Games People Play

[old] JaneW. · Post by **[old] JaneW.** » March 9th, 2005, 9:30 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Ducatista @ Mar 8 2005, 08:33 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>I'm back on the rail after a long hiatus, and it's tough rebuilding my tolerance for distance. So I'm wondering: do you have any little tricks that you use to keep yourself entertained while you're pulling? [right] <br /> </td></tr></table><br /> For myself, I use visulization skills and focus on technique. For example, the first 5 minutes will be warmup, then each consecutive 5 minutes will be focused on the catch, drive, finish, recovery phases separately and being aware of the body parts involved. For the recovery phase, I really emphasize a longer period before I begin pulling. <br /><br />As for visualization skills, I watch rowing and sculling competitions near my home and implement the sensations of being on water on the erg. Big difference in my workout routine. I also use interval rowing where you pull hard for 10- 20 rows and then relaxed rowing.

[old] Bill · Post by **[old] Bill** » March 9th, 2005, 9:55 pm

<snip> Of course there is Newton's method for computing square roots or cube roots, but that's too easy. <end snip><br /><br />Hey Byron,<br /><br />WHats Newtons easy method for square roots ?<br /><br />Bill<br /><br /><br /><br />

[old] MarcusLL · Post by **[old] MarcusLL** » March 10th, 2005, 7:06 am

Hey Carl<br /><br />Good point! Never thought of that . . .<br /><br />I'm lazy enough that there isn't a big difference because I tend to try to get every stroke the same so as to do as little work as physically possible to achieve a given average split

[old] Carl Henrik · Post by **[old] Carl Henrik** » March 10th, 2005, 7:34 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(MarcusLL @ Mar 10 2005, 11:06 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Hey Carl<br /><br />Good point! Never thought of that . . .<br /><br />I'm lazy enough that there isn't a big difference because I tend to try to get every stroke the same so as to do as little work as physically possible to achieve a given average split <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />That's the best way to perform! In training, however, I have done some continuous pieces with very different wattages. <br /><br />If for example you would alternate 200w and 400w in equally long and equally many intervalls then the average wattage is 300. What is displayed, however, is 288.5w and if I wanted to get 300w as displayed average I would have to pull 429w instead of 400, quite a difference! If I want to estimate from one of these sessions what I can do for an even paced and equally long piece, I would have to take into consideration both the "dissapearing watts" and the physiological innefficiencies in this type of performance. There might be mental gains in breaking the piece up in to "bursts" but with good mentality there should be only gains in doing "even-ish" paced performances. If I manged a displayed 300 average, then I would shoot for an even pace of 300 + 14.5 + 1 = 315.5 watt and then see if what I could kick in at the end. <br />

[old] Byron Drachman · Post by **[old] Byron Drachman** » March 10th, 2005, 1:22 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Bill @ Mar 9 2005, 08:55 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><snip> Of course there is Newton's method for computing square roots or cube roots, but that's too easy. <end snip><br /><br />Hey Byron,<br /><br />WHats Newtons easy method for square roots ?<br /><br />Bill <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hi Bill,<br /><br />For example, suppose you want a good approximation to the square root of 3, say to four significant digits.<br /> <br />If x is your current approximation, take x-(x^2-3)/(2x) as your next approximation. Each iteration approximately doubles the number of digits of accuracy. More generally, if you want the square root of a number a, and x is your initial approximation, take x-(x^2-a)/(2x) as your next approximation and continue iterations until you have your desired accuracy.<br /><br />For example, if a=3 and x=1.5 is your initial guess, the next value of x is 1.75, then 1.732143, then 1.732051..., etc. So 1.732 is your approximation to the square root of 3. That’s an easy number (without the decimal) to remember because it is Haydn’s birthdate.<br /><br />With the old fashioned algorithm I hinted at, each iteration only gains you the next digit of your approximation. <br /><br />You'd never guess what I used to do for a living.<br /><br />Byron<br /><br />

[old] Ducatista · Post by **[old] Ducatista** » March 10th, 2005, 4:30 pm

<span style='color:red'>x-(x^2-3)/(2x)</span>??? Look what an evil turn my innocent little "666" thread has taken. <br /><br />My hat is off to those of you who do math for fun, but I don't swing that way. Recognizing the numerals on the display is as math-y as I get.

[old] garya · Post by **[old] garya** » March 13th, 2005, 12:43 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Ducatista @ Mar 8 2005, 09:33 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>I'm back on the rail after a long hiatus, and it's tough rebuilding my tolerance for distance. So I'm wondering: do you have any little tricks that you use to keep yourself entertained while you're pulling? Other than software, I mean — NO amount of in-seat entertainment is worth switching to a PC.<br /><br />My game of choice during long, steady rows is Devil Boat, in which I try to keep the Calorie display at 666 for as many strokes as possible. That should be a nice languid pace, though in my current state of tune it borders on brisk. Calories are the lowbrow unit, I suppose, but whatever it takes... I can keep myself occupied for many, many meters this way.<br /><br />This game was not possible with my PM1, which seemed to display Cals in discreet increments, and 666 wasn't one of them. C2, am I dreaming about that?<br /><br />I'll be a little embarrassed if it turns out I'm the only person who resorts to trickery — maybe I should've posted somewhere other than "Training"? Guess I'll find out. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />

[old] garya · Post by **[old] garya** » March 13th, 2005, 12:54 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(garya @ Mar 13 2005, 10:43 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> #1:find a partnerand row on slides;#2:see #1;#3 visualize long water rows calling out bridges,changing ratings at selected points in the river,calling turns ie calling for power on port or starboard. my erg rowing partners are also my sculling partners and we often visualize an on the water session, or a head race course.<br /><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Ducatista @ Mar 8 2005, 09:33 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>I'm back on the rail after a long hiatus, and it's tough rebuilding my tolerance for distance. So I'm wondering: do you have any little tricks that you use to keep yourself entertained while you're pulling? Other than software, I mean — NO amount of in-seat entertainment is worth switching to a PC.<br /><br />My game of choice during long, steady rows is Devil Boat, in which I try to keep the Calorie display at 666 for as many strokes as possible. That should be a nice languid pace, though in my current state of tune it borders on brisk. Calories are the lowbrow unit, I suppose, but whatever it takes... I can keep myself occupied for many, many meters this way.<br /><br />This game was not possible with my PM1, which seemed to display Cals in discreet increments, and 666 wasn't one of them. C2, am I dreaming about that?<br /><br />I'll be a little embarrassed if it turns out I'm the only person who resorts to trickery — maybe I should've posted somewhere other than "Training"? Guess I'll find out. <br /> </td></tr></table> <br /> </td></tr></table><br />

[old] EChang · Post by **[old] EChang** » March 21st, 2005, 12:58 am

i call it the boringest game ever + pain. I look at the meters and see how many i can get in one stroke. Say i get 10 Meters in one stroke i try to beat that 10 meters etc.

[old] dmhayden · Post by **[old] dmhayden** » March 21st, 2005, 12:20 pm

Most of the time, I just stare at my PM2 monitor and listen to the machine. I'm going for repeatability. Can I hold my 500 split time the same? Can I get it a little lower? What is my projected finish time/distance? Can I hold that? Can I make it a little better?<br /><br />If I get bored, I'll hit the display button and think about the numbers on the new display.<br /><br />I'm new at this, so I spend a lot of time thinking about my stroke. Legs right? Back right? Should I push harder with my legs? Are my wrists in the right place?<br /><br />Sometimes I listen to the machine and try to keep my stroke sounding the same. If you listen carefully, you can pick out the separate sounds of the flywheel, the chain, and the seat on the monorail. If you're working hard enough, they start singing to you <br /><br />I've got a pretty nice gut that I'm trying to get rid of, and it when my knees are up, it's hard to breath. So I spend a lot of time working on when to breath.<br /><br />Finally, try closing your eyes and thinking of nothing but the sound. All those cube roots and Newtonian approximations take a lot of energy, at least for my feable mind. Close your eyes, clear your mind and focus on the sound of the machine. When you open your eyes a while later, you may find that several minutes have gone by and your pace has gone up.