessions to take on, with the Concept2 Logbook marathon challenge starting at the beginning of May. We spoke to GB rower and #BRIC17 champion Alice Baatz to find out how she makes it through the long indoor rowing sessions.
Have some good music to get you through
Work out how long your session is likely to take and make a playlist of your favourite type of music to last the duration of your session. That way you won’t be listening to all the songs twice!
Looking for some musical inspiration? Check out Moe Sbihi‘s ultimate indoor rowing playlist here>>>.
Don’t go it alone
The times when your session will fly by are when you have your best pals there too. Georgia Francis and I usually try and sit together so we can take each other’s minds off the session every so often.
Don't forget you can have this exclusive content before everyone else if you sign up the Go Row Indoor Newsletter here.
Break it up
Unless you’ve built up to doing a long distance in one hit, perhaps think about breaking up the session. I usually do 18km in three 6km chunks. You don’t have to stop for long, but it’s a good opportunity to stretch a bit and have a drink. Plan how you’ll do your session before you start.
Pace it
Don’t try and break the world record for the first minute and then spend the rest of the session in a miserable hole. Work out what split is comfortable for you and try to be consistent the whole way through – remember that it will get harder the longer you’re on for, so maybe think about starting a little lighter than feels good and try to maintain that for the duration. By the end, it should feel like a good work out.
Hydrate and fuel
Make sure you are well hydrated and well fuelled. I would never start a long ergo without having breakfast! Some good, slow release carbs (think porridge/wholegrain toast/muesli) and lots of water will set you up well for your session.
Scenery
If it’s a beautiful day move your ergo outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. Remember the SPF!
Keep up with Alice’s training on her Instagram page @alicebaatz.
Don’t forget you can have this exclusive content before everyone else if you sign up the Go Row Indoor Newsletter here>>>.
