5k Handicap This Saturday

[old] MarkPayton · Post by **[old] MarkPayton** » November 19th, 2004, 3:08 pm

Hi again everybody. I put up a 5k handicap on Monday with very little advertising, yet it's now completely full and overflowing! The handicap series certainly seems to be quite popular! (Special thanks to Andy for setting up an overflow race so we could sign up more rowers!) Our challenge is that we have more rowers than we can fit in one 8-boat heat. So, again, I'll propose that we split the group into similarly-paced rowers. Ideally, with a 2nd admin, we'll be able to have both groups start within a few minutes of one another, so that any schedule conflicts can be held to a minimum. My suggestion is to have rowers whose targets are over 18 minutes row together in one group, and the faster rowers in another group that would start about 5 mins later. That way, we can really have some intense chases going all the way. People who signed up without including a target time will get thrown into the faster group (being eaten by sharks will be the punishment for not providing a target time). According to this logic, we would have the following race groups (and still have space for more rowers): Group 1 - Minnows </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>CODE </td></tr><tr><td id='CODE'>Rower Target Handicap Chip 22:38 0:00 andy 19:20 3:18 Werner 19:11 3:27 Tomhz 19:00 3:38 SGould 18:45 3:53 Ernie 18:30 4:08 MarkP 18:29 4:09 room for one more (slower than 18:00)... </td></tr></table> Group 2 - Shark Tank </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>CODE </td></tr><tr><td id='CODE'>Rower Target Handicap Jeff 17:47 0:00 DougB 17:10 0:37 Cees 17:09 0:38 alex huckstepp* ? 0:00 nitehawk* ? 0:00 room for three more (faster than 18:00)... * Did not provide target time = will be thrown into shark tank as punishment! </td></tr></table> If this works for people, can I ask for a volunteer from the faster group to admin that race? Then we can re-configure the race groups before tomorrow's sessions. Reminder: given the admin complexity of the handicap races, we REALLY need everyone to show up early in case of last-minute changes. The races are scheduled to go off at 1700GMT and 1705 GMT. I ask that everyone be logged on by 1650GMT (8:50am pacific time). Thanks and regards, Mark

[old] ceesie · Post by **[old] ceesie** » November 19th, 2004, 4:56 pm

I'd be happy to admin the second group. I think only the owner of the race (Andy) can make that change, not? So Andy if you put my name in the second slot and then withdraw to get yourself added to the first race I think we're fine. cheers, Cees

[old] Sir Pirate · Post by **[old] Sir Pirate** » November 19th, 2004, 5:05 pm

Have a good one fellow e-rowers, Can't do this one as I will be at BIRC. Don't forgot the Eye_Balls_Out_Handicap_5K the following Saturday at 17:00 GMT. Only the tough need apply. Sir Pirate

[old] andyArvid · Post by **[old] andyArvid** » November 19th, 2004, 8:33 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE (ceesie @ Nov 19 2004, 05:56 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> I'd be happy to admin the second group. I think only the owner of the race (Andy) can make that change, not? So Andy if you put my name in the second slot and then withdraw to get yourself added to the first race I think we're fine.  </td></tr></table> Cees I tried add you to the race using e-row menu->internet->race utilities->modify race. But it places you at the end. Short of recreating the whole race, I am not sure how to place you in the second slot. andy

[old] MarkPayton · Post by **[old] MarkPayton** » November 19th, 2004, 8:37 pm

I have an idea. Let's just create two new races with the groups as defined. As long as Cees and I use the EXACT computer names, then all the rowers should be able to check into the new races just fine. Then the original admins can go back and delete the existing races. I'll give it a try right now... Regards, Mark

[old] MarkPayton · Post by **[old] MarkPayton** » November 19th, 2004, 8:55 pm

Done! We're now divided into "Sharks" and "Minnows". We had one more entrant to the Minnows race (which is now full) - Dyson, who will be starting with a handicap of 3:39. Good luck tomorrow everyone! Regards, Mark

[old] MarkPayton · Post by **[old] MarkPayton** » November 19th, 2004, 9:27 pm

Just to be safe, let me add a couple rules to try to minimize confusion: 1) Everybody needs to honor the handicap times as set by the admins.This is simple math, so as long as you give an accurate target, there's nothing unfair in holding you to your goal - no backing down! Please wait until exactly the time of your handicap has elapsed before you start rowing, or you will risk a false start. If you have a long handicap (over 1 or 2 minutes), you might want to simply not even pick up your handle until your start time approaches. 2) There should be only ONE rower going off at the start of the race, and that is the person with the "benchmark handicap" (a nice way of saying the slowest time). As an example, in the tables above, this means that only Chip should be going off at the start of the Minnows race, and only Jeff should be going off at the start of the Sharks race. In the unlikely case that two rowers have the exact same target time and that time happens to be the slowest in the group, only then could two rowers go off together at the start. 3) If anyone other than the "benchmark" rower goes off at the start, this is considered a false start, and the race group should cancel and regroup. This is because a faster rower going off at the start would throw off all the handicaps, and we would not be able to have a "pure" handicap finish. I suggest that if this happens, the race should stop and reset so as to give everyone a fair chance of "winning" by crossing the line first. Once the first two rowers have gone off in proper order, we'll have to trust each other to honor the handicap start times to ensure a fair race - please see #1 above. 4) Admins have the right to reset handicaps based on no-shows or new entrants, space permitting. This is what we'll HAVE to do if either Chip or Jeff can't make it, or if we decide to be nice and let Alex or Nitehawk put in slower handicaps in the Sharks race. I hope this makes sense and will help to keep our handicap races as fair and organized as possible. Good luck everyone! Regards, Mark P.S. - We need a better title than "benchmark rower" - any ideas? How about The Rabbit, or maybe Pace Boat? I tend to shy away from disrepectful terms like "Bait" unless they are truly deserved by people who don't provide target times (can you tell what my pet peeve is? )

[old] andyArvid · Post by **[old] andyArvid** » November 20th, 2004, 8:25 am

Mark, Good job with the rules. The only thing I would like to add is that rowers should show up 10 minutes before the race (in this case 16:50 GMT). Last week one rower got bumped because he showed up at the time of the race. I created two phantom races on e-row to direct people to your post. Please don't join these races. Nighthawk put in a time of 22:46. I suggest that he move over to the Minnows. If necessary, I'll move to the sharks. I don`t have a problem being sharkbait.

[old] MarkPayton · Post by **[old] MarkPayton** » November 20th, 2004, 12:05 pm

Andy, thanks for the comments, the news, and your volunteering to be 'sharkbait'! I know you'll give them a run for their money! OK, I'll edit the races once more - will post new handicaps for everyone in 10mins. Regards, Mark

[old] MarkPayton · Post by **[old] MarkPayton** » November 20th, 2004, 12:26 pm

Revised (final) groups and handicaps: Group 1 - Minnows </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>CODE </td></tr><tr><td id='CODE'>Rower Target Handicap Nitehawk 22:46 0:00 Chip 22:38 0:08 Werner 19:11 3:35 Tomhz 19:00 3:46 Dyson 18:59 3:47 SGould 18:45 4:01 Ernie 18:30 4:16 MarkP 18:29 4:17 </td></tr></table> Group 2 - Shark Tank </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>CODE </td></tr><tr><td id='CODE'>Rower Target Handicap Andy 19:20 0:00 AlexH 17:50 1:30 Jeff 17:47 1:33 DougB 17:10 2:10 Cees 17:09 2:11 </td></tr></table> Good luck everyone! See you online soon...

[old] SGould · Post by **[old] SGould** » November 20th, 2004, 2:05 pm

Hey Mark Thanks for all your effort in putting on another great race.

[old] ceesie · Post by **[old] ceesie** » November 20th, 2004, 2:20 pm

Totally agree. I had a blast. I was shooting for a PB (17:09) but in the back of my mind I also wished for finally breaking that 17 minute barrier. The push from Doug and the bait

rowing in front of me - Jeff and Andy - definetely helped keeping the second part of my race flat. The final sprint in the last 500 was enough to just go below 17 (16:58.7)... BTW, The only downside of these races is that it's hard to guage how fast you're exactly going. I usually set my PM2 to 'projected time' to get a good sense of how you're averaging... Here's a <a href='http://www.rerow.com/rerow.asp?URL=http ... esults.txt' target='_blank'>Replay of the Sharks (2nd) race</a>. I hope Mark will post one of the first race. Good weekend all! Cees

[old] DougB · Post by **[old] DougB** » November 20th, 2004, 3:02 pm

Cees - great race and congrats on breaking the 17:00 barrier. Now you have to repeat that the next time we do another 5K handicap race! I was optimistic and tried for 17:10 (1:43 pace), which would be 10 seconds faster than my PB set about a month ago. Halfway into the race my legs starting crying "no more" and I had to back off a bit. That pace must be some sort of lactic acid threshold that I just can't maintain for a long time. Either that, or last night's workout was too hard. In the end I still got a PB by 2.4 seconds, but it wasn't an enjoyable way to get there. And I finished the race real hungry - I couldn't catch any fish along the way! I agree with Cees that pacing is somewhat difficult. I pick a target pace and try to keep each stroke that pace or 1 second faster, figuring that the average should be about right.

[old] andyArvid · Post by **[old] andyArvid** » November 20th, 2004, 9:09 pm

Cees, great race. Glad I could be of some help. I too had set a very optimistic target (my PB was 19:48.5 from the 6k, the last actual 5k (le tour) was 2:09.4). About 1k to go, I was just a little off my target pace and I was regretting the pace I set. In past races I would have broken down. But I convinced myself to maintain pace till 500m left, then I could crash and still PB. At 500m decided to maintain pace as long as I could. At 250m, I figured there was only one minute left and I might as well give it my all which wasn´t much. Didn't see anyone finish but knew that Cees had passed me. Hit my target on the nose 19:20.0. 18th pb in a row. Set PB at 2k, beat my le tour times at 3k and at 4k. My former track and cross country coach would have been ecstatic. He always said, if you can sprint at the end, you ran wrong. Thanks again Mark for a great job.

[old] Sir Pirate · Post by **[old] Sir Pirate** » November 22nd, 2004, 10:48 am

Looks like I missed a good one. Well done Cees on the sub 17 I shall be chasing that time down and will hope to beat it on Saturday during the e-row 5K I shall go and check out the replay. Sir Pirate