What Training Have You Done Today?

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » July 16th, 2006, 12:22 am

GeorgeD wrote:Hi Bob,

I do a short warmup before I start but i really do find the 18spm very very slow and may decided to start these at 20spm :D I cant imagine 12 or 15spm I think I would forget what I was doing knowing me :!:

George

George,

I use the monitor clock a lot on these. For 12 spm, catching on the zeroes and fives and every 4th second for the 15 spm. I also usually count on the slow ones. From the catch through the iinitial recovery, i.e. the hands past the knees, is a count of one. Then the rest of the recovery is: two, three, four, five for the 12 spm and two, three, four for the 15 spm. A lot of OTW training involves long, slow recoveries, so I was conditioned to that long before I ever saw an erg. I count also for 20 spm, but a one-two count at 30 spm doesn't work. At that rate, I just have to concentrate on the stroke - counting would be a distraction. For the in between rates that can't be counted out this way, I just follow the clock. Rates 18 and 24 are easy enough, but for 22, I have memorized a set of numbers to use as signals. Over 24, I just go by feel and keeping an eye on the monitor rate reading.

Ideally, the rate should be entirely by feel, but I don't have the talent for that. I have been tempted to borrow my wife's metronome, since the PM3 clock is erratic, but that is not really that much of a problem. Note that I am only at each of these low rates for 2 minutes. My main problem is to avoid getting distracted and forgetting to change at the end of each two minute period. It is also a problem to keep track of which rate I am supposed to be using in each two minute period.

Bob S.

GeorgeD · Post by **GeorgeD** » July 16th, 2006, 1:27 am

Bob how do you see this low rate work improving your performance

and where did the idea come from

cheers George

I confess that even at 18 it feels more like weight lifting than erging but I have never been OTW so never experienced the sensation of the 'gliiiiiiiide'

, but would imagine it is a nice sensation.

Heaviestuser · Post by **Heaviestuser** » July 16th, 2006, 5:12 am

Hi,

I also cannot erg at a speed of 12 spm. I have to hold back all the time at that speed.
Normally, when I do not think about what I am doing and do not look at the monitor I find an natural rythm. Which is 29/30 spm.

GeorgeD · Post by **GeorgeD** » July 16th, 2006, 5:28 am

Heaviestuser wrote:Hi,

I also cannot erg at a speed of 12 spm. I have to hold back all the time at that speed.
Normally, when I do not think about what I am doing and do not look at the monitor I find an natural rythm. Which is 29/30 spm.

Just goes to show how different we all are, I have to work up to feeling comfortable at that rate - guess for me blind rating would find me about 21/22

George

Heaviestuser · Post by **Heaviestuser** » July 16th, 2006, 8:03 am

5K at 2:01:1 pace. 197 Watt average. 329 Kcal. Damper level 9.

SPM : 30 and more.

RowtheRockies · Post by **RowtheRockies** » July 16th, 2006, 11:31 am

29’ r20 1:59.4 206W Avg HR 153

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » July 16th, 2006, 11:34 am

GeorgeD wrote:Bob how do you see this low rate work improving your performance :?: and where did the idea come from :?:
cheers George

George,

I don't expect it to do anything for my performance. I just believe in starting up gradually. Many years ago, I got in the habit of doing a little 10' daily warmup when I first got up. At that time, it was 2' each at 15 spm and a 2:40 pace, 17/2:30, 20/2:20, 24/2:10, and back to 15/2:40. A skewed pyramid - or sawtooth piece. Then my aortic valve started giving me problems and I cut it back to starting and ending with 12/2:50 and dropped the 24/2:10. Eventually I got a valve replacement and a 3x bypass and, after about four months, I tentatively got back into that little routine. I switched from 17spm to 18, since it is easier to time and have stuck with that ever since. I also started to use the erg as part of my post-op cardio rehab, which required at least 30' a day in zone - for me that was a HR of at least 112, based on the simplistic 80% of 220 - age formula. Since it takes a few minutes to get into the range, I got in the habit of doing 40' pieces most of the time. I was erging only 2 or three days a week and getting my 30' in zone on the other days by using a treadmill at a local fitness center and by taking long hikes at 8,000 to 12,000 ft of altitude.

Last fall, when I got into serious erg training, I was erging almost every day and I used similar pyramids for my warmups, but increased the time to 15 minutes and eventually 21 minutes. After the C-B, the season was over, as far as I was concerned and I have gone back to the old 2x40' per week, with an occasional attempt at a ranked time or distance just to have a number in the nonathon. I adjusted the 40' to include warmup and cool down and the ones I described in the earlier message are the result. I am tempted to go for another season of working on performance, but the heat here has been rather discouraging. Even in the early morning the temperature in my garage is over 25 degrees. The mountain hikes are much more appealing.

Sorry to be so long winded; sometimes this old (choose your own expletive) gets carried away.

Bob S.

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » July 16th, 2006, 2:29 pm

34 minutes rowing

60 minutes running

GeorgeD · Post by **GeorgeD** » July 17th, 2006, 5:04 am

Training: was planning on doing an easy hour tonight but was a bit late to the gym (back at work today) so decided to do a 30min piece. Now have not had much luck with these this month, the first one I put the handle down after about 2500m, then I was quite chuffed to do a reasonably controlled 8137 @ 1:50.6 and thought that sub 1:50 was mine - NOT

The next attempt lasted about 9min a 1:50 pace and led to a serious bought of depression and was looking for a beam to throw a rope over. So tonight was a try it and see and I PUT THE HR MONITOR ON - doh

30min / 8227 / 1:49.4 / 24spm / avgHR 154 (about 86%) Well chuffed as I reckon if I had not been a nancy I could have gone under 1:49 but will save that for another day.

George

jbell · Post by **jbell** » July 17th, 2006, 11:13 am

GeorgeD, being able to hold 1:49 for half an hour and only a 6:54 2k?? I think its time to do a 2k.

RowtheRockies · Post by **RowtheRockies** » July 17th, 2006, 4:31 pm

30’ r20 1:59.0 208W Avg HR 151

GeorgeD · Post by **GeorgeD** » July 17th, 2006, 4:37 pm

jbell wrote:GeorgeD, being able to hold 1:49 for half an hour and only a 6:54 2k?? I think its time to do a 2k.

I think your right. Plotted my paces in a spreadsheet that allows me to compare paces / distances and the 2k stands out as being somewhat lazy now. However I am not jumping to the conclusion that low rates pieces translate directly to faster pieces.

George

Ben Rea · Post by **Ben Rea** » July 17th, 2006, 8:33 pm

Todays: 24:00 @ 164 W s/m 20

Actual: 24:00 @ 157.3 W s/m 21

Something was wrong today and i couldnt figure it out, i know i didnt start with the same intensity that i usually do, maybe that was it. this is my worst yet.

jbell · Post by **jbell** » July 17th, 2006, 8:46 pm

30 minutes with no AC (around 80f in erg room)
10min @ 18, 20, 22
Avg 2:01.7
7397 meters
I sweat so much during this workout. It was horrible!

Ben Rea · Post by **Ben Rea** » July 17th, 2006, 8:58 pm

you gunna make A boat for chaminade this spring? hehe, i bet thats hard to do. good piece (i cant believe i just complimented my worst enemy).

wait, do you rwo for chaminade or did you used to? i cant understand from your profile.