August ctc - 30 minutes / 22 spm

[Grobi]

Hi everyone,

team vesluj.com have chosen the ctc for August:

30 minutes at 22 spm

The PM rounds down, so in theory if you set the split time to one minute you could do 14 x 23 + 16 x 22 = 674 strokes max. I hope my maths are correct?

If you are using the Ergdata App you can let the App count your strokes (although counting in your head distracts from the pain )

Have fun everyone

[Iain]

The PM rounds down, so in theory if you set the split time to one minute you could do 14 x 23 + 16 x 22 = 674 strokes max. I hope my maths are correct?

I think they are wrong. As I understand it if 29 intervals were at 23SPM and 1 at 22SPM then the average shown would be 22 for the full 30 min. Are they saying that this would not qualify and only 14 are allowed (ie that we have to recalculate?) If so, would these have to be weighted if the last interval were shorter?

This sounds tough to me as 22SPM is too high for me to keep every stroke at high force, while 22 is too difficult to track to maintain exactly 22SPM as it is 2.73S per stroke. Possibly adjusting every 4th stoke to a multiple of 11S would work, although as the clock is counting down it will require some arithmetic to track where the 11S finishes (49, 38,27, 16 & 5 with 2 strokes at 24SPM then allowed). Those wanting to go nearer the mark could try 3 strokes every 8S (R22.5) making sure the strokes are slightly after. So 52,44,36,28,20,12 & 4, knowing that if the strokes are after this it will be rounded down to 22. But still a lot to track!

Of course just trying to keep the shown SPM at 22 should work with every 23 being adjusted with a 21 and vice versa should work.

What do others think?

[Grobi]

I think they are wrong. As I understand it if 29 intervals were at 23SPM and 1 at 22SPM then the average shown would be 22 for the full 30 min. Are they saying that this would not qualify and only 14 are allowed (ie that we have to recalculate?) If so, would these have to be weighted if the last interval were shorter?

Iain,

you are correct! 29 x 23 + 22 = 689 strokes would get you to 22.97 spm, the PM would truncate that down to 22 spm.

Quote from the ctc homepage: "If the challenge is rate restricted then your final average stroke rate as displayed by the PM3, PM4 or PM5 must match the restricted rate for the challenge. For example, a 30 minute rate 20 challenge is still valid even if you make 308 strokes. The PM3, PM4 or PM5 will round that down to rate 20." (although the 308 strokes don't make sense here imho).

[JonT]

There is normally a penalty for straying from the mandated rating. Is this one basically saying either r22 or no score?

[Grobi]

It's r22 or no score.

[Iain]

you are correct! 29 x 23 + 22 = 689 strokes would get you to 22.97 spm, the PM would truncate that down to 22 spm.

Quote from the ctc homepage: "If the challenge is rate restricted then your final average stroke rate as displayed by the PM3, PM4 or PM5 must match the restricted rate for the challenge. For example, a 30 minute rate 20 challenge is still valid even if you make 308 strokes. The PM3, PM4 or PM5 will round that down to rate 20." (although the 308 strokes don't make sense here imho).

Thanks. AS to above, I think it is the averages for each interval that are further averaged NOT the total strokes. If done in 1 min intervals these would be the same, but say 117 strokes per 5 min interval for 5 and 112 for the final one would be 697 strokes, but 5 23's and a 22 so rounded down to 22 despite being 23.23 strokes average! The extreme "cheat" would be set 29:59 intervals and don't take a stroke in final second, then you could do 45SPM for the rest and in would round the average of 45 & 0 down to 22! So as long as you remember to "coast in" for a second it is otherwise free rate!

[JonT]

I didn’t have concrete plans today so I decided to have a go at this. Given the conversation below, but before I had seen Iain's last post, I decided to row 7x4min r23 and 2min r22. Ergzone says I did r23 overall. Concept2 has given me r22. I got off to a slow start mainly because I was listening to a podcast and not concentrating. Without fail if I remove the headphones my pace picks up.

I'm not actually sure I could go all that much faster than this. HR was already very high with only 50% complete. I could probably imrpove on stroke length a little and not get off to such a poor start maybe.

[Tako]

To be honest, I think that these CTCs aiming at a max score with such a low rate is nonsense. Especially over such a long time. So my score for August will probably be an HR restricted (max 75% HR) 30min at 18-20 strokes.
Better than no score and most importantly
avoiding injury and not chocking my engine.

[Iain]

Nice attempt Jon, accelerating from 12 min in is a brave approach and a great last 4 min! shame you will have to do it again next month! Not sure I will be able top match that, but thanks for doing a try out!

[JonT]

Nice attempt Jon, accelerating from 12 min in is a brave approach.

More of a case of waking up and getting my act together from 12 min Iain.

I'd love to get to 7200m, but I'm not sure I can maintain 2:05 at these ratings.

[plummy]

So...if you hold 22 spm but accidentally stray into 21's occasionally and end up with 21spm overall on the PM - that also counts as no score?

[Grobi]

So...if you hold 22 spm but accidentally stray into 21's occasionally and end up with 21spm overall on the PM - that also counts as no score?

Dave, 22spm are a limit, not a target. Any stroke rate of 22 or lower is fine.

[Wolfmiester]

Iain, why are you making it so complicated?
Just row at 22 spm

[Iain]

That's what I will try and do knowing that if I am a little out the alchemy of the PM should bring me inside the limit.

Not sure whether I should go out like a 30R20 with significantly stronger strokes from the start and try and hang on, or be more measured to make a finish easier to achieve and aim to not weaken much. Last year managed a 60R20 on former approach which ended up my fastest 60 min, but I was fitter then and didn't have a string of recent failures...

[paulgould]

Iain, why are you making it so complicated?
Just row at 22 spm

Exactly - even better - count out 660 strokes in 30 mins.

Paul G

[Iain]

I run out of fingers after 10, I intend to try and hold 22 on the monitor and adjust strokes if behind or ahead every 30 seconds when a stroke coincides with a whole second, so as long as I adjust the right way should be exactly 660. I don'y intend to use the PM peculiarities to increase the number of strokes (660 will be enough for me ), but was just pointing out that even with the 6 min splits recommended, 688 strokes (22.93 Avg) is possible!

[fkoene]

Only one week near my C2 this month so had an early go. Plan is to redo this later next week, wanted to get used to the rhythm today.

signal-2025-08-01-172719.png (66.31 KiB) Viewed 2562 times

[Tako]

Another CTC in the box.

[Shmoo]

I hope that younger, fitter, stronger ladies will come and float the boat higher, but the first free spirits boat has left the shore

[Tako]

Thank you very much Louise.
All scores count!

[JonT]

For those who have not been following it, there has been quite a lot of debate (some of it quite heated) in the C2CTC community around this event. As a result the definition has changed to include "One split of 30 minutes" to stop the approach of having multiple splits and gaming the C2 averaging algorithm.

Meanwhile, here are the current scores. Already building up quite a group onshore.

Total Number of boats afloat in CTC this month is 48.
Total number of Free Spirit boats afloat this month is 1.
Position of highest boat is 9.
Total number of Free Spirit rowers this month is 12.
There are 6 heavyweight, 1 lightweight, and 0 female rowers still ashore.

[Iain]

Thanks for letting us know Jon, the C2 Forum is yet to announce this. I assume that previous attempts with multiple splits are still valid if they didn't take advantage of the anomalous averaging?

[bierik]

Thanks for letting us know Jon, the C2 Forum is yet to announce this. I assume that previous attempts with multiple splits are still valid if they didn't take advantage of the anomalous averaging?

I sure hope so. I used the standard 6min-5splits and counted 11 strokes every 30 seconds throughout. I'd be surprised if I were more than 2 strokes away from 30*22.

[JonT]

Thanks for letting us know Jon, the C2 Forum is yet to announce this. I assume that previous attempts with multiple splits are still valid if they didn't take advantage of the anomalous averaging?

I sure hope so. I used the standard 6min-5splits and counted 11 strokes every 30 seconds throughout. I'd be surprised if I were more than 2 strokes away from 30*22.

It's a bit of a mess to be honest. Most of the arguments have taken place on the Facebook group. It all turned quite nasty for a while. I'm surprised nothing has been said on the forum.

Nothing has been said about previous attempts.

[Tako]

For me just another reason why rate restricted pieces make no sense…..

…. only doing them to get a score on the board for the team and my personal CTC count.

Hope people will finally learn from this and stop proposing them as they also choke the engine and risk injury.