It's finally the race day at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, and boats taking part in all Nehru Trophy Boat Race categories are ready to pierce ahead towards the coveted silver trophy. The months leading to today (September 28, Saturday) were quite stressful, with speculations that the race would be cancelled, devoid of enough participation or support if it all happened, and more. However, the oarsmen didn't let it affect their spirit and were ultimately ready to prove their mettle. On such an exciting yet stressful day, how do they ensure they stay physically and mentally fit to give the race their all? We quiz the rowers of the major clubs to get glimpses into their tricks.
Light food and rest
Manoj P P, captain of Pallathuruthi Boat Club, says, “We start with a warm-up session. This is followed by breakfast. All the meals on the day are light. This is to ensure that we don't wast energy on digestion and maximum energy is conserved for the race.” They even avoid rice and fish, and take gentle foods that suit each others body constitution, he explains. “When not competing, the oarsmen mostly rest, as the bodies should remain fully charged when they should be on the boats,” he explains. According to Jayaprasad V of the club, the oarsmen would have their meals many hours before they enter the boat for a round. “If at all the event is around late afternoon, we would have our meals around 12.30 pm to avoid the possibility of any digestive distress,” he explains.
Mental health
Motivation sessions and de-stressing exercises are also held on the race day, even when they have been part of their months-long training. Midhun K of Kumarakom Town Boat Club says, “We will have a 15 minute motivation session, which will include meditation, breathing exercises and more before we enter the boat in the morning.” Interestingly, many will stay away from phone and social media as well. “In addition to this, people reach the venue after doing their own individual prayers, rituals, visiting temples or churches and the like. All of it help to manage the stress of the day,” Midhun says. Sumesh Kumar, captain of the team, adds, “A pep talk, highlighting the significance of the event will also be held in the morning.”