OTW Training

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gregsmith01748
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

Time to crank up this thread again for the season.

Over the winter I bought myself a new boat. A beautiful, brand new, Fluidesign. I can no long blame my boat for going slow.

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I took it out for the first time on April 1st for a very short row to get acclimated. Since then, I've been splitting time between the erg and the river, depending on weather and schedule.

Here's a capsule summary:
1 Apr (AM): PP waterfall on the erg
1 Apr (PM): 2K quick row on the water
2 Apr: 2x20' on the erg
3 Apr: 80' steady state on the water
4 Apr: 80' steady state on the water
5 Apr: rest day
6 Apr: 4x20' on the erg
7 Apr: 80' of rate ladders on the water
8 Apr: 12K steady state on the erg
9 Apr: 7x1K/5' rest on the water
10 Apr: 90' steady state on the water
11 Apr: 13x1'/2' rest on the water
12 Apr: 80' technique session on the water
13 Apr: 4x20' on the erg
14 Apr: 65' steady state on the water
15 Apr: 8x500 / 3' rest on the water
16 Apr: 3 x 20' on the erg
17 Apr: 4x2K / 5' rest on the erg
18 Apr: 100' technique session on the water
19 Apr: 60' technique session on the water
20 Apr: rest day
21 Apr: 86' steady state on the water
22 Apr: PP Pyramid on the water
23 Apr: 22' steady state on the water (interrupted by lighting! :shock: )
24 Apr: rest day (my wife and I went to New York to see a show...Gentleman's guide to love and murder...Highly recommended)
25 Apr: 4x2K/5' on the water
26 Apr: rainy and cold, so the outing was cancelled. I spent 3 hours spreading mulch in a drizzle!

As you can see, I am basically following a watery version of the Pete Plan. 6 sessions a week. 3 steady state or technique sessions and 3 harder sessions. I try to do 1 sprint session, 1 long interval session, and I intend to do 1 hard distance row per week. The session from this Friday was very encouraging. I managed to set a PB for an OTW 2k, by almost 20 seconds. My old best was 8:52, my first interval was 8:34, and I can go faster. I had to steer around a stopped boat and I didn't push as hard as I would have it it was a time trial.

Here is a graphical view of the session.

Image

One fun development is that I have had someone to train with for a couple of these sessions (the 8x500 and pyramid). There is a rower at Brandeis University who wants to compete in single sculls, and if he gives me about 4 seconds per 500, we end up very close at the finish. It certainly ups the intensity!
Greg - Age: 53 H: 182cm W: 88Kg (should be 83Kg)
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Re: OTW Training

Post by Gregor Andrews »

Lovely boat Greg, it looks really sleek.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by CamiCrew »

Wintech to a Fluid ... sweeeeeeet, Greg! What a gorgeous boat.

Fluid singles feel (to me) like floating on a leaf on the water compared to some of the other boats, and they move fast, fast. Have you named her? What are your oars?

Will be fun to race that one!!
-barbara

F Hwt 53 yrs 5'10"
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gregsmith01748
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

CamiCrew wrote:Wintech to a Fluid ... sweeeeeeet, Greg! What a gorgeous boat.

Fluid singles feel (to me) like floating on a leaf on the water compared to some of the other boats, and they move fast, fast. Have you named her? What are your oars?

Will be fun to race that one!!
No name yet. But I'm trying to come up with something delightful and clever. I don't know if it's the boat, or the fact that I'm in better shape now than last season, but I'm faster than I was. Last season, my best 4x2k was at an avg pace of about 2:19. On Friday, I managed a 2:15 with a bit left in the tank.

The boat is wonderful to row, especially when I row fast. It sets really well and feels very stiff.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by kirbyt »

That is the most beautiful blue boat, Greg. Can't help you with the name. My wife's car is beautiful and blue as well but I named it the blue beast and your boat is way too sleek looking to be called a beast.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by Paul Victory »

Wow! That is a stunning looking boat. Built for speed. Almost makes me feel like I should be training OTW.
M 68 6'1" 124kg (May05), 92kg (Feb06), 122kg (Aug10), 95kg (Sep11), 117kg (Jun13), now 98kg
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gregsmith01748
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

Kirby and Paul: Thanks for the compliments on my new toy. I am enjoying it more and more every time I take it out.

I had a lovely long row today after a 4 day hiatus due to business travel.

I really needed to row this morning. Not for any specific training benefit, just because it's fun to do. I got up an extra 30 minutes early to give myself extra time on the water and I spent a full 95 minutes on the river. The basic parameters:

1. stick to r19-r20
2. heart rate cap at 155
3. work on clean finishes and keeping blades off the water

I had time enough to row 18.5km, which is a fair amount of backing and forthing on my short stretch of river.

Image

But the weather was nice and the water was perfect. To paraphrase Don McLean, I was in tune with nature's ways. It was awesome. I certainly have a lot of work to do to be able to row cleanly, but things are progressing in the right direction. My hands sure noticed that I hadn't rowed since last Sunday. A couple of nice, new blisters.

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In the plots you can see the 6 basic segments. Here are the stats for them:

Start__|_Stop__|_Dist__|_Time_|_Split Pace__ |_Strokes__|_SPM_|_DPS
00423_|_04562_|_4139_|_19:28_|_2:21.1_____|_377_____|_19.4_|_11.0_|_d
04698_|_07484_|_2786_|_14:17_|_2:33.8_____|_278_____|_19.5_|_10.0_|_u
07609_|_10374_|_2765_|_13:07_|_2:22.3_____|_254_____|_19.4_|_10.9_|_d
10519_|_13290_|_2771_|_14:22_|_2:35.5_____|_280_____|_19.5_|_09.9_|_u
13444_|_15383_|_1939_|_09:29_|_2:26.7_____|_184_____|_19.4_|_10.5_|_d
15548_|_18658_|_3110_|_16:36_|_2:40.1_____|_338_____|_20.4_|_09.2_|_u

00000_|_00000_|_8843_|_42:04_|_2:22.7_____|_815_____|_19.4_|_10.9_|_Downstream
00000_|_00000_|_8667_|_45:15_|_2:36.6_____|_896_____|_19.8_|_09.7_|_Upstream
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Re: OTW Training

Post by GrantR »

nice, Greg :) When you do hit the Charles in the mornings? I get off the mass pike onto 95N right there every morning at 6:15am.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

At 6:15 on most days, I am just pushing off from the dock at Charles River Canoe and Kayak right in front of the Newton Marriott.

Not today though. :( Today, when my alarm went off at 5:15 and it was 48F, rainy and windy, I rolled over and slept for a another hour and a half.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by strider77 »

Beautiful boat Greg, I look forward to reading details of your OTW progress :D
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gregsmith01748
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

As I have written before, I am using my personalized version of the Pete Plan for my OTW training. I usually do 3 or 4 steady state sessions with a HR cap at the top of my UT1 training HR zone, and then 2 or 3 Pete Plan style sessions.

So, this week played out like this:

Sunday was a steady state day, about an hour of rowing at 18 to 20 SPM, plus a few starts thrown in. I find that starts in the boat are a lot more difficult than on the erg. In the boat, balance is very challenging when you are stopped. So, doing a start by building from half strokes to full strokes is important. I usually gradually push out from half strokes to ful strokes over the first 6 strokes. At the end of the six strokes, I am rowing at about 30SPM and hopefully a 1:50/500 split.

Monday was my "Hard Distance" day. I do these on Lake Quinsigamond which has is just over 5500m long. I pushed hard and managed a PB for the distance. My avg pace was 2:14.8 over a 25 minute row, a full 3 seconds faster per 500 than my prior PB.

Tuesday was another steady state day, 14K done over about an hour and ten minutes.

Wednesday, the weather was terrible and I decided to sleep in.

That brings us to today. It was beautiful this morning. It was cool, around 45F when I boated, but sunny and nearly perfectly calm. There were delicate tendrils of mist on the water. It was so lovely, I took a picture.
Image

I originally planned the workout to be 4 x 1k. After I blew up during the second interval, I decided to extend it to 6. That plan lasted through the next 3 intervals, but 250m into #6, I made a new decision...5 was enough. I then paddled 250m and did a hard 500m to finish it off. Yeah, kind of a wimpy way to end, but what the hell. It was a pretty intense workout even without a complete last rep.

Image
Image

Start__|_Stop__ |_Dist__|__Time_|_Split Pace__ |_Strokes__|_SPM_|_DPS__|_
02000_|_03000_|_1000_|_04:07_|_2:03.3_____|_115_____|_28.0_|_08.7_|_
03500_|_04500_|_1000_|_04:25_|_2:12.3_____|_116_____|_26.3_|_08.6_|_
05000_|_06000_|_1000_|_04:16_|_2:07.9_____|_120_____|_28.1_|_08.3_|_
06500_|_07500_|_1000_|_04:20_|_2:10.2_____|_120_____|_27.6_|_08.3_|_
08000_|_09000_|_1000_|_04:15_|_2:07.5_____|_120_____|_28.2_|_08.3_|_
09500_|_09750_|_0250_|_01:04_|_2:08.4_____|_029_____|_27.1_|_08.6_|_
10000_|_10500_|_0500_|_02:06_|_2:05.8_____|_060_____|_28.6_|_08.3_|_

Distance_|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strokes_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_Remarks
1980_____|_10:26_|_2:38.2_|_188_____|_18.0_|_10.5_|_warmup
5000_____|_21:23_|_2:08.3_|_591_____|_27.6_|_08.5_|_Main set: 5x1K
2380_____|_12:34_|_2:38.5_|_261_____|_20.8_|_09.1_|_Cool down
2500_____|_16:44_|_3:20.8_|_265_____|_15.8_|_09.4_|_rest meters
11860____|_01:07_|_2:34.6_|_1305____|_21.4_|_09.1_|_Total

So, a 0.5 second improvement over a similar session about 6 weeks ago. That was 7 reps but longer rests. I was hoping for more improvement, but it is what it is.

Now, I am struggling to keep my head up off my desk. I'm tired.

Tomorrow will be more steady state.

I haven't been on an erg since 11 May. So far, I don't miss it.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by strider77 »

Looks like a beautiful morning for a great session in a wonderful location, your fitness has moved on, great progress Greg.

Do you have a race in mind or is this just for fun ?
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

There is a sprint race on June 29th that I think I will enter. The Lowell Festival regatta. That is a 1000m event. I could also do the 2000m open class race for fun, but I'd get beaten badly by younger and fitter rowers.

There is another 1000m sprint race in Mid July (July 14th) on the charles that sounds like it could be fun, but potentially humiliating.

Then I switch gears for head racing. These races are a 5K to 6K long and run in a pursuit format, with each competitor starting at about 10 second intervals and time from start to finish is used to determine the finish order. There are events nearly every weekend in the fall on the Charles or Merrimac rivers.

I am looking at OTW racing a bit differently than indoor racing. For indoor, I train like crazy for months and then enter one or two races. I am really trying to get to a real peak of performance for the CRASH-Bs. For OTW, since there is so much skill and practice to it, I am really looking for more events and putting less pressure on how well I do in each. There is also the factor of the weather. On a specific day, depending on wind and waves, times can be very different. It is really about how you do relative to whoever shows up on that day at that event.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

Another watery pete plan session. A 10x500 session, and it was AWESOME!

Conditions: Perfect, 60F, very light head wind when rowing up river, no waves whatsoever. Sunny. No traffic on the river.

The plan: 10x500 with a 500m paddle between intervals

1. Standing starts (I need the practice)
2. Target r30 or higher
3. Pace target: sub 2:00 (This is a big ask, last time out I did a 2:07 avg, but it was windier, and I gave up on a rep)

In each rep, I wanted to get a clean start, squeeze off the first three strokes at half slide, then extend out to full over the next 3 strokes, then settle in at a rate of abou 30SPM. At that point, just concentrate on rowing as long and clean as I could at that rate and just count up to 60 strokes.

And miraculously, that's precisely what happened. In the entire workout, I had no steering errors, blown reps or other disasters. I had one really bad stroke in sixth rep, where I managed to not square my starboard oar completely at the catch and I needed to pull out of the stroke. It took me a couple of strokes after that to get back up to speed.

I did 10 full intervals, and I took nice long rests between each. I would finish the rep, gasp for breath for about 30 seconds, then paddle just short of 500m which would take about 3 minutes and then spin and start. I probably took another 30 seconds doing that. So the full rest was about 4 minutes. My heart rate was back down to about 115 of so by the time I did each start.

Why did I do that? Mainly because I am looking at this as the key training session for 1K sprint races. I want to go into each start as if it was the start of the race and row at a similar rate and pace as what I intend for a 1K race. If I shorten the rests, I might get a more intense aerobic workout, but I think the quality of the late reps would be much less. Anyway, that was my thought process.

Image

Distance_|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strokes_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_Remarks
0980_____|_05:30_|_2:48.5_|_090_____|_16.3_|_10.9_|_warmup
5000_____|_19:48_|_1:58.8_|_608_____|_30.7_|_08.2_|_Main set
1840_____|_10:07_|_2:45.0_|_192_____|_19.0_|_09.6_|_Cool down
4500_____|_28:26_|_3:09.5_|_466_____|_16.4_|_09.7_|_rest meters
12320_____|_03:51_|_2:35.5_|_1356_____|_21.2_|_09.1_|_Total

Interval Detail
Start_|_Stop__|_Dist_|__Time_|_Split Pace_|_Strokes_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_Remarks
01000_|_01500_|_0500_|_02:00_|_2:00.4_____|_057_____|_28.4_|_08.8_|_
02000_|_02500_|_0500_|_01:57_|_1:57.1_____|_061_____|_31.3_|_08.2_|_
03000_|_03500_|_0500_|_01:57_|_1:56.5_____|_061_____|_31.4_|_08.2_|_
04000_|_04500_|_0500_|_01:59_|_1:58.7_____|_061_____|_30.8_|_08.2_|_
05000_|_05500_|_0500_|_01:58_|_1:58.2_____|_061_____|_31.0_|_08.2_|_
06000_|_06500_|_0500_|_02:02_|_2:01.6_____|_062_____|_30.6_|_08.1_|_
07000_|_07500_|_0500_|_02:00_|_1:59.7_____|_062_____|_31.1_|_08.1_|_
08000_|_08500_|_0500_|_01:59_|_1:58.9_____|_061_____|_30.8_|_08.2_|_
09000_|_09500_|_0500_|_01:59_|_1:59.0_____|_063_____|_31.8_|_07.9_|_
10000_|_10500_|_0500_|_01:58_|_1:57.6_____|_059_____|_30.1_|_08.5_|_

I am so pumped! I was on the edge for the whole workout. I really felt it right from the first interval, but I just kept at it. If I hadn't blogged that I was going to do 10 reps yesterday, I would have totally bailed after 8.

I was spent after I finished the 10th. The row back to the dock was hard.

Tomorrow: Same idea, different workout. 500m square / 500m r20. HR capped. Focusing on balance and form.

Also, if anyone is interested, here is a quick side view video of me doing a race start on Monday. Aside from needing to improve every aspect of my rowing stroke, and losing 20 pounds, it shows that I have a nice boat! 8)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dUFoYY ... e=youtu.be[/youtube]
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Re: OTW Training

Post by Paul Victory »

Wow! That was quite a session and great pacing throughout. =D> =D> =D> If I was about 20 years younger, I'd be very tempted to get OTW.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

Paul Victory wrote:Wow! That was quite a session and great pacing throughout. =D> =D> =D> If I was about 20 years younger, I'd be very tempted to get OTW.
You're never too old! It's a blast. You should do a learn to row program just to see if you like it.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by nervtoeter »

Sound like a really great day on the water Greg!
I should also try OTW one day.
In Munich we have no river for rowing, you have to use the olympic site in Oberschleissheim, there is also a rowing club.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

nervtoeter wrote:Sound like a really great day on the water Greg!
I should also try OTW one day.
In Munich we have no river for rowing, you have to use the olympic site in Oberschleissheim, there is also a rowing club.
Germany has some very fine rowers, and the munich facility is very impressive. I've never rowed on a world class 2K course. I think it would be a great experience.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

I still haven't touched an erg since 11 May! So far since April, I have clocked about 640km on the water over about 60 hours.

I'm still following what is basically the Pete Plan, with 3 steady state days and 3 hard sessions. This week, I have had one horrible and one good interval session. The horrible session was supposed to be a 6x1K interval session, and I managed to give up on 4 out of the 6 reps. My head was just not in it.

Image

I was in a funk all day after that debacle.

I came back with a reasonable steady state session on Wednesday, and then today, I faced the grand daddy of all interval sessions, the 4x2K. I last did this session at the end of April, and managed an average pace of 2:14.5. Today, I managed a tidy improvement on that, to 2:13.7. I was also much more consistent. The spread of times was 14 seconds from fastest to slowest today, versus 40 seconds last time. And 3 out of 4 of the intervals were faster today.

Image

Start_|_Stop__|_Dist_|__Time_|_Split Pace_|_Strokes_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_Remarks
01500_|_03500_|_2000_|_08:50_|_2:12.5_____|_239_____|_27.1_|_08.4_|_
04500_|_06500_|_2000_|_08:50_|_2:12.5_____|_238_____|_26.9_|_08.4_|_
07500_|_09460_|_1960_|_08:47_|_2:14.4_____|_241_____|_27.4_|_08.1_|_
10500_|_12500_|_2000_|_09:01_|_2:15.2_____|_249_____|_27.6_|_08.0_|_

Distance_|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strokes_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_Remarks
1480_____|_07:47_|_2:37.9_|_159_____|_20.4_|_09.3_|_warmup
7960_____|_35:28_|_2:13.7_|_967_____|_27.3_|_08.2_|_Main set
1260_____|_07:28_|_2:57.6_|_137_____|_18.4_|_09.2_|_Cool down
3040_____|_19:15_|_3:09.9_|_337_____|_17.5_|_09.0_|_rest meters
13740____|_09:57_|_2:32.7_|_1600_____|_22.9_|_08.6_|_Total

Tomorrow: steady state, then on Saturday I do my hard distance workout.
I am prepping for a race on June 29th. It's a 1000m event.
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

As all Free Spirits know, some training sessions go badly and some go well. My session this morning went so well, I feel like I need to share.

Here was my plan:
1. 6 x 1K / 500m reps
2. Pace target: < 2:10 (to calibrate this, splits in a single scull are about 25 seconds slower than on the erg for me)
3. Rate: 26 to 28
4. Basically try to push these a little faster than head race pace, but not all out. (head races are 5 to 6K long, so these are at about 5K pace - 2 or 3 seconds)
5. Try to work on taking good strokes and relaxing at higher pressures. Try to avoid wasting energy.

Results: A really good workout! 8)

Start_|_Dist_|__Time_|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
01000_|_1000_|_04:14_|_2:06.9_|_118___|_27.9_|_08.5_|_161___|_Int #1
02500_|_0950_|_04:02_|_2:07.2_|_111___|_27.6_|_08.6_|_165___|_Int #2 (weeds at end)
04000_|_1000_|_04:16_|_2:07.8_|_120___|_28.2_|_08.3_|_167___|_Int #3
05500_|_1000_|_04:15_|_2:07.5_|_121___|_28.5_|_08.3_|_171___|_Int #4
07000_|_1000_|_04:15_|_2:07.5_|_121___|_28.5_|_08.3_|_171___|_Int #5
08500_|_1000_|_04:10_|_2:05.2_|_122___|_29.2_|_08.2_|_171___|_Int #6

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00980_|_05:44_|_2:55.6_|_102___|_17.8_|_09.6_|_128___|_warmup
05950_|_25:12_|_2:07.0_|_713___|_28.3_|_08.3_|_167___|_Main set
02500_|_16:40_|_3:19.9_|_282___|_16.9_|_08.9_|_131___|_rest meters
01880_|_10:28_|_2:47.1_|_200___|_19.1_|_09.4_|_147___|_cool down
11310_|_58:04_|_2:34.0_|_1297__|_22.3_|_08.7_|_150___|_Total

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No drama. I made a point of turning and looking ahead every 10 strokes since that is what will need to happen in head races. This prevented all stupid steering errors. It also enforced stroke counting. I was around 120 strokes for each of the 1K segments. It was hard work, and I toned down the pressure a little bit in a couple reps when I started to feel like I was losing form, but after a couple of lighter strokes, I was generally able to amp it back up.

It didn't hurt that the conditions were perfect. Very light breeze, just enough to keep the air moving. Total overcast and at times a light rain, really just a sprinkle.

I really like the rig right now. I am getting the hang of my new oars (concept2 Fat2s).

For comparison, I did a 5x1K back at the end of May. In that session, my average for 5 was 2:08.3, but I had a blow up in the second rep, and I was so fooked by the end of 5 that I gave up during number 6. For the four best reps, my avg pace was 2:07.2. Today, my average across all 6 was 2:07.0. 8) And to top it off, I had enough in the tank for a half decent sprint at the end of the last rep, with the last 150m at a sub 2:00 pace. :twisted:

From this I think I can conclude that the new oars certainly aren't slowing me down, and are probably a bit faster than the old ones. I also think with some consistency in training between now and October, I can make a lot more progress.

Now, if I can just carry that kind of pace out to 2K reps, I'll be very happy!

Tomorrow: I have to drop my son at the airport in the morning, so most likely I will do a steady state session on the erg at work.
Greg - Age: 53 H: 182cm W: 88Kg (should be 83Kg)
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Training blog: https://quantifiedrowing.wordpress.com/
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strider77
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Re: OTW Training

Post by strider77 »

Nice session Greg, those 1k reps are nailed in now-next the 2ks =D>

Day off for me today after 7.4k in the am and 15k in the pm yesterday this old body needs a rest.

I have managed 2 x 10k, 1 x 30', 1 x 15k, 8 x 260m with 30secs rest and a stab at the CTC in the last 6 days so on the 7th I rest :D
[b]67 5ft 10ins tall, 80k, proud to be a Free Spirit[/b]
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gregsmith01748
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

strider77 wrote: I have managed 2 x 10k, 1 x 30', 1 x 15k, 8 x 260m with 30secs rest and a stab at the CTC in the last 6 days so on the 7th I rest :D
If the good Lord took the seventh day off, I think you can too!
Greg - Age: 53 H: 182cm W: 88Kg (should be 83Kg)
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CamiCrew
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Re: OTW Training

Post by CamiCrew »

My weekly on-the-water practices are not usually too remarkable, but on a recent Tuesday, we had a visitor turn up. I was put at bow seat in a Four with him. In a coxless Four, bow seat steers and calls the commands, while keeping the correct pressure on the oar to match the other 3 rowers.

This was a wonderful row. Luckily I did not crash into a fishing boat! I know it is not training per se but thought you might enjoy the writeup...

http://www.casitasrowing.org/index.php/ ... o-casitas/
-barbara

F Hwt 53 yrs 5'10"
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gregsmith01748
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2015
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Re: OTW Training

Post by gregsmith01748 »

Pretty cool to be in bow and have someone so famous in your engine room!

I've wanted to row on Casitas ever since I read Brad Lewis's book. It seems like a pretty interesting venue. WHo knows, maybe I might get the chance. My company has a facility in Agoura Hills.

I've been pounding hard on my wet version of Rojabo. Here's a quick summary of the last week.

4644 21:14.0 02:17.1 8/18/2014 51 H water 2x10'/3' @ 22 (plus penalty time)
5918 27:48.0 02:20.9 8/19/2014 51 H water 27' @ 20 (20s turnaround)
5780 26:35.0 02:17.9 8/20/2014 51 H water 3x(5'@22+3'@22)/3'
4640 20:38.0 02:13.4 8/21/2014 51 H water 3x(2'@20+2'@22+1'@26+1'@30)/3'r
5180 24:06.0 02:19.5 8/22/2014 51 H water 2x(8'@20+4'@22)/3'r
8/23/2014 - sleep in and go for a gentle 6km run -- I was tired
4999 22:39.0 02:15.9 8/24/2014 51 H water 4x(2'@24+2'@28+2'@30)3'r

Probably the best workout of the week was on Thursday. I dug pretty deep on this one.
Rate
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Pace
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I track my workouts obsessively, so here are the split times for all the segments in the workout.
Start_|_Dist_|__Time_|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
04520_|_0440_|_02:02_|_2:18.2_|_043___|_21.2_|_10.2_|_158___|_2' @ 20
04960_|_0420_|_01:56_|_2:17.7_|_043___|_22.3_|_09.8_|_170___|_2' @ 22
05380_|_0240_|_01:01_|_2:07.7_|_029___|_28.4_|_08.3_|_175___|_1' @ 26
05620_|_0240_|_00:58_|_2:01.0_|_029___|_29.9_|_08.3_|_180___|_1' @ 30

06200_|_0440_|_02:01_|_2:17.3_|_042___|_20.9_|_10.5_|_157___|_2' @ 20
06640_|_0200_|_00:54_|_2:15.7_|_020___|_22.1_|_10.0_|_170___|_2'@22 - Interrupted by a wing nut falling off my footstretcher, so I had to stop and tighten it and the others.

Then reset and start the second set all over again.
06920_|_0420_|_01:56_|_2:18.6_|_040___|_20.6_|_10.5_|_158___|_2' @ 20
07340_|_0440_|_01:59_|_2:15.6_|_044___|_22.1_|_10.0_|_171___|_2' @ 22
07780_|_0240_|_01:01_|_2:06.7_|_028___|_27.6_|_08.6_|_177___|_1' @ 26
08020_|_0240_|_00:58_|_2:00.8_|_029___|_30.0_|_08.3_|_180___|_1' @ 30

Then turn the boat around and do the third. Feeling a bit tired by now.
08500_|_0440_|_02:01_|_2:17.0_|_042___|_20.9_|_10.5_|_158___|_2' @ 20
08940_|_0440_|_01:58_|_2:14.1_|_046___|_23.4_|_09.6_|_172___|_2' @ 22
09380_|_0240_|_01:00_|_2:05.6_|_027___|_26.9_|_08.9_|_178___|_1' @ 26
09620_|_0220_|_00:53_|_2:00.9_|_026___|_29.3_|_08.5_|_182___|_1' @ 30

Then, with my cool spreadsheet, I can actually look at the average pace for each stroke rate in the workout. In this one, I wanted to hit the following paces:
r20 - 2:19
r22 - 2:15
r26 - 2:09
r30 - 2:05

Here's how I actually did:
01740_|_07:59_|_2:17.8_|_167___|_20.9_|_10.4_|_158___|_r20 --> well ahead
01500_|_06:47_|_2:15.8_|_153___|_22.5_|_09.8_|_171___|_r22 --> Not so good, last two chunks were good though.
00720_|_03:02_|_2:06.7_|_084___|_27.6_|_08.6_|_177___|_r26 --> well ahead
00700_|_02:49_|_2:00.9_|_084___|_29.8_|_08.3_|_181___|_r30 --> HULK SMASH! :twisted:

Today's workout pushed me beyond my limits. I was supposed to do 3 reps, but I bailed with 1 and a half minutes left on the 3rd rep. I took some time to gather my wits and my breath, and then redid the 3rd rep. The tough thing today was a persistent head wind that slowed me down a good 10 seconds below my target splits. That and a bunch of waterskiiers that seemed to wake me only when I was rowing at 30 spm.

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The ramp up of intensity doing Rojabo has been a shock to my system. So far in August, I have spent 49 minutes training in my "red" anaerobic range (Heart rate above 176 vs 183 HRmax).

For comparison, here is the time spent above 176 over the prior 10 months

Minutes in anaerobic range:
10/13 - 10
11/13 - 29
12/13 - 39
1/14 - 15
2/14- 13
3/14 - 38
4/14 - 15
5/14 - 14
6/14 - 37
7/14 - 11
8/14 - 49 (so far)

That combined with a near complete lack of long, steady sessions is a big change and we'll see how it pans out. I suspect that a couple months of Rojabo in the lead up to major events might be a great way to prepare. And then retreat to a gentler method to maintain an aerobic base during other times in the year.
Greg - Age: 53 H: 182cm W: 88Kg (should be 83Kg)
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Training blog: https://quantifiedrowing.wordpress.com/
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