The Two Types of Training

[ranger]

Mike--

These physiological limitations (or lack thereof) are easy to test.

They don't have anything to do with our techniques.

We both row well.

In fact, we both row the same paces at the same HRs and stroke rates.

These physiological limitations (or lack thereof) have to do with our maxHRs and aging.

Just put the dial on 1:43 @ 29 spm and row.

This is a nice solid stroke, 11 SPI, at 10 MPS, the ideal ratio.

Standard stuff.

Watch your HR.

It will rise steadily until it gets approaches your maxHR at about 1500m.

No wonder.

My HR does the same.

It slowly rises up into the 160s and then levels out there.

The difference between my experience and yours, though, is that a HR in the 160s is just high-end UT1 rowing for me.

My anaerobic threshold is 172 bpm.

My maxHR is 190 bpm.

I can row for an hour with a HR of 170 bpm.

Your maxHR is 163 bpm.

Pulling 1:43 @ 29 spm, then, rowing well, you have to stop shortly after your heart hits 160 bpm.

That isn't very long, for you or me.

So this is the story:

We both row well.

Our techniques are fine, and for all practical purposes, indistinguishable.

The difference in our erg times is due to our maxHRs.

With almost 30 bpms difference between our max HRs, our rowing (and more important, our training) differs by two training bands.

My top-end UT1 is your TR, your 2K race pace.

60min is a good top-end UT1 row, if you row it hard.

60min is done at 2K + 10.

When all is said and done with my distance rowing over the next month or so, I think I am going to row 1:43 @ 29 spm for 60min.

At WIRC 2010, you pulled 1:42.5 for 2K.

At the moment, you probably row 60min in and around 1:52.5.

Your 60min pb is around 1:51 because your 2K pb is around 1:41.

ranger

[ranger]

I am now doing all of my distance rowing, 1:43 @ 29 spm.

I am just climbing on the erg, putting the dial on 1:43 @ 29 spm (11 SPI, 10 MPS), and rowing.

Day after day.

Great stuff.

Beautifully smooth and easy.

I am just learning to relax with it more and more, increasing my efficiency by fiddling with this or that bit of technique--timing, sequencing, length, posture, quickness, etc.

I'll just continue to do this in my distance rowing from now on, both for this year and on into the future.

Love it.

I'll try to pick up the same cadence when I am out OTW in a couple of weeks.

It is going to get close to 60 degrees here in Ann Arbor this week.

Nice.

The snow is gone.

We had a nice long spring rain a couple of days ago.

Beautiful yesterday.

Took a long walk with the wife down the river, across, and up the other side.

Blue sky and sun, 50 degrees F.

The water looked inviting!

I almost put my boat in, but it is probably good that I didn't.

I'll wait a couple of weeks until the water warms up a bit more.

ranger

[ranger]

Mike--

No reason to feel bad about these physiological limitations.

It appears that others have them, too.

In fact, it appears that almost everyone does.

By the forumula, 220 - age, the standard maxHR for a 60-year-old is 160 bpm.

So, in this, you are just normal.

For whatever reason, my maxHR is just freaky, I guess.

Sure helps to have a high maxHR if you want to be an elite rower.

It is crippling to have a low maxHR if you want to be an elite rower.

That's why most 60-year-olds can't row a lick.

The 60s lwt WR on the erg is 6:42.

The Open lwt WR is 5:58.

The difference is 44 seconds.

For 2K on the erg, the decline with age is right about a second a year after 20.

No different OTW.

Young lightweights OTW have pulled 6:45 for 2K.

60-year-old lightweights, at best, pull 7:45.

Like you, they can't rate up because of their low maxHRs.

Even though I am 60, too, I don't have this physiological limitation.

ranger

[ranger]

Mike--

Both OTW and on the erg, the difference between you and an elite young lightweight (or me) has nothing to do with technique.

In terms of technique, you match a younger rower (or me) stroke for stroke.

The issue is not technique; the issue is physiologiy--rating up.

An elite young lightweight, both OTW and on the erg, would do a 1K at 40 spm not 30 spm, as you are inclined to do.

If you pull 12 SPI for 1K on the erg, 30 spm is 1:39/360 watts, right about what you do.

At 12 SPI, 40 spm is 1:30, right about what an elite young lightweight (or I) might do.

That's all she wrote.

When all is said and done, I think I'll do 40 spm for 1K on the erg.

Then I'll try to do it OTW, too.

ranger

[snowleopard]

When all is said and done, I think I'll do 40 spm for 1K on the erg.

Then I'll try to do it OTW, too.

Let me know when you are going to try. It will probably show up on a weather satellite

[ausrwr]

Mike--

Both OTW and on the erg, the difference between you and an elite young lightweight (or me) has nothing to do with technique.

Ranger. You are NOT an elite lightweight. You are not elite on the water. Mike will beat seven colours out of you on the water, precisely because of technique.

Oh, and because he most probably will show up, and won't stop half way.

[ausrwr]

My rowing, both OTW and off, is going great.

No complaints at all.

All of the betting, etc., is irrelevant, and needless.

True, but it's a lot of fun! Good to hear you're enjoying the rowing too - I'm not training anywhere near four hours a day at the moment though!

I did when I was good, but now I'm just having fun, hunting a pot here and there, but funnily enough probably going 90-95% of my best on about 45% of the training.

Just been reading Noake's Lore of Running - one of his 'laws of training' is to see how much you can achieve out of minimal training, then increase the volume/intensity.

[mrfit]

Ranger's ranking distance countdown:
46 days

[ranger]

I'm not training anywhere near four hours a day at the moment though!

I did when I was good, but now I'm just having fun, hunting a pot here and there, but funnily enough probably going 90-95% of my best on about 45% of the training.

Just been reading Noake's Lore of Running - one of his 'laws of training' is to see how much you can achieve out of minimal training, then increase the volume/intensity.

I like training.

So why should I want to do it "minimally"?

If someone likes something, they usually try to do it "maximally."

More fun.

At my age, a lot of training is beneficial in other ways, too.

A lot of training makes you feel great.

Most 60-year-olds don't feel very good physically.

ranger

[ranger]

You are NOT an elite lightweight.

We'll see, I guess.

Pulling 6:16 on the erg might be a good leg up on this.

Sure, I still have a lot to learn about rowing OTW.

But learning is not impossible.

Or do you think it is?

Getting back aerobic capacity that you have lost with age is indeed impossible.

So most 60-year-olds, such as Mike, have no chance at all of being elite lightweights.

No matter how well they row, they can't rate up.

I don't have that problem.

ranger

[ranger]

Mike will beat seven colours out of you on the water, precisely because of technique.

Don't know where this comes from, other than ill will.

You don't have any idea how I row OTW.

There is no mystery about how fast I am going.

I just glance down at my speed coach.

There it is.

There is no mystery about why Mike can't rate up, either.

All he needs to do is glance at his HR monitor.

There it is.

ranger

[lancs]

I am now doing all of my distance rowing, 1:43 @ 29 spm

So essentially you're still rowing with breaks as clearly your 'distance' stroke doesn't last much longer than 2k or so? Not much of a distance stroke is it?

[snowleopard]

There is no mystery about why Mike can't rate up, either.

ranger

I don't think your infatuation with Mike is very healthy. Are you a stalker as well as a troll?

[jliddil]

I was issued a MacBook Pro, 15" screen, laptop from the University last week.

So now I can hook up to Erg Monitor and really see what's up with my rowing.

This is my first laptop.

I bought all of my children laptops, but never bought myself one.

Now, I have been given one by the University.

Nice.

Beautiful little gizmo.

ranger

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STANDARD PRACTICE GUIDE
B. Personal Use of Property
Property is purchased to support the mission of the University and is not intended to support the personal use by faculty, staff, students or visitors. Limited personal use of property may be deemed acceptable (such as essential personal calls, internet used during off-hours) within the following principles:

[ranger]

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STANDARD PRACTICE GUIDE
B. Personal Use of Property
Property is purchased to support the mission of the University and is not intended to support the personal use by faculty, staff, students or visitors. Limited personal use of property may be deemed acceptable (such as essential personal calls, internet used during off-hours) within the following principles:

No, the computers we are issued at UM are ours, to use as we would like, until we retire, and even into retirement.

There are no conditions on their use.

ranger