There’s banter about me being the old man, but I feel no different from my team-mates when we train
The GB men’s VIII, with Searle at number six (third from front), compete at the World Cup event at Lake Bled, Slovenia, in May (left) Olympic gold in 1992 with brother Jonny and cox Gary Herbert
just what I wanted to do but also how I wanted to do it. The wiser man in me, at 38, is prepared to say: I will trust the system and trust the head coach. It’s about seeing the bigger picture. At the moment I think my performance warrants a place as
a rower and, as long as I can continue to make improvements, I see myself competing in 2012. I also like the influence and perspective I can bring as a se-
nior player. I know how good we could be and I’m prepared to challenge us to improve, both technically and emotionally within a team dynamic. If I’m able to push myself and get good scores on the ergo rowing machine and in the boat, hopefully someone aged 23 will feel some pressure to at least equal if not better it.
How has the training changed? We do more training nowadays, but probably at less intensity. It used to be about ‘no pain, no gain’, whereas now it’s a slow building of physiology over time with fewer explosive sessions. Although there’s a lot of banter about me being the old man – my lack of flexibility and so on – I actually don’t feel any dif- ferent from my team-mates once we start training. We do a rowing session virtually every day, plus a number
of sessions on the Concept2 rowing machine each week. Then there’s core strengthening, weight training – mainly Olym- pic lifting – and cross-training on the Precor AMT, which I use mainly for low-impact work or for recovery. When you’re rowing in an eight, you’re never quite sure how hard everyone’s working. Gym work brings measurability and
Issue 4 2010 © cybertrek 2010
an ability to control the environment. I also work with a Suunto heart rate monitor so I’m specific about working in the right ranges for maximum benefit.
Is it harder to avoid injury? I certainly focus more on stretching and core stability than I used to, and I don’t play basketball or football, which is what I’d have done before for variety and fun. The new set-up also helps. I’m more singly focused on
rowing so I’m actually recovering better for each session. I use Science in Sport products nowadays too – protein shakes after training to help recovery and carbohydrate gels and drinks during training.
What are the stepping stones to 2012? It’s the small things we’re focused on right now, things in the immediate future, rather than looking too far ahead. We want to get a medal at the World Championships, so it’ll be about rowing certain times as a crew. Then, as an individual, I want to continue to make progress on the ergo and have goals around my strengths, what I need to be able to lift, and ultimately my weight and my lean muscle mass. My physiology had more or less disappeared while I was in
retirement, and when I first came back to trial for the squad, even though I’d been training myself for about four months, I only managed 6.06 minutes for a 2km ergo. I’ve now shaved 11 seconds off that – I’m pulling 5.55 – but I know I still need to do better. If we want to get a gold in the Olympics, it’ll need to be in the 40s, and I have another 11 seconds to go until I match my best ever score of 5.44. But I believe I can do that. The other aspects – the technique, knowing how to apply
the force effectively in the boat, and the mental strength to want to push myself – are all still there.
Has coming back been hard? I think that sometimes the younger generation just don’t realise how lucky they are to have this opportunity in the sport. It’s only when it’s gone that you appreciate it, and I’m just so fortunate to be able to go back and enjoy it again. It’s been an amazing journey of improvement and I’ve loved every second of it. ●
Read Sports Management online
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