Concept2 Forum

This is where Linda and Larry will post workouts and view questions, etc.

Lisa

Thanks for the email today - I was beginning to wonder if I had missed something. Per your request, some information on what I am doing now

1. Current workouts - on the water 4-5 days per week; stairs and weights 4-5 days per week; one long run per week. Current water activity - seat racing 2 days per week (5 minute pieces); AT 2 days per week (2 10-15 minute pieces); and one steady state row

2. Goal - Drop my 2k time below 6:15

3. On the water - training for IDR in Philly next weekend, then FISA in September and Head of the Charles. Last year we were less than a second out of first in the club 8 event; really do not want that to ever happen again

4. Training with Potomac Boat Club. Currently lacking a coach for our program, so we design our workouts ourselves. Interested in using information from this forum to improve conditioning for the whole team

Looking forward to getting some guidance. Thanks. Charlie

I think I'm writing this in the correct place. I'll know when I see it there.

Training -long pieces, done 2 over the past week 2X45 on Saturday and an ode to summer this am 21,097 meters. The rest of time I do shorter pieces but also don't erg every day since too hard on aging body and can't recover enough between hard workouts. On those days I bike. It's been difficult to figure how to work around increased recovery time. My tendency is to take a day or two off but probably not a great idea. I think I should just get used to seeing high numbers on recovery days.

Goal -to see how I can do with steady training instead of just a couple times a week. I'm a coach and sometimes it difficult to fit in unless yard work counts.

I am doing the John Muir Trail the last two weeks in July. I'm travelling with a couple friends, my 16 year old son, sister and brother in law. We'll have to do about 15 miles a day with packs at altitude. This trip should be good for stories down the road especially for my son. It'll also be fantastic training.

Carie

Hi All,

After taking the last two weeks of April off completely I've been ramping up slowly, using the basic framework of the UK Interactive Program, 8 workouts per week.
http://www.concept2.co.uk/training/interactive.php

For the most part they have been UT2, UT1, and just recently AT workouts which I have been restricting by heartrate to try to avoid overtraining or underresting at these early stages. Everything is on the erg. Doing the C2 Summer Solstice Challenge this morning at 2:09 UT2 pace indicates that I'm probably capable of at least a 7:24 2km at the moment, and maybe faster. While that is well off the 6:59's that I did last season it seems reasonable for this time of year. Details of my workouts including SR, HR, paces, etc are in my daily blog on the UK site:
http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/weblog.php?w=79

To add some interest and possibly some technical work I have been replacing some workouts with DVD or Video workouts. Xeno's 1st DVD has some drills aimed at improving technique and lasts a bit over 40'. The old Rowing Machine Companion video with four pieces totalling a little over one hour, has me rowing behind Tiff Wood and others and being coxed by Seth Bauer. As long as they stay on the video I can keep up with them.

Rick Bayko m/58/lwt

1. Workouts. Training for (running) marathon: run every other day; bike or row in between days. Trying to burn 1000-2000 calories per day (per Polar HRM); 8-12mi running, 25-40mi cycling, or 21km rowing. Hills (real hills: 12%) 1-2x per week. Currently no weights.

2. Goals. <3:50 running marathon, >20mph 40km bike TT, <6:45 2k row.

3. No rowing on water.

4. No HS or college program.

Hi,

I erg about 20K a day, with another 5K on the water, when the weather permits and I can fit it in. I own a 1x, a Peinert26. A nice river, the Huron, runs right by my neighborhood. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

I haven't been following any structured program. For some time, I have been working on technique, trying to maintain a longer, stronger, and more precisely timed stroke. Lately, I have been rowing at 22-32 spm (13-14 SPI), in various fartlek formats, just staying comfortable. No set pieces yet.

My goal for this coming racing season is a 2K, 1:34 @ 32 spm (13 SPI, 10MPS).

ranger

Posting workouts: Am a bit off track at the moment; trying to coordinate the on-water workouts in with the erg training.

Running M,W,F 4-5 miles.

Rowing 8-10K on the water 6 days per week (15K once per week). A harder OTW day means about half an erg workout that day. A technique day OTW has been a full erg workout. Full erg workout 10-12K maybe all at once or broken up (kids are at home). Last couple of weekends have been long OTW rows with minimal erg.

We are setting boats for Master's Nationals and will begin training in the set boats next week and I have no idea what workouts that will entail.

Light weights for stretching every day (nothing for strength training).

Have begun the beginning season Wolverine Plan this week in lieu of anything formal from the DEV Squad.

Season goals: Break 7:30 2K at altitude and 7:20 2k at sea level. Break 1:27.00 half marathon at sea level or 3:00.00 marathon (the last one not likely!).

Oops! Cat on the keyboard; message got posted twice.

Well, I am trying to do something for an hour a day that raises my heartrate and gets me perspiring. In such nice New England weather, I am enjoying outside activities at the moment (riding my bike, rowing on the water, rollerblading, etc.). I guess I just need some sort of training program to follow so that I am more regimented in my efforts. Thanks for providing a place to be held accountable.
- Wendy

1. I have been following an idiosyncratic training plan structured around high-volume intervals. Work volume typically averages about 10k/day on the erg, total volume 12.5k. Almost all of this rowing is done with ErgMonitor, which I have been using to restructure my force curve from something the cat hacked up to respectability suitable for OTW sculling. Since Crash-Bs I’ve been rather less interested in physiological than in technical improvements. However the same interval principles that I’ve been using to facilitate better stroking also have been yielding significant fitness gains.

There’s a long, involved physiological argument for what I’ve been doing - I’ll spare you the citations. Basically it boils down to increasing dramatically the cumulative amount of time I’m capable of erging well at intensities that challenge but do not overload me physiologically. I use HR variability to help track what’s going on, although I don’t always report the results. When OTW in addition to my erging I tend to do 8-12k sessions in my single, generally at low- to moderate ratings (UT type rows).

Many of my erg workouts look rather gonzo, e.g. 40 x 500m r24 1:45 passive rest….

The last 7 days have included:

* 62 x 45” r24/ 45” passive rest, target 1st at 1:42 pace and then negative-splitted. Was supposed to be 75 reps but it proved too hot…. Averaged +/- 230m, 1:38.0 pace (14, 245m total work distance), last 20 at 1:35.7 pace, #62 at 1:32.4 pace, all 24 spm.

* 10 x 750m r24. 2:33 passive rest, target 1st at 1:42 pace and then negative-splitted. Averaged 2:30.1/ 1:40.1 pace r24, last in 2:25.1/ 1:36.7 pace, all 24 spm.

* Morning session of 1 x 1000m r24 for the CTC Challenge on the UK Forum in 3:08.9; afternoon a 5k r20 in 1:48.5 and then 20 x 250m r24, 45” passive rest, target 1st at 1:35 pace and then negative-splitted. Averaged 1:34.3 pace, #20 at 1:32.3 pace.

* 3 x (8 x 1:30 r26-28, 30" rest), 5-6' between sets. Target: 1st set at 'threshold pace', i.e., pace theoretically maintainable for 20' test, then negative-splitted if possible without undue strain. Averaged 1:38.5 pace, with the last set at 1:37.4 pace. Tom Terhaar had us do this last year; supposedly it can be done at 2k + 7. Right now I’m 1.1 seconds of pace faster.

* 10 x 500m r32, target 1st at 1:34 and then negative-splitted, 500m active recovery (experiment; normally I prefer shorter passive rest). Averaged 1:33 r32 on the work intervals, last in 1:28.9; 2:34 r24 on the recoveries.

* 12 x 1k r24, 3:30 passive rest, target 1st in 3:30/ 1:45 pace and then negative-splitted. Averaged 3:26.2/ 1:43.1 pace, last in 3:20.4/ 1:40.2 pace.

* 4 x 1500m r24, 3’ passive rest, average 5:07.4/ 1:42.5 pace (technique session, involving rowing blind and then going over the force curves plus an accompanying video)….

I’ve also been doing endurance-weight workouts, typically once a week. Generally I do massive-rep horizontal leg-press sets (e.g. 10 x 100 x 315 lbs, 1’ rest), dead lifts, squats, back extensions, ab work, horizontal and vertical rows, various presses, and other rowing-specific exercises. Total weight lifted lately has been around 400-500,000 lbs/session.

I also cross-train for endurance on outdoor as well as indoor bikes, steppers, ellipticals, etc.

Mindnumbing details are available in my Diary on the UK Forum: http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/weblog.php?w=71

2. Goals this year begin with defending my wins at EIRC and at Crash-Bs. Over and above that, I’d like to take a serious run at Andy Ripley’s longstanding 6:07.8 WR for 50s MHWs. As of this moment I think I’m probably capable of something around 6:12 (but don’t ask me to prove it, please). I actually think I have the potential to go sub-6 before I start to slow down on account of age, but I’m also well aware of what that must take…. In the near term I will be in Australia for much of the next month and probably will lose some training as a result.

3. Ideally I do as many OTW sessions as I can, over and above my erging. Quite the novice sculler, I’m content to work on technique at steady state paces/ratings. Staying afloat without breaking my rigging is a high priority….

4. No formal program affiliation. Along with Joan Van Blom and Dennis Hastings, I do row with Team Oarsome IRC on the UK Forum. This entails monthly team challenges, most of which can be worked into my regular regimen.

Last year I followed the suggested 6 day training program in the morning, took Sunday off. Also tried to fit in a weight circuit routine 2-3 times a week in theafternoons. I did more than 2 Million meters lat year, lots more than ever before since I averaged 3-4 erg sessions a week instead of 6. After CRASH-Bs, I eased off a bit. In late April/May I was recruited to row with former company colleagues in a Corporate 8+ Dad Vail Challenge. It was a bit of a lark although we were second to the NK boat with a younger, more accomplished average crew. I had last pulled a hard stroke 20 year ago and it reminded me ergs are all about spinning wheels and not moving boats. Then we took a wonderful month trip to Croatia and Wales. I got back last week and even though retired, I'm still catching up on life back home.

I'm starting back into my training with erging 3-4 times/wk 20-45 minutes steadystate (between 7500-8000m per 30 min) /weight circuit 3 times/wk hoping/expecting to get back to last year's level in a month. I'll consider Coach Larry's (Hi, Larry!) suggestions but liked the variety of Teti's suggested weekly training routine once I settled in. Right now I expect I'll be into that by mid-July and (I hope) approaching last year's training level some time in August.

The only thing I wondered last year was what adjustment I should make to Teti's training routine to accommodate my age (60+) given I've found the body isn't nearly as resilient and recovery isn't as quick as the old days. But I managed to keep to the program and other than feeling stale by CRASH-Bs -- and not doing many interval workouts (6x500s, 3x100s, 2x1500s) which I used to focus on in past years from November on -- I held up pretty well but didn't see any benefit from a good, several day tapir prior to a major race which I always had in the past. maybe just getting old

Currently my focus is on cycling. I've been doing a combination of VO2max and Lactate Threshold intervals and LSD workouts on the bike. Doing my first stage race this weekend in Wyoming. So far its been crits, TT's and road races with a couple of hill climbs. After some good results I was asked to join (and did) a high powered masters team (ranked top five nationally). I'm the new guy and am learning a lot about bike racing. The team is going to Nationals in Penn. but not sure I'll be there as I'm off to the eastern Mediterrean for a couple of weeks on July 2. I also gave the Velodrome a shot. Very cool, but quite a different animal from road biking. Back to the training, depending on what the coach has lined out I get about 200 to 250 miles per week. ~~~ On the erg I try and get about 10k a day. I have got myself sucked into rowing at Masters Nationals (quads, fours and 8's)so have been doing some regular water rowing. Nothing huge but getting the oars wet and get to see Karen Gress and Dean Smith when I'm at the boathouse. When I get back from vacation I'll make the decision, with help and advice from Paul Smith who has been coaching me for the past two years, on just how and what I want to do with the erg and how it all fits with Masters Nationals in mid August and the end of the cycling season. I take frequent advice, counsel and support as well from a great group of ergers/rowers that has hung together after meeting at CrashB and the USIRT, Mary Perrot, Rick Bayko, Graham Watt, Mike Caviston, John Harvey, David Hislop and the ocaasional "atta boy" from Joan van Bloom, Navigation Hazard and Roger Prowse.

Hello All,

1. Current workouts: On the water training four days a week. Erg/run two days a week. Pilates two days a week. One day off.

2. Goals - better rower, lower my erg time, fitter, leaner.

3. Yes, I am rowing with the women's comp team at CRI. We are currently training for Independence Day Regatta in Philadelphia. Other races on our calendar are: Festival Regatta, US Rowing Nationals, Canadian Henley, US Rowing Masters Nationals, FISA World Masters Championships, Head of the Connecticut, and of course, Head of the Charles.

Looking forward to working with all of you.

Pam Wayne

Weekly workout schedule: MWF lunchtime Body Pump weightlifting class; TR lunchtime alternate run or erg or swim; TR evening and S morning on the water in an 8 man; MW 6 pm Spin cycling class. Now, randomly eliminate any 3 of these workouts in a week due to work, church, family commitments, and you will have my exercise week.

I'm training for my September/October racing events: 3 head races, the Reston triathlon, and the Army 10 mile run. My goal is always to improve on previous years times, but as I age, I'm happy to just maintain.

1) Workouts 6 days/week. Erg or scull in single 12 to 16K per session, mostly long low rate work on the water or Level 4 Wolverine Plan on the erg. One sprint session/week, usually erg (to prepare for the CTC piece - serious fun!). Run a couple/few miles most days and lift weights twice a week.

2) Goal - get back to sub-7:30 shape. Also will need to get back to shape after our family vacation to Italy at the start of August - lots of pasta, gelato & wine will need to be worked off.

3) Had a very successful, very full & very tiring spring racing season - so no competitions until fall head races.