First Time Marathon

[edinborogh]

i wanted to see today my 30 minutes mark.
i rowed for 30':14:00, and i covered 6,233 meters, with average split of 2:25.5 - i wanted to keep it down to 2:30 but i couldnt. i need to work on a lower heart rate, and a slower pace. i will not stand a chance to do long distances if i will not learn to control a slow pace with heart rate under control.
so i didnt do 10Km but i did row for 30 minutes..

[bisqeet]

What's your current rating?
You can always drop u it down Touch

[edinborogh]

What's your current rating?
You can always drop u it down Touch

hey Bisqeet,
what do you mean by "rating"? ( sorry for the ignorance ).
my Stroke rate is at around 18,
while my heart rate for this pace is 155 out of 180 max ( 220-age ).

i read posts of people who did/doing long distances and they are ( on one hand ) having much lower heart rate - around 130-135, while producing much more power then me and that makes their pace way better at around 2:05 and such.

i am comfortable with 2:30 pace, yesterday i rowed with 2:25 pace for the 30 minutes session.
i think i should go with a lower heart rate, but i will need to find the way to produce more power for each stroke in order to keep the pace with even lower SPM's.

[bisqeet]

What's your current rating?
You can always drop u it down Touch

hey Bisqeet,
what do you mean by "rating"? ( sorry for the ignorance ).
my Stroke rate is at around 18,
while my heart rate for this pace is 155 out of 180 max ( 220-age ).

i read posts of people who did/doing long distances and they are ( on one hand ) having much lower heart rate - around 130-135, while producing much more power then me and that makes their pace way better at around 2:05 and such.

i am comfortable with 2:30 pace, yesterday i rowed with 2:25 pace for the 30 minutes session.
i think i should go with a lower heart rate, but i will need to find the way to produce more power for each stroke in order to keep the pace with even lower SPM's.

exactly that.
18 is a nice relaxed stroke rate that can be kept up for a while (on or off the water).
Personally I prefer it over 20 - although I have done a 16.
advantages are you can use more power (or use it as a power gainng exersize) - but the recovery is slow and easy - so it keeps the HR down:


this is mine from yesterday (a few interuptions - door, phone, kids - glad to have finished) - but you can see the HR in conjunction with power.
Our HRMax is probably not that far apart (mine is 172)
you can see on the rate 16 stuff at the beginning I am able to use a bit more power - but still stop relatively low on the HR (205W / 16 strokes = 12,8W / Stroke)

its one method of keeping up the power, but lowering the stroke rate to compensate and keep the HR low.

[edinborogh]

its one method of keeping up the power, but lowering the stroke rate to compensate and keep the HR low.[/quote]


thanks!! this is super informative. i am able to sustain power average of 110'ish along my sessions. i guess that the focus should be on building power output, WHILE keeping low heart rate in order to sustain long sessions.

thanks again!

[lindsayh]

while my heart rate for this pace is 155 out of 180 max ( 220-age ).
am comfortable with 2:30 pace, yesterday i rowed with 2:25 pace for the 30 minutes session.
i think i should go with a lower heart rate, but i will need to find the way to produce more power for each stroke in order to keep the pace with even lower SPM's.

You will gain more power per stroke simply as you train with a slowish stroke rate and concentrate on good technique and the numbers and maintaining steady HR.
Your MHR is unlikely to have anything to do with 220-age. It is a spurious formula that is best to ignore. If you search here you will find many conversations about it but in essence you need to determine your approximate MHR by very strenuous session probably intervals to failure are best and then use your heart rate reserve (MHR - resting HR), take HRR % and add back in RHR. If MHR is 180 and RHR is 60 then 80% is 96+60 = 156.

[edinborogh]

hello all.
i did Half Marathon - 21,100 Meters.
1:53:15.7,
Av.Watt of 84
Spm - 16
Av. split of 2:41
Av heart rate - 138
i had a 20 seconds break for water intake after 12K.
i burned ( according to my Polar M400 ) 1,288 Kcal.

it was not easy - it was hard to keep my heart rate low and manageable.
it was hard to keep a 2:30 pace

first 10K went ok, but at the 7KM left to go mark, my gluteus and hamstrings started really protesting, and now its kind'a hurts...

how do i upload photos here?

[lwtguy]

What's your current rating?
You can always drop u it down Touch

hey Bisqeet,
what do you mean by "rating"? ( sorry for the ignorance ).
my Stroke rate is at around 18,
while my heart rate for this pace is 155 out of 180 max ( 220-age ).

i read posts of people who did/doing long distances and they are ( on one hand ) having much lower heart rate - around 130-135, while producing much more power then me and that makes their pace way better at around 2:05 and such.

i am comfortable with 2:30 pace, yesterday i rowed with 2:25 pace for the 30 minutes session.
i think i should go with a lower heart rate, but i will need to find the way to produce more power for each stroke in order to keep the pace with even lower SPM's.

exactly that.
18 is a nice relaxed stroke rate that can be kept up for a while (on or off the water).
Personally I prefer it over 20 - although I have done a 16.
advantages are you can use more power (or use it as a power gainng exersize) - but the recovery is slow and easy - so it keeps the HR down:


this is mine from yesterday (a few interuptions - door, phone, kids - glad to have finished) - but you can see the HR in conjunction with power.
Our HRMax is probably not that far apart (mine is 172)
you can see on the rate 16 stuff at the beginning I am able to use a bit more power - but still stop relatively low on the HR (205W / 16 strokes = 12,8W / Stroke)

its one method of keeping up the power, but lowering the stroke rate to compensate and keep the HR low.

The choice of rate is usually a personal preference. If you keep it on the low end (18-22) it'll keep your heart rate down at the expense of fatigue in your legs. Rates > 22 will cause your heart rate to go up quicker and you'll sweat more and breathe a bit harder, but your legs won't tire out as quickly. My 20K PR was done at a 23, what I found to be the best mix of the two.

[jackarabit]

That was quick! Congratulations! Next time set the row on your monitor as fixed distance of precisely 21,097m, row and record the result in your Concept 2 logbook (don't have one? have to get one!), and down load a printoutable scrapbooking certificate attesting your victory from C2.

Curious as to your height. Guessing you are closer to Dean's 6 foot 5 than to my 5-7? Rate 16 would put an incredible hitch in my getalong in the form of a time-extending pause at the end of my drive. For you, it comes quite naturally I think. Enforced low rate definitely contributed to your ability to mantain an aerobic endurance heart rate. As lwtguy remarks, power per stroke at the "grind rather than spin" 16 rate does take the mickey out of the leg muscles. You are a work in progress. Your ideal combo of stroke frequency and stroke power will evolve to suit the task at hand.

[edinborogh]

That was quick! Congratulations! Next time set the row on your monitor as fixed distance of precisely 21,097m, row and record the result in your Concept 2 logbook (don't have one? have to get one!), and down load a printoutable scrapbooking certificate attesting your victory from C2.

Curious as to your height. Guessing you are closer to Dean's 6 foot 5 than to my 5-7? Rate 16 would put an incredible hitch in my getalong in the form of a time-extending pause at the end of my drive. For you, it comes quite naturally I think. Enforced low rate definitely contributed to your ability to mantain an aerobic endurance heart rate. As lwtguy remarks, power per stroke at the "grind rather than spin" 16 rate does take the mickey out of the leg muscles. You are a work in progress. Your ideal combo of stroke frequency and stroke power will evolve to suit the task at hand.

i am 172Cm high, that would be what - 5.6?
i have a log book and i logged there the distance and time along with the confirmation code.
what i did is a set a specific workout, put in the distance of 21,100 and started.
how do i download that certificate ( MUST SHOW OFF!! )... LOL - looking at the website they want EXACTLY 21,097 while i did 21, 100 !!! what a bummer...
but its just the beginning of the journey - i need to clock 15K per day, 5-6 days a week if i want a chance to do a full marathon.

[edinborogh]

so no certification for me for going 3 meters extra... ?

[bisqeet]

so no certification for me for going 3 meters extra... ?

manually change it to 21097. you can add a second 3m row if you are a meter monitor

[jackarabit]

i need to clock 15K per day, 5-6 days a week if i want a chance to do a full marathon.

I submit that a variety of conditioning stimuli in terms of time and intensity are necessary if a new rower is to make progress plain and simple. Marathon training is not solely about desensitization to discomfort or trading power/pace for distance. As a prime conditioning stimulus, I think the restricted rate workout you should be doing is 30'r20 (30 ' @ 20spm) with medium term goal (6 wks) of increasing average power above your current 5-10k comfort level of 105-115watts and/or maintaining that power longer, say 40'r20 or 60'r20. If you persist in slogging thru 15k daily, week in and week out, fatigue will be your constant companion. You need to train tired to toughen your mental game but you must train rested to improve the metrics of sustainable power and power per stroke!

[edinborogh]

i need to clock 15K per day, 5-6 days a week if i want a chance to do a full marathon.

I submit that a variety of conditioning stimuli in terms of time and intensity are necessary if a new rower is to make progress plain and simple. Marathon training is not solely about desensitization to discomfort or trading power/pace for distance. As a prime conditioning stimulus, I think the restricted rate workout you should be doing is 30'r20 (30 ' @ 20spm) with medium term goal (6 wks) of increasing average power above your current 5-10k comfort level of 105-115watts and/or maintaining that power longer, say 40'r20 or 60'r20. If you persist in slogging thru 15k daily, week in and week out, fatigue will be your constant companion. You need to train tired to toughen your mental game but you must train rested to improve the metrics of sustainable power and power per stroke!

thats a very good point Jack. there are no shortcuts. i need to work on power output and rest as well.

[edinborogh]

recovery update - the morning after half a marathon:

1. i got the certificate!
2. i slept really good - normally i am a light sleeper, last night i slept real good.
2. hamstrings and lower back are a bit painful but nothing that limits my movements.
3. i need to row today a minimum of 5K for the mud March ( i have 14 days done out of 17, so 11 left to go and i already have taken 3 days off ), so i will see how it feels and ill take it easy.
4. next week will be clocking 10Km / 15Km but this time focusing on power outputs. i need to av. a 2:30 split / 105 Watts all the way - that should be doable with some practice.
5. i also need to watch my technic. its so easy to mess it up at the minutes and hours are passing.