The Road To Boston 2008

seat5 · Post by **seat5** » January 5th, 2008, 1:36 pm

No penalties for highjacking! This said I will now post something so far off topic it doesn't even belong on the forum, but I'm too excited about it to care! I just got my new PSD300 CD Recorder/Player (bought with a Christmas bonus my boss said had to be spent on me, or she'd take it back!) It is so awesome. I can put a CD of an orchestra playing the Brahms in one drive, put writable CD in the other drive, and record myself playing with the orchestra. But even more useful, I can slow the tempo down up to 33% to practice with the orchestra even when I can't play it fast enough yet. This way I can learn it and will be able to play at full tempo much earlier in the game--what I mean is, when at rehearsal, if it's too fast, I would maybe normally get lost, but having practiced with the recording at a doable tempo at home, and thus getting familiar with the audio cues from the other instruments where I ought to be, I will be able to find myself much easier...plus of course, increasing the tempo incrementally until I can do it properly. (The most wonderful thing is that this machine is set up so that the pitch is corrected; in other words, usually if you slow down a recording, the pitches drop lower and your instrument is out of tune with it and sounds horrendous--but this machine somehow keeps the pitch the same while slowing the tempo (or speeding it up.) YOu can also leave the tempo alone and change the key of a piece--that's mostly for vocal musicians, though.

Was that off the wall enough for you?

2 restful days off and I have high hopes of a successful week with the IP next week, I hope, I hope, I hope! workouts are supposed to be 10 x 45s AN, 2 x 15 UT1, 5 x 3 TR, 3 x 8 AT, and I think I'll make my 5th session an hour row at 10MPS, prob around 2:08 or so.

DavidA · Post by **DavidA** » January 7th, 2008, 2:46 pm

Carla,
I like the idea of the head lamp. (Would it get any more gross than other clothing, headphones, etc.?

)
That sounds like a great new toy!

Enjoy and make great use of it.

David

seat5 · Post by **seat5** » January 8th, 2008, 12:03 am

Hi Dave,
I think Deb & Bob must be under water and out of power! I hope, other than the inconvenience, everything is OK.

Dave, how are you training these days? Are you following a plan?

I've been using the new music toy and boy it's a God-send! As for the headlamp, the idea of headphones while rowing is such a gross sweaty idea I've never even considered using them, even though it would be nice to hear the dialogue on movies sometimes!

Today was 10 x 45s AN. Target was 1:47. I did 9 and then did a 250m for the CTC. The first interval I went nuts with a crazy rate of 41. The rate was too high on all of them, but then again, high rate rowing is something I ought to get better at.

5 were 211m (1:46.6) , 3 were 213m (1:45.6)and one was 214m (1:45.1). The 250m was 51.1 sec (1:42.2) at 42 spm. That was pokey compared to the competition on the CTC--I'll have to do one fresh for that.

I hate these really short distance sprints. First of all, the first pull on some of them was awful, like 2:20 or so (if you miss the start of the interval, for instance) then you have almost no time to correct it. ON some of them I was pulling 1:45s for most of the time but the first few pulls were lousy and 45 sec. just isn't long enough to fix it! I just stink at these.

I didn't feel very tired at the end but then I went to do my squats (still 95 lbs) and the first set was a little scarey--I was afraid I'd go down too far and just plain old fall on my butt on the floor. It felt like 500 lbs. The second and third sets were better except for the last two of each--wasn't sure I'd finish them but did.

DavidA · Post by **DavidA** » January 8th, 2008, 3:18 pm

Carla,
I don't really train - it's requires effort

, and I'm too lazy. I also don't usually get to row until late at night, when I already tired. (I don't want to get up at 4:30 to row either, so I try to put in a decent row most nights. I really should try to vary my rows, but I don't much.)

David

seat5 · Post by **seat5** » January 8th, 2008, 7:36 pm

I used to row at around 11:00 PM; then I tried right after work (that was good for energy level but made me end up eating dinner around 11:00 PM) and now I do it at 6AM which is great for consistancy (rowing after work always got screwed up with rehearsals, and meetings, and working late, etc) but is a bit tough on doing intense work when I'm not limber.

Today was 2 x 15 UT1. It was fine. '
3619 2:04.3/22
3627 2:04.0/22
target was 2:04.5--2:05. I had to make myself keep the pace down as I know I have the dreaded 5 x 3 TR tomorrow!

I ended with another ctc 250m. I'm lousy at this! Took the erg of slides (I do UT1 & UT2 on slides) and managed 50.7/43 . Rate is way to high and I just couldn't overcome the very bad start at 2:25 for the first pull. uggh

Rowmaniac · Post by **Rowmaniac** » January 9th, 2008, 11:46 am

Hi, everyone. I haven't been under water, but the past 5 days have been a little deviation from my previous 2K training. After talking to one of our club directors last week, I engaged the help of an experienced rower/fitness trainer to help me with some strength training which is undoubtedly missing from my regimen. I'm doing this work every other day with him, and needless to say some unused muscles were screaming in protest for a few days afterward which made it a bit too painful to erg. (The truth is is made it a bit too painful to lift a carton of milk out of the fridge, but that's about as far as I'll go to describe the agony!) I was cross training a bit on the spin bike while getting all these upper body muscles going on a weight plan, and didn't get back on the erg until yesterday. I think it was Friday-Monday that I did no erging. In any case, yesterday I did a 10K row, working on form, trying to stretch out the aching muscles that are coming back to life, doing some speed intervals, but I did not follow any particular IP workout.

Luckily we did not lose power here at our house during the storms, as most of the surrounding towns were without electricity for a few days. I have been a little anxious about temporarily hopping off of the IP plan to incorporate this much needed strength work into my training plan, but I am trying to think mid to long term about how it can help me become a stronger rower. Today our session will include a discussion about tweaking the IP plan from here to the CRASH Bs. I'm not certain exactly how I will proceed, but hopefully I will have some clarity by tonight. I really do like the "I have homework. I know exactly what I need to do" aspect of the IP.

Carla, good luck on today's 5 x 3' TR. After considering every workout on the IP plan, I personally see that one as the single hardest one to do. I will do it, and I know it will be a killer b/c the 4 x 3' TR was awful.

I'm also back on the water for the next 3 days for two hours each day. I have yet to figure out how the OTW time will factor into my training, but I don't want to miss out on the technique work I can get between now and March 1 by strictly doing indoor training. I guess all of this comes down to the fact that my ultimate goal is to be a powerful and technical rower in a boat, and hopefully obtain a good 2K time on the erg as well.

The plate is full, the mind is a bit overwhelmed, and I hope this body is up for the task! We'll see.

seat5 · Post by **seat5** » January 9th, 2008, 8:20 pm

Deborah,
So what are the upper body things you are doing?

today was the 5 x 3 TR w/3 min rests. Only 5 hours of sleep last night and woke up starving to death. Did the squats after the rowing and my legs trembled like spaghetti the whole first set and the last 4 of the 2nd and 3rd. Felt like a million lbs, not 95!

Not anywhere near as fast as you do them, but I was pleased to stay under 1:52 (target 1:51 for 7:24 and 1:52 for 7:28)

805 1:51.8/31 not ready for this
805 1:51.8/30 a little better...
806 1:51.6/29 Oh! I might survive! this might not be as awful as I thought
806 1:51.6/30 Maybe I won't and maybe it is
804 1:51.9/30 death is imminent, maybe I won't lift

Tomorrow is my optional day and I think I will make it an easy hour. Friday is AT and I don't want to do poorly.

tdekoekkoek · Post by **tdekoekkoek** » January 10th, 2008, 9:01 am

Hello all,

Been sick for 5 days. So did easy 8K yesterday to try to get back into things. Still coughing, but can't take any more time off. Crash Bs looking less likely at this point. Not going to do it unless I can make a serious run at sub 6:30.

Cheers,

Trevor

Rowmaniac · Post by **Rowmaniac** » January 10th, 2008, 1:16 pm

Nice work on the 5 x 3' TR Carla. Truth be told I don't even know if I could get those times myself this week. I am tired and my arms are still fatigued, so I will have to wait and see. I think those 5 intervals are a true test of will--and strength of course, which you apparently had to keep going and get them done with very consistent splits. I envy your having this one behind you!

Hmmm, what am I doing for upper body? I don't even know what half of the stuff is called, to be honest. I follow this guy around his small studio and do what I'm told, but it involves some pushing days and some pulling days with bicep, tricep, lat, forearm, chest and shoulder muscles all being asked to work hard. I spent 2 hours OTW yesterday doing mostly drills, so there was nothing aerobic about it, but rowing by 2s in an 8 can be more pulling than I sometimes realize, so heading to the trainer immediately after pushed me a bit. When I finished the hour there I wanted to just lie down on his studio floor and use a towel for a pillow, but that was about the time he said, "well, since you didn't have a hard workout on the water today, go do a harder piece on the erg, but not just short intervals." Well, I almost laughed out loud that he could possibly think I had the energy to do more than drive home! Two hours later I found the strength to get on the erg but had no idea whether I could pull the handle more than 10 times b/c my arms were once again very shaky from the workout.

Here's what I did. I thought I might do some 1000m intervals at about race pace (or my current 2K ability by my own approximation or WAG). I did 1K at 1:51 and thought, "I don't think doing 2 more of these is what I ought to do. Yuck." So I did the 3 x 8' AT workout for the week (switching the order around) b/c I also thought I needed to do more meters than the 10 x 45s ANs which I still need to do this week. I needed to find a way to blend some power with more meters. I honestly thought I could only do the top of my AT bands b/c I was so tired. I was wrong, but just wanted to do this workout within the bands and mark it off the list. (And then go collapse, of course.)

Target for AT is 2:00 - 2:06 (I've been doing them at the bottom or faster, but..... )

205.9 1905m -- okay, maybe I have enough energy to do these if I go slow
200.5 1991m -- c'mon. rowing at the top of the band feels bad--pick it up!
157.8 2035m -- wish I'd done this earlier--still not great, but back in the groove

w/u 1509
c/d 1576

Total meters including the 1K sprint 10,117

Clearly I had more energy than I realized, despite the extremely tired arms and body. This surprised me given the OTW workout, the hour with the trainer and then the 1K preceding these intervals. I think I have to look at yesterday as some evidence that perhaps I have a little more to give, even when I think I don't, and I need to learn to find it when I need it.

I know this was no shining example of a workout, but for the day I have to say I went to bed feeling like I'd done about all I could yesterday to further the whole goal. Oh yeah, the last thing I remember before falling asleep is feeling the book I was trying to read hit me in the nose! Now THAT is tired.

[ One tiny edit to previous post--I didn't take Friday- Monday off the erg, it was only Sat, Sun and Mon. It's funny how long a break like that can feel when you've been erging consistently. It felt like 2 weeks b/c I felt so guilty and odd about not erging for what I now realize was only 3 days.]

Rocket Roy · Post by **Rocket Roy** » January 10th, 2008, 3:06 pm

Coming back from 2 weeks of Vertigo type inner ear infection---bloody awful virus---I don't recommend itr to anyone. I thought I'd do some speed work to try to force it back to where it should be, my training that is.

So 2.5k at 1.55.8
3 min rest
800m...1.39.3
3
800m...1.39.7
3
300m...1.39.4...blew up here
3
2.5k...1.51.4

so it's starting to come back but it's not good rowing while dizzy. But I feel I have to do something soon because Wirc is so close.

TomR · Post by **TomR** » January 10th, 2008, 9:36 pm

Back from a bit of travel. Did a hard 30 min @ 2.00.7. That's a fast as I've done 30 this year. HR at the end was 95%. Did some squats at noon, but kept it short. Trying to focus on the erg for a bit.

Roy--It looks like you'll come back quicklly.

Deborah--What's with the upper body stuff? Are you planning to arm wrestle your husband?

Rowmaniac · Post by **Rowmaniac** » January 10th, 2008, 10:22 pm

Tom, nice work on the 30 minute piece.

Deborah--What's with the upper body stuff? Are you planning to arm wrestle your husband?

The truth is that I did arm wrestle him a couple of years ago and he's still not over it. Draw your own conclusions. He's no wimp, but then that's what he says about me. Maybe he thinks it's time for a re-match. He's been stealing time from MY erg!

Rowmaniac · Post by **Rowmaniac** » January 10th, 2008, 11:14 pm

Roy, sorry to hear you've been ill. I will make the usual disclaimers of "I'm no doctor, blah blah blah" (hey this is the U.S. and people have been known to successfully sue people who just leave scribbled advice on bathroom walls) but if you are still having dizziness from vertigo, hopefully you have been advised to consider taking a drug called Meclizine? It's sold over the counter now here in the U.S. and also goes by the name of Antivert. It helps a GREAT deal with the dizziness. It can make some people a little sleepy, but hey, if you can take some, get through the erg workout without falling off the darned thing, maybe you can nap after the workout. I think only some people feel drowsy, but many, many people say it does wonders.

I once fell off an erg, but didn't have vertigo to blame for the well witnessed moment. Note to other idiot novices like me: don't try rating high while unstrapped, especially if all the cute men are in the boathouse to see!!!

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » January 11th, 2008, 12:14 am

I hate intervals.

Today was a steady state 15K, supposed to be at 2K+15, but I kept cruising along at negative splits (except for 3 blips out of 15) and ended up 2K+11. This was far better than the first 2 15Ks that I have done on the Pete Plan and only 0.1 sec/500m slower than the best of several 15Ks that I did last season on the Pete Plan. One big difference, however, is that last season I was doing it six days a week as it calls for. Now I am erging only every other day.

I needed this boost. I hate intervals. One week ago I was supposed to do 4X1K intervals. The first one went according to schedule, but, on the second one, I decided to take the opportunity to improve on my crappy season’s best and it was a complete flop. I handled down only a little over a third of the way through and was in no shape to do any more 1Ks. I took a long gradual cool down just to get in some meters and exercise,

This was followed by 4 days of zip – zilch – nada. Finally, on the 8th, I got around to repeating the 4X1K intervals. I hate intervals. This time there was no game playing, trying to do a season better. I avoided the temptation by setting it up with variable intervals of 1k, 5’, 1k, 5’, 1k, 5’, 1k, 20’. The interval rests were all set at zero. This way, I could do the 5’ intervals at an easy rate and pace and the final 20’ as a long cool down. It also gave me a convenient total distance for the combination without having to go in and add up the rest meters. I completed it OK, at an average of about 2K+2. It called for 2K+3/1, so I was right in the middle of range, but it was based on a crap 2K.

Did I remember to say that I hate intervals?

Bob S.

seat5 · Post by **seat5** » January 11th, 2008, 12:53 am

Wow, lots to catch up on! Everyone is back!

Roy, hope you get over the dizziness soon. I am not worried about you, though, you are indomitable!

Deborah--good heavens how do you have the time to work out so much? I barely fit my hour in in the morning. Between work, orchestra and survival things like eating and laundry I have only about 20 mins a day to fool around like I am now on the forum. Anyway, you are clearly very intensely focused and I'm sure you will be rewarded on the podium in February!

I actually made my husband arm wrestle me before I would marry him. He beat me of course (or I would still be single!) I had gotten tired of guys that I could throw across the room!

Hey Tom, that's a great 30 minuter. Have you done a 30R20 yet this year? I haven't and should sometime.

Bob, intervals are not the love of my life, either. I mostly hate TR ones, though. AT is not so bad and AN are so short...but TR are just hell!!!-today was my day "off " so I just enjoyed a nice long steady piece with music on and it felt great. What didn't feel great was I added 5 lbs to my squats--just 5 measly pounds--and it felt like a million. I may have to drop it back tomorrow after 3 x 8 AT.