My Big challenge at the Birmingham BIRC

 By Wayne Gallasch

In July 2003, when planning my travel schedule for video taping international bodybuilding and fitness events, I noticed that the British Indoor Rowing Championships (BIRC) would take place in Birmingham on November 15, 2 weeks after the Dutch Grand Prix.  Although I'd never competed in an indoor rowing event, having only taken up the sport in March this year, it seemed like a good opportunity to train for a specific goal.  Little did I know what I was getting into!

I went to the Concept 2 website and downloaded their 2000 meter interactive training program and started serious training on August 4.  I had just 15 weeks to prepare for the big race. It was going to be tough and time was short. But I worked on the basis of giving it my best shot to see what I could achieve.

We had been hitting the weights hard since our return in March form shooting the IM and SF Grand Prix.  On that trip we also shot a second video/DVD with “Ripped” fitness guru, Clarence Bass, and this had us really fired up for our training.  He has had good success rowing just once a week as part of his overall training programme.

It was at his suggestion that I first wrote a shorter version of this report for his web site The weights programme I used was as follows:

1^st month, the Endurance Phase, all exercises done for 20 reps.

2^nd month, Strength & Endurance, all exercises done for 12 reps.

3^rd month, Strength Phase, with all exercises done for 8 reps.

After a general warm-up each exercise was done for 2 or 3 sets as follows.  In the first set, it was about 12-15 warm-up reps at a light weight.  For the heavy duty exercises such as squats, dead lift and bench press, I did 2 warm-up sets with the second warm-up set being a bit heavier and for about 6 reps.  Then the single work set of either 20, 12 or 8 reps depending on the phase.  In this work set the weight should be such that you can just manage to complete the last rep, depending on the training phase.  The all-out, peak work sets are reserved for the end of each phase only. This is after the gradual build up over the preceding weeks. It should be close to an all-out effort in these final sets. This is known as Periodization training.

Obviously the weights get progressively heavier as you work through this programme. The exact weights I used are not important as the idea is to challenge yourself and to keep increasing your weigh each week depending on whether it is an 85% week or a maximum effort week.

For the more minor exercises such as calf raises, curls, pulldowns, leg extensions etc., I did just 1 warm-up set unless it was during the strength phase with heavy weights being used for the work set.  2 different workouts were used each week with the whole body being trained each workout.  They were as follows:

Rowing training took place 6 days a week with a very light rowing session done on most weight training days.  At the end of some weight training days there was no gas left in the tank for any rowing!  We went walking instead on those days in the nearby Belair National Park.

Every rep, set and weight was recorded in the training diary.  For the last period before I left Australia for UK I changed the regular weights program to a circuit workout of 13 basic exercises each done for 1 minute with  as many reps as possible, with no rest between each exercise.  All weights were set up in advance.  2 circuits were all I could ever manage before gasping for air on the floor at the end.  But this was great for rowing endurance and my general fitness level.

Although a novice rower, I naturally wanted to see how well I could perform against the best rowers in the world in my age group (60-64LW).  Over the last 40 years or so I have always worked out and jogged and I’ve never stopped training.  But this time I was challenging myself after 21 years of retirement from all forms of sporting competition. (I played in a squash team till I was 40).

Soon it was early October, and time for me to go on the road again.  First, I was off to the UK for taping the Universe event, then over to Las Vegas for the 5 days of the Olympia, and back to UK for the English and Dutch Bodybuilding Grand Prix.  During this whole period, I went to the gym on every free day spent away from bodybuilding camerawork, primarily training on rowing plus some weights and core abdominal work.  By this point, the stress of work, constant travel, jetlag, and trying to train at a high intensity was starting to wear me down.  Not surprisingly I came down with a flu virus in Las Vegas. But I couldn’t let this stop me. I love a challenge and the BIRC was only a few days away!

  Big Event

As all indoor rowers know, the BIRC is the biggest indoor rowing event in the world! Rowers compete from many different countries, including USA and all over Europe. This year reigning Olympic on-the-water champions, James Cracknell and Mathew Pinsent joined approximately 4000 other rowers in Britain’s biggest-ever participatory indoor sports event.

In the open class, the event organizers were hoping for a repeat of the titanic battle of 2001, where Pinsent beat Cracknell by one-tenth of a second. Competition was expected to be fierce in all classes and age groups for men and women, boys and girls. 

The experienced rowers were racing for British titles, gold medals, national, world and event records.  I was simply hoping for a personal best, in what is one of the world’s toughest and most demanding endurance sports.

The highlight of my pre-competition training in the UK was rowing side by side with Nik “Big Bird” Fleming in Cambridge. Nik’s 6-feet-4 and weights around 220lbs or more.  In 2002, he won the world championships in the Over-30 heavyweight class.  He was a wonderful inspiration, and gave me a number of tips.  In particular, he emphasized 5 magic words: Stick to your race plan.

Friday afternoon, the day before the race, I arrived in a cold and very wet Birmingham from Northumberland.  I went straight from the BIRC event hotel to check out the NIA venue and look for their weigh-in area to check on my weight.  No problem, scales were being set up in the downstairs warm-up and weigh-in area.  I breathed a sigh of relief, as I was a pound under the 165 lb (75kg) lightweight limit.

I counted the number of warm-up machines: 76 Concept 2 Model C rowers, with the new style “D” handle.  Next to the warm-up section was the massage area.  I also checked out the main race arena where the trade booths were being set up and the race machines were being wired to the computers, TV control center and big screen.

One-hundred-and-twenty of the new Model D rowers were numbered and set up in 6 rows of 20 machines.  The first two rows A & B (40 ergs) were wired back to the control position and TV area, where any 17 per row could be switched to the big screen display.

Back at the hotel, there were 6 rowing machines set up by Concept 2 for practice.  This was the first time I’d seen the new Model D, so I tested the drag on the new monitor (which was simple to operate) and rowed a few strokes to get the feel of the new machine.  Many other rowers were working up quite a sweat, including some from the British Olympic rowing squad.

I had a light evening meal, to be sure to make weight the next morning, while I envied the heavyweight rowers next to me who were dispatching huge plates of food high in carbohydrates.  In bed at 10 o’clock, I had a reasonably good night’s sleep ready for the big day. 

After training every day I took my various supplements and also enjoyed a large protein drink.  It was of extreme importance to top up glycogen levels within 1 hour of completing my exercise.

RACE DAY

Up at 6.30, I ate my own muesli breakfast mix, then whole grain toast and black coffee, and was all set for the race.  I took the 15 minutes walk to the venue via the famous ICC, registered and went straight down to the weigh-in area.  I was only 73.9Kg and wished I had eaten more carbs the night before.  Still, better to be safe than sorry, because the weigh-in is two hours or less before your race time.  (If I could’ve weighed-in on rising at the event hotel, a much more substantial breakfast could have been enjoyed.  This would have been more sensible in my opinion and I hope it will be a new rule next year.)

The massage table now beckoned. My masseuse not only knew her job well, she also put me through an excellent stretching session. Time was flying, so I hydrated, ate a small apple and now it was time for my warm-up on one of the few vacant machines nearby, followed by my final stretching.  My UK Internet coach, Noel Frost, had instructed me to warm-up at a nice steady pace for 10 minutes, till I raised a sweat.  No speed bursts or practice starts, just a nice easy warm-up, with all energy being conserved for the race.  I was glad I followed this advice, because I felt relaxed, strong and confident when I sat on rower #C2 (third row, second machine), waiting for the starter’s instructions.  

  Wayne, rowing hard. Excellent position. Looking good.

The final five minutes to race time flew by, no time for nerves. I adjusted the monitor, read my notes on what to remember under pressure, gave my race plan instructions to the cox sitting behind my machine, strapped in, and then it was “5-4-3-2-1-ROW!!”  The race seemed like a blur, until my cox called out “only 300 meters to go.”  I lifted my stroke rate and gave it absolutely everything I had--and prayed for the last 100 meters to count down; then the finish, and a feeling of relief and elation.  

Relaxed and happy after the race.

All went exactly to plan, I rowed faster in each 500 meters of the race achieving negative splits, hit my target time of 7-minutes 30-seconds on the dot--10 seconds better than my previous best.  Managed sixth place which was also the highest I had hoped to achieve, based on the known previous times of the other competitors.

I was very happy with the final 300m sprint, although it just failed to take me under the 7:30 barrier.  That is now the challenge for next time.

  Friendly Aftermath

After receiving confirmation of my sixth-place finish, it was time to call my wife Tina back in Australia with the results and all the news from the event.  I finally had time to relax, watch the other races and chat with some of the various medal winners in the other classes.  It was especially good to meet Roger Bangay, an elite British rower--he placed second by 1.1 seconds in the 65-69 lightweight class--whose help and training advice over the last 3 months has been invaluable.

Wayne enjoys a few minutes with Silver Medallist and mentor Roger Bangay.

I was also thrilled to see Cambridge training friend Nik Fleming row twice, first for 14^th place in the Open Class, and then 1st in the 35-39HW age group. 

Sadly, the day finally came to an end.  For me, competing in the BIRC was like playing tennis at Wimbledon, as an amateur.  It was an experience of a lifetime.  Where else can you rub shoulders with Olympic champions such as Pinsent, Cracknell, and Sir Steve Redgrave, gold medal winner in five consecutive Olympics.

I spoke briefly with Rich “Ranger” Cureton of the USA, who won the Noel Frost Millennium Cup as best rower in the competition.  Rich, 52, set a new lightweight world record in his class of 6:28:0.  What an inspiration! The enormous power he generates is nothing short of amazing. 

I also met Charles Mays, publisher of Ultra Fit Magazine at his booth. As far as I know we were the only 2 Australians rowing in the event.

Now back to training for next year’s BIRC. I can’t wait to do it all again and next year place higher.

In closing, there are a number of people I want to thank. First, Clarence Bass of USA for inspiring and encouraging me to take up indoor  rowing.  My very special thanks to Tina for coaching, excellent cooking, nutritional advice, and sharing many grueling gym sessions with me; Noel Frost for great coaching advice along with help from fellow Brits, Nik Fleming, Roger Bangay and John Batten.  

Nik Fleming was a wonderful inspiration and role model in training.  Lance Robson of The Bradford Leisure Club in Northumberland, and his business partner Robbie Redpath for their support while I stayed with them for intensive training prior to the event. My thanks also to my supplements sponsor MRM of the UK for their generous support and to the Fitness Warehouse, Adelaide, for our Concept 2 rowers.

Finally, my thanks to Dick Rossan and Clive Jaques for getting me to training sessions while I was on the road and working under the greatest pressures. All of you have made my participation in the BIRC not only possible, but  extremely enjoyable. It was one of the most enjoyable and satisfying days of my life.

(For more information on the BIRC, visit www.concept2.co.uk.)

In the photo below I am with 60-64LW class winner Phil Stubley.