As a headsail trimmer for American Magic’s 75-foot America’s Cup yacht, Dan Morris has a front-row seat to the ocean’s final journey. All through his profession, the a number of World Match Racing Tour champion has raced on the highest stage within the sport, throughout quite a lot of lessons, together with the Worldwide 14, 49er, Farr 40 and Melges 24, and he’s all the time prepared for a brand new problem.
Earlier than competing within the 2021 America’s Cup collection, Morris shared some coaching insights and secrets and techniques with Garmin.
Garmin: You’ve skilled with MARQ® Captain and, most not too long ago, MARQ Captain: American Magic Version. What function does Garmin expertise play for you each day?
Morris: My relationship with my Garmin is an fascinating one as a result of I put on it on daily basis, and I can’t go wherever with out it. The truth that it’s simple to make use of makes it makes it potential for me to put it to use persistently.
Once I get up within the morning, the very first thing I do is verify how my sleep was, whether or not it’s a coaching day, a race day or a time off. I additionally verify my resting and my waking coronary heart fee. For me, that could be a good indicator of how onerous I’ve been coaching, or how a lot stress I’ve been placing on my physique. I’ve observed that if it’s been fairly mellow, and I’ve had a number of relaxation, then my waking coronary heart fee is fairly low, and it’s fairly constant. If it’s been an enormous week or an enormous two weeks, and we’ve been simply coaching within the gymnasium, coaching on the water and pushing and even racing, I’ve discovered that my resting coronary heart fee or waking coronary heart fee is definitely possibly 10 beats sooner than regular, and that’s an amazing indicator that I would like some relaxation and to make relaxation a precedence.
Garmin: How does wearable expertise provide help to and your American Magic teammates practice?
DM: Each time we go crusing, I activate the Sail Racing app, which tracks my coronary heart fee and tracks how onerous we’re working.
If you’re racing a sailboat or coaching — as a result of we practice the identical manner we race, and that’s paramount — you all the time practice such as you’re racing since you put in simply as a lot effort. After the crusing, once you’re analyzing the boat pace and the selections you made in the best way you sailed the boat, we get to take a look at the information from our watch. The info tells us our coronary heart fee and the trouble that we’re placing in. For those who discover that you just had been crusing the boat very properly and the best way you need to win the massive race and your coronary heart fee and your effort is in a variety that’s doable, that speaks volumes to the best way the boat is about up and likewise to your health.
It means you’re at the usual that it is advisable be at.
Garmin: How have Garmin wearables helped put together the staff for the pains of crusing?
DM: After we’re within the gymnasium and monitoring each session, there’s nowhere to cover, and that provides you accountability to your self and accountability to your teammates. It’s a easy factor, however that accountability won’t be there if the watch wasn’t recording it.
Garmin: You talked about discovering worth in wellness options to assist information your coaching routine. Inform us extra about that.
DM: Along with coronary heart fee and sleep stats, I’ve began exploring the Physique Battery™ perform. It’s fairly fascinating as a result of, you understand how you are feeling, at the very least you suppose you understand how you are feeling. However for me, I’m so lucky that I actually love what I do and I’d get up to a stupendous dawn and good wind and all I need to do is to get out on the water, however in actuality, my physique may be worn down and my Physique Battery won’t be one hundred pc due to the previous few days if coaching.
So I’m studying how one can use the Physique Battery and the way to concentrate to that share along with how I bodily really feel.
When he isn’t crusing, Morris stays true to his Minnesota roots by taking part in ice hockey and exploring the mountains by means of mountaineering and mountain biking.
To comply with American Magic’s 2021 America’s Cup journey, click on right here.
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