Concept2 Forum

I wonder if anyone has ideas about what is going on here?

I've been rowing mostly for weight loss (lost 70+ pounds in 9 months) by doing long rows (10k+) 4-5x/wk. Usually I would keep the HR in the 140-150 range, which should be my UT1 band. I've noticed that as the weeks pass, I row faster while still keeping a slower HR, so I must be getting fitter, but the disconnect is that the way I feel during/after the row doesn't fit with what the HR/training band is saying.

In other words, a few months back, I'd do 10k at 2:10 with the HR in the low 150's, and feel pretty beat at the end.

Now I can do a 10k at 2:02, the HR never leaves the low 140s, but I feel TOTALLY exhausted at the end. Theoretically, I'm working in a lower band, so why do I feel like I worked out so much harder?

To test this, yesterday I decided that I'd try to do 10k at 1:58 or so. I crashed after 6k, although my HR at the time was 148, still in "UT1".

I went to the UK website (http://www.concept2.co.uk/training/) and used their calculator to come up with a plan for race training (now that the weight loss phase is over), and this revealed the same disconnect. The table the website fed me (after entering my data, such as best 2k at 7:09, resting HR of 40) was:

Zone Heart Rate HRR% Pace
UT2 - Aerobic Endurance 132 - 139 65 - 70 2:20 - 2:07
UT1 - Intense Aerobic 139 - 153 70 - 80 2:07 - 2:01
AT - Threshold 153 - 160 80 - 85 2:01 - 1:56
TR - Transport 160 - 174 85 - 95 1:56 - 1:46
AN - Max 174 - 181 95 - 100 1:46 - 1:42

So, my rowing at a pace of 1:58 should have put me in the AT, and my body certainly felt like I was in AT, but my HR never got close to the upper 150s.

I have had my HR belt on during my 2k tests, and sure enough I do hit 179-180 at the end of the piece, so I know my maximal HR seems to fit the equations.

Ideas from any ace physiologist out there?

No "Ace physiologist", but I can tell you this:

Training bands are determined by power output levels, NOT HR's.

HR has been correlated to the various training bands, but that does not mean there is a causal relationship.

You will also have to train your heart to beat faster and maintain it's own efficiency, which will be related to stroke volume. It's like the other muscles in the body and should trend in the direction of getting the required job done with the least amount of energy expended.

The respiration system is not likely to be a limiting factor in performance, since it can exchange the O2/CO2 as quickly as the blood flows through the lungs, but the highest level of performance will require speedier blood flow.

In the long run, you took quite a large leap in pace and that caused you to fail. Perhaps try smaller steps, and even negative splitting over the entire session. i.e. 10k with 2500m quarters at 2:02, 2:01, 2:00, and 1:59 You can choose to simply hold at any time during the whole piece, but do try to advance if you feel you can. And always keep in mind that you want to hit the target as easily as possible. (not that it is easy, but hopefully you know what I mean.)

but that does not mean there is a casual relationship.

did you mean causal

TB
Data on your weight, height, age and ratings in the 10k would help.
The only clue you give us is the crash, at HR 148. This would suggest a "muscular" crash rather than CV, if such a thing is possible; i.e. you're pulling too hard. If you think that's a possibility, pull longer strokes (the nearer the chainguard you start, the better, but without over reaching), not so hard and relax on the recovery.

Sean Seamus wrote:

but that does not mean there is a casual relationship.

did you mean causal

Yes, I did. Tahnk you.
(My mind thought the right thing, the fingers didn't communicate it properly.)

I'm 6' 3", 185 lbs (was 260 lbs 9 months ago), 39 years old (male), and tend to row at ratings of 24-28. I rowed crew in college (2 decades ago), so I know I have pretty good form (no bending the back at the catch, shooting the slide, or excessive layback).

On the spectrum of

very low rate, having to explode out of the catch, and getting the wheel spinning all again to

very fast rate, not needing much leg pressure because the wheel didn't have time to decelerate,

I'm pretty much in the middle. I find I fatigue pretty evently - after the row my legs feel pretty shot and I'm sweating up a storm. It's not like I get one but not the other.