15 Years and Still Rowing Stronger
October 28, 2010
Rower Jan Stone wins first single’s title at
the 2010 Head of the Charles
By YASEMIN WATKINS, Thurs Oct 28, 2010
Some stories are constantly unfolding.
When rower Jan Stone won two events (W1X and W8+) at the 2010 FISA World Rowing Masters Championship last August, we (at Coach Kaehler), hesitated to post her write-up. We felt that Stone’s story was still developing: that there was yet more to tell.
And there was.
Last weekend, at the 2010 Head of the Charles, Stone hoisted her first Witte trophy for her win in the Senior Veteran Singles event. Held in Boston, MA, the Head of the Charles (HOCR) is the world’s largest two-day head race. The regatta attracts over 8,000 athletes from around the world, who compete in 55 different races.
Stone turned 70 this year. 2010 marked her 10th year straight rowing in the regatta in the singles category.
And she’s just getting started.
Jan Stone 2010 HOCR Awards
Stone, who together with her husband Harold, split their time between Princeton NJ and Bellevue WA, first started rowing in 1995 with the Carnegie Lake Rowing Association (CLRA). Although she learned to scull in her first season, it wasn’t until five years later that she purchased a single, and gradually shifted her focus from sweep rowing to sculling.
The transition went smoothly. For 15 years, Stone enjoyed “a relatively injury-free career with only a few over-use injuries.” Naturally flexible, her conditioning routine included regular yoga classes, “low-level lifting” and plenty of additional stretching “to stay loose.”
Her approach to training was about to change however, when she attended USRowing’s Fantasy Camp in 2009, and listened to guest speaker Coach Kaehler’s presentation on Body-Balanced conditioning.
Stone started to reconsider the routine she had followed for years.
“I realized then that just working out in general is not good enough,” said Stone. “I was immediately persuaded by Bob’s discussion on how one must know one’s own weak areas and work first on those, before strength training can be really effective. “
“I wanted to see more improvements from my strength training,” added Stone.
No longer satisfied with her current routine, she consulted Kaehler for a Body Balance evaluation.
“I was very surprised on how specific it was,” said Stone of Kaehler’s evaluation. “His comments about my weaknesses resonated perfectly with my own perceptions. He gave me a few focused stretches and exercises; enough that I have kept with them and incorporated them into my regular workouts.”
“I noticed improved posture and core strength more quickly than I expected. And that encouraged me to hold onto and extend my improvements.”
One improvement led to another.
“These improvements freed me to focus on the finer points of sculling, such as technique,” added Stone.
Stone is quick to extend additional credit to coach Steve Dani at the Pocock Training Center, for helping her refine her sculling technique, as well as her training counselor Marlene Royle.
Stone’s refined conditioning program, combined with her commitment and hard work paid off over and over again in a stellar 2010 season, culminating with a career-topping win at the Head of the Charles.
I asked Stone how she celebrated her win-of-a-lifetime. “Thrilled” with her win, Stone answered in her usual low-key, under-stated manner, “I celebrated my HOCR victory with an egg sandwich at a favorite grill … then helped my hosts’ daughters break in their plasma bikes. Later there was a bottle of very good wine.”
A win at the Charles is a tough act to follow. But I couldn’t resist asking the burning question all the same: what now Jan Stone?
“After a short break, I will move into my winter training, concentrating on maintaining and improving my strength and endurance,” she answered. “I want to stay healthy and strong, and keep rowing for a very long time.”
Naturally.
Watch for more celebratory egg sandwiches as Stone’s exceptional story continues to unfold on the water.
Coach Kaehler and his team congratulate Stone on her inspiring 2010 Charles win!
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