Rowing is an Endurance Sport

Words from Rowing Australia Pathways Medical Lead and former Captain Victoria Dr Alice McNamara 

Rowing is an endurance sport, but no amount of laps of Carrum, or hours staring at an ergo screen has prepared us for this.

Along with cross country skiers and elite cyclists, we are known to have the highest VO2 max; earned through hundreds and thousands of kms, through stamina, through patience, through staying calm and on a rhythm under pressure.

But this has really tested us.

18 months of ‘staying home’, of lockdowns, Zoom ergos or training alone.

Missing the weekly big boat. Missing the 8+.

Missing the Thursday night at the club. Missing our ‘home away from home’.

There is no easy way to talk about mental health in a pandemic. There will be many of us who are at an all-time low in terms of appetite for these discussions, but some who need and crave them. Many rowers are well trained to getting on with things.

But, for the Big White V, there is probably no better time for a pep talk, and to remember where we have come from and what we are inching, ever so slowly, back to.  

I was asked to pen something here after our last RA Pathways Teleconference. For the first time in 18 months, I felt that I was speaking to others (interstate) on the call, who finally felt these feels. No longer are we alone in lockdown. And don’t we feel hardened?..

It was clear though, that few have felt the fatigue of lockdowns as we have.

It has been strange, and as much as they tried to understand our exhaustion through our long winter of 2020, it is clear now that we were existing in a different universe.

We went to the well. And we have been asked to go there again…although this time with much less of a carrot at the end.

What’s different for us in 2021? Fatigue! Frustration. Apathy.

Some real distress of others in our lives. Anger at those who disagree with us.  

What is my bigger purpose?

Where do I continue to find my energy?

I have no answer for us!

But I think something like rowing just might… and sticking with rowing may provide us with just what we really need.

Long Term Thinking, Long Term Projects.

We need to continue to think bigger, and longer.

The minutia of the everyday is exhausting. When home is work and rest and play.

And just getting out of bed to get on with the routine can be a challenge. Plotting some longer-term projects or goals adds purpose to the everyday. These goals may be different from this time last year, but setting a project remains important.

And, while the intensity of the effort may be (in a way) less that it might have been, the consistency is what will count.

Rowers row a lot. And change creates opportunity for growth and improvement. Changing the routine cheats diminishing returns of the normal grind. When the routine resumes, those who have chipped away at incremental gains each day, will have wasted no time.

However, all stress is stress, and it all contributes to training and workload. If you misread total stress, you risk injury, illness, burnout, overtraining and longer-term recovery. So, if working/studying from home, managing home school, disrupted sleep etc are impacting training routines, I suggest meeting yourself where you are.

Set a do-able program and feel the satisfaction of ticking each session off. Consistency wins every time.

Nothing reminded me more of consistency, than watching our Big White V Reps in Tokyo; Jess, Lucy, Rosie bringing home GOLD in the W4-, and Ria BRONZE in the W4x. And all of them, representing us after the longest of Olympic Cycles; Amanda Bateman, Sarah Hawe, Kat Werry, James Rook, Josh Booth, Simon Keenan, Tim Masters, Nick Lavery, Rohan Lavery , Gus Widdicombe, Stuart Sim.

And, then of course Alex Viney in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four. And all who helped them get there, and those just on the fringe.

These were our representative Olympians / Paralympians who did it the hard way.

An extra year, extra sacrifice, without their loved ones for support, and with no guarantees it would amount to anything. Faith and rhythm got them there, and rowing taught them that too.

Rowing provides the long-term thinking for us. It provides the structure and the goal events. Regattas and trips will return. We should keep showing up, as we always get more than we give.

Social Connection, Health and Wellbeing

Once a rower, always a rower.

The community is there for you, although the access to your community feels like it has been taken away. The longer this goes, the harder it may seem, but, once a rower, always a rower.

Rowers are no strangers to understanding the importance of exercise and nutrition to fuel training.  Understand you may be primed to need that higher level of activity to keep your brain’s neurochemicals in check. There may be different ways to get what you need, through walking, running, cycling, online Pilates or circuit sessions, with rowing specific training in there also. Choose to do things with others where you are permitted to, or otherwise, online.

Rowing clubs, and new organisations like Rowhaus are doing a fabulous job, connecting rowers to train together online. If you are struggling to go it alone, please do. Reach out.

You will also feel better if you are well fuelled with nutritious food. Remember the work / training routines may be different but they still need solid nutrition support. Adequate carbohydrate across the day, and protein hits after sessions. Do the basics well, with a food-first approach.

Also, tougher to talk about but very important; is that eating disorders that often develop as a way to cope with intense emotions for some people, and this time can trigger hard feelings and emotions also. This year has brought challenges around changing restrictions, and lack of social connection placing immense pressure and added stress on those living with eating disorders.

Under fuelling for rower predisposes to injury, illness and lower mood. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) can be unintentional or intentional and black is not always white.

It is important to stay connected. It’s a spectrum, and eating disorders thrive in secrecy.

Share food experiences with others, and ensure you reach out if you or someone you know, needs help. The earlier we address disordered eating behaviours, the less long-term impact and anguish they will cause. And everyone deserves to be free from those brain-fogging thoughts.

And as we crawl to normality, please…  #getvaccinated

I’m now seeing some light on the horizon, that we are talking about vaccinations in this way.

Stick together, think bigger, last 500 take it home.

Go the Big White V

(And, an example of our “different project” from lockdown: have a look through the archives of podcast:  Doc, Doc, Goose #3: Josh Dunkley-Smith – The 590w Project, Part 1 by BRowShowPodcast presents Doc, Doc, Goose • A podcast on Anchor)

If you or anyone you know needs help:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14

• Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
• Headspace on 1800 650 890
• Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673

Dr Alice McNamara

RA Pathways Medical Lead

Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar – MP Sports Physicians