HOW TO WIN A 70 MILE ROWING RACE

“It was to be the hardest work you could possibly do while sitting down and going backwards!"

— Greg Spooner, Interviewed after the race

I’m not just a Doctor of Physical Therapy…I row “a little bit” in my spare time as well.

Last year as “Team IMUA”, my teammate Thiago Silva and I raced and won the 2nd annual Seventy48 race in Seattle, WA. We trained for four months, eager to improve on last year’s 3rd place finish. We emphasized an enhanced training regimen this time around including better sleep (and more of it) and better nutrition. After 10 hours and 49 minutes, we crossed the finish line 1st, beating the 110 other human powered rowing and paddling craft.

Here’s how we won!

The race itself is not your average rowing race. It’s unsupported (minus the safety boats on course), you have to bring all your own food and gear and safety equipment to last the 48-hour maximum window, and it takes place on an active open water shipping channel. It was conceived as a “prelude” to the longer and potentially more daunting Race2Alaska, which follows just a couple days later and includes sailboats. Below are a few photos from the big day.

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