Light And Heavy / Hard And Easy

[[old] ranger]

Jim--<br><br>Yes, I think I still need to do 17K for an hour if I want to row 6:24. I think I will have to get this 2 seconds/500m gain in the other distances as well--5K, 10K, etc. I will also have to do 8 x 500m at 1:32. <br><br>If I do achieve these things, it won't be because of improved endurance, I think; it will be the result of better mechanics, a heavier, more efficient stroke. <br><br>ranger

[[old] John Rupp]

<!--QuoteBegin-ranger+Jul 2 2004, 05:07 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (ranger @ Jul 2 2004, 05:07 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->These weaknesses don't have anything to do with distance rowing.<br><br><!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><br>By association, doesn't that mean they also don't have anything to do with the 2k.

[[old] John Rupp]

<!--QuoteBegin-ranger+Jul 2 2004, 05:07 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (ranger @ Jul 2 2004, 05:07 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Distance trials? Don't think so. My weaknesses are technical and specific to the 2K (power per stroke, leg drive, finish, etc.). These weaknesses don't have anything to do with distance rowing. My distance times could be improved, sure, but (at this point) doing trials won't improve them and however such trials might turn out, they would tell me nothing at all about technical matters and other things that I need to improve for the 2K. <br><br>I already know that distance rowing is one of my strengths.<br><br><!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><br>What happened to the 2k being related to all the other events.<br><br>Also, how do you know what your strengths are unless you test them and try to find out what they are now and then.<br><br><br>

[[old] ranger]

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> </td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->What happened to the 2k being related to all the other events.<br><br>Also, how do you know what your strengths are unless you test them and try to find out what they are now and then.<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><br><br>I didn't say there is no relation. Of course there is a relation (in both directions). I said that to improve my 2K (and my distance rowing), I need to work on other things.<br><br>For the first three years or so that I rowed, I did basically distance rowing, including frequent testing. I neglected work on technique and power. Now I am working on what I neglected.<br><br>IMHO, if you row pretty close to "double the d, add 3" in your distance rowing (as I do), your general endurance is fine for the 2K and you can (and perhaps, should) concern yourself with other things.<br><br>In fact, at some point, and for certain people, I think, it is only work on the 2K (stroking power, technique, etc.) that will improve distance rowing.<br><br>ranger

[[old] judgedread]

This maybe openning an old wound but i feel George was making a good point about alternating hard and easier weeks to allow for maximum physiological compensation.<br />After a year George ...did you decided to alternate your work intensity?<br />Cheers<br />Tim<br />..by the way go the Lions!

[[old] Coach Gus]

To get back to answering your question George, if you can find this response in the midst of the Ranger and John Rupp comments as they go through the same old arguments. I recommend a hard, easy, medium, hard, easy, long, rest day daily rotation and every 4th week is an easier week with a reduction in meters. In addtion, every 2nd month take 2-3 days off in a row (!!!) to rejuvenate the mind and body. It's not the work days that are the hardest to deal with for most of us athletes, especially the driven ones, but forcing ourselves to do the easy days easy and to take the rest days. My best efforts have always come after one of my rest periods. <br /><br />Even my easy days of 50-60% HR leave me soaking wet, so I couldn't use amount of sweat as an accurate indicator of exertion.

[[old] TomR/the elder]

George--<br /><br />Have a look at the training guide on the C2 UK site. You can see the progression of work. It goes through three-week cycles, easy, medium, hard. You can also see the progession during training from longer, lower intensity sessions to shorter higher intensity session as race day approaches.<br /><br />If you look at a C2 program for training 8 days per week, you can also see what sessions are the first to be eliminated if you can only do, say, 6 days per week.<br /><br />The C2 plan is somewhat different from the Wolverine plan (as I understand it). The Wolverine plan recommends you train at all the different intensitiies through the entire training period, so you do level 1 (or TR) workouts early in the season in the WP but not the C2 plan. To increase intensity, you increase the pace of the various workouts gradually during the training season. You can also increase duration. I've never seen Mike Caviston discuss "easy" weeks, but presumably you could also use the principles of periodization w/ the WP, that is set up a three- or four-week progression of easy, medium, and hard weeks, a la C2.<br /><br />As to when you might need a day of rest, checking your heart rate in the morning is one guideline. I've read that if your AM heart rate is elevated by 5-10%, you could benefit from a day of rest.<br /><br />Tom

[[old] GeorgeD]

A further facet to this discussion may be that the hard / easy approach may only become a factor when a minimum 'total' duration of work is carried out over a period.<br /><br />I think that I could come in and row a flat out 2k 6 days a week without the danger of overtraining (performance may vary ), maybe for a total of 36k a week - (no implication that it would improve my performance much tho there would be some over time) - with reasonable care I think I could do this indefinitely.<br /><br /> .... but if I came in and rowed a steady 20k 6 days a week, I think I would slowly go to pieces.<br /><br />Now I know these are extremes but it is just a way of emphasising that the hard / easy concept is not just about intensity but also about duration as well.<br /><br />George's ramblings

[[old] cdykstra]

I just want to add my 2 bits here, for what it's worth. <br /><br />For me, there is an interesting "mental flip" that takes place when incorporating rest days into a training plan. It gets so that I look forward to the hard workouts and lament the days of rest. Like Coach Gus stated, the days off are the tough ones.<br /><br />This may sound wierd, but I'll start to "sneak in" a few extra meters here and there (after all, a quick 5k is harmless enough, isn't it?), or I'll do my recovery workout at a slightly higher HR than I am supposed to (I feel rested, really I do!). It's like I'm cheating on a diet, and the dessert is a nice 12x500m interval workout. I actually have to work at holding back.<br /><br />IMHO, when approached from this angle, training hard becomes a pleasure, and burnout is a non-issue. Physical recovery aside, this, to me, is a significant benefit of an "Easy/Hard" pattern of training. I don't dread the tough workouts at all, and my motivation for ergging, running, biking, skiing (and living) remains piqued <br /><br />Hope this makes sense!<br />CharlesD<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br />

[[old] bmoore]

<!--QuoteBegin-cdykstra+Jun 10 2005, 03:17 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(cdykstra @ Jun 10 2005, 03:17 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I just want to add my 2 bits here, for what it's worth.  <br /><br />For me, there is an interesting "mental flip" that takes place when incorporating rest days into a training plan.  It gets so that I look forward to the hard workouts and lament the days of rest. Like Coach Gus stated, the days off are the tough ones.<br /><br />This may sound wierd, but I'll start to "sneak in" a few extra meters here and there (after all, a quick 5k is harmless enough, isn't it?), or I'll do my recovery workout at a slightly higher HR than I am supposed to (I feel rested, really I do!).  It's like I'm cheating on a diet, and the dessert is a nice 12x500m interval workout.  I actually have to work at holding back.<br /><br />IMHO, when approached from this angle, training hard becomes a pleasure, and burnout is a non-issue.  Physical recovery aside, this, to me, is a significant benefit of an "Easy/Hard" pattern of training.  I don't dread the tough workouts at all, and my motivation for ergging, running, biking, skiing (and living) remains piqued <br /><br />Hope this makes sense!<br />CharlesD <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />I have to agree. The off days suck.

[[old] gw1]

<!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I have to agree. The off days suck. </td></tr></table><br /><br />Days off Rule! <br />For me spending an afternoon catching waves beats heading for the gym!<br /><br />GW

[[old] Xavier]

For a training week of 10-14 sessions, normally all but two or three of them will be easy sessions (for me, avHR between 144-155). One of these is an erg interval session, and the other two are normally a 3.8mile run and a sprint session on the track.<br /><br />Xav

[[old] bmoore]

<!--QuoteBegin-gw1+Jun 10 2005, 08:53 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(gw1 @ Jun 10 2005, 08:53 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I have to agree. The off days suck. </td></tr></table><br /><br />Days off Rule! <br />For me spending an afternoon catching waves beats heading for the gym!<br /><br />GW <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Ok, so maybe it's getting back on after a day off that sucks.