Concept2 Forum

Greetings,<br /><br />I am Robert Meenk, Jr. a 2004 member of the USIRT, and 2 time participant in the CRASH-Bs. I row on the water, and look forward to being on the develoment squad.

Hello all, I am Jonathan Bone, MHW, 6' 6" 258 lbs (200 cm 117.3 kg), a major-IRC virgin who will turn 50 this fall. Married, two cats no children, owner of a scrupulously maintained C2 Model C with a PM2 and Heart Monitor adapter + ErgMonitor, and a carbon-fiber Maas 24 recreational single (Dreissagacker oars) <br /><br />Erging background: I started erging around 1999, got a bit erratic at it after the disruptions of 9/11, and resumed serious training last summer. My 2k PB is 6:27.5. I did a 6:34.5 a couple of weeks ago to qualify for the squad although I've been doing mainly low stroke-rate erging for the past couple of months. Based on recent interval workouts I'm probably good for the mid-6:20s at the moment. That should come down once I drop the baseline workouts and start boosting the intensity. Power for me isn't the issue so much as efficient stroking and building cardiovascular endurance. <br /><br />Rowing background: I started sculling in May 2004 and bought the boat last August. I still rush the slide, flip catch and dig my port oar too much.... <br /><br />Since the start of the current season I've been averaging about 15.2k meters/day between OTW rows (exclusively long, slow-rate technique) and erg workouts. If anyone cares, I've been posting details in my Diary (NavigationHazard) on the C2 UK Forum. See <a href='http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/weblog.php?w=71' target='_blank'>NavigationHazard's Diary ("Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here").</a><br /><br />A university professor, I currently live in Manhattan, row single sculls on -- and sometimes in -- New Jersey's Passaic River for the Passaic River Rowing Association/PRRA, and am a member of Britain's mighty Team Oarsome IRC. I'm also looking forward to the Development Squad, some of whose members I already know from the Forum, and to having a chance to test for the USIRC this fall.

Sent to DevSquad members by C2:<br /><br /><i>Welcome to the first U.S. Indoor Rowing Development Squad (USIRDS). You have been set up to make posts in the DevSquad forum. The first post you need to make is to introduce yourself to the rest of the squad and the coaches. Please make this post in the “introductions” section of the DevSquad forum. In this post, please include some personal info, your athletic background, how many days per week you row, what training do you currently do, your best current 2K piece and if you row on-water or not. Include anything else you might think is interesting to others on the squad and anyone else that views the postings.</i><br /><br />I began rowing on the water at the University of Michigan in 1979, though my days in a shell are very few and far between at this point. I’ve been involved with either the men’s or the women’s rowing programs at U of M as an assistant coach for most of the past two decades. I also lecture in Kinesiology at U of M. I’ve been rowing indoors since ConceptII began making the Model A, or slightly before since I did take a few whirls on the old Gamut ergs. My first CRASH-B was in 1988 (I placed fifth in the open lightweight), and believe me, nothing has ever wrecked me as much as two all-out 2500m pieces within a couple hours of each other. Thank God for 2K and no heats! In recent years, competing as a senior (40+) LW, I’ve won CRASH-B three times, the BIRC once, and the Euro IRC twice (as a member of the USIRT). Other fitness activities include cycling and some weight lifting. I used to do a fair bit of running, but not so much the past few years.<br /><br />I train 365 days a year. In the past year I have put in 479 sessions on the erg and well over 7 million meters. This time of year I put in about 120-140K per week (vs. 160-180K per week in the period of peak training leading up to the WIRC). I’ve described my training routine (the Wolverine Plan) in some detail over the past few years here on the forum. My most recent 2K was Wednesday morning (July 6), and I cruised in at 6:29.3 (1:37.3). Pretty relaxed until the final 400m. A recent 4 x 1K workout indicated I could just break 6:27 if I really extended myself, and that seems about right. Overall, I’m in better shape than I’ve been at this time of year in a long time (which is a far cry from being in peak shape during indoor racing season). Despite the above normal heat and humidity we've had in Michigan recently, which has destroyed several of my longer sessions, I’ve made decent progress endurance-wise. Recently I set a rather obscure PR by using the fewest strokes to cover 16K in 60’: 16,007m in 1124 strokes (using the WP Level 4 sequences 110,110,116,110,116,110,110,116,110,116). Back on May 27 I clocked 25K in 90:55.7 (1:49.1), though due to the heat I haven’t equaled that since. This morning, however, I did do a comfortable 22K in 80:30.8 (1:49.8).<br /><br />The bad news (from a training standpoint) is that tomorrow I am going out of the country for a couple weeks and probably won’t have access to an erg. I’ll stay plenty active to maintain my general fitness, but I’m most likely going to lose some erg-specific fitness. I’ll just have to pick up wherever I can when I get home. I won’t have internet access while I’m gone, so I’ll wish everyone happy training until I return. And hopefully there’ll be a lot of DevSquad forum material to catch up on.<br /><br />Best wishes,<br /><br />Mike Caviston

It looks like I'm the third member of the 40-49 lightweights, though not as fast as Robert or Mike. I won't be "cruising" through a 2K in 6:29.3 anytime soon, that's for sure. Last year I got down to just below 6:34, and this year I hope to reach 6:32, hopefully 6:30, but I may just not have enough strength to get there. Being 6'3" and a lightweight means I don't have much in the way of muscle...<br /><br />I've been rowing on the erg regularly since around 1997, when I gave up on ever getting my achilles tendon healed, which I injured years earlier from too much running and not enough stretching. These days I average 6 workouts a week on the erg, usually 10K - 15K each, which is about all I have time for. Adding in a warm-up, stretching, and light weights, that's between 1 and 1.5 hours per day.<br /><br />For the past few months I've been doing the "easy" stuff - UT1/UT2 with an occasional AT workout - trying to build up my aerobic base. Common workouts have been 60:00 at 20 spm (1:56-1:59), 2/3 x 4000m at 24 spm (1:48-1:51) , or 10,000m at 22/24 spm (1:52-1:54). Rather than follow a fixed workout plan all the time, I prefer to include a variety of workouts to keep it interesting. This causes me to lose some ability to measure my progress, but that's a tradeoff I'm willing to make.<br /><br />Racing-wise, I've done some satellite races and CRASH-B's once. Last year the dry air (I'm guessing) got to me around January and gave me a terrible time, so this year I'm thinking of peaking earlier, maybe in December. Since I turn 40 shortly I might make a hard push the next few months to see what I'm capable of, and then decide what to do next.<br /><br />Doug Billings

Greetings...Am I the first woman to post here? I'll take it. <br />Joan Van Blom, 52, lightweight...at least, that's the plan... <br /><br />My husband, John Van Blom, has put on the Long Beach satellite race (a CRASH-B qualifying event), the Beach Sprints, since it's beginning in 1987. Though both of us are scullers (he's a 4 time Olympian, 1968-1980, including 4th in the single in 1968) and I'm a 3 time Olympian (1976-1984, silver in the single in 1976 and silver in the quad in 1984), neither of us had ever competed on the erg (our Olympic team selection was always based on on-the-water results). Although I admired the abilities of those who could really crank on it, I wasn't ever much of an erg fan myself (a little too painful and not that fun ).<br /> <br />Motivated by the possibility of actually making the CRASH-B qualifying time, I competed in my first erg race at the 2003 Beach Sprints when I was 50. It was also my first time to ever compete as a lightweight. <br />Since then, I've won my category in the CRASH-B's '03, '04, and '05, and won the same category at the EIRC in '03 and '04 as part of the USIRT (Thank you, Concept 2!). Needless to say, I'm now an erg fan (a new approach to training has made it not quite so consistently painful and the competition has definitely increased the "fun"). <br /> <br />Wanting to contribute to Xeno's Iron Oarsman team, I just started logging my meters this year, and, compared to most of you, they are not much to brag about. I thank Mike Caviston for his generous training guidance (I don't do his volume, but I try to follow the general idea of the Wolverine plan) and Xeno for his thoughtful analysis and coaching of my technique...I'm still working on it. <br /><br />I still enjoy rowing in my single and in an eight. I've stroked the Long Beach Rowing Association's Women's Masters 8 in the Head of the Charles Regatta, which we won in '01, '03, and '04. We also won the Club event at this year's San Diego Crew Classic. Our 8 has some of my erging buddies that are on the development squad, as well. (I hope they'll post!)<br /><br />I've enjoyed reading the previous posts here, and I'm looking forward to reading more and continuing to learn (and I hope to get faster along the way!). <br /><br />Thanks to Concept 2 for all the opportunities for support and motivation. <br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Joan Van Blom

Hello,<br /> I’m Barbara Davenport. I just turned 60. Back in 1989 when I was rowing in 8’s & 4’s in San Diego, I won my age group at the Beach Sprints, and a ticket to the CRASH-B’s. Even back then the CRASH-B’s was an amazing experience, to hear all those ergs whirring in Rockwell Cage, and to be among so many fiercely determined athletes.<br />I was raising two daughters on my own, and i had to let go of a lot of things, including rowing. I didn’t get back on an erg until summer of 04, when I decided to get serious about losing some weight. I got interested enough that I went to the 05 Crash-B’s to write about the event, and about indoor rowing. Somewhere in the course of talking to Joan, and Mary Perrot and others, I started thinking again about competing. <br />I’ve spent the winter & spring getting down to lightweight and rebuilding an aerobic base. When I saw the very generous time for the Developmental Squad for my age group, I had to give it a shot. Motivational boost: my younger daughter is in Paris for the year. I want to go see her, and what better way to get across the Atlantic than on an erg.<br />My time is 8:39. I have <i>a lot </i>of developin’ to do. I’ll give it my best shot; I’m in it ‘til they show me the door. I’m looking forward to hearing from everyone on the team.<br />My thanks to Concept 2 for their sponsorship. We couldn't be doing this without you.<br />Best regards,<br />Barbara<br /><br />

Hi all. I'm Jim Castellan and turned 60 a week after CRASH-Bs this year. Although a fairly good athlete, I never took a stroke until after my first year of grad school. I thought it would be something interesting to try. I eventually made the '76 Olympic team as sculling alternate when 31.<br /><br />I did some running after retiring from the water but by 50 had stopped due to work, family and life in general (plus the abuse of running on the old joints!). Started using the company fitness center about mid 50's but not consistently or seriously. A merger provided the opportunity to retire earlier than planned and I accidentally qualified for CRASH-Bs in 2001 as work was winding down.<br /><br />The past 4 years have been dealing with pent up demand of family obligations, home projects, research into my family history, and lots of travel including trekking, camping, and climbing Killi in Africa and commiting to getting back into shape. A major operation in 2004 meant a 2-3 month setback and a total break in any real physical activity but I'm still hoping to make it all the way back.<br /><br />I haven't gone back on the water. When not traveling or needing to take it easy after hard yard projects like working my hives or splitting wood, etc., I generally alternate days of a weights circuit at a local fitness center (with their Model Cs for warm up and warm down) with days on my Model D at home. At the recent CRASH-Bs I got a 2nd with a 6:29.5 when only a week shy of 60 and needing another week of recovery from the Main Line Slide. (I had hoped CRASH-Bs would be on the usual 3rd Feb. Sunday on my b'day, Feb 20 -- what a downer!)<br /><br />But before another scheduled medical procedure and the close of the recent season, I set 60 y.o. world bests in the 500 (1:22.0), 1000 (3:00.0), 5K and 6K (a friend pointed out they were soft!) shortly after my b'day. I took a good break after all that.<br /><br />I generally just do long 30-45 minute rows now trying to get back from the travel break. I don't start intervals or any speed work until October 1 but I guess that might have to change. I decided to try this USIRDS to catch up with what's been going on with current thinking on training, nutrition, etc. I find at my age just standing up causes me to suck wind and the intervals really beat you up. I now only do 1.5x and not twice the 2k racing distance in 500s, 1000s like the old days -- and I'm still pretty wasted.<br /><br />And lastly there must be some secret to picking/getting assigned a fast erg!(:-)

Hi Everyone,<br /><br /> I'm Grace Malacrida, 42, heavyweight, married to a lighweight rower. We have two teenage sons. One son loves rowing and the other would much rather sleep in then go row. My 15 year old son is my mixed doubles partner for rowing. <br /><br /> I'm also the 2 seat in the 8 that Joan Van Blom stroked to victory at the Head of the Charles and at the Crew Classic this past year. I truly enjoy competing with the Long Beach women in an 8. However, I live quite some distance from the boathouse, so the erg is my friend. I use the erg 5 days a week in my home and get on the water once a week. Since I live in a house with a swamp cooler and the local temp has been in the 100s, I may be able to become a lightweight via sweating...well, maybe not. <br /><br /> For the past few years, Marlene Royle has developed my training program and helped me drop my 2k time quite a bit. I hope that these suggested workouts will help me lower it even further.<br /><br />~Grace

Hello all:<br /> My name is Brian Burke and I qualified in the 40-49 HWT division. I am a former basketball player who has never been on the water. Of all the athletic endeavors that I have participated in erging is the most physically challenging. I typically train 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes a session. I participated in the 2003 and 2004 Crash B's. Given my complete lack of rowing experience I look forward to being part of a group that cleary knows what they are doing.

Hello everyone. <br />I'm Adrienne Winfield, I am 17 and I have been rowing for five years. For the past two years I have been rowing all four seasons of the year. This summer I am rowing with a club team in my area. We practice 6 days a week, 3 of those days we have double practices and twice a week I lift so squeezing in time for the devsquad will be exciting. <br />I'm a lightweight and my best 2k time is 7:44.5. I raced in the 2005 CRASH B's placing 7th. I erg seriously in the winter but for the rest of the year I row mostly on the water.

Hello all:<br /><br />Karen Gress; 40-49 LW (or I was in February........) <br /><br />Well: here it is; a very tame, very mundame bio: Began rowing at KU (at college for the second time around). Quit in 1991 with the advent of baby #1. Last time on the water was in 1992 rowing out of the Kansas City Rowing Club’s very elegant boathouse (a semi trailer by the stockyards). Acquired the erg in 1996 after baby #2 and didn’t begin to use it until after baby #3 turned 2 in 2002. After a crisis on the scales last summer decided to get more serious. Located the Concept2 web site and began using the logbook. Set a goal to be a lightweight again by Thanksgiving (seems like a conflict of interest, doesn’t it?). 10k a day, every day. Very dry, very boring, but easy to maintain. The erg went along on the 4500 mile summer car trip from Denver to Long Island (and was hauled out, assembled and rowed on every day). Made the weight goal by Halloween and pulled a 2K piece just to try it (the last time I had raced an erg the distance was 2500m) and I realized I could qualify for Boston. Modified the workouts a bit and placed second at the 05 CRASH-B's. My challenge was figuring out the sea level splits since I row in Denver at just under 6000 ft.<br /><br />The highlight of my year has been finally getting back on the water!! I currently erg 7 days a week 10-15K and row on the water 3-5x/week. Am beginning some cross-training (running) and recovering from a back injury.<br /><br />By the way, if anyone knows a way to work a full time job, cook dinner, ferry around the kids, row and knit at the same time, please tell me!<br /><br />

Hey Team - I look forward to associating with you.<br /><br />Paul Siebach, 46, LW, Technical Project Manager for Northrop Grumman, wife and 3 children: daughter 16 (swim, crew), son 14 (baseball, basketball), and daughter 10 (swim, soccer).<br /><br />I have been physically active all of my life. I wrestled in HS/College, and then turned to running/biking, and then mini triathlons (1m swim, 25m bike, 6m run), which I have done for the last 15 years. I coach youth basektball and play senior league basketball. I also enjoy some weightlifting and spin classes when I can get away from work, home, church, and family time commitments.<br /><br />I have always enjoyed the workout you can get on an erg, and used them whenever the health club I was in had one. Then, my daughter joined the Thomas Jefferson HS crew team, and got me hooked up with the Northern Virginia Rowing Club. There, I row 3x/week in an 8 man.

Greetings to all. I'll take my shot at an introduction. Dennis Hastings, 55, lwt. I retired, thanks to a great retirement plan, three years ago after teaching High School history for 30 years. I coached as well, soccer and track. Along the way I won five state champoionships (two in Soccer and three in track). Currently I work part time in a bike shop and travel enough to keep life exciting.<br /> My sporting background is varied. As a high schooler I was into Judo. Won a junior Olymics gold medal, but mostly because I was the fattest guy there and impossible for most of the comp to throw me around. During college and two and a half decades thereafter I played and coached a lot of soccer. Finally, after too many painful Monday mornings I decided it was time to leave soccer for something a bit less pounding on my body. Found the erg in our school workout room, challenged the football coach and was hooked. I've been to nine Crash-B's, three gold, three silver and two bronze and one Brochitis. For four years I got to race against erg legend Jean Paul Tardieu and experienced one of the high points of my athletic career when I finally beat him and he was the epitome of graciousness and sportsmanship. I did eventually take to the water and have had mild success there in recent years. Going to Edmonton next week to row in doubles and 8's at World Masters Games, but unsure of what to expect as a lwt with no lwt events. One of my doubles partners is Graham Watt whom I met at Crash-B last Feb. when he kicked my butt. Currently I'm expanding my competitve horizons to cycling. The club I ride for pushes us to try as many types of racing as we feel comfortable with. So far I've done time trials, track and crits and had some very successsful outings. Lucky for me I'll be Edmonton and will miss the Mount Evans Hill climb (1400ft). Oh yeah, I supppose I should have included here that I live in the mountains west of Denver at 7800 ft. <br /> Training on the erg currently with Paul Smith as guide and conscience and doing about 10k a day and then onto the bike for about 30 to 40 a day. I spent the last week with Graham Watt here, (he's from New Zealand) training and we even went to the rowing center in Summit County and dropped the oars into flat water at 9200 ft. That bum Caviston was going to join us for the week but opted instead to go to Greece, go figure.<br /> As far a times go, they are always a bit scewed at altitude and I haven't done a timed piece, with the straps, in months. Back in January I did a 6:53 at the Mile High Sprints to qualify for Boston (6:43+ at sea level), but have since then moved up an age bracket, (and away from Graham Watt.) When they have been here, both Graham and Mike Caviston have felt that training at altitude is more difficult and adds about three seconds to the pace, if that anticipates a question. Train hard everyone and live strong. dennish OK Bayko, McGoldrick and Krum, wheres your intro?

Hi.<br /><br />I am Rich Cureton (54 M lwt). I am an associate professor at the University of Michigan in Department of English Language and Literature. I have a Ph.D. in Linguistics and teach courses in poetry, poetics, and English Language (syntax, prosody, etc.). I have written a book on poetic rhythm and am in the process of writing a series of books of poetics more generally.<br /><br />I have been erging for about five years now and rowing on the water (in a 1x) for about a year. I have rowed twice at the CRASH-Bs, once at BIRC, and once at EIRC. I have never raced on the water. <br /><br />I erg every morning (about 20K) and row later on in the day on the water (about 10K) when the weather permits. <br /><br />Over the years, I have participated competitively in several sports: skating, canoeing, swimming, and various sorts of running (track, cross country, 10-20K road racing, marathoning). <br /><br />At the moment, I am doing mostly UT1 rowing (1:45-1:48 @ 21-24 spm) in my erging, along with some short interval work (250s, etc.) at (or just below) race pace (1:34 @ 32 spm) . In my on water rowing in my 1x, I am just working on technique at low stroke rates (16 spm, etc.).<br /><br />My best 2K on the erg is 6:28.<br /><br />Good luck to everyone in their training. <br /><br /><br /><br />

Hi everyone!<br /><br />My name is Chrissie Monaghan. I'm 20 years old and I row at the University of Virginia. While at 5'5, 135 Ibs I'm on the small side when compared to the rest of my teammates, I fit quite well in bow, spending this past season in the 2V. <br /><br />When in season at UVA, we train about 20 hours a week, most of it spent in eights on the water, the rest divided between lifting, erging, and running. My best 2k to date was this past April--7:14.8. <br /><br />My training this summer involves lots of steady state, punctuated with 2-3 threshold workouts per week. It's a balancing act between getting ready for the fall season, and trying to rest from this past spring season, which only ended about 6 weeks ago. <br /><br />Good luck to everyone with their training!<br /><br />Best,<br />Chrissie Monaghan<br />