Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

General discussion on Training. How to get better on your erg, how to use your erg to get better at another sport, or anything else about improving your abilities.
lwtguy
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Re: Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

Post by lwtguy » November 17th, 2017, 9:31 am

My college coach calls it the "battle paddle."

OTW, when you have two boats rowing alongside each other, it doesn't matter what they're supposed to be doing, they will always try to beat each other. So if you're doing multiple pieces not from a static start the boats will start pulling harder and harder on the rest so that they don't start behind. It gets to a point where the "rest" is basically just a full pressure low rate piece.

A lot OTW workouts are a rolling start. The only time there are static starts involved is when they are specifically prepping for a race. Maybe that's where I get my habits from.
Bill, 23, 160-165 lbs.
PBs-- 500m 1:28.9-- 1K 3:08.9-- 2K 6:37.7-- 5K 17:27.6
6K 21:11.2-- 30' 8342m-- 10K 35:54-- 60' 16209m

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Ombrax
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Re: Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

Post by Ombrax » November 17th, 2017, 6:38 pm

As I think of it, I'd say that for me the primary benefit of the rolling start during intervals (other than improving my avg pace) is that I reduce the number nearly full-on race starts my body has to see.

Since I'm just a "fitness erger" and not a racer, there's really no terribly important reason to practice race starts, so anything that avoids unrealistic loads on my body is IMO a good thing.

YMMV

lindsayh
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Re: Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

Post by lindsayh » November 17th, 2017, 9:48 pm

Ombrax wrote:Since I'm just a "fitness erger" and not a racer, there's really no terribly important reason to practice race starts, so anything that avoids unrealistic loads on my body is IMO a good thing.
YMMV
Not seen that before - sure you are right - not important at all!
YMMV
Literally, "Your Mileage May Vary," coming from the small print in (American?) automobile commercials in the 70's and 80's. It has come to mean an acknowledgement that the opinion of the poster may not be shared by everyone
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PBs (65y+) 1 min 349m, 500m 1:29.8, 1k 3:11.7 2k 6:47.4, 5km 18:07.9, 30' 7928m, 10k 37:57.2, 60' 15368m

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NavigationHazard
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Re: Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

Post by NavigationHazard » November 18th, 2017, 3:19 am

It's worth emphasizing that there are intervals and there are intervals. That is, not everything need be -- or should be -- a set of flat-out sprint repeats you're trying to do as fast as possible. There's actually a very good case to be made for sprinterval work a la Billat (see e.g. https://www.peakendurancesport.com/endu ... se-vo2max/), where you're alternating "on" stretches with active, equal-duration "less on" recoveries at roughly half the work load. By definition you're going to get rolling starts from this kind of session. And if you're using HR recovery to determine your rests during interval work, as for example in the C2 Interactive Plan, you go when you're back to some % of resting HR. Whether you're paddling, just sitting, or taking full rolling racing starts is much less material than your HR as a proxy for work intensity....
67 MH 6' 6"

Scott Lewis
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Re: Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

Post by Scott Lewis » November 18th, 2017, 11:27 am

lwtguy wrote:My college coach calls it the "battle paddle."

OTW, when you have two boats rowing alongside each other, it doesn't matter what they're supposed to be doing, they will always try to beat each other. So if you're doing multiple pieces not from a static start the boats will start pulling harder and harder on the rest so that they don't start behind. It gets to a point where the "rest" is basically just a full pressure low rate piece.

A lot OTW workouts are a rolling start. The only time there are static starts involved is when they are specifically prepping for a race. Maybe that's where I get my habits from.
Yeah, another thing to add is if you are training OTW most head races start from a build (building the pace up over 5 or so strokes whilst the boat is still moving.)
Scrawny 192cm ... 2k in 7:17.4

Edward4492
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Re: Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

Post by Edward4492 » November 19th, 2017, 3:16 pm

During OTW race season I do most of my pieces from a standing start. The more experienced racers probably go out hard from the first stroke, but I need to make the first two strokes controlled and even or I get sideways; it's not as violent as an erg start for me. On the erg I do most of my pieces from a rolling start to save my back. I've recently started doing even my 2k peices with a more modest, non-violent start. Jack really made a good point, it's very tempting to try and drive the average down in the first 100-200m; but you pay a price. No free lunches. Now when I see the average get to a second or two under target I settle right in and just try and sit on my number. If I'm having a really good day, I'll know at 500m to go.

Dickie
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Re: Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

Post by Dickie » November 19th, 2017, 10:45 pm

for me, I am always in competition with myself and I use intervals to determine my race pace, 4x1000 Rest 6 or 8x500 Rest 3 or 6x500 Rest 1 etc. So I want my intervals to be as close to a standing start as possible, so I stop rowing at the end of an interval and start the next interval when I see the clock reset.

Fred Dickie
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Medical issues behind me, I hope to race again this year

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