Rowing

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London Rowing Club Embankment, Putney SW15 1LB
Tel - 020 8788 0666
www.londonrc.org.uk
Nearest Tube: Putney Bridge (Wimbledon branch of District Line)

Vesta Rowing Club Embankment, Putney SW15 1LB
Tel - 020 8788 0326
Nearest Tube: Putney Bridge (Wimbledon branch of District Line)

Sons of the Thames Rowing Club Tel - 020 8748 1841
Linden House, Upper Mall, Hammersmith, W6 9TA (Ravenscourt Tube, District Line)

Rowing is a demanding sport, which requires whole-body muscular strength, as well as cardiovascular fitness. Why not hire a personal trainer in London to get you into your best shape possible for rowing, together with a nutrition programme to support your goals? And meanwhile, spend some time on the Concept 2 rowing machine at the gym, it's a great form of cardio and builds muscle if you row fast at level 10.

Barnes Bridge Ladies Rowing Club Civil Service Boathouse, Dukes Meadows, Chiswick, W4 2SH
Nearest Train Station: Barnes Bridge

Globe Rowing Club 11 - 13 Crane Street, Greenwich SE10 9NP
Nearest Tube: North Greenwich (Jubilee Line)

Poplar Blackwall & District Rowing Club The Boat House, Ferry Street, Cubitt Town, Isle of Dogs E14 3DT
email: enquiries (at) pbdrc (dot) co (dot) uk

Cygnet Rowing Club Civil Service Boathouse, Dukes Meadows, Chiswick, W4 2SH
Enquiries: 020 8994 0025

Thames Rowing Club Putney Embankment (between Festing Road and Rotherwood Road), SW15 1LB
Nearest Tube: Putney Bridge (District Line)

Auriol Kensington Rowing Club 14 Lower Mall, Hammersmith, W6 9DJ

The Boat Race

Here's some facts and figures about the world famous Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race:

Who won the 2011 Boat Race? Oxford won, in 17 minutes and 32 seconds (3 seconds faster than Cambridge's victory last year)

How long is the Boat Race course? 4 miles 374 yards.

When was the first ever Boat Race? 1829.

How many dead heats have there been in the Boat Race? Only once, in 1877.

Who won the 2010 Boat Race? Cambridge won by 1.3 lengths, in a time of 17 minutes 35 seconds.

What is fastest ever Boat Race? The course record is 16 minutes 19 seconds, won by Cambridge in 1998.

How many strokes does it take on average? Approx 600 strokes to complete the course.

Where can I get the best views of the Boat Race? Putney Bridge (the start of the race), Putney Embankment, Bishops Park, Hammersmith, Barnes, Dukes Meadows, Chiswick Bridge (the finish).

Were there any Londoners in the 2010 Boat Race squads? Yes, Ben Myers (Kingston-upon-Thames) for Oxford, and Henry Pelly for Cambridge (Henry aims to make the next GB Olympic Team)

Rowing for Fitness

I used to train in a gym in Tufnell Park, north London, where one of the personal trainers said to me, "if you want to get fit, get rowing."

He was talking about the Concept 2 rowing machine that I was strapping myself into during one of our personal training sessions, but the principle applies two-fold when you're out on the water, rowing for real. The rowing machine in the gym is easier to get the hang of, and a bit more convenient. Yet most people don't make use of it, which is a shame because it's one of the best pieces of kit in the gym for overall strength and fitness.

Try interval training: row for 5 minutes at moderate pace, then alternate 1 minute fast/1 minute slow, for as long as you can. Then cooldown with 5 mins slow. You'll probably find you can only do 3 fast minutes at first, so build up the length of your interval training over time. If 1 minute fast is too much for you, begin with 30 seconds fast/1 minute slow. To add intensity, reduce the slow portion to 30 seconds.

You only have to look at the Oxford and Cambridge rowing squads to see how fit they are. Rowing gives you a combination of cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, and muscle growth from the resistance of oar against water. It's a real whole-body workout, and if you row regularly, you will get fit.