Train With Xeno

[philrow]

He's kind of an egomaniacle sort

Is there an "r" missing from e[r]gomaniacle?

[Jamie Pfeffer]

I agree with Phil. The "ergomaniac" line was great.

Today's (Tuesday) two rows:

AM: 90-minute row; every 10 minutes row 20 strokes as close to race pace as possible: 23,633M (1:54.2 average).

PM: 70-minute steady state: 18,847M (1:51.4 average). This was a good score for me. I think it's a PR (at least for this decade). My old PR was 18,806 (1:51.7).

A few rowers asked me how Xeno's program differs from the Interactive Plan. Because Xeno advocates a higher volume, a lower percentage of our strokes produce lactic acid than do those in the IP. For me, I recover faster than I did in the IP (I used that plan a few years ago). And because we do more long rows than I did in the IP, I already weigh 164. Also, Xeno has helped me tailor his program so it fits me just right.

All the best,
Jamie

[Rowmaniac]

I am laughing b/c I've been called the "Ergmaniac" at my club. Of course, I prefer my moniker of Rowmaniac given to me by my novice coach. It suits me. I love rowing!

Jamie, your comment about the longer rows is really resonating with me. My OTW coach is a world class elite rower (40 years old), and his comment about the IP when I showed it to him was that he'd advocate more longer, steady state rowing with intervals of race pace work done while continuing the long rows, watching my split times when I come off the power piece and go back to steady state so as not to let the split times go up higher than they were before I did the "race pace" power piece.

Now with your comment about already reaching your desired LW 164 pounds, I am even more inclined to listen to Xeno's ideas for my training.
I am 45 years old and not too many pounds away from my high school graduation weight, but would like to get there. If I can just exchange some more muscle for these few pounds, I don't imagine my split times will suffer. I know longer rows are key.

Thanks for a bit more clarity about what you see as the benefits of the longer pieces. I have to be honest--I'm not feeling that I am putting in enough hard working meters with the IP. I know it will get harder, but still I worry.

How did your 2K time improve when you did use the IP plan? I assume you followed it closely?

Thanks!

[Ben Rea]

AM: 90-minute row; every 10 minutes row 20 strokes as close to race pace as possible: 23,633M (1:54.2 average).

PM: 70-minute steady state: 18,847M (1:51.4 average). This was a good score for me. I think it's a PR (at least for this decade). My old PR was 18,806 (1:51.7).

How can you sustain that!

i believe it is real it's just amazing. i'm lucky that i can drive myself to stay on the thing for 30 minutes let alone hold a 1:54.2!!! that's better than my 2k!!!! and to do a 90 AND a 70 in one day. *barf*

how do you keep yourself entertained during such a piece?

[Bob S.]

I agree with Phil. The "ergomaniac" line was great.

To put this in its proper perspective, It would be inappropriate for Paul to use that term for himself when it applies to the major satellite regatta in his (i.e. the Seattle) area:

http://www.nwergomania.com/

I believe that he once said that this was the first or at least one of the first, and probably the biggest, of the satellite regattas. He will no doubt correct me if I got this wrong.

Bob S.

[PaulS]

I agree with Phil. The "ergomaniac" line was great.

To put this in its proper perspective, It would be inappropriate for Paul to use that term for himself when it applies to the major satellite regatta in his (i.e. the Seattle) area:

http://www.nwergomania.com/

I believe that he once said that this was the first or at least one of the first, and probably the biggest, of the satellite regattas. He will no doubt correct me if I got this wrong.

Bob S.

Actually I'd be fine with the "r" added, I even have a shirt from the event specifying exactly that on the sleeve. I think it was probaby the first satellite event to the CRASH-B's, I was there for the first one, John Biglow was the Master of Ceremonies and Paul Enquist the winner of the Mens Open, I was 4th, but had only been involved with rowing for about 4 months at the time.

Much more of a Time Trial format in those days, no real way to tell how you were doing relative to the competition, just go as fast as you could manage and let the results be tallied after being collected from the coxswains.

[Jamie Pfeffer]

Ben: I struggle with staying motivated. So when I use the erg, I need to play music and watch TV. But probably the most important part is having a goal. And Xeno's program has been invaluable in helping me try to reach mine.

[Jamie Pfeffer]

Today was the 90-minute row, with a 20-stroke burst every 10 minutes.
I went 24,162M (1:51.8 average). This was the first time that I've ever broken 24K for 90 minutes. It was also the first time I've gone under 1:52 for this piece.

Tonight will be weights.

All the best,
Jamie

[Rowmaniac]

Jamie, you continue to inspire!

I hope your wife works long hours so she is not sitting upstairs waiting for you to get off that erg and come see her. Or do you take visitors in your gym?

I had a good week of training so far. Yesterday was 12K with 2 x 2K pieces within at race pace plus 4 seconds. I'm doing the Concept 2 UK IP plan, and it seems to be working, but Xeno did write to me and has agreed to work with me one on one for part of a day in So Cal!

I am planning to drive down, have two sessions with him in one day, and stay and join an erg class or two at his suggestion. I don't have a date yet, but ASAP is my choice. Now I am going to bug him to commit to a date.

Boston is 11 weeks from tomorrow. I just bought my ticket. I am committed! (Or should be, considering what we go through to train for this thing.)

[Jamie Pfeffer]

Good job, Deb. I'll probably see you in Boston. I'm probably going to buy an erg at the race. Because that will give me a second one, I'll be able to have guest rows in my gym. "If you build it, they will come [row]."

Here's today's workout (Saturday):
AM: 5x1,500 meters (1:45, 1:44, 1:43, 1:43, 1:42). I was disappointed with myself. I didn't row with enough courage in the beginning.

PM: 70-minute row: 18,946 meters (1:50.8 avg). I believe this was the most meters I rowed at this distance. This piece is my Saturday night tradition. I will probably end up single.

[Jamie Pfeffer]

Today was the Sunday 2-hour row: 30,923 meters (1:56.4 average). Last week I rowed 31 more meters I guess by the end today I was so hungry that I wasn't thinking clearly. Otherwise, I would have pushed that extra bit.

I planned to lift tonight, but I'm too tired this evening. I'll try to push myself harder tomorrow night.

I hope everyone has a good week of training.

Best,
Jamie

[Rowmaniac]

Jamie, nice work for the weekend! I had to laugh about your 'it's saturday night and I might end up single' comment. My husband is a runner, but pulled a groin that is taking forever to heal, so he's erging 6 days a week and we end up laughing about scheduling erg time. Or the dialog goes something like "hey, put my foot stretchers back where you found them!" After the erging sessions, the weights, walking the dog and cooking something healthy to fuel the training bodies, we are lucky to plop on the sofa and just smile at each other from across the room! Somehow running invigorates him, but erging is harder work. So I'm not sure if the secret is to drag your wife down to your gym to join you or count your blessings that she's smart enough to stay upstairs.

I am currently shopping for wireless bluetooth headphones to pair with the ipod so that I can have loud music to get me through the intervals without forcing him to consider moving elsewhere. I'm almost on it.

This weekend was a nice 60' row on Saturday at a good steady state HR of 148 for some easy cardio. Sunday I did a 12.5K with 2 x 10' at race pace plus 4 and 5 seconds. The second interval was hard. My race will be about 7 minutes and ? seconds, and somehow 10 minutes feels like an eternity. Doing it twice in a row takes a good bit of mental push. It was a good workout, despite the fact that I had to talk myself into believing I could actually keep the second one until the end.

Today I am OTW and looking forward to doing drills and hopefully nothing else too demanding.

Have a good week of training.

[Jamie Pfeffer]

2x10 minutes at race pace + 4 seconds sounds, well, uncomfortable. It will definitely make you faster.

This is for your husband. Skip to about 1:43:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxaQ9cKYQXo

[DavidA]

...
PM: 70-minute row: 18,946 meters (1:50.8 avg). I believe this was the most meters I rowed at this distance.

Can one row more meters at the same distance?

David

[Rowmaniac]

Thanks for the clip, Jamie. It reminds me of old days in law school where we'd get together on Thursdays to watch Cheers with my best friend and her sister who was in med school at the same time. Oh, when Ted Danson had hair, huh?

I have to do the 2 x 10' interval (for me I'm supposed to row these at 2:00 splits at the fastest but I'm trying to do 1:56 to push) again twice this week. I figure these workouts separate the girls from the hammer holdin' honeys (oh gosh, just made that up and am not sure how I feel about that) so I have to keep pushing. Sunday is 3 x 7', so they may seem easy by the time I am expected to do a 3rd rep.

Today I actually cox'd the 8 OTW. Wow, no workout there, but always a challenge to see how long I can fold up 72 1/2 inches of body into that little coxswain seat. Fun fun fun.

I hope you are right that doing these pieces will make me faster. I sometimes close my eyes and can see the monitor holding 1:50 pace for 2K and hope it comes true.