Product Update

Monthly Special

Guest Column

Training Tip

Introduction

Recipe of the Month

Product Update

New Bumper Protocol

Big news from NK - Beginning this month, every single NK control unit will be sold with a protective bumper of YOUR COLOR CHOICE! This means that with your order of Stroke Coach, Speed Coach, Interval, or Cox Box, you can choose from any of our 11 great colors to personalize your gear. Maybe you're a fiery gal and you want to display your enthusiasm in bright red. Maybe you're a stylish, confident guy who's not afraid to have a little pink in his ensemble. Or maybe you just want to show off your school or club pride and match your bumper to your team's colors. Any way you slice it, we have a flavor to suit your taste. Check out our full line of color choices here.

Monthly Special

Free Impeller!

Buy any SpeedCoach Red, Gold or XL with any wiring harness and get an impeller with hull mount FREE!

Offer valid for orders placed July 1 through July 31, 2009. No limits.

Guest Column

"Do You Have an 'itis'?"

You've heard the terms, you've felt the symptoms, and you've heard all kinds of remedies, but do you understand what it all means? A medical condition that ends with "itis" means inflammation. In order to have inflammation of a body part, there must be a blood supply, thus inflammation can also be described as an increased blood flow to an area.

Tendonitis is the most commonly used "itis" term, and is used to describe inflammation of a tendon. Tendons attach muscle to bone, while ligaments attach bones to bones and also may hold tendons in place. Healthy muscles have a great blood supply, and so do their tendons. Ligaments, however, have a very small blood supply and the blood vessels do not run through the ligaments but instead are on the outside of the tissue. Ligaments do not get inflamed; they can be over-stretched (causing laxity or a loose joint), partially torn, and completely torn. Tendons are much more like muscles, they have blood vessels running through them, and irritants, such as over use, can cause tendonitis. Tendonitis usually presents itself as pain at or near a joint, when the related muscle is contracted. When palpated, a tendon may feel "crunchy" instead of rubbery.

Bursitis is an inflammation of a bursa. Bursae are small sac like structures made of connective tissue, and they contain fluid that acts like a lubricant when tendons glide through their protective sheathes. Think of bursae as supplying the WD40 to your joints as needed.

So, now that you understand what's going on, I know you want to fix it! The quickest fix will occur when you detect the problem early, do not ignore it. Ice and rest will help initially, along with over the counter NSAIDS (non-steriodial anti-inflammitory drugs) such as ibuprofen. For you hard-heads out there - the ones that think the pain will go away if you ignore it - treatments may be more involved and require a visit to an orthopedist or sports medicine doctor. A little ice and rest can go a long way!

by Merrill Hilf PT

Guest Column

Perspective from the Top:
Even the Best Can Improve

After the Beijing Olympics I had a major decision to make. While training for the Games, I only focused on that one goal - there was nothing else. But once it was over I was smacked full in the face with my procrastination. Was my time with the National Team over? Would this be my one and only Olympics? Was it time to move on?

I decided to take some time off to figure things out. When I finally came back to Princeton, I met up with some teammates who had already made their decisions. Some had decided to hang up the oar and others decided to give it another four years. Surely speaking with these guys would help me find my answer. Each guy had their own reasons for their decisions. Most were long and complicated. They, like me, had tried to weigh all the pros and cons of another four years in the system. Each guy had a different rationale that could fill volumes and was difficult for me to get my head around.

Finally, I approached the last guy on my team. He had the most simple and succinct answer: "unfinished business." It was plain and simple, and it made me realize what I was missing. In all my deliberations, I was just making things more complicated for myself. I just needed to simplify and answer the question, "Do I want to continue to row?"

This brings me to the point of my little blurb. We as coxswains have the uncanny ability to make everything a little more complicated. I am no different. Whether making calls in a race, developing a race plan, or simply directing guys and gals around the boathouse, we can often over do it.

Every coxswain with whom I have spoken does this, or has done this, in the past. It is often the thing that detracts from our main goal. Our skills and achievements get muddled by these mistakes and diminish our overall value in the boat. Complicated calls and race plans are easily confused and fumbled. "Do I want to continue to row?" The answer is simple: "YES!" If it is something that I want to do, I will figure out a way. The how and why are not as important as the drive and want.

So I have been trying to apply that simple psychology more and more since my return. I believe it has helped and is making me a better coxswain. My athletes respond more precisely, my coaches appreciate the time savings, and it allows me to focus on the other important parts of my job. It's always tempting to over-complicate situations, especially in the heat of the moment. But next time you find yourself getting stuck on the details or confusing the point with semantics, consider resetting and taking the simpler path. It may be the decision that saves the day.

Marcus McElhenney - Marcus has been the Men's 8+ coxswain since 2005. He has won numerous World Championship medals and is now also an Olympic medalist. He is a Temple alumni and currently resides in Princeton NJ.

Tech Review:

iErg

iErg logo is a trade mark of iErg

The folks at NK would like to introduce you to a new product from another company in the rowing world. We were recently sent a sample of the new iErg and were asked for an honest opinion. I gave it a ride, and I must say it's the simplicity of the product that makes it so valuable.

The iErg, just like the hundreds of other products with a lower-case "i" in front of them, is made to accommodate users of Apple's iPod. However, my suspicion is that it will work with most other mp3 players on the market as well. The iErg is a cover that easily slips on the seat of a C2 erg and provides an easy-access pouch for stashing an iPod. This solves the problem that most of us have encountered while erging with earphones - how to make the iPod move with you! I’ve tried a lot of alternatives in the past, resting it on a strategically-placed chair, stowing it in my uni, or using an arm-band. My iPod inevitably fell off the chair, malfunctioned after getting sweated on in the uni, and just got in my way with the arm band! The iErg is a great compromise that allows for quick and easy setup as well as protection for your expensive electronics.

The iErg is also made of an easy-to-clean-and-won't-smell-funky marine material that is easy to rinse off. As I said, simplicity is key with this product. Check them out online at: www.dropbeatsdropsplits.com for more information or to get yours.

Recipe of the Month:

Kitchen Sink Optional

For some of us it's hard enough to cram a row or an erg into our busy schedules. For others who are training at the top level, it's hard to fit much else OTHER THAN rowing into the day. No matter where you fall, a critical part of your schedule must include proper nutrition. It's easy to get stuck in a rut, and we've all found ourselves staring down at yet another pot of penne and a jar of Prego. The purpose of this column is to provide some great recipes that are not only quick and easy, but also provide a balanced meal to help fuel up before your next date with the water, erg, or gym. To kick things off, I'll share with you one of my old standby recipes that is healthy and super easy. Additionally, this recipe can easily be modified to accommodate your tastes or whatever you have in the fridge.

Recipe

- 1 lb whole wheat pasta (you choose the shape)
- 1 lb turkey sausage (usually 5-6 sausages per pack)
- 1/2-3/4 lb mushrooms (your choice, but cremini and shitaki work great)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 oz feta cheese

Bring a copious amount of water to a boil for the pasta. Instead of watching said pot of water (it will never boil), fire up a generous-sized frying pan with a dash of olive oil. Cut a slit lengthwise in each turkey sausage and remove the meat from the casing. Add the meat to the pan and break it up into small pieces with a utensil of your choice. When the sausage is close to cooked (about 5 minutes), add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté with the sausage for 3-5 minutes. By this time you should have a rolling boil in your pot; add your pasta of choice (mine is the twisty kind) and cook according to the instructions. To the pan, add the frozen peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the pan to low to keep warm. When the pasta is cooked to your desired doneness, drain and transfer back to the pot. Dump the contents of the pan into the pot and mix into the pasta. Add the parmesan cheese and olive oil and mix. Serve in large bowls and top with crumbled feta cheese (6oz should cover 3-4 servings). Voila! A great feature of this recipe is that it can be modified to your taste or the contents of your fridge. I've substituted frozen broccoli or brussel sprouts, tried lots of different 'shrooms, and have used ground turkey in a pinch.

The nutritional benefits of this recipe are as follows:

Whole wheat pasta is infinitely healthier than white pasta, as complex carbohydrates are metabolized more slowly, providing long term energy supplies. White pasta is quickly metabolized into simple sugars and the body reacts in a similar fashion to consuming a large amount of sugar - a quick energy spike followed by a crash. Excess sugars also encourage production of fat stores. Turkey sausage is a great alternative to pork sausage, with significantly lower amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. Feta cheese is high in sodium and like any other cheese, has its fair share of fat. However, feta is incredibly flavorful and as a result, the amount you need is very low. Compare this with the amount of mild cheddar cheese that you might add to a Mexican dish and you'll quickly see the nutritional benefits of using a more potent cheese when you cook.

Think you've got a great recipe to share? Send it our way and we'll cook it up in our NK test kitchen. If we deem it healthy, tasty, and easy enough for an athlete to make, we'll put it in our next newsletter. You'll get the satisfaction of sharing your knowledge with the world, and we'll even send you some lovely NK gear to say thanks.

Have something to say? Share an inspiring story, technical knowledge, or an interesting article. In return for an article that we publish in the newsletter, you will recieve a 10% discount on any one item from the NK Store.
Submit your articles to: newsletter@nkhome.com

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