Beginner looking for some guidance please.

[Carl Watts]

I know I shouldn't admit this and that strapless rowing is supposed to be good for me but I don't get it - I try sometimes but just can't do it at all - cant get under 2:00 pace.
Just have to keep trying I guess.

I wouldn't worry about it, next to no one is interested in the rating let alone whether or not your feet are strapped in or not.

There are other forces involved in the dynamic or even the static on slides and OTW that clearly assist in the recovery phase, you pretty much have no option but to pull against the straps for a really fast recovery at a fast pace.

[Papy]

Small concern to report here, to see if anyone has experieced it before please :

in the last 2-3 weeks, I have been experiencing some increasing pain in both hands, located specifically on the proximal (lower) phalanges of the middle and fourth fingers (mostly the 4th). What bugs me is that my holding of the handle is the same since I started, as loosely as possible, more like a hook based on the top and middle phalanges. The only thing I can pinpoint to is that those pains have started since I have included some interval works in my weekly schedule. I tried to stay away from the rower for 2-3 days twice, applying some deepfreeze or calming cream, but the pain was always niggling and re-surged once I rowed again. Should I just cut off completely until the pain clears fully ? would the use of gloves help ?

[jackarabit]

Arthritus is not painless
It brings on many changes.

Arthritus can be present without incapacitating symptoms and merely waiting for the stress of overuse to introduce itself. Let us know when you get soft tissue swelling at the base of the fingers or the ligaments of the middle and ring fingers tighten and your finger joints begin to snap open and closed like a jack knife blade with an over-center lever.

The hook is a lot better than the thumb-opposed grip (eliminated chronic numbness and burning for me) but there's a price to be paid either way. Not surprised to hear that you associate onset of soreness with hard pulling in an interval or sprint scenario.

RICE, cortisone shots, ?

[hjs]

Small concern to report here, to see if anyone has experieced it before please :

in the last 2-3 weeks, I have been experiencing some increasing pain in both hands, located specifically on the proximal (lower) phalanges of the middle and fourth fingers (mostly the 4th). What bugs me is that my holding of the handle is the same since I started, as loosely as possible, more like a hook based on the top and middle phalanges. The only thing I can pinpoint to is that those pains have started since I have included some interval works in my weekly schedule. I tried to stay away from the rower for 2-3 days twice, applying some deepfreeze or calming cream, but the pain was always niggling and re-surged once I rowed again. Should I just cut off completely until the pain clears fully ? would the use of gloves help ?

I would say, some kind of overuse. Try to let it ease down. Drop the faster stuf, and up the rating a bit to lessen the load on the hands.

[Carl Watts]

Rowing with fingers only on the handle these days like a "Hook". Really quite loose with no real "Grip" on the handle. Tends to keep the forearm relaxed rather than tense all the time.

This also extends the drive length if only by an inch or less. Hands pretty much straight in an out in a more of less horizontal action but I have a habit of putting little loops at both ends of the stroke and just before the drive is a little flick of the wrist which more or less engages the flywheel immediately.

As Hjs stated, if your pace has been increasing then the loading changes in your arms and fingers so increasing the rating decreases the load per stroke. Found the change going from 18spm to 20spm very significant and no longer do my 30min at below 20spm.

[Papy]

Thank you for the replies. I have been using some cream specifically for articulations aches in the last 2-3 days, it has eased off just a bit, but I am staying away from the erg for the full week at least until it clears.

I'll stick to treadmill and weight works until then.

[Eric308]

Thank you for the replies. I have been using some cream specifically for articulations aches in the last 2-3 days, it has eased off just a bit, but I am staying away from the erg for the full week at least until it clears.

I'll stick to treadmill and weight works until then.

I wake up every morning with achy hands....just a little osteo arthritis I suppose. I pop a couple of Advils before rowing and the pain is gone. I tried that capecin cream (pepper sourced) once and the insides of my fingers burned for hours. Make sure you don't get that stuff around your eyes.

[left coaster]

I'm not your doctor, but using advil before exercise may be contraindicated. do a google search, there's quite a bit of info.

[Papy]

Well, today was the small matter of BRIC 2015 for newbie me...

Up at 4.45am, on the train to London/Stratford Olympic Park at 5.30am, got to the Velodrome around 7.20am, plenty of time before my 9.00am race for the Masters 40-49 Hwt (Part 1, the "Slow" guys...Part 2 was after us at 9.15). Checked in, went to one of the changing rooms, only 2 guys there at the time : one older guy that turned out to be from a large Italian contingent...and the second guy, well, that was only Graham Benton getting ready for his 9.15 !! Needless to say, that got me buzzing. even more so, when he walked out and said "see you later, have a good row"... yep, that day was definitely going to be good !!

The venue was stunning and well organised and laid out. Waited with our race marshall underneath the racing area and walked in at 8.40. Quite a few goosebumps then, I have to admit. Followed 15 minutes warm up with a relaxed 2km during that time. Moved across to the racing ergos, set the DF to 110... Ready...attention... Row !!!

I had a plan : 2.00 - 1.55 - 1.55 - 1.50 ...that would take me to 1 sec below my PB. Well, didn't work out that well Despite a very poor last fortnight training-wise, I got caught a bit into it all and still did a start a wee bit to fast : 1st 500 in 01:56.4 (26). I was last in my heat by that point anyway, so purposely slowed down on the middle 1,000 : 01:57.8 (25) followed by 01:58.9 (24). Never seemed to find a good flow at all. At that point, I was still last but only 20 meters behind the next guy up. Did push and manage a bit of sprint on the last 500m with a 01:55.8 (24).

52 participants were registered overall in the 2 heats, only 41 turned up...I finished 41st in 07:49.0... only half a second behind the 40th... 3 meters...damn it !

Benton's race was a sight : 01:28.0 (35) 01:29.7 (33) 01:29.7 (33) 01:28.1 (34) 05:55.6

Full results here :
http://indoorchamps.britishrowing.org/e ... 02KM%20Men

I had an absolute blast on the day though, really buzzing and can't wait to come back next year after a full year training under my belt. Really exciting to see all the race types as well (juniors, adapted, relays, etc). Finished my day by watching the 2km Open Men with the 8 GBR team members (and Jurgen Groebler's eagle eye on all of them). Was lucky to witness Mohamed Sbihi beating Matthew Pinsent's British 2km record :
01:26.6 (31) 01:26.3 (32) 01:25.9 (32) 01:23.1 (39) 05:41.8

What a day !!

[Bob S.]

Thanks for the report. Enjoyed reading it. And here's to a big improvement during the next year. Do you have any more planned for the current season? I have to comment on your game plan. Too wide a spread. Your actual result was a much tighter set of splits than the plan. The middle 1:55/1:55 was a fine goal, but a 2:00 first split would have been too slow. Do they allow you to have a coxswain? That would help a lot to keep you on whatever plan you use.

[Galeere]

Actual pacing was better than the plan. So after all sometimes it´s better to get caught a bit. You did a good job Papy being your first event like this and on the erg only for a few months. Thanks for the great report!

[Papy]

Hi Bob, Hi Hardy,

Thank you for your comments, that's food for thought indeed.
i had made that plan roughly based on the level of comfort/hardness experienced during the 500/1'r interval during the preparation. What should the ideal gaps be between intervals be in this respect then ? 1 second gap tops ?

No coxswain allowed by the looks of it, only the rower with his/her suffering

i have not looked at other possible races this coming year, will need to browse around for that. Maybe an intermediate one around June time or so could help keeping focused throughout the year until the next BRIC, I will see.

Here are a couple of pictures i took at the venue.

2 Race Zones A&B, and warm up areas either side. About 140 Ergos laid out in total.








Another point, i had a good discussion with a couple of guys from Concept 2 UK as well and asked them their view on the pains i experience in the 3rd/4th lower phalanges I mentioned earlier in the thread. One of them actually advised to stop the hook shape with the fingers and go back to a fuller normal rounder grip on the handle. He said the hook shape creates more impact on the base of the fingers and prevent a good blood flow towards the fingers, hence the subsequent aches. I tried to break this hook habit during yesterday's 11k, and while it was still quite painful after the session, it had reduced quite a fair bit today (to the point, at least, that I forgot about it at all - which has never been the case before). Food for thought there too.

[Bob S.]

I assume from the fact that you entered the BRIC that you are based in the UK. The thing is that this is the beginning of the erging season and there are a lot of indoor rowing events in the UK and nearby countries from now until the end of winter. The annual season ends in May and there are rarely any indoor rowing events in the northern hemisphere until winter comes around again. June is very unlikely. It is at the height of OTW racing and a large fraction of indoor rowing participants are juniors and college rowers who are busy with the OTW activities in the Spring and Summer. In the Fall the OTW rowers of all ages are involved with head races. I think that it would be worth your while to enter a couple erg events in the next 3 months, if there are any near enough to you for convenient access. I have a hunch that some of them allow coxing, just like the World IRC.

Bob S.

[bisqeet]

I don't hook my thumb. I find it uncomfortable.
I did break both my wrists ( and forearm, jaw, lost a tooth) in a mountaineering mishap. So it might come from there rather than the rower...

[Galeere]

Hi Bob, Hi Hardy,
Thank you for your comments, that's food for thought indeed.
i had made that plan roughly based on the level of comfort/hardness experienced during the 500/1'r interval during the preparation. What should the ideal gaps be between intervals be in this respect then ? 1 second gap tops ?

Great images from the event and good advice from the C2-professionals regarding your grip. The downside might be some problems with blisters, but skin will harden up in due process.
Regarding pacing I prefer the method to go 800m at target pace +1 sec, 500m at target pace, 400-500m at target - 1 sec and then try to get whats left on the last 200-300m. So that would give you a 2sec-spread for the first three splits and then hopefully some more on the last one. As pace is not a linear function to power (wattage), (much) broader gaps will not yield an ideal relation between total power output and average pace. The flatter the better, with 2-3 secs IMO being all rigt.