Episode 10: The Stroke Rate

[00:00:08] Speaker A: In rowing, one of the key measures used in practice and race strategy is the stroke rate. This is basically the cadence of the stroke, how many strokes you can complete per minute on the erg. This is one of the metrics on the main screen on the water. Stroke rate, of course, is set by the stroke seat and called by the cox if you have one. Lower stroke rates tend to be used more for endurance. Long pieces, quiet grind, building aerobic capacity, stroke by stroke. One of my favorite workouts is the 30 rate. 20. 30 minutes at 20 strokes per minute. Slow enough to feel controlled, long enough to demand patience. High stroke rates tend to be used for shorter intervals and building speed. Typical of hiit. The highest stroke rates will be at the elite level during race starts and finishes. But here's the part that matters. The stroke rate is nearly completely independent of power output. You can and should be able to hit similar splits at a stroke rate of 20 as you can at stroke rates of 25 or 30. The stroke rate is just the timing. It's still your job to exert the power from your legs, even when you're doing less strokes per minute. Low rate does not always mean low power. That truth comes up in racing, too. Stroke rate becomes strategy. Rowers, coxswains and coaches search for the right balance, power and pace, rhythm and restraint, using rate changes to make moves and find speed. For some crews, a base of a lower rate with more power is a more effective race strategy. And they might increase the rate at certain points to move on other boats. For other crews, you'll see higher rates as a base strategy, sometimes at the expense of efficiency, again with adjustments to make moves on other boats throughout the race. It's all a dance between technique, strength and timing. In rowing, as in life, the concept is the same. Some of us live in a go, go, go mode, mistaking constant motion for progress until burnout hits and we realize the pace was never sustainable. Others find comfort in slow and steady, but risk getting stuck there without those moments of intensity that help us grow. The real skill in rowing and in life is self awareness. Knowing when to bring the fire, when to settle into steady state, and how to adjust when conditions change. Because your cadence matters, your power matters, and learning how to balance both, that's your life's race strategy. [00:02:16] Speaker B: Welcome back. I'm Alicia Kushman and this is the Gather. We are here again in Jess's living room. Super excited to be back together again. Our topic today is stroke rate, but I'm actually going to kick off today's episode with more Of a life question. So I talked a little bit in the intro about pacing of our lives. Would you guys say you're more like go, go, go. Is your kind of steady? Are you more like steady, Ray? Even keel? [00:02:41] Speaker C: Well, I would say that I like to keep very busy. So I think that I'm more of a go, go, go person. But not so much so that I can't get things done or I kind of like get overwhelmed. There's a certain level of busyness that makes me very productive. When I have a big empty day where I can take things as slow as I want. I tend to not accomplish my goals or do as much as I like. So I do like a certain high level of activity and busyness. Cuz I find that it kind of keeps my brain engaged and keeps me motivated and keeps me productive. But I don't know if that translates super well to like a sort of a high stroke rate, but I think it does. Yeah. [00:03:16] Speaker B: Yeah. And you're intentional about it. You're intentional about knowing like I need the high stroke rate. Cause that's how I'm the most productive. [00:03:22] Speaker C: Yeah. And I haven't always gotten that balance right. So I will say that there have been times where I have like taken on a lot because I felt like, oh, I need to be a certain level of busyness to be productive. And then I've overdone it. Like I didn't realize, like oh, I have too much. Like I didn't quite understand that. That has happened to me many, many times. But I think I'm getting better about understanding that. So I'm learning. [00:03:41] Speaker D: I can definitely identify though with. I liked when you were talking about how you can have a higher stroke rate that's not as productive where it's not as powerful in the cause. I can definitely relate to that. That feeling of I have a hard time sitting still. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the activity I'm creating for myself does very much. But I feel guilty when I'm not. I think this is like there's some kind of like guilt from my childhood that's built into some of this where if you' like up and moving around that somehow you're not, you know, I don't know, doing what you're supposed to do for the day. But I find myself doing a lot of busy doesn't always necessarily mean that the busyness is productive or accomplishing maybe [00:04:20] Speaker C: a goal that you have. You know, I think about that phrase like idle hands or the devil's workshop or whatever. Like I think that got ingrained in me somewhere too. Like, look busy. I actually, when I was in college, worked at a Pizza Hut. Yes. And then my manager said, you know, if the big bosses from the Pizza Hut corporate are coming around, whatever you do, look busy, like pick up a rag and wipe something. [00:04:41] Speaker E: So I was thinking whether I should be 100% honest or make my life sound like I've got it totally in control. [00:04:47] Speaker B: Be 100%. I think I'm going to be honesty, I think. [00:04:51] Speaker E: 100% honest. [00:04:52] Speaker B: Yes. [00:04:53] Speaker E: And I think, you know, I think my life, I think I break it down into activities. So it's. There's not one consistent way I can frame how I handle things. If you guys have ever seen me prep for a party, it's the sprint. Okay, I'm gonna go do the shopping. And then I'm like, okay, I got under control, like steady, steady state. And then the last five hours, get out of my friggin way. Because I am like, high stroke rate, making sure everything's gonna get over the finish line. And honestly, I think that's a lot of how I approach things. I mean, I've got so many things that I do at any given day, whether it's work, whether it's this, whether it's, you know, home projects or travel or, or hobbies. You know, it's like, I'll get into it really fast and then I'll be like, okay, this is cool. Like I got it, you know, and I'll study it for a while and then I'll be like, oh crap, I had to get that done, you know. So I think, yeah, to be 100% honest, I think I'm the, like the entirety of a 2k race. [00:05:52] Speaker C: My stroke rate. That sounds good though. Like, and what's cool about you having gone to some of your parties is that you have that sprint at the end before you get ready for a party where it's. You're a mad woman running around getting everything ready, but then you are able to relax. Like, I think it'd be a problem if you like maintain a high stroke rate and then you can't enjoy the fruit of that sprint, you know? [00:06:11] Speaker E: Yeah, that's very true. [00:06:12] Speaker C: So like, say, like, like to equate it to a race. Like you cross the finish line but then like, you can't stop and yeah, you keep, keep rowing when everyone else [00:06:19] Speaker E: is celebrating, you know, I, I throw one back, I recover. Exactly. [00:06:22] Speaker C: Like, I think that shows that you have the sort of stamina built in to go hard when you need to. But then, like, settle down and enjoy and relax and all that stuff, which is great. [00:06:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:06:32] Speaker E: And I see. I kind of see that across the board, too. You know, you say you have a work function or you have a testimony that you've got to prepare. You know, you do the. You do the research and you do the studying and you do the writing. But then at the end, it's like making sure everything is prepared. You know, when you kind of rush through that last bit of, like, making sure and being very intense about getting what you want accomplished at the end. [00:06:55] Speaker B: I think I'm definitely a sprinter. I think I know I do things with urgency when there's some sort of deadline. And then I'm like, okay, I'm ready to go, go, go, go, go. But until there's. Until there's not that urgency, like, I'm like, I want to get up, I want to do my workout. I'm going to do my life. I'm going to be pretty steady. So I think I'm a sprinter when I have a goal or a project or something. But I think when we talk about just life in general, I'm very much go, go, go. But I think it's just. There's so much I want out of life, so I feel like I have to. And I. I don't feel like it's unproductive because I fly and die. Right. I have so much, like, go, go, go. And then I'm like, I need to, like, go into a cocoon for a weekend and, like, recover. So maybe I'm a sprinter and a fly and dyer. Maybe those are my two modes. [00:07:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:40] Speaker C: You know what I love about these episodes that we've recorded? These last few episodes have spoken so much to what. What internally motivates each of us. Like, what we each need to do to be our best selves and our most productive selves. And I love just. I know. I think for a lot, a large portion of my life, I sort of just was like, you know, propelling forward like a billiard ball without really understanding myself that well. And sort of the process to understanding yourself is so helpful. It's so good to know what you're capable of, you know, and when it works well to go fast and when it works well to go slow. And so these are great conversations, and I do hope it inspires other people to really stop and think, like, where do I work best and what suits me best? [00:08:18] Speaker B: Yeah. Cause, like, I don't want to fly and die. Like, I don't want to do this. Like, if I know that I'm over sort of like overdoing it, then you can kind of be intentional about, hey, like, I feel like I'm going to crash soon. I really need to, like, take a moment and like, have at night where I have just like, I'm going to read tonight or I'm going to watch a movie tonight or whatever. And so to like, make adjustments, recognizing, like, hey, I might be flying die, but that's not actually good for me. So being intentional about it. [00:08:42] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. [00:08:44] Speaker D: Thinking about the introduction of what you were doing, just the ways that you have to change the stroke rates throughout the race and in order to yield different results at different times and these and how much you have to sort of settle into the strategy. I hadn't really thought about any of this before because I don't do this, but I just kind of watch it. And I think it's just fascinating to think what the cox has to know about the eight people in the boat and how they have to, you know, you're kind of always thinking about, you know, so what's going to yield the best speed at any given moment. How do you give them time to recover in the middle of the race in a way to set into a steady state so that you have energy for the sprint at the end or whatever. And I don't even know if I'm saying the right things, but that you are. I, like, see, you know, thinking about that, obviously the metaphors to life are clear, but when you think about the races themselves, I mean, traditional races, like, you know, 1500 meters. Right. In the spring. [00:09:34] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:09:34] Speaker B: 1500 for high school, 2k for high school clubs, and then 2k for colleges. [00:09:39] Speaker D: Oh, okay. [00:09:39] Speaker B: All right. [00:09:40] Speaker D: And I always. They break them more into like the 500s. Right. And so when they go into a race, is it usually that they have a strategy for what they're going to do? The first 500, the second 500, they definitely do. Okay. [00:09:53] Speaker E: And. [00:09:53] Speaker D: But they could adjust it in the. On the fly based on what's happening or how. [00:09:56] Speaker B: Okay, they can. Yeah. [00:09:58] Speaker E: And they need to. [00:09:58] Speaker B: And they need to. Yeah. [00:09:59] Speaker E: I mean, I remember when the Wakefield girls won the Dee Campbell Trophy at Stoatsbury. And they're in the last 200, maybe hundred, and they just kicked it in. I mean, their stroke rate went up and they flew because they were not going to let that finish line go by without them being the first to cross it. And somehow somewhere they just had that power in them and they, you know, were able to maintain that somewhere in that between the thousand and the 1500. And they pulled it out in that last 200 where they just took off. I mean, and you saw that stroke rate increase and then fly over that. [00:10:38] Speaker D: Well, something's clicking with me as you're saying that with. Because Will, when they went to finals or they got into the national finals and nationals, they thought, oh, we have no chance to do this. And so they just kind of said to themselves, you know, we're usually a little slower at the start. And so they kind of said to themselves, we are just abandoning all strategy. And we are just, you know, we are giving at ast that first 500 what they normally would do. They were just like, we're. We're just gonna put it all on the line and see what happened. And then they made it through. And it was kind of a cool moment where they had to react to that strategy but trust themselves that maybe they could make it through and do something different. [00:11:14] Speaker B: Yeah, it's always interesting to see the different strategies. And I get fascinated to hear everyone kind of talk about it. The commentators, the kids. Like, it's so fascinating to hear because everyone has an opinion. But like you said, like, you don't know, like, the conditions in the boat, every rower is different. Every rower is going to be motivated different. The boats compared to each other are totally different. And so that's why it's like, as a cox, it's really easy to underestimate what a. What the job of a cox is, that they really have a major role when there is a cox in the boat. When there's not a cox in the boat, it's the rowers who have to do it themselves. Themselves. Right. Um, but I was thinking about the race strategy and a conversation we were having earlier at Henley this year. Ali Ziedler, Olympic champion in the single, like, massive guys like six, eight, former swimmer, like, really, really fast, was in the sing. I can't remember the name of the race at Henley, but it's the singles race, the heavyweight men's singles race, right? And everyone expected him to win and, like, demolish it. And he's a big dude. This guy. Finn Hamill kind of comes out of nowhere. It was like this David and Goliath moment where Ollie's just kind of got his strategy and they come into the last, I don't know, maybe 500 meters, maybe not even that. And Finn Hamill just, like, bumps up the stroke rate. Man, he was at, like, 4. He was, like, way high. And you can just see him start to Walk on. Ali Zeitler and Ali just had nothing. And, like, he. He. Ali, had to adjust on the fly because Fennel Hamill was just, like, taking him down, walking him past him. And Ollie's just, like, trying to change his strategy in that very last minute because this guy, who, you know, shouldn't have knocked him out was. Was taking him on because this guy Finn just bumped the stroke rate up and did not give it. He didn't give it away. Like, he kept that stamina. [00:12:51] Speaker A: He had. [00:12:52] Speaker B: His stamina must be just phenomenal to keep a stroke rate as high as he did. So it was really cool to watch that sort of come to fruition, that sort of difference in strategy of, like, hey, if you have the cardio and you can keep that rate that high and be efficient, that is a way you can win, especially as a lighter rower against a heavier rower who might have just more, like, pure power than you. [00:13:11] Speaker D: Okay. [00:13:11] Speaker B: Because, you know, it's harder to get six, eight forward and backward at that same rate, I think. I guess I'm not six, eight, I don't know. But it was really interesting to kind of see that race, and if anybody hasn't seen clips of that, it's a really cool race to watch. Is that. That singles final at. At Henley was really cool. [00:13:27] Speaker D: Is it, like, what kind of mental adjustment do you make when you flip to a different stroke rate? Is it. Is it Feels to me. I mean, we'll get into the stroke at some point here in. In a future episode, probably all the elements, but the. That notion of there's just so much happening. Like, you're thinking about the mental energy that it takes to sort of keep knowing what you need to do next. What's it like to flip from, you know, one stroke right to the next? Is it. Is it natural or. I don't even know. [00:13:53] Speaker B: I don't think it's natural. I mean, I can. I can only speak for myself, and I'm not, obviously. You guys know I've raced, like, twice, so I'm probably not the most official on this one. But I can tell you, when my cox told me to bump up the stroke rate, I was like, f you. No, thank you. [00:14:13] Speaker E: Yeah. Yeah. [00:14:15] Speaker B: Because you're. You're. You're in a race, you're already, like, putting everything you have out there, and then your cox is asking you to do more, and you're like, what? But you do it because, you know, it's your job to do it, I guess. But, yeah, but you also have to [00:14:28] Speaker C: know what you are capable of. And all the rowers behind you too. So that's where that balance that we've talked about comes in too. Like, yeah, you know, cox can call for a higher rate, but if you know that you're gassed and everyone behind you is like, I'm sure that's really hard. Like, you can only push so far, I guess. [00:14:43] Speaker B: Absolutely, yeah. When I raced my only sprint race that I've ever raced, our cox was actually our coach and he hadn't really coxed us before. And it was my first race. And I am very much like, I love low rate, steady, like. And especially as a master drawer with the boat that I was in, I was like, we can't do high rates. We slow down, we really lose efficiency. So we really need to go out at a much lower rate. My plan was to go out at a rate of 28, but I really underestimated the adrenaline of the start and my ability to, like, judge 28 versus 36. And I went out at a 36 and I had. There's a woman in my boat who's like, 80 years old. [00:15:20] Speaker C: Oh, God. She's like. And here's where I die. [00:15:26] Speaker E: I do have to say, I remember one practice where I was strokesy and Alicia was behind me and I was. I don't know what rate I was pulling. [00:15:34] Speaker C: You remember that? [00:15:37] Speaker E: I was going really, really high stroke. [00:15:40] Speaker C: Right. I wasn't in that boat. [00:15:41] Speaker E: What were you doing? Like, I couldn't even get up to the catch. Like, you were going so fast. You didn't give us enough time. It's like, I was strokey. You have to follow me. [00:15:53] Speaker B: Yeah, I remember that. [00:15:54] Speaker E: But it is, it's really about knowing what your boat can do. And, you know, like you said about the coxswain, you know, and that's what training is. I mean, the training is making sure that your, your coxswain knows what your rowers can do and that they get to that place where if they're doing steady or if they're increasing their stroke rate, the coxswain will know how well that boat is going to do if they are in a race or and in that real, like, high competitive place where they can bring that boat to next. I mean, and that's all that, that, that goes all into training and making sure that the training is there to be aware of what your, what your rower strokes can, can get up to without losing the efficiency and really making, you know, making a difference in the race. [00:16:36] Speaker B: So I really love low stroke rate stuff, though. So, like, the Person who taught me how to coach also happens to be my best friend. And he just like echoes in my head all the time. And he's like, low rate does not mean low power. And he says it all the time. It's like one of his things. Think about it all the time. We do, I do a lot of long, slow, steady state. Cause it just builds this like aerobic capacity. I definitely take that from my son Derek, who does a ton of steady state work. But you get so much from those like long, slow rate rows of like technical capability, building power, building that aerobic capacity, that it's just this incredible base, I believe. But I also think it helps you understand the rhythm. And so as a crew, especially as a master's crew who does struggle, I mean, we're all older, right? We're not 20 anymore. And it's harder to, to get to those high rates. As a masters crew, you get some of that like, ratio as you do the like, low rates together. You remember, like the ratio is supposed to be one beat on the drive and then two, maybe even three beats on the recovery. And so those slower stroke rates also helps you kind of hone in that ratio together and that rhythm, not just the rate, but also the rhythm of the stroke together. So I really love the like low stroke rates, but I also love watch boats and really good boats when they're just kind of rowing at like an 18 or something out to the start. And you get that like classic like whoosh, click, click. It's so wonderful to watch that like [00:18:09] Speaker C: an ASMR thing, like the sound of orlocks, like the oars and the orlocks. One of my favorite sounds in the world when they're clicking like that, it's just like. [00:18:18] Speaker B: And you always hear it as they're rowing out to the start and they're like super relaxed. And especially I watch men's heavyweight a lot because my children are men's heavyweight rowers. So that's the ones I watch the most. And you see them go out to the start and they're these big heavy guys and they throw down these big heavy watts. So they're just like sort of casually relaxing, rowing out to the start with splits I couldn't even touch. And they're just like not even thinking about it. And you just can feel the power in the boat. [00:18:40] Speaker A: It's really cool. [00:18:41] Speaker E: I think one of the things that's very interesting too, in watching those races and when we were in Lithuania last year when Mira was competing at U19 Worlds, is you can really see it. You know, when you're watching the boats and seeing that stroke rate put up on the screen, the boats that have the power, because they. Their stroke rates, you know, I just remember watching Germany and their stroke rate was lower, but they were just pushing that boat down the water. I mean, and compared to the other boats that had higher stroke rates, whether it's efficiency or whether it's just pure power, it makes a big difference. And it's really interesting to watch because you would think like, oh, no, you gotta row faster, you gotta row faster. And that's definitely not the case if you have the efficiency and the power. [00:19:24] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. I guess I'm sort of taking something for granted that it's may not be obvious to everybody, but a higher stroke rate also puts you in a higher, like cardio. So it's like just harder cardio wise to be at a higher stroke weight. That's why it wears you out more and why we're saying, right, if you have the power at the lower stroke rate, you can save your cardio for the finish in the sprints. Right. So I don't know if that was obvious or not, but the higher stroke rate is definitely. Yeah, it's definitely like more cardio. Like you're leaning more on the cardio side of things, whereas when you're doing the lower stroke rate, you're really focused on power much more. Yeah, yeah. [00:19:56] Speaker C: But like you were talking about the ratio, like when I'm on the erg, I'm usually always arguing on a lower stroke rate just because that's kind of where my fitness level is. And I can't sustain a high stroke rate very long. I can do little sprints, but what I like about it is that it allows me like to really focus on the form. And I feel like I'm going to get the best stroke if I'm going slow enough to really pay attention to my form, because I feel like it's kind of also useless if I'm going so fast that I'm not rowing correctly. I'm not getting the most out of the stroke and I just don't feel like it's giving me the best workouts. I'd rather go slower and try to build power that way, knowing that I'm doing probably better form than I would at a higher stroke rate. So that's just kind of how I do it usually. [00:20:33] Speaker B: Absolutely. And form is really matters, right, because. And what's actually going to talk about form in the next episode a little bit, because you can really Hurt yourself if you don't have the right form. And so honing in on that like, body sequence and that form at the lower rates really does make a huge difference. [00:20:47] Speaker C: And sometimes if I've been off the erg for a while, like, I have to go back and really remember, I know you said we're going to talk about it, but like, remember, like, what do I do first? What is the secret? Like, it takes me a while to get back into it and then I really want to focus on that. [00:21:00] Speaker E: So I think it's, I want to bring it back to. Because one of the reasons why we started this podcast too is to bring it back to like high school rowers and teaching people about rowing. And I think it's really important to share with the newbie parents and even the newbie rowers that as you're watching these regattas and your kids are starting out, you know, it's very important to not think, oh, well, why didn't they just row faster? You know, like, because in the beginning you're thinking, well, they were going so, so slow, like, why didn't they just like pick it up and like, you know, and it's so that's part of the discussion here that we're having. And it's really important to understand that just because you're rowing faster doesn't mean you're gonna go faster. And you definitely lose that efficiency and that power sometimes when you actually do in fact draw faster. So to those new parents and those new rowers, you know, watching regatta's this spring, you know, faster stroking doesn't necessarily equate to faster speed in the boat. And I think that's something that you've really, when you start out, it's something that we have to think about as you learn the sport of rowing. [00:22:05] Speaker C: I was feeling very nostalgic as you were talking because, you know, we all knew each other from Wakefield crew. We've talked about that a lot by now on this podcast. But I remember our boys, we really got close, you and me, Alicia, when our boys were in the freshman eight together. And the freshman eight had a great run. They ended up being, you know, fifth at SRAAS that year at Nationals. And one of their real strengths, they're freshmen and they're pretty new. You know, a lot of them had wrote as novices in eighth grade, but their sprint was beautiful. And I remember feeling like a newbie parent when I, when they would pour on their sprint. I remember standing in the rain with you at one of those races when there Come our boys and their black tank tops and their black freshman tank tops, like. And we just were both there at that exact moment when we could just see that flip happen. And I have it on video where all of a sudden, like, they were like, I don't know, like, in third or something, and boom, they just, like, start flying. They had such a good sprint. And that's just one of my favorite memories because I remember it was super bonding for you and me to be screaming as they poured it on and as we saw them kick into that sprint at the very end and do. And do well. [00:23:06] Speaker B: Yeah, it was so classic. It was so classic. They would always be kind of like, back in the pack. [00:23:11] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:23:11] Speaker B: I'll be like, what's happening? And they would. We would be so stressed out, and then all of a sudden, like, the last maybe 250. [00:23:18] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:23:18] Speaker B: They would turn it on and they would just walk. Like, nobody could. Nobody could take them on the sprint. They just had it. [00:23:23] Speaker A: They would walk. [00:23:24] Speaker B: And it's always really fun. It is really exciting when you see one boat walk on another. [00:23:28] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:23:29] Speaker B: Even if it's not your boat. [00:23:30] Speaker C: Right. [00:23:30] Speaker B: Even if you don't have a kid in the race, when you see one boat walking another, you're like, oh, they're walking. [00:23:35] Speaker E: Let's go. [00:23:35] Speaker A: Well, usually. [00:23:36] Speaker C: Yeah. So, like, in the high school regattas that we've all sat at and gone to many, many times, like, usually you're there with your school's crew, parents or whatever, and you cheer for your own boat, but the one time that everybody cheers is when there's a super tight race and somebody's walking on the other boat. Like, it gets everybody so excited, like, to see that final press at the end. It's super fun. [00:23:56] Speaker B: It is super fun. I actually was thinking about something as we were talking earlier, and I want to go back to it, because when we're talking about the walk at the end of the sprint, the cox is calling it. When we're taught. We were talking earlier about the cox's role in kind of calling the strategy. I was actually thinking about what we were talking about to begin with in our lives and, like, how we make adjustments to our pace in our lives. [00:24:14] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:24:15] Speaker B: And we talked in an earlier episode about, like, who's the cox in your life? Oh, yeah, Right. And I'm curious because now that I'm kind of rethinking that question, I wouldn't answer the same way when I'm thinking about the person who's like, hey, you're about to burn out. I think you should do, like, who kind of adjusts for you. Like, hey, I see you, and I see your pacing, and I'm worried about you. Like, let's talk about it. Who is that person for you? [00:24:37] Speaker E: My doctor. [00:24:40] Speaker B: Very fair. [00:24:41] Speaker E: Very fair. Oh, my God. [00:24:46] Speaker B: That's such a real answer. [00:24:51] Speaker C: Yeah, that's so true. [00:24:52] Speaker B: It's so true. It is true. [00:24:56] Speaker C: She'll be like, you look really tired. [00:24:58] Speaker E: How are you doing? [00:24:59] Speaker C: Yes. Are you taking time for yourself this week? No. Well, I would say, my friends, Alicia, you've done that for me when I've taken on too much as a volunteer and you've said, you know, you don't have to do everything. And when you're someone who feels like you have to carry things a lot, sometimes that's a hard message to hear. But I'm really grateful for it because I'm trying to get better at not taking too much on. And sometimes it takes a caring person to say, like, you're taking on too much, and it's probably not good for you. And it's probably, you know, probably not doing as well as you want to because you're taking on too much. So I appreciate that you've had that message for me before, you know, and sometimes it does take someone outside of you to really let you know when maybe you need to slow down or speed up or something. And for me, in my journalism life, like, I have editors going, where's the article? Time to speed up, Kim, like, you're taking too long. It was due three days ago. So that. That outside pressure can be helpful. [00:25:53] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. My kids are. I was thinking about it. I was like, wow, my kids do this for me. My kids are like, mom, you're doing too much. [00:26:00] Speaker D: Well, I was thinking kids, too, but in sort of a completely different way where, I mean, we just had our youngest go off to college, so I feel like raising kids was kind of the Cox for a while because they are the ones that are demanding so much. And so, like, they're I, in some ways, calling the shots about what's happening. What do you need to be doing? And so in some ways, I find myself now trying to readjust to making me be the Cox of my life. [00:26:26] Speaker C: Yeah, right. [00:26:28] Speaker B: All of the Haski kids are just like, yeah, we call the shots. [00:26:30] Speaker D: That's right. [00:26:33] Speaker C: That's so true, though. [00:26:34] Speaker D: Well, I have. We've been talking a lot about stroke rates this episode, and so I thought I would ask you a question about everyone's favorite TV show, Different Strokes. [00:26:49] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Blast from the past. [00:26:51] Speaker D: So I have two. I'll see how well you get with the first one, and then it depends on how deep a dive we can go here. You ready? Different strokes. All right, so who composed the theme song for Diff'rent Strokes? [00:27:05] Speaker B: Yeah, I don't have that one. Oh, my God. I can't even think of the song. [00:27:08] Speaker D: This person is actually a famous actor. Really? Another sitcom in the 80s? [00:27:15] Speaker C: Are you serious? This is. [00:27:19] Speaker B: Holy cow. [00:27:19] Speaker C: I know. There's a lyric like something, something, something by the beat of just one drum, what might be right for you is not right for some or something like that. I'm trying to remember the lyrics. [00:27:28] Speaker B: I can't. [00:27:29] Speaker C: That was the closest I'm ever gonna get to singing on this podcast. [00:27:33] Speaker B: I can't even pull up the. [00:27:35] Speaker C: Okay, so the composer of the theme song was a popular actor on another 80s sitcom. Holy crap, that's hard. [00:27:42] Speaker D: This person also composed the theme song for the Facts of Life. [00:27:46] Speaker E: I was gonna say, you know what? [00:27:48] Speaker D: And for Wheel of Fortune. [00:27:49] Speaker C: Wheel of Fortune. [00:27:51] Speaker E: The Facts of Life theme song is going through my head, and I'm like, [00:27:54] Speaker C: who did that one? [00:27:54] Speaker D: You take the good, you take the bad. [00:27:56] Speaker C: I think I have. [00:27:58] Speaker E: There you have. [00:27:58] Speaker C: Is it Alan Thicke? [00:28:00] Speaker D: It is Alan Thicke. Oh, my gosh. [00:28:02] Speaker B: You are amazing. [00:28:04] Speaker D: And his son is obviously a big. [00:28:06] Speaker E: Yes. [00:28:06] Speaker C: That's what made me think of it. I was like, oh, yeah. I have a vague memory of him. I think he had, like, a hit with a duet or something in the 80s with somebody. So you are the trivia queen. [00:28:17] Speaker B: That was amazing. Wow. Wow. [00:28:20] Speaker C: That's a great question. Yeah. I didn't know that he composed all those other theme songs, but that's a really good guy. Yeah. [00:28:26] Speaker E: So cool. [00:28:27] Speaker D: I think my other one's gonna be too deep a dive, so we won't do that one. All right, so what famous singer starred as Willis's girlfriend? Charlene Dupre. [00:28:38] Speaker C: Famous singer. [00:28:39] Speaker D: Famous singer was Willis's girlfriend. [00:28:41] Speaker C: I don't even remember him having a [00:28:42] Speaker E: girlfriend on the show. [00:28:45] Speaker C: Janet Jackson. [00:28:46] Speaker D: Oh, my gosh. Yes, it is. Yep. [00:28:53] Speaker E: Okay. [00:28:55] Speaker B: And this is why Kim is the anchor to our trivia team on Wednesday night. [00:28:59] Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely. That was great. [00:29:02] Speaker C: She was on Good Times, so I remember. Okay. She's an actor, but then she became a singer. Okay, those are great. [00:29:08] Speaker B: I love it. [00:29:08] Speaker D: All right, there we go. [00:29:11] Speaker B: Well, thanks for joining, guys. This is fun. [00:29:13] Speaker C: It's a great episode. Thank you. [00:29:14] Speaker B: So don't hit pause. [00:29:16] Speaker A: We'll see you on the other side of the Splash. [00:29:17] Speaker D: Absolutely. See you.