Advice

[old] OJMIT · Post by **[old] OJMIT** » August 1st, 2005, 12:18 pm

hello everyone - haven't posted on here for a while so here goes -- after three months of rowing I have the following PBs 2000 = 7:33 5000 = 19:53 30 mins = 7433 40 mins = 9507 50 mins = 11527 I am pretty pleased with that lot - I am still smoking but have lost a lot of weight and feel the best I probably ever have done. The thing is I am finding motivation pretty tough at the moment - I am still trying to set PB s nearly every time I row! I am sure this is not the way forward! I row on average five days out of seven. I just can't seem to get near my 2K best in the last couple of weeks and as a result have given up trying - I now seem to be locked into the 40 / 50 min rows - I still can't manage the 60 minutes. A lot of the advice I have read goes over my head I'm afraid - I don't have a heart rate monitor - I just get on and row - my wife reckons I am a obsessive compulsive - she may be right! I am 38 and 5'9". Any very basic advice gratefully accepted. cheers - ojmit

[old] neilb · Post by **[old] neilb** » August 1st, 2005, 12:48 pm

Some initial points. Training is training; PB attempts are racing. The two do not mix every day. Slow down a bit and work on a strong base. 2k PB should not be a concern for the moment. There is time for that later. It is very good that you can row for 40 -50 minutes. Now need to improve the quality of it. The split times suggest that not being able to manage 60 min is as much physical as mental? Split for 40 min looks like 2:06 but for 50 min 2:10? If so that is too big a gap and suggests better pacing required. How do you pace the 50 min. Is a 40 min PB with 10 (slow) minutes added on? If so slow down a bit and you can do 60 min steady. Then over time you can improve the splits for the 60 min. Try say setting 2:08 pace for 50 min and if okay just keep going for 10 more minutes. Same applies for the shorter distances. If you are going flat out for PBs may be over training. Try alternating between hard row one sesions and easier row the next. Track the splits if you do not have a HR monitor. Watch technique, keep it long and smooth and stop smoking! Also, keep thinking of the benefits gained so far and further benefits to come. You have done the hard part; starting and getting up to good periods for the sessions. Just ease up a little so as to be able to do more and keep with it. Post the results/gains from time to time. Neil

[old] Citroen · Post by **[old] Citroen** » August 1st, 2005, 3:02 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(neilb @ Aug 1 2005, 05:48 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Try say setting 2:08 pace for 50 min and if okay just keep going for 10 more minutes. </td></tr></table> You can apply that strategy very easily to the 30' and 10K row. I rowed 7706m in 30' (1:56.8 split) and the next session I rowed 39:15.3 for a 10K (1:57.8 split). That was done by simply saying, I can row the next session at exactly the same pace, it's just 9 minutes longer. [I only missed the 38:50 for 10K because I stopped briefly to drink during the 10K.] To make the 60' seem less of a challenge, set a date when you'll row a half marathon (21,097m) - your first HM will take more than 1½ hours. Once you achieve that goal, then the marathon (42,195m) becomes the next goal. The goals I'm setting are the official ranking distances for the C2 log and <a href='http://www.nonathlon.com' target='_blank'>http://www.nonathlon.com</a> I don't bother with stuff outside that set. Concept 2 send you a lovely prize for recording a marathon in the online rankings. <img src='http://www.concept2.com/05/training/med ... mug150.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /> <a href='http://www.concept2.com/05/training/mot ... honind.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.concept2.com/05/training/mot ... asp</a> I'm now looking at the possibility of doing a 100K sometime before May 2006. The very scary thing about that is the pain in the rear on the long endurance rows. I've got the milestone of my first 1,000,000m (10th Sept) to come first before that. This is all about setting goals, which may be a time and/or a distance or even a weightloss target then once you achieve a goal trying hard to beat it.

[old] cynthia · Post by **[old] cynthia** » August 1st, 2005, 4:22 pm

Is it in your plan to quit smoking? I think its commendable that you are doing as well as you are while still smoking and you could see a lot of improvement very quickly if you were able to quit. When I was finally ready to quit my pack and a half a day habit 9 yrs ago, I found exercise to be the best solution when the urge for a cigarette was almost undeniable.

[old] OJMIT · Post by **[old] OJMIT** » August 2nd, 2005, 6:15 am

thanks for the advice - just can't seem to qiut the smokes just yet - BUT - I finally managed the 60 mins this morning!! only 13422 m's but I feel a massive sense of relief at finally getting the hour under my belt! The last ten minutes were pure agony!!

[old] neilb · Post by **[old] neilb** » August 2nd, 2005, 7:58 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(OJMIT @ Aug 2 2005, 05:15 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> The last ten minutes were pure agony!! </td></tr></table> in what way? 13422 meters is a 2:14 split? whereas your 50 min is at 2:10 so 60 min was quite a bit slower. (did you stop for a cigarette ) How did you pace it? If you have the PM3 monitor you can use "Memory" to review the average splits (not sure if you can do this with pm2) If it is agony because of a particular problem then better to address the problem rather than doing 60 min just for the sake of it. If however simply due to it being hard work welcome to the world of the erg! Just watch your pacing and do not go too fast too soon. Neil

[old] OJMIT · Post by **[old] OJMIT** » August 2nd, 2005, 8:26 am

I felt fine apart from the pain in the rear end - I just could not get comfortable - switching from one side of the seat to the other constantly for the last 10 / 15 minutes! lungs and legs actually felt fine...

[old] neilb · Post by **[old] neilb** » August 2nd, 2005, 11:01 am

Okay. That is good. Legs and lungs should be okay with the longer steady rows if you pace it right but the butt ache is something that you need to suffer for a while. Some people use cushions or 10 layers of bubble wrap etc but I found that after a few months I became conditioned to the longer work and the butt ache seemed to stop. Stick with it.

[old] John Rupp · Post by **[old] John Rupp** » August 2nd, 2005, 11:07 am

Ojmit, Keep at it and the exercise will get easier. The gluts pain will gradually go away. An alternative is to stand and loosen up for a minute every now and then in your row, albeit not in a PB attempt. Cynthia, Congratulations on your accomplishment, giving up smoking, and thanks for sharing how you did it.

[old] Citroen · Post by **[old] Citroen** » August 2nd, 2005, 11:27 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(neilb @ Aug 2 2005, 12:58 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> If you have the PM3 monitor you can use "Memory" to review the average splits (not sure if you can do this with pm2) </td></tr></table> You can do that with a PM2. It's the RECALL function. <a href='http://www.concept2.co.uk/rower/pm2.php' target='_blank'>http://www.concept2.co.uk/rower/pm2.php</a>