The Circle of Life (Part II) - A Riddle and Learning new tasks

One point of neurological interest to me is how fast humans can learn a new task.  This is all in the name of increasing my ability to learn "proper" technique in rowing (whatever this is).  With proper focus and attention along with the right coaching it looks like a new task can be replicated quite quickly using something called rapid instructed task learning (RITL) or "rittle". Using two tactics the brain adapts to the new step by step way to learn; first by mimicking another person with imitation and secondly by verbal instruction. In this Blog Article MW Cole explains the process in detail.

So, If I watch a whole bunch of previous Olympic and World Championship rowing on YouTube I will be able to internalize the techniques I want to mimic.  Next, I need to have a very accurate and verbal coach to keep focused on replicating the skills that I would like to have as permanent.  It seems fairly straight forward but after a few years of hyperfocus I'm still in a position of needing many technique tips to work on. When will it be enough!?  I think the answer to that is.... never. This is, however, more related to the long term enjoyment, benefit, and value of sport I have talk about previously.

In a recent book on success, by Malcom Gladwell, it is often mentioned the "10,000 hour rule" claiming to have success in any field is a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours.  I think Gladwell has the right idea, but it is more than just slogging through a certain number of hours doing the same thing. I feel it takes conscious focus while doing the activity - but then unconscious focus while going through the rest of the day not doing the specific activity.   When I was a student, I liked to re-write my class notes into something more understandable to me (also something that was legible).  Similarly with rowing, I like to write out the skills learned each day/week to make sure I'm keeping fresh and mentally stimulated with learning the new techniques.  When I look back at the pages of notes I have jotted down, I have gone over the same six things a bakers'-dozen times;  the catch with hand levels, leg drive first & no body open, strong finish etc. etc. ad infinitum. 

The transfer of information of this learned skill first starts at the brain and follow the Central nervous system (CNS).  The nerve signal full of information travels down the spinal cord then synapses onto a peripheral nerve and sending the signal at last to the muscle.  The final result of the cascade of events occurs at the motor end plate where a very specific muscle firing pattern causes physical motion of the legs/body/arms thus causing a efficient and effective movement  ie. the rowing stroke.  All this happens, in the biggest nerves, about 1/100th of a second, or traveling at 100 meters/second. Fast! Now, I want to make sure this very speedy nerve impulse is the RIGHT ONE inducing correct rowing technique.


In the next few weeks I want to spend time exploring and documenting what I feel is a perfect rowing stroke. That is why I'm here, right?   This may take a while actually find out... stay tuned.

The Circle (of Life) Part 1 - Neurological Plasticity and Hebbian Learning

I had an interesting discussion with my coach recently about the effectiveness of technique practice. As I'm sure you know, any learned activity takes time to perfect and will need constant attention to keep the skills reinforced.

(Vicious) Cycle for eternity - A Google Sketch-up document

This is, however, much easier said than done; I usually go through a constant cycle of a) Pseudo-perfect (GROUND): thinking it is excellent when in actual fact bad technique  b) total destruction of technique and re(BUILDING) and finally c) bringing it all together with proper technique and focus all through a continuous cycle of learning and growing towards almost(PERFECTION).

I think of it as Tiger Woods re-learning his golf swing (not the womanizing swing). I found out that even though he already won the Masters' green jacket with his original swing, he wanted to be better/stronger/faster at his chosen sport. After re-tooling his golf swing he subsequently won many more championships and Masters jackets. This may apply to a technique specific sport like rowing...(and swimming or even curling for that matter) For me, in my amateur status, I'd like to think I'm working towards perfection but it seems I'm always going through "the cycle" shown above.


For two weeks in February we had no coach directly observing us and giving us tips. It was a nice time to focus on the workouts without getting the constant patter of technique pointers. I find out now, three months later, that in those two weeks and beyond I have ingrained poor technique which has become reinforced by thousands of repetitions.  Only now am I realizing that it was incorrect technique, so I not only need to get rid of those old habits but re-ingrain new "correct" technique. What is correct technique?

I have been very interested in this line of ingraining physical motions into habit and creating a learned activity.  I opened up my medical text books to refresh my memory on neuroanatomy and physiology. In summary, I this is what I realized:

 Neurological plasticity or Hebbian Learning is a concept discussed in advanced  nerdy circles of psychology, physiology and rehabilitation.  It roughly states that learning takes place when two areas of the nervous system connected together through the interaction of nerve cells and the more often the cells interacted the more solidly something is remembered.  So, applying this to rowing, or any technique sport for that matter, the more repetitions completed with proper technique stronger connections will develop in the nervous system.  With this technique becoming ingrained the motion will be able to be completed on autopilot and more focus can be applied to other areas of competition.  Also, less energy will be utilized in focusing on moving the body a certain way and the energy can be focused on more effective points to win a competition.

The next question I have is: what is the perfect technique for rowing!?

New Group, New Work, New Focus

The new training group at VTC is a section of under 23 teams (U23), Heavyweight Henley Royal Regatta, and the lwt World Championships boats.  There are about 20 athletes training together during the week at Elk Lake and PISE. I'm very excited about the group of rowers that have been included in our training session and very motivated to make the next level.

Training all together in the PISE Erg Centre 

Preparation for a morning row

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I still need to work to supplement my rowing addiction adventure and I spend my time working at the LifeMark Sports Medicine clinic, which is conveniently across the tarmac from the Erg Centre seen above.  I'm a chiropractor focusing on sports injuries with special attention to the soft-tissue (muscles, tendons, and connective tissue) . I feel treating these areas it is the most effective and complimentary technique to best help my patients.
I now work on T/Th afternoons in the LifeMark Westside village next to the Save On More near downtown Victoria.

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National Team Selections: World Cup II (Olympic Qualifier)

So, the official teams were selected for the World Cup (of rowing) II - the last Olympic qualifier in Lucerne, Switzerland on May 25-27. An amazing group of athletes have been put together to represent Canada in the last international race before the big games. Most of the boats have been already qualified for the London 2012 Olympics and I'm damn excited to see both events.  As you can tell, however, from the selection document, the Lwt 4- was not listed. This was the boat I was aiming a spot for - even if it was a long shot.

Now that there is no longer a chance to qualify for this upcoming Olympics I have gone through a bit of a shift in my mental focus. Actually, it has been more of a exploratory mission of what is possible.  Over the past few weeks I have gone through a range of moods from a bit confused, mad, and frustrated to more of an enjoyable feeling of confidence. I think if it now that it is more of a character building experience that I never knew I could get so close to my top goals.  The next adventures I go through I will take away this as a lesson learned, not without struggle, and build upon it. Also, I have made some good friends and connections.

I have now re-focused with the rest of the lwt group to the 2012 World Championships - Plovdiv, Bulgaria on August, 15-19.  We will have some selections for the team in the middle to end of June and then solid training up until the Aug. 6th departure.  I hope I have the "stuff" to make it.

Who knew I put in on backwards?  The swirling wind,  relative humidity, and the third race in 24hrs all were contributing factors in the unplanned event of wearing my old club team's colours the wrong way. 

This past weekend the lwt 4- lwt 8+ group headed over to Burnaby, BC for a RCA sponsored Development Regatta.  It was part of the March Radar submission and also a selection for various teams including (but not limited to) U23 Worlds, Hwt European trip, and  World Juniors.  
The time-trial on Friday night was to set up position in the semifinals on Saturday morning. This meant that the Lwt's had a weigh-in on Friday evening AND Saturday morning. This is always a much debated and point of discussion among the best techniques to drop weight. 


Fast forward to the Finals on Saturday afternoon, and everything runs smoothly except the wind direction and my ability to put on clothes the right way.  In the Finals, Jamie Abbass, my rival and most intense competition pulls out ahead - actually 5 full seconds ahead. I ended up 2nd overall and 1st lwt!  I enjoyed myself immensely until I found out I had put my singlet on backwards and walked around the tarmac all proud with a puffed out chest... until Jamie pointed out the wardrobe malfunction.   I did not wear the singlet in the race due to the fact it was a borrowed shirt that had been stretched to the max  by none other than fellow VCRC Richard H. I just wanted something to represent that I originally trained with VCRC before I joined the VTC.