Atta Girl! Brag About Your Latest Pb Here!

[old] sirrobin · Post by **[old] sirrobin** » February 4th, 2006, 10:00 pm

At the end of January I devised a plan to break 6000 meters in a 30-minute piece by the end of February. I added "Tuesday morning Trials" to my weekly routine this week (I do like alliterations!) And on Thursday, I did my 30-Minute Thursday in 6014!! Ha! Now what?! Hey, I went to the Beach Sprints today in Long Beach, CA to see how the real athletes do it. Especially those people in the way-older-than-me categories are so inspiring! My personal best could not compete with them today, but they give me something to shoot for. I want to be like them some day. Anyone over 45 competing at that level -- thank you! Robin

[old] sirrobin · Post by **[old] sirrobin** » February 4th, 2006, 10:09 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(sirrobin @ Feb 4 2006, 07:00 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Especially those people in the way-older-than-me categories are so inspiring! Anyone over 45 competing at that level -- thank you! Robin </td></tr></table> That was a non sequitur. 45 is not even a little older than I am! Robin

[old] seat5 · Post by **[old] seat5** » February 5th, 2006, 12:03 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(sirrobin @ Feb 5 2006, 02:00 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>At the end of January I devised a plan to break 6000 meters in a 30-minute piece by the end of February. I added "Tuesday morning Trials" to my weekly routine this week (I do like alliterations!) And on Thursday, I did my 30-Minute Thursday in 6014!! Ha! Now what?! Hey, I went to the Beach Sprints today in Long Beach, CA to see how the real athletes do it. Especially those people in the way-older-than-me categories are so inspiring! My personal best could not compete with them today, but they give me something to shoot for. I want to be like them some day. Anyone over 45 competing at that level -- thank you! Robin </td></tr></table> Good one, Robin! Now you'll just have to set your goal higher. I wonder how far you can stretch that out before the end of February? Next time you do your 30 min session, you'll know what pace you have to beat to get a little further down the river. You could start out pretty much the same, and then give it a little more gas at the end and there you have an automatic PB. Go for it!!!

[old] kinley · Post by **[old] kinley** » February 5th, 2006, 8:41 am

Robin ---- If you attempt to set a PB every time you get on the machine, you'll probably end up erging less often. It just becomes too painful to contemplate (the "automatic PB" concept somewhat eludes me, though Carla's strategy is sound). Why not bask in the glory a little bit? You can put "recovery row" in your log to assuage any guilt. >>>------> Kinley

[old] seat5 · Post by **[old] seat5** » February 6th, 2006, 1:28 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>(the "automatic PB" concept somewhat eludes me, though Carla's strategy is sound). </td></tr></table> If you know the average pace you have to hold to match your last time, set the monitor on average and have it reading that number with a few hundred to go, and then sprint, you will automatically better your time, with mathematical certainty--unless you start the sprint too soon and die. I wouldn't suggest going for a PB every time you row, either. I figured Robin would probably do other sessions before she tackled another 30 min. set piece. And it is fun to enjoy a nice bask now and then!

[old] sirrobin · Post by **[old] sirrobin** » February 6th, 2006, 1:52 am

I thought I'd do a little better than the time before and gradually work up to breaking 6000 by the end of the month, but I shaved off a lot more time the first week than I expected and surpassed my goal. I was stunned. So stunned that I didn't even think about my next strategy until now. I think I will do another Tuesday Morning Trial and then go for it on Thursday. But what is "it" that I'm going for? I'm afraid to set my goal too high for fear that I will get discouraged and quit. I guess it's safe to try to do what I had intended to do anyway -- get a little better than last time. If I do that I will have a PB every time. But I know that some days just don't work out that way. I'll try not to get discouraged if I don't make a PB, knowing that I'm already ahead of my original goal for the month. I think I will shoot to be above average by the end of the month. Today the average 30-minute for 40-49 year-old heavyweight women is 6099. So I will shoot for 6100. That really seems ambitious for me. But I guess I underestimate myself, so we'll see! Thanks for your advice ladies! Robin P.S. I did a PB in the 500 today - shaving off 1 second from my last month's time for a 2:12.9. The average is 2:05.1. But I'm still dead last in my category here in California where, apparently all the other women are above average!

[old] Hanan24 · Post by **[old] Hanan24** » February 7th, 2006, 11:34 am

I just started rowing, and my initial goal is weight loss. I have a lot of weight to lose, and my goal is September, because I'm going with one of my girlfriend's on a two-week jaunt to Scotland, and she and I have decided that if we're spending that much money to go somewhere, we're going to go feeling great about ourselves! So, having used a rower before and loved it, I got one for myself, and I really believe I'm going to stick with it! I'm currently limited in my wardrobe, and what I do wear certainly would look much better if I were to lose at least 10 pounds. So my first short-term goal is to lose enough weight that the clothes I'm wearing now look good on me, and have a little breathing room. I'm hoping to accomplish that in about a month, so I'm shooting for my birthday, March 6 to accomplish this. I'm glad there's a forum where we can kind of get pats on the back to keep us motivated!

[old] sirrobin · Post by **[old] sirrobin** » February 7th, 2006, 3:01 pm

Hi Hanan24, Congratulations on joining the forum. I am in a similar boat with you (get it? row boat? ) I've found the forum to be very motivating. I recommend you also take a look at the Weight and Fitness thread and within the Women's Forum, there is a weight loss challenge that started in January, but is continuing in February as well. Good luck! Robin

[old] seat5 · Post by **[old] seat5** » February 9th, 2006, 12:43 am

First attempt at the CTC February challenge, which is, strangely enough, 300m sprint. I haven't wanted to do this for fear of injury and besides don't think I can sprint my way out of a bag. It is a really ridiculous event. There is no pacing involved, and if you try it the way I did it in a boat you would surely capsize. I upped the drag to 135 (5--didn't dare try anything higher for the first shot) and thrashed away madly at 51 spm--it must have looked hysterical. My only thought was keeping my abs rock tight the whole time to protect the lower back. Finish time 56.2 seconds. There are several girls that did it faster. I'll have to try it again in a few days, with the drag higher.

[old] rspenger · Post by **[old] rspenger** » February 9th, 2006, 3:13 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(sirrobin @ Feb 7 2006, 12:01 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Robin </td></tr></table> Robin, Re your avatar. I thought that I had seen that somewhere before, then I spotted it again - a full page ad in Westways (?) magazine, but I forget what the ad was for. Is that you? If so, what is the skyline behind you? regards, Bob S.

[old] Mary P. · Post by **[old] Mary P.** » February 9th, 2006, 6:02 pm

Robin - I saw that ad, too and thought I recognized it on the forum. I'd be interested if you could tell me how long did you have to row around and pose for that photo session - it's such a perfect rowing picture! (At LBRA, we had a photo shoot for some mutual fund promotional material and it took about 7 hours for what ended up as 4 photos.) Yours is an amazing picture! Mary P.

[old] mimitap · Post by **[old] mimitap** » February 13th, 2006, 4:21 pm

The January Virtual Team Challenge got me back into rowing after 5 months off - I did umpire field hockey and do strength training during that period, but no rowing at all. I am excited to report that I have recently set three PBs! Dropped my 5,000m to 23:51 (down 20 seconds) 6,000m to 29:16.5 (down 1:44) And today I did 6,400m in 30 minutes (up 536m) - that moved me from 69% to 40% in the rankings! I am so much stronger now . . . the problem with that is sometimes I can't stop rowing. Friday night I wanted to do 10,000m; ended up doing 15,000m. Well, I suppose there are worse things I could be doing with my time.

Marie (in Ontario)

[old] sirrobin · Post by **[old] sirrobin** » February 14th, 2006, 11:42 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(Mary P. @ Feb 9 2006, 02:02 PM) </div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Robin - I saw that ad, too and thought I recognized it on the forum. I'd be interested if you could tell me how long did you have to row around and pose for that photo session - it's such a perfect rowing picture! (At LBRA, we had a photo shoot for some mutual fund promotional material and it took about 7 hours for what ended up as 4 photos.) Yours is an amazing picture! Mary P. </td></tr></table> Ha! I wondered how long I could use that avatar without someone thinking it was me. It's from an ad for Kaiser-Permanente, my health care provider here in California. Their slogan for this ad campaign is "Live Well and Thrive." I've seen this same woman with a background of trees and no buildings, too. Every time I find her picture I cut it out save it. I found a couple on the web and saved them, too. The one I have on my desktop says, "If you can't take it with you, stay longer." I just love her. She just looks like she's lived a healthy life and it's nearly done. I have a picture of her up in the garage where I can see her while I'm rowing. She inspires me. Thanks for thinking it could be me! Robin

[old] mpukita · Post by **[old] mpukita** » February 14th, 2006, 11:59 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(mimitap @ Feb 13 2006, 03:21 PM) </div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>The January Virtual Team Challenge got me back into rowing after 5 months off - I did umpire field hockey and do strength training during that period, but no rowing at all. I am excited to report that I have recently set three PBs! Dropped my 5,000m to 23:51 (down 20 seconds) 6,000m to 29:16.5 (down 1:44) And today I did 6,400m in 30 minutes (up 536m) - that moved me from 69% to 40% in the rankings! I am so much stronger now . . . the problem with that is sometimes I can't stop rowing. Friday night I wanted to do 10,000m; ended up doing 15,000m. Well, I suppose there are worse things I could be doing with my time.

Marie (in Ontario) </td></tr></table> Good gravy Marie, a "hat trick"! Nice work! And, if you can PB with these with this much improvement, the shorter distances can probably be improved on as well ... you go girl!

[old] mimitap · Post by **[old] mimitap** » February 14th, 2006, 2:57 pm

Thank you for the encouraging words Mark. I have been focusing on trying to get some distance since I have set a goal of reaching 2MM by the end of this season. I figured I need about 10,000 each day to get there. (Isn't it crazy what someone will do for a pair of socks?!)

Now I may try to improve my times on the shorter distances as pieces of that distance work. It is nice see to measurable improvement. Marie