Client Comments

"After rowing in a competitive sweep program for several years, I found the transition to the single rewarding, but also quite difficult. Far too often, my workouts lacked purpose and intensity. What I like best about working with Marlene is that every workout has a purpose, and is one small part of a well-conceived plan. I go into races now more confident and prepared than ever before, and my race results have improved steadily in the 16 months that I've been working with Marlene. Whenever people remark on my success over the last year, I'm always quick to credit Marlene's training program. I enthusiastically recommend her training services!"

"I couldn’t have done it without Marlene’s training and advice."

"I was making slow progress working on my own, but my workouts tended to be repetitious, and it was sometimes hard to get myself to do them.  I knew that I didn't really know what I was doing, but I didn't know what else to do.  Then a friend told me about Marlene, and his good experience with her, and I signed up.

Marlene does know what she's doing.  She tailors my workouts to my time availability.  She works me harder than I would work myself, but the workouts have variety and interest.  She includes core strength exercises that never would have occurred to me.  Plus, she's a sounding board and encouraging.

I've been with her over three years now, and the improvement in my level of fitness has been steady."

There are many comments from experienced, talented and accomplished rowers on this page. I am none of these things. I started the sport a few years ago and have been working hard to be one of those people on this page with a resume of accomplishments. As a dedicated anaerobic athlete for most of my youth, the switch to an aerobic based sport was filled with all kinds of questions and challenges about how to get into shape for this sport. Marlene and her program helped fill the holes. Her programs will work you hard, but you will see the results. I have done two winter trainings using her program. At the end of each winter training, the lactate tests have verified how much better I was getting.  I even won my first race this year at Cooper River. All credit goes to Marlene!

"Marlene Royle is a brilliant, dedicated trainer.  Her Roylerow Performance Training Programs produce phenomenal results, and reflect the kind of excellence any competitive single sculler could appreciate."

"For someone who tends to overtrain, I am so glad to have Marlene as my coach!  My performance has improved
with her training plans and she is always there for me to answer questions or make adjustments."

"Marlene has been terrific with challenging workouts that, in the past two years, that has brought me to a new level in both sprinting and head racing. Rowing a single can be lonely (isolating). Having a daily plan, you never question what to do or how you’re feeling, you just do it! Her attainable workouts fit my schedule and can be very demanding. She is a Pro at coaching.  She knows what it takes to win, both physically and mentally. "

"I have been delighted with the advice and online training that you made possible for me. Though I’m a physician and a crew coach and know a fair amount about exercise physiology, my workouts were stale, not creative and boring. The worst part was that people I used to beat on the water were beating me.

When I saw your ad in the rowing magazine I jumped at the chance for some help and direction.

I particularly like the way you categorize workouts at different intensity levels based on my personal best for a given distance. This made a lot of sense in my training.

Right off the bat I felt like you were “killing me”, but I certainly needed it. We built my aerobic base for several months before the Head season, and the results really showed it. I started winning races again and improved my performance a great deal even at the big ones like the Head of the Hooch, missing gold by only 4.5 seconds. In 2005 I won for the first time in many years. I came in 2^nd at the CRASH-B’s in 2005, improving my score remarkably.

Your training also helped me immeasurably in my coaching, as that had gotten stale too. The Berry College Viking Crew started winning medals against the big schools with big budgets and full time coaches. This has gotten the school’s attention to hopefully achieve Varsity status. The last two seasons have been very exciting with much better motivation and inspiration on the part of the team.

I’m eternally indebted to you for your expertise and knowledge."

"For me, the satisfaction I derive from my sculling is directly proportional to how well I prepare and execute my training program. Marlene's coaching not only makes such a training program possible, but also does so in the context of a very busy personal and professional schedule. Sculling is hard work: make your time and effort count to the fullest, hire a coach, hire the best, hire Marlene.

"In addition to being an excellent personal trainer, Marlene is a superlative coach. She was totally accepting of my fitness level and designed a personalized plan for me to work towards my goals. In six months, she guided me in improving my 2k time on the erg from a 7:59 to a 7:05 at the CRASH- Sprints. I credit Marlene for helping me become much more fit, less fat, and more energetic than I have been in years."

"Mike Miersma and Jesse Bates, seniors at The Cambridge School of Dallas, were gold medalists in the 2006  USRowing Junior National Championships held in Cincinnati, OH, in the men's double event in June. They had won the bronze medal in the same event in 2005. Miersma and Bates were two time attendees at Craftsbury's summer rowing camp and greatly benefited from a customized training program designed by Marlene Royle. The Cambridge rowing program, which also holds four course records in the Marathon Rowing Championships in Natchitoches, LA as well as 2006 state and regional titles in the men's double and novice women's quad events would have faired poorly after the loss of its original head coach had it not been for Marlene's training plans."

"Marlene Royle has been my trusted guide with my rowing. As a coach, Marlene is the real thing. She's ready when you are, as she provides a training program that is exciting and balanced...you feel yourself progressing at just the right pace. Her availability as a coach has enhanced my rowing technique as well as my training both on and off the water. Her advice with respect to setbacks has been invaluable as she helped me make decisions that allowed me to stay on track. Marlene is a great teacher. Whether I want to pursue hearty long distance rows or the possibility of racing, I know that she knows how to help me meet those goals."

"Her frequent email and phone contacts are very supportive and highly motivational. If you train alone, you’ll have a partner with her program. Marlene’s been through it all and she appreciates the added demands of Masters rowers."

"I was amazed how quickly my fitness improved. Marlene’s program not only helped me develop an excellent base but also helped me gain the confidence in my strength that I need for competition."

"Marlene’s training program was indispensable for my preparation."

"Marlene is an exceptional coach and guide.  As a masters sculler I was excited about competing again, but assumed that my longevity would be quite limited since in the past I had associated serious training with exhaustion, illness, and repeated injury.  However, I found that following Marlene's schedules I was staying healthy, loving sculling, and my speed was improving consistently month after month.  The more I read about physiology, checked my training against other data (lactate levels, etc.), and learned about current training methods the more I came to appreciate why working with Marlene has been such a benefit to my sculling.  Theory and scientific basis aside, though, splits don't lie.  With Marlene, I am going faster.  It has been far more exciting to train based on a well-informed schedule and gain speed than to "train stupid," improve for a brief period, and then burn out or get injured."

"This has turned out to be much more than an idealized workout plan. Certainly, the plan Marlene developed was all I expected. It was progressive, interesting, and scientifically sound. Even erg workouts are now interesting. But there has been a lot more. Marlene has helped me deal with a lower back injury that preceded the start of the work and lasted much longer than I expected. Marlene’s interest in my progress has helped to keep me motivated. I’m stronger than I’ve been in a long time. My back is progressing. How much more could one ask?"

"I am a 43-year-old chiropractor, father of three (5, 8, and 11), husband to a busy Veterinarian/exercise junkie, and for the past 6 years, an avid sculling fanatic and ergometer addict.  I first met Marlene at Craftsbury Sculling Camp five years ago and was so impressed with her empathic and non-judgmental approach to coaching that I asked her to help me prepare for the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships.  The plan she prepared, and just as importantly the e-mail and telephone support she provided helped me take more than twelve seconds off my previous best 2k time.  I have continued to be coached by Marlene and she has helped prepare me for my two wins at the Canadian Indoor Championships, and currently we are preparing for the ('06) CRASH-B's in Boston.

The things I value most about the coaching Marlene provides are:  The plans are completely customized around my goals, time I have to train, other priorities in my life and any other thing that might come up - like the year I didn't compete due to injury.  Marlene also has the added credentials of being an Occupational Therapist and is able to tailor the workouts and work load around issues I have with my dodgy back, as well as provide input on core strengthening and cross-training (part of every plan she provides).

I cannot recommend Marlene's coaching enough.  Besides her Internet coaching, I have been lucky enough to have one or two sessions per summer with her on the water over the last five years.  These one-on-one sessions, honest and non-threatening assessments and feedback always help make me a better sculler.  As a latecomer to this wonderful activity I don't want to waste thousands of strokes doing something wrong, entrenching bad habits.  I guess if Tiger Woods still has a coach to help him with his swing, I can benefit from the skill, support and enthusiasm that Marlene brings to her coaching."

"Since I began working with Marlene I have found that my workouts are much more organized and that there is a definite "method to the Madness".  She designs a workout program specific to the needs of the individual so it is more effective than a generic program that may be assigned to a whole group of masters at one's rowing club.  She is very accessible should any questions arise.  I look forward to continuing to work with her."

"I love to scull and train but am not a gifted athlete nor do I have top finishes at major regattas. Working with Marlene the past three years, my fitness and technique have improved markedly while my engagement with rowing has deepened. At 57, I may be fitter now than I’ve been since my 20s. Marlene is committed to my development as an athlete and takes as much pleasure from my ‘personal bests’ and modest racing success as her more accomplished clients. "

"In the time I have been working with Marlene, my fitness has steadily improved, as evidenced by erg scores, physiological testing and race finishes. As a former climbing coach, I understand the principles behind Marlene’s approach, and appreciate the skill with which she applies those principles. Marlene adapts the basics of training to individuals in a way that is challenging, motivational and fun. She has been the constant in my training for the past four years, and I am incredibly appreciative of the encouragement and friendship she has selflessly offered through her emails and in-person training. Marlene rocks! "

"Working with Marlene has certainly taken my rowing to the next level.  I used to go out and just work hard.  Now every time I go out to row, I know exactly what to work on to optimize my workout.  But that is just the start.  Marlene is incredibly in tune with the many conflicting demands on a Masters rower’s lifestyle and adjusts workouts to fit the individual’s needs.  She will even be supportive when you change your mind and decide that there are more important things in life than training to do well at the Master’s Nationals or another top priority race on your list.  Even so, she is encouraging and prodding at just the right times to help keep you going when your training becomes difficult.  After a year of Marlene “understanding my other priorities” I look forward to getting back to the “next level” and more. "

"There are two reasons I use Marlene's program.  There is an assortment of exercises that keeps the program interesting, and I am getting results.  I finished third in my last head race, and fourth in the race before that.  Additionally, Marlene responds quickly to my questions, and the program is tailored to my specific needs. "

"It’s incredible to get so into the zone like this and have it all work out, but in fact I seem to be able to get to the starting line in a relaxed frame of mind: I’ve done all I can do to prepare, which is plenty (and which owes mostly to my year-round coach, Marlene Royle), now let ‘er rip. And relaxing above all at the key stages—when you need to go faster—is the key, paradoxically, to the sculling enterprise. I can’t describe this zone except to say it’s a warrior mentality. But I’m not sure what I mean by that! Everything matters, but you have to tell yourself that nothing matters, or you’re toast."

"After learning to scull in my late sixties under Marlene’s instruction at Craftsbury, I signed up for a RoyleRow Performance Training Program for the 2002-2003 season. I have been on board each year thereafter. My main motivation is to stay in shape so that I can enjoy physical activity -especially rowing--in my retirement years. And I have found that I enjoy competing, and doing well. Marlene’s carefully crafted programs, tailored to my specific situation, have been instrumental in allowing me to meet these goals. I have trained harder and wiser than I ever would have on my own. And good results have followed from harder and wiser work, including, among others, two seconds and a first at the CRASH-Bs."

"Your program was tremendous and helped Ridgewood Crew grow from a fledgling novice sculling program to a competitive racing team in just one season.  Your advice, guidance and personal commitment to our team's success was impeccable.  For that, I and the 35 student athletes of Ridgewood Crew thank you."

"Marlene's training program has helped me improve my speed and stroke rate, with a cleverly designed sequence of workouts that challenged me a little at a time, and gradually got results.  The long-term program has taught me about focus and commitment."

"I find Marlene's individualized and detailed training programs to be interesting, challenging, and fun. As well as the specifics of my tailored daily training program, Marlene provides valuable resource information covering topics including style drills, nutrition, race-day preparation. And she adjusts my program on short notice when work obligations intrude on training time. If you are realistic about your goals and motivated enough to work remotely with a great coach, I believe Marlene can design a program to take you where you want to go! "

"Working with Marlene has been a great experience. My conditioning
level has continued to improve, most recently by setting a new PR on a
20' erg test. Marlene's personalized; one-on-one approach is the best
part of the Roylerow system. She pays close attention to my goals and
builds a program that helps me reach my goals."  

"A tremendous difference exits between training hard and training hard...and smart. Working with Marlene, the productivity of my training has improved enormously, which has resulted in big leaps in my performance and enjoyment of the sport."

"Since becoming a competitive masters rower, I have learned to expect change: clubs, programs, teams, coaches – it’s an ever-changing landscape that is interesting and exciting.  However, as I set higher goals for myself, I wanted an expert resource to support my personal goals - no matter what changes occurred each new rowing season.   I found that resource with Marlene Royle and her Roylerow Performance Training Program.  By following Marlene’s program I have greatly increased my technical skills as well as my strength and fitness.  And although Marlene’s program is very challenging and high-level, I never became discouraged or overwhelmed, and never got injured.  That is because Marlene is always aware of my progress, strengths and weaknesses and she is accessible and responsive to my individual needs. Through Roylerow, I achieved my first race goal (Crash B, 2002), I have learned how to train properly, and I have developed technical skills that I can build on.  Becoming a Roylerow athlete is the best decision I have made since I began rowing!"

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