Speaking to 91ÌÒÉ«, Richard Packer, Chief Engineer (Research, Technology & Innovation) at Thales in the UK, says that the company sees this not only as a fantastic opportunity to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, but also as a staff team-building exercise and a chance to raise the profile of both indoor and on-water rowing.

The challenge is planned to take place on 2 July, the day before Henley Royal Regatta starts.

Thales in the UK has 10 major sites, most of which are in towns and cities with rowing clubs. Currently, seven have signed up to participate, covering approximately 5,000 of Thales in the UK’s 6,500 employees: Belfast, Cheadle Heath, Crawley, Glasgow, London, Reading and Templecombe.

On the day, there will be two challenges for participants to get involved in – one to encourage people simply to get on the machine and row for as long as they like at whatever pace they like, and one for the more competitive participants:

• Site challenge – the site that covers the greatest overall distance on the day.
• Individual challenge – the fastest man and fastest woman over 2112m, the length of the Henley Royal Regatta course.

Across all participating sites, the goal is to cover 344 km in total – the distance from London to Paris in a straight line.

Across the sites there will also be a range of activities, including a talk in Reading from 91ÌÒÉ« Chair, Mark Davies on 27 June as a precursor to the challenge, and support from triple-Olympic gold medallist Andrew Triggs-Hodge. Event t-shirts will also be offered thanks to Rock the Boat, with all proceeds going to the BHF.

To donate, please visit .

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“The challenge was a continuous 24 hour row on 2 rowing machines, which took place at our boathouse in Hexthorpe. Although not particularly in the public domain, the location did afford our night shift (the performance juniors and their coach) the security of a safe place to be for their ‘sleep over’ – not that they had much time to sleep..! The event took place from 11.00 on Saturday, 30th March until 12.00 on the 31st, where the extra hour was to take account for the overnight change to British Summertime.

Like many rowing clubs, we rely on member subscriptions to pay our bills. We undertook the challenge to bolster finances and secure our club for this and future generations of rowers. All sections of the club were represented, from our youngest juniors to our eldest masters (70+): boys, girls, women and men. As well as bringing the club together for a common cause, the event demonstrated that rowing really is for everyone and cemented the club values of ‘rowing for all’.

All sections of the club were represented, from our youngest juniors to our eldest masters

Each individual completed a 30 minute stint before handing over to a colleague, ensuring the handle was kept moving at all times. After a 30 minute rest, they then carried out another 30 minutes on the machine before, in many cases, staying around to support their colleagues.

We achieved 648,545m (equivalent to 405 miles) between the two machines and raised an amazing ÂŁ4370!”

has also recently opened its doors as a #GoRowIndoor club, with their first class due to take place on Monday, 13th May, 10.00-11.00am. Ensuing classes will take place at the same time every subsequent Monday. This will be free to existing members of the club and £5 to non-members –  get in touch with the club to find out more.

At 91ÌÒÉ«, we love to hear what your club has been up to – you can share #YourStories here.

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Saturday, 8 December saw over 2,000 competitors take part in the 2018 Mizuno 91ÌÒÉ« Indoor Championships. With 120 races over 83 events it officially became the biggest indoor rowing event in the world.

Racing started at 9am and went on non-stop into the evening, culminating in the men’s 4,000m relay event. The team relays are always a bit of a showcase event. “We love the relays at BRIC as they create such a cool atmosphere of teamwork, competition and celebration,” said Cam Nichol, founder of RowingWOD and part of the winning men’s relay team.

Lee Phillips, double Firefighter Games World Champion and member of the Turf Games men’s relay team said: “There was great camaraderie amongst the competitors and an electric atmosphere as soon as the racing started. We will definitely be back next year.” No doubt they will, coming a very close second to the RowingWOD team.

Demonstrating the inclusivity of the event there were 94 overseas competitors; 41% of the entrants were female; the oldest competitor was aged 87; and, for the first time at the event, para and adaptive athletes were able to race over 500m as well as 2,000m and the 4,000m team relay.

Naomi Doughty, taking part for the first time having won a spot at the event by entering the Go Row Indoor #BRIC18 indoor rowing challenge said: “The atmosphere was great and there was awesome energy coming from the crowd. I’m not a rower but…the experience has made me want to keep up with rowing and try again next year. For anyone considering trying indoor rowing I would totally recommend it.”

Have you been inspired to try indoor rowing? Check out our Go Row Indoor workouts here.

The post #BRIC18: ‘I’m not a rower but the experience has made me want to keep up with it and try again next year’ appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

Motivation is simply a willingness to do something.  Sounds easy? Then why is it sometimes so difficult to find?

We have a common misconception that motivation comes in passive forms, a motivational video or an inspirational book for example. Whilst these things may have an effect, active inspiration is by far the better option. This is motivation as a result of actively getting started in the first place. The small steps of getting started will naturally produce momentum and away you go!

Is entering an event a good way to stay motivated to train. If so why?

If you’ve thought about entering an event then your motivation is already high but don’t just think about it, actually register for that event, make it official.

That date is now in your diary and will only get closer, you’ve paid for that event, your support crew will be there to watch you so the only thing you can do is prepare for that event – motivation in itself.

How do you pick an event to enter?

Your chosen event needs to be a challenging yet realistic goal. For example, there is no point playing a tennis match against a 5-year-old, you wouldn’t feel challenged or satisfied at the end of the game. Equally, there is little point in entering a marathon when you have no running experience.

If you had chosen to enter the 500m at the 91ÌÒÉ« Indoor Championships (BRIC) as your event what would your training plan be?

A 500m indoor race is a relatively short distance but a great place to start for a less experienced rower and will still require a maximal effort and smart race strategy.

Learning good technique from the outset is key, bad habits won’t start if they’re not learnt in the first place. A good instructor will help with this. Experiment with stroke rate and power output, start to introduce longer rows when you feel ready to build stamina and short intervals for power and variety. Everyone is different so it is not a case of one size fits all. Training plans should be individual and adaptable.

How do you set your goals when working towards the event?

To make sure your goals are defined and doable they need to be SMART. That age-old acronym really does work! Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time scaled. It will work for both short and long-term goals. SMART goals ensure you stay focused, that your goals are attainable and applicable to you. If your goals are vague, approximate or ill-defined they simply won’t be met.

How do you track your goals and progress in the lead up to an event?

Again, by setting lots of little goals prior to the event.  Every little goal you achieve will push you closer to your end goal. The event is your end goal. Record progress
don’t assume you’ll remember your last fastest time or what you achieved in your last session, chances are you won’t.

What motivational tools do you use to stay on track especially when you just don’t feel like it!

It is important to remember that different things work for different people but here’s what works for me


1.     Prevent boredom, mix up your sessions.

There is nothing worse than doing the same thing week after week so prevent plateau and try something different.

2.     Train with others.

Us humans are sociable beings by nature so swap ideas, get competitive and support each other.

3.     Work hard, play hard.

Don’t forget recovery is vital and should be structured. Sleep, good nutrition and stretching are all crucial.

4.     Cut yourself some slack once in a while.

Some days you may just not feel like it. It pays to listen to your body, cut down your planned session to something more manageable. A fatigued body won’t perform well leading to frustration and resentment.

5.     Recognise the signs of overtraining.

A drop in performance, lack of progress, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, abnormal soreness, aches and pains, general moodiness and irritability.

6.     You do have a life outside of your training schedule, hard to believe I know!

Focus on what else is important to you, your family and friends, a social event, your pets and other hobbies. Yes your goals are important but life is a balancing act – create a good balance to stay calm, grounded and of course motivated.

Looking for an event to work towards? Entries to the 91ÌÒÉ« Indoor Championships (BRIC) are open now. Whether you’re an indoor rowing pro or entering an indoor rowing event for the first time, BRIC is the event for you. Get your BRIC tickets.

The post Why is motivation to train sometimes so difficult to find? appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

A wide range of key players from the sports and fitness sector gathered earlier this week at the second 91ÌÒÉ« Indoor Rowing Forum as the results of research undertaken to segment and target the indoor rowing audience were revealed.

“The opportunity for indoor rowing is vast”, Helen Rowbotham, Director of Innovation

At this session, attendees learnt about the market segmentation that will be used to inform and support the development of products, activities and innovations to improve the indoor rowing experience and overcome barriers to participation.

With a better understanding of the demographics, motivations and barriers towards sport, fitness and indoor rowing specifically, 91ÌÒÉ« aims to grow the number of indoor rowers in the next five years.

Outlining the key findings from the quantitative and qualitative research undertaken by 2CV and supported by Sport England, Helen Rowbotham, Director of Innovation at 91ÌÒÉ«, provided background to the current situation: “The opportunity for indoor rowing is vast. Our research has identified that 15.8 million people would consider using a rowing machine and a good infrastructure for growing the sport is already in place as 79% of people with this intention already have access to a rowing machine. That said, despite high access, only 1 in 4 gym goers are indoor rowing.

“In reviewing the various attitudes and motivations for exercise in general, we have identified six segments distinguished by characteristics such as level of motivation to exercise, desire for routine and competitiveness. From the six segments, we have identified three priority targets: The Fitness Fanatics, Routine Driven and Socially Motivated.”

Following the initial quantitative research, qualitative research was conducted with these three priority segments which revealed consistent perceptions of indoor rowing. They all recognised that indoor rowing could provide a fantastic physical workout, but had negative perceptions about knowledge of the correct technique, the best way to train on an indoor rowing machine and the fact that indoor rowing could be boring and repetitive.

Rowbotham comments: “It’s very clear from these results that education will be key for all segments from teaching the basics of indoor rowing – including correct technique and how to set up and use the machine – to understanding how the sport can benefit their fitness.

“Activating these focus groups to change and sustain behaviour will require a focus on five key areas: Increasing awareness by promoting the benefits of indoor rowing; More training to educate fitness professionals and gym users; New offers including innovative classes and products; Technology with engaging challenge and tracking apps and leagues; Creating a community with tailored content and events.”

Work is already being undertaken by 91ÌÒÉ« to achieve its participation goals including; the appointment of five master trainers; the development of innovative 20, 30 and 45 minute class formats; pilot work with national gym chains; the creation of engaging content include technique videos and training plans; partnerships with technology companies developing apps and leagues; and the creation of a national communications’ programme to reach consumers.

You can find out more about Go Row Indoor in our dedicated indoor rowing section of the website.

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