We’re not talking about rowing technique here, although a really solid technique is imperative when you are on a rower for many meters and thousands of pulls – every bit of efficiency counts!
We are talking about the little things that nobody talks about when you are getting ready to row something like a marathon, or even a 10K. So let’s tackle this head to toe.
Headband
Starting at the top. Your hair and a sweaty head. Secure your hair so that it doesn’t fall into your face while you’re rowing. It sucks to have that stray strand on your face and that’s all you can think about. I have pulled many a hair out because of that. Same thing goes for sweat beads. If you sweat a lot, you may want to consider a head band. Little drops of sweat burning your eyes is not what you want while you’re rowing. Added benefit of the head band is that it will help keep your hair off your face too!
Wrist Sweatbands
You may also want a wrist sweatband or two. The sweatband will keep sweat from dripping down your arms onto your hands and causing grip and hand issues. Plus, if your face is sweaty they will provide an easy and quick way to wipe your face with missing a stroke.
Tissues
You may want to keep some tissues tucked somewhere. They are multi-purpose. Good for sweat, good for boogies, good for wiping away your tears as the reality of what you have set out to do sets in.
Undergarments
Proper fitting undergarments are going to be a necessity. You don’t want thinks loose or bouncing places they shouldn’t be bouncing. The day of your big row is not the day to try new apparel though. Wear something you know will fit well. won’t chafe, won’t dig in to your skin, and won’t cause any kind of irritation – physically or mentally. You don’t want to keep having to adjust underpants that creep up your crevices or slide down and expose said crevice. You don’t want to have to keep adjusting a should strap that is slipping or digging either. My personal preference is to cut any tags off of anything too. The least amount of things that can irritate us the better!
Apparel
Make sure that whatever shirt or tank top you wear give you enough space to move comfortably. Again, chaffing may be an issue here. Arm holes have been an issue for me in the past because of seams and chaffing. I think that it is personal preference on whether shirt or no shirt is the best choice. As is tight fitting or loose fitting top.
Bottoms is the other piece to consider, and for this one there is no choice to go bottomless! Loose fitting shorts, tight fitting shorts, capris, leggings – again, it is all going to be a personal preference based on what is the most comfortable and what causes the least amount of chaffing.
Socks and Shoes
Your choice of socks is an important one! I would not recommend rowing barefoot or with just socks on. I also would not recommend wearing shoes and no socks. Your feet are the base of everything. If your feet hurt, if you get a blister on your heel, the rest of your rowing experience is going to be quite miserable. I have several different pairs of shoes. I know that my MetCons always give me a heel blister (I think because they are a wider shoe.) My Nanos and No Bulls are great for rowing.
I have even heard that wearing Olympic Lifting shoes while rowing is beneficial. It makes sense – rowing is basically the same set up as a clean, just sitting. If you have tight ankles or find that with a bit of a raised heel you can get into a better catch position at the start – you might want to try it! (Just be sure to try it before a really long row or your event.) You also have a rock solid shoe sole to push off of. And Oly shoes are meant to fit a bit more snug, so it may reduce heel blisters too! Just make sure that the foot paddle is set a notch lower than you normally would use so that you don’t put too much tension on the Achilles tendon when you are fully extended.
Whatever sock and shoe combination you choose, make sure they work for you. I know what brand socks to wear with which shoes when I row long distances. I like a thicker ankle sock to cushion my feet without worrying about losing the sock down in my shoe. I get very sweaty, so I want to make sure my socks can handle the volume of moisture without causing chaffing and blisters. I want my shoes to fit well and to be tied tight enough to not slip, but not too tight to be uncomfortable as you row and your feet sweat and possibly swell.
Hands
You may or may not find hand blisters to be an issue. And worse case would be a callus tear while you are rowing! Gloves may be a good option. Chalk may also work for you. Make sure you keep a good solid grip on the handle. When tired, people tend to have a looser grip. Again, thousands of pulls on that handle and over time anything that is loose and can rub and chafe will cause problems an hour in. Don’t let yourself get sloppy with your form and technique at any time!
Tooshie
Last but not least, let’s think about that toosh! You will be sitting on a hard plastic seat for a very long time. Your sitz bones may get sore and your hamstrings will likely hurt from the front of the seat. You may want to try and cushion the rower seat, but be careful that whatever you do doesn’t end up causing more issues. A thin towel/wash cloth might be enough. I have even seen people use bubble wrap for some padding.
Also be sure to hydrate well and take short breaks as needed. But remember that the rowing monitor will automatically turn off, so be sure to keep break shorts or have someone nearby that can keep an eye on the monitor and keep it active by simply pushing the Change Display button.
Want to test all this tips and tricks? Join us for our MOVIE (and) MARATHON Row on Saturday, March 7th!