Adventura Magazine: Andrew Byrnes

MAGAZINE: Adventura, Fall 2009
TITLE: “Train like a pro”

NAME: Andrew Byrnes
WEBSITE: Twitter @andrewbyrnes
SPORT: Rowing
OLYMPIC HISTORY: Beijing 2008 – Gold in the Men’s 8+

FAVOURITE OUTDOOR SPOT TO TRAIN: “Elk Lake in Victoria, BC is my home base. We put in a lot of miles there. We are on the lake at least twice a day, six days a week. There have been battles fought on that lake stroke by stroke. Some of them I have won, some I have lost — I think all of them have made me stronger as an athlete. My teammates and I have put a lot of blood and sweat in to that lake and there is no doubt that it is that training that made us Olympic champions. The most beautiful and impressive place we train is our European training center outside Milan, Italy. The lake is almost always calm, the weather is warm and the scenery is beautiful.

PRO ADVICE: As a “pro” athlete, everybody is going to be training hard. A catch phrase from our team has been ‘to achieve what others don’t, you have to do what others won’t.’ If you want to be at the top, you are going to have to train harder than everyone else. We train three times per day, six days a week. That kind of volume is what you need to be a top competitor in a sport like rowing. And it is not just about how many hours you spend — it’s about how hard you can push yourself during those hours.

GOTTA HAVE GEAR: Two things I can’t live without: For winter, a tight-fitted fleece and lycra vest. It keeps the torso warm in the cold wind, rain, and snow, but lets me move my arms without being bulky. Year round, my Nike Dry Fit socks. You wear them, wring them out in the sink, and they are basically dry again and ready to go. Great for training while traveling.

PLAYLIST:

Against me “Thrash Unreal”
MIA “Paper Planes”
Kid Cudi “Day ‘n’ Night”
Green Day “Anything”
Weezer “Perfect Situation”

YOU, IN THREE WORDS: “Never ever stops”