August ctc - 400/300/200/100 done separately, total of 500m splits counts

[Paul Victory]

After 2 days off the erg, I had my first attempt at this month's challenge today. My trial run last week gave me a score of 6:04.6. I managed to improve significantly on that today, with a score of 5:48.3. I started with the 100m and then did the 400m after a few minutes, took around 20 minutes break and did the 300m followed a few minutes later by the 200m. I got my son Jonathan to hold down the erg for the 200m and it definitely helped, as can be seen from the times shown below. I did 6 minutes warm up and 10 minutes cool down to bring my total for the day to just over 5k.

Splits were as follows:

400 1:12.2 1:30.2
300 0:53.2 1:28.6
200 0:34.0 1:25.0
100 0:16.9 1:24.5

1,000 2:56.3 5:48.3

[Kirstin]

That's a pretty good improvement, Paul. Well done.

I'm spreading my attempts out a bit. Did the 400 yesterday. Probably try the 100 and maybe the 200 tomorrow.

[Paul Victory]

Thanks Kirsten. I think I'm probably capable of going faster on all of them if I do them as standalone pieces, although there's probably not a huge amount of room for improvement on my 200m time. I'm going to try to pick away at them one at a time.

At present, sprints seem to suit me better than middle distance pieces, so I'll probably keep chipping away over the next few days.

[Paul Victory]

I had another go at the 100m today, with Jonathan holding the erg down for me. Improved my time by 0.4 seconds to 16.5 seconds. Overall score improves by 2 seconds to 5:46.3.

Did just over 8k in total including warm up and cool down.

[Recess]

I had my first attempt at this tonight. I've posted photos of the screen on the CTC Facebook page - but here's how it went:

100 - 16.7sec - rest 2min
200 - 33.7sec - rest 4 min
300 - 52.3sec - rest 5 min
400 - 1:10.5

CTC Score - 5:43.1

This was at 21:00 - 10 hours after I'd gone hard on a 5 x 1500 r5 (Pete Plan) session. So I do wonder if I could do better on fresher legs. But, I loved this CTC - right up my alley - so I'll be back!

John

[Paul Victory]

Very nice CTC John, but definitely more to come on fresh legs. =D> =D> =D>

[Paul Victory]

Did the 300m today in 52.4 seconds. Improves my overall score by 1.3 seconds to 5:45.0 and gives me a (very) temporary seat in Free Spirits 1 by 0.1 seconds!

Well done to Sheena for putting in a time today so that I'm actually in a floating boat.

[Recess]

Nice improvement Paul. I nudged my 100m up by 0.2 yesterday - but I won't update my score until I've had a bash at some of the others too. I've joined a 30 minute RowPro tonight at 19:30 - so I might jump into the garage early and try the 300, see if I can improve that too.

John

[Sheena]

Well done to Sheena for putting in a time today so that I'm actually in a floating boat.

Thanks Paul. My seat in boat 1 will be temporary too
I hope to improve all my scores over the month, it's really the first try at most of these distances and we did them over two days, 100 and 400 yesterday and 200 and 300 today (Jan also did his this weekend). I had a couple of attempts at a few of them with different drag factors as I find it quite hard to get up to speed quickly in the short distances but then I also find it hard to get a high stroke rate so a bit more work required on technique.

Some really good times in there already so well done all =D>

[jhaveman]

To my surprise I'm actually quite enjoying this CTC

As Sheena mentioned, we did the CTC this weekend, and are still trying to find out what the optimal setup for these short sprints is.
After a few 100m attempts (think I did 5 over the weekend) I've settled on a higher drag factor (about 145, compared to 125-130 for our normal rowing) and am sprinting without seat pad (this seems to make it less likely to lift yourself off the seat). I still think it takes me too long to get up to speed (about 6 seconds - but this is a big improvement from the 10 seconds it took me in my early attempts last week). Some more practice may improve things (or I may just hit it lucky on one of my attempts ).

These are my times:
100m - 0:20.1 - 1:40.5
200m - 0:40.5 - 1:41.2
300m - 1:01.4 - 1:42.3
400m - 1:23.4 - 1:44.2
which adds up to 6:48.2.

Strangely enough the online calculator comes up with 6:48.4 when I put in my times - I guess this is due to the Concept 2 web site which seems to always truncate the pace rather than round it up or down properly. I put the 6:48.4 time in - it doesn't make a lot of difference in my position in the list, but for some more competitive (and faster) spirits it may become important (especially when 0.1 second determines whether or not you jump a boat )

I'm hoping to improve all of these times by getting a better start - especially the 100m where I want to get below 20s (currently one but last in the online rankings for this distance ).

Good luck to all who try this challenge!

[Liefcat]

Well done Jan, Sheena, Paul and John for your efforts - and nice to see Sheena and Paul in Boat 1

Also improved a little yesterday, went from 32.2 to 31.8 which cut 1 second off my "total" time...

A lot of discussions for example on Facebook - I will rather keep myself out of them. Anyways, here´s my point of view here exclusively: Basically I prefer real de facto rowing times - and that "split adding" seems a bit too artificial to me... Anyways - it is what it is, but then there is the "calculator" thing. Even in the example on the headline it comes out differently if you enter the times in the calculator: Calculator says 8:03.6 and the text and normal addition says 8:03.5. I must admit I entered the added splits and not the calculator´s result... (But I really can´t be bothered)

[zootMutant]

Well done to all those who completed this challenge... and doubly so to those who attempted it more than once!

This was far more brutal than I expected. I haven't done any sprints is several years. Now I remember why.

400m -- 1:22.8 -- 315.7w -- 1:43.5
300m -- 1:02.8 -- 305.8w -- 1:44.6
200m -- 0:41.6 -- 311.1w -- 1:44.0
100m -- 0:19.4 -- 383.5w -- 1:37.0
------------------------------------------
Total -- 6:09.1 (as Erik pointed out, it should be 6:49.1 )

If I actually end up in a boat, I try the 300 and maybe the 200 again... but otherwise, not. It was hard enough on my back the first time.

Cheers,

Edit: changed total

[Liefcat]

Well done, Zoot - especially on the 400m =D> =D> =D> =D>

Yes, you can definitely improve on the 200m and 300m if you want to

(Maybe you should check your final score again... )

[zootMutant]

Thanks Erik!

Er... 6:49.1 ??? (That makes a lot more sense, thanks!)

[Recess]

Good effort all the same zootMutant! I'm awful at adding time - numerically dyslexic when it comes to adding to in 60s!!

I've had a couple of improvements to my times, but I won't update the CTC score until I do a 400 tomorrow.

100 - down 0.2 to 16.5
200 - down 0.9 to 32.8
300 - down 1.7 to 50.6

If I can knock time off my 400 tomorrow I'll be really pleased. I think I'll have a bash at the 500 too. Really enjoying these short blasts.

[Liefcat]

Yes, I agree with you, Zoot, 6:49.1 makes a lot more sense

Very nice improvements, John =D> =D> =D> And your 400m is already very good from your first attempt, so very promising you are planning to smash that as well Yeah, thought you would like these short ones...

One more improvement from me today: 300m down to 50.0 1:23.3 Av.

[Paul Victory]

I did the 400m today and improved by 0.9 seconds to 1:11.3 (1:29.1 per 500m) - overall score now 5:43.9 (1:26.0 per 500m). Made no difference to the boat's position and I moved up 1 place in the rankings.

I'm quite enjoying this month's challenge. You can chip away at it bit by bit without have to do a full on session every day.

Paul V

[JonT]

currently one but last in the online rankings for this distance

Which puts you streets ahead of those of us who haven't registered a time yet =D>

[Paul Victory]

I completed the set today with my second attempt at 200m. Improved by 0.6 seconds to 0:33.4 (1:23.5 per 500m) - overall score now 5:42.4 (1:25.6 per 500m).

Having initially done all 4 in one day and then tried them again singly, I think that may be close to my limit, but I'll try again in another few days and see what happens.

[JonT]

To put a marker down I did these in a single session today with 1,000m 'rest' intervals in between. I started at 400m and worked downwards with a slightly increased resistance throughout. I hate sprinting and I haven't really been rowing at all for the last two months (missing my first CTC ever last month ) so I wasn't very optimistic and had no idea about pace.

400m - 1:23.0 - 1:43.8
300m - 0:58.5 - 1:37.5
200m - 0:38.5 - 1:36.3
100m - 0:19.0 - 1:35.0

Clearly the 400m is the area to look for improvement, I was tentative when I should have just blasted it for as long as I could. I'll keep picking away at these now.

[Paul Victory]

To put a marker down I did these in a single session today with 1,000m 'rest' intervals in between. I started at 400m and worked downwards with a slightly increased resistance throughout. I hate sprinting and I haven't really been rowing at all for the last two months (missing my first CTC ever last month ) so I wasn't very optimistic and had no idea about pace.

400m - 1:23.0 - 1:43.8
300m - 0:58.5 - 1:37.5
200m - 0:38.5 - 1:36.3
100m - 0:19.0 - 1:35.0

Clearly the 400m is the area to look for improvement, I was tentative when I should have just blasted it for as long as I could. I'll keep picking away at these now.

I think that's definitely the way to go Jon. Put down a marker and them chip away at them one by one. As you say, the 400m is the most obvious target. Maybe try moving up the DF a bit and possibly also moving the footplate up a notch. I normally row at footplate setting 4 (2 holes showing) but use setting 3 (3 holes showing) for sprints.

[jhaveman]

Jon, impressive times there (especially for somebody who hates sprinting), and you're right you should be able to improve on the 400m since your 500m time is substantially quicker!

And thanks for moving me from "32 of 33" to "33 of 34" on the Concept 2 100m rankings
Gives me something to work on ...

[Wolfmiester]

Well done team, very impressive.
I did all 4 yesterday, with gaps of 10min or so in between (after a 5k warm up).
The gap was not long enough!
400 - 1:14.4 (1:33.1)
300 - 54.4 (30.8 )
200 - 35.9 (29.9)
100 - 17.4 (27.4)
total 6:0.5
So I will definitely be having the single goes to chip away and get below 6!

A marker for Peter and Alan...

[Grobi]

Thanks Steve As I hate sprinting I don't think I will even come close to your time!

[Recess]

400 today wasn't the big improvement I'd hoped for, but it'll come.

From 1:10.5 to 1:09.7

End score is quite nice. From 5:42.1 to 5:35.9

Hope I can shave another few seconds off before the end of the month.

John