Facial Tension?

[Nosmo]

Why do so many rowers have so much tension in their faces? That gets translated in to tension in the neck and shoulders. You would never see this among runners for example. Seems like bad coaching to me.

[sandor]

since so many middle distance races seem to not actually start until the last lap...

this is just a random google search for a 5 km finish (US Oly trials). thats a lot of grimacing.
now imagine if they raced the entire 5 km at that output.

hi-res-6df8977b36d2546ec7538c8fb1204367_crop_north.jpg (41.08 KiB) Viewed 1451 times

and, specifically, looking at the runners in the background

WC2015_5000M_Farah.jpg (52.7 KiB) Viewed 1449 times

[caustic]

I think it's a sub-conscious, or partially-conscious reaction to being forced to endure a highly stressful event. My guess is that many coaches just don't care about what a rower is doing with their face. I was coached to try to maintain a neutral face as much as possible, because grimacing actually would interfere with a good breathing rythmn.

[KitD]

Why do so many rowers have so much tension in their faces? That gets translated in to tension in the neck and shoulders. You would never see this among runners for example. Seems like bad coaching to me.

You've caught Synek mid-stroke there. What does he do on the recovery? The pattern of work application is very different between running and rowing.

[ex 1x2x4x]

Look at the buoys...he's got to be within the first 250 and I'd bet that picture is within the first 5 or 10 strokes. That's not tension, that's focus. You see it all the time in single-scullers at the start.

[bd_sculler]

I thought of this thread when I came across this in Frank Cunningham’s book (the Sculler at Ease, page 59)

---“Relax.” I crooned the word. I tried to mesmerize my student into a sleep-like state that would allow her to move virtually unconsciously and therefore efficiently. We produced three or four strokes that didn’t roll the boat or pull it to one side or the other. It seemed a good moment to stop and consider how we achieved this. Did she notice the good strokes? “Yes.” Was she aware of why they were better than the others? “Not exactly.” Was she, then more relaxed? “Yes,” she said, “I relaxed my jaw.”

[Nosmo]

Glad to hear it.

I don't buy that it doesn't matter. What I see in the runners is extreme pain at the end of a race. Compare to 100m runners where you can see the facial skin just bounce with each step. Synek is puffing out his checks at the beginning. That is adding tension and inhibiting exhaling. It is effort but it is not focus. He is good enough and is probably only doing it on one or two strokes so he can get a way with it now and then.

[Tarecos]

Looking at the puddles in the photo of Synek, it could have been his second stroke which would probably be at close to his max power output. It appears to me he was doing the Valsava maneuver for the first few strokes and then relaxed after.