What Training Have You Done Today???

[old] ranger · Post by **[old] ranger** » February 5th, 2005, 9:21 am

I have been getting ready to race, but I am again not at all happy about it. I'm really not at all ready. Since BIRC, UT2 and UT1 rowing have come along nicely with my new stroke (even these were poor at that point), but these advances have taken time; I haven't gotten on to other things. I just haven't done enough TR and AN rowing to race well (or feel good about the result). Consequently, I am pretty undecided about racing at the moment, although I am continuing to prepare. It looks as though it will be a last minute thing again. I need to feel that I have the proper resources to race. I don't like to do things half-baked, and my work developing my new stroke is still unfinished. These feelings about racing are ironic and externally imposed, something that I also don't like to have happen. My training has been going very well. I suppose the question is again this: Which pressure do I yield to in these matters--personal or public? ranger

[old] Pommy Ralph · Post by **[old] Pommy Ralph** » February 5th, 2005, 10:15 am

[/QUOTE] I suppose the question is again this: Which pressure do I yield to in these matters--personal or public? Good on you Ranger. I was one of probably many who attended the BIRC hoping to see you compete. Sure disappointed - but you did what you thought was best. This time around - no different. When you are ready - you are ready. Only you know this. Why even consider the "public'. Becasue if you do - you pay the penalty if things don't go as "the public expect". h*** with that!!! What ever you do - be your own man, your own personality, your own decision maker - that's what has got you this far. Don't spoil it. Pommy Ralph 57hw - slow but my pace!

[old] Coach Gus · Post by **[old] Coach Gus** » February 5th, 2005, 11:54 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(ranger @ Feb 5 2005, 05:21 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Which pressure do I yield to in these matters--personal or public? ranger </td></tr></table> Only the personal ones...always. What the public wants doesn't matter. What they think doesn't matter unless it affects the personal pressure. My one suggestion is that you think more about what you write before you write it. Saying you are going to do something and then not doing it, I think, is what leads to some of the public pressure. Making a big deal about yourself, writing so much about yourself and your training, brings a huge amount of attention and interest to you and a lot of us are quite interested in seeing you race again. For you to not do so is a disappointment. Of course, this comment could just be considered more "public pressure."

[old] CAROLE MAC · Post by **[old] CAROLE MAC** » February 5th, 2005, 2:59 pm

2.5k warm up then the Team Oarsome monthly challenge 4 x 4 mins 3mins rest;- 2.15.2 25spm 2.14.6 26spm 2.14.3 26spm 2.14.1 26spm must be getting use to this one legged rowing!!! 4k cool down ... just over 10k ...

[old] GeorgeD · Post by **[old] GeorgeD** » February 5th, 2005, 3:20 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(Coach Gus @ Feb 6 2005, 04:54 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(ranger @ Feb 5 2005, 05:21 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Which pressure do I yield to in these matters--personal or public? ranger </td></tr></table> Only the personal ones...always. What the public wants doesn't matter. What they think doesn't matter unless it affects the personal pressure. My one suggestion is that you think more about what you write before you write it. Saying you are going to do something and then not doing it, I think, is what leads to some of the public pressure. </td></tr></table> I tend to agree Ranger as no one has 'built' your abilities / achievements up as you have yourself, when you post numbers each week and appear to be the only one on the forums either side of the Atlantic who can manage the C2 Interactive paces within specs then people are going to find it hard to believe you are not ready to at least race. I think to expect you to come out and break the world record every time is 'totally' unfair, but this stroke sure has been a long time coming. I dont understand why you just dont give it a go, screw the public surely you must just want to go out there and have some fun after all this training - you have already stated that the record is not your focus. Go out and use it as a training session. George

[old] SteveV · Post by **[old] SteveV** » February 5th, 2005, 5:04 pm

Hey Ranger Stay at home if you want to, nobody really cares. Roy could do with the extra places, let him take your medals home

[old] Rocket Roy · Post by **[old] Rocket Roy** » February 5th, 2005, 8:05 pm

Steve, Thanks for the support, but I want to race all the top guys out there. Whoever turns up at boston I'll do my damndest to beat. Rich, I'd like to see you in boston, it'll be good to see the stroke in action.

[old] TRIBUM · Post by **[old] TRIBUM** » February 5th, 2005, 10:44 pm

I did my usual 60 minute row = 15250m. Slow, but not going for time just burning calories. I started doing the daily 1 hour rows on Jan. 1 with the ultimate goal of losing 11.5 kg (25 lbs.) Watching Law and Order (recorded on TIVO) keeps me sane during the looong row sessions. I've also started the Men's Health <a href='http://www.menshealth.com/absdiet/index2.html' target='_blank'>Abs Diet</a> to my arsenal in the war on fat. <img src='http://smrtbloned.com/archives/fat.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /> BTW... That's a simulation of only 5 lbs of fat! YUCK! It's going okay so far, but I think most of the weight loss will come from the rowing not the diet. Is anyone else trying new creative ways lose it?

[old] mattnegard · Post by **[old] mattnegard** » February 6th, 2005, 1:06 am

i was wondering on the really old ergs like the wooden ones if its harder to pull on those then the new concept 2's??? and is it harder to pull when the fan is shut or open?? thanks

[old] neilb · Post by **[old] neilb** » February 6th, 2005, 1:47 pm

Recovery row. 60 min @ 20-22 spm strapless and 1:59. Forgot monitor but this felt so easy and smooth. Sweated a bit but gym is a "health club" and so temperature caters for all sorts. Breathing was easy and relaxed throughout. Hit the nice and easy groove today!

[old] Rocket Roy · Post by **[old] Rocket Roy** » February 6th, 2005, 3:31 pm

Had to work for 2 days, weight up to 78.9. Did 20k after work this afternoon, 76.6 now, so back on track

[old] Sir Pirate · Post by **[old] Sir Pirate** » February 6th, 2005, 4:22 pm

2000m race today, have ankle injury so took it easy, pleased with result 6:34.2 at 30spm. Sir Pirate

[old] Rocket Roy · Post by **[old] Rocket Roy** » February 7th, 2005, 6:24 am

Good going Pirate. woke up this morning and weighed at 76.8kilos, down to gym, 10k at 2.00 20 mins stepper at 248 watts, 15 mins spin, 20 mins stepper at 248 watts, weight 74.4 kilos cafe, 2 x black coffee's, 1 cup of hot milk, home for 1 st meal of the day, 1 grapefruit and 5 almonds.

[old] ranger · Post by **[old] ranger** » February 7th, 2005, 7:44 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'>My one suggestion is that you think more about what you write before you write it. Saying you are going to do something and then not doing it, I think, is what leads to some of the public pressure. Making a big deal about yourself, writing so much about yourself and your training, brings a huge amount of attention and interest to you and a lot of us are quite interested in seeing you race again. For you to not do so is a disappointment. Of course, this comment could just be considered more "public pressure." </td></tr></table> Thanks, Gus. You are right, of course. And I am sorry about this, I guess. My apologies. Much less talking from now on. I am afraid I just hoped to do things more quickly and effectively that I really can. So I expressed those hopes. It's back to reality now, I'm afraid. Things will only go as quickly as they will go. My new stroke feels great and will--eventually--do just fine. But I am just not yet ready to race with it yet. I need to row several months at AT paces, I think. This is where the 2K lives and dies. I just haven't yet done this work. Started on this work this morning, 15K of good pacing, with breaks. No rowing slower than 1:45, heart rate up to 170 bpm for long stretches. No more UT2 rowing for a while, at least as a central concern. I tried to race again over the weekend but (again) just couldn't envision it and, in the end, decided not to race, (again) at the last moment. Enough is enough. No use trying to race (again) for quite a while. The message is clear. Like many, I row a 2K by envisioning it before I take off. But with my new stroke, I can't yet envision it, so I can't yet take off. So it goes. In the normal case, I suppose, I would rotate workouts (as in the Wolverine Plan) and therefore be always ready to race. But the difficulty in changing technique so radically is that you don't have the foundation to do the faster rowing until you can do the slower rowing. At least this one time around, you have to build things up from scratch. At the moment, I am just half way there. UT2 and UT1 rowing are fine. Now I need to work on AT rowing. ranger

[old] Pommy Ralph · Post by **[old] Pommy Ralph** » February 7th, 2005, 8:06 am

Probably a good decision Ranger. The pressure is on you to really perform and we've heard so much about the new stroke, that it'll be under scrutiny at the B's. I'm sure people like Paul Smith, Mike Caviston and other coaches would like a good look at it. And then have a few things to say about it. Plus, in the last couple of years you haven't lost a race you've started in - and in reality it would look like that at this years B's you'd experience your first loss as a lightweight. Tough to take when you do and say all the things that you do. Looking up at someone next to you on the podium instead of looking down! Then there's the new weigh in rules, and rules on erg use in the warm-up area - not suited to you considering the warm-up you like to do. Not much is in your favour. Keep your undefeated lightweight record in tact - and bring on that new stroke when you are ready - not for everyone else just becasue they are ready.