Ranger's training thread

[aharmer]

So you're clearly not going to show us these 8x500's you're doing in your sharpening. How about the 2k trial you claimed you were going to do prior to BIRC a couple days ago? Have you picked out a date yet for your 2k home trial? When you do it will you show a screenshot?

[JimR]

... For the last two years, I have the best 2K in the 55s lwts, not Roy Brook. I have two BIRC golds. Roy has never even medalled at BIRC. I have the BIRC championship record in the 55s lwts, not Roy Brook. I am in great shape and am ready to race. I have rowed a WR at BIRC, which won me the Millennium Cup. In all probability, I will have my second WR row at BIRC this year. I have six sub-6:30 rows in competition. Roy has never pulled better than 6:38. ...

And yet I would still pick Roy, or Mike, or Mike C. to have a beer and hang out with ... because you are an insufferable boor.

JimR

[Byron Drachman]

I came across this truly inspirational gem:

A dip into the future.

WIRC 2008

Roy and I take off together, Roy holding 1:40s @ 35 spm, pulling 10 SPI, wiggling through the water with dinky little strokes simultaneously levered, the fan barely buzzing; while I hold 1:35s @ 30 spm, pulling 13.7 SPI, whipping through the water like a slick dolphin, with long, powerful strokes sequentially levered, the fan triple-buzzing as I hit hard, 1-2-3--first with legs, then back, then arms.

After 500m, Roy drops 5 seconds off the pace.

After 1K, Roy is 10 seconds off the pace.

After 1500m, Roy is 15 seconds off the pace.

After 1500m, Roy, not used to pulling 10 SPI, given all of his 10MPS minnow training rowing 1:51 @ 27 spm (9.5 SPI), starts to fade.

As the meters tick by, Roy's PM4 shows 1:41 (9.2 SPI), then 1:42 (9 SPI), then 1:43 (8.4 SPI), then 1:44 (7.9 SPI), then 1:45 (7.5 SPI), even though his rate rises, too, first, to 36 spm, then to 37 spm, then to 38 spm, then to 39 spm, then to 40 spm!

By 1700m, Roy is 20 seconds off the pace.

Then the kick!

At 1700m, I raise the rate to 36 spm, and drawing on all of my dolphin training, with its powerful stroking, hold it steady there, pulling 1:30s (13 SPI), gaining 3 seconds on my pace over the last 300m to finish in 6:17.

Roy struggles in, muttering, "damn that's hard," finishing in 6:43.

If I can train myself to do 30'r20 @ 1:46, a scenario of just this sort is not a fantastic vision but a firm prediction.

[mikvan52]

I came across this truly inspirational gem:

A dip into the future.

WIRC 2008

(SNIP)
Then the kick!

At 1700m, I raise the rate to 36 spm, and drawing on all of my dolphin training, with its powerful stroking, hold it steady there, pulling 1:30s (13 SPI), gaining 3 seconds on my pace over the last 300m to finish in 6:17.

Roy struggles in, muttering, "damn that's hard," finishing in 6:43.

If I can train myself to do 30'r20 @ 1:46, a scenario of just this sort is not a fantastic vision but a firm prediction.

It's a beaut' , Byron...
ranger whips out his dolphin training for a good flogging...
Class act..

and visions of sugar plums dance in his head...

[mikvan52]

just provide GENUINE proof that you are on the way to a 6.16

The proof has been given, cited and recited.

... I have made even better progress since 2006.

I now row well (13 SPI) at low drag (120 df.)--and I row OTW, too, pretty darn well (7-8 SPI).

55s lwts generally row at 9-10 SPI.

My training (i.e., improving my technique and stroking power OTErg) is now complete.

So, I am preparing to race.

As in 2003, I'll race six or seven times this indoor racing season, including BIRC, when I will still be 59, but now, not only fully prepared, but rowing well at low drag.

ranger

The proof is complete because...... ranger is preparing to compete....
Interesting conclusion....

another interesting conclusion... "spi" seems to win races...
OOPS... DON'T FORGET LOW DRAG (120 ) TOO
IMO; 120 IS NOT LOW DRAG FOR A 55-59 LWT.

I row low drag:.... 106....
Today I did this before going out on the water in a 2x...
(two views)




Let's call the avg stroke rate 18.5 and the wattage 204...

204/18.5 = 11.0 spi
but it's only 1:59.x pace...
We all know 1:59 pace for 10k doesn't win anything...
therefore... ranger spi logic is faulty... (surprise)

[Citroen]

...

Let's call the avg stroke rate 18.5 and the wattage 204...

204/18.5 = 11.0 spi
but it's only 1:59.x pace...
We all know 1:59 pace for 10k doesn't win anything...
therefore... ranger spi logic is faulty... (surprise)

Here's an idea for a new entirely useless metric to replace the clearly useless SPI. How about metres/watt?

10021/204 == 49.12 m/W

We'll need to do some maths probably using the rower's vital statistics (age, weight, height, gender), including inseam length of their left leg, to get that into inverse square pico farads.

[ranger]

The proof is complete because...... ranger is

(1)] preparing to compete

(2) "spi" win[s] races

(3)low drag

Sure.

There's the proof.

In terms of a UT2, pace, though, you need to up the rate to 22 spm, keep your HR at 70-75% HRR, and row for 90min instead of 40min0.

Did you report your HR here?

If you do this, and then prepare to race thoroughly, sure, SPI wins races, if you are rowing at low drag (i.e., with good mechanical and technical effectiveness and efficiency).

At 22 spm, here are the correlations with 2K times:

13 SPI 1:33/6:12
12.5 SPI 6:16/1:34
12 SPI 6:20/1:35
11.5 SPI 6:24/1:36
11 SPI 6:28/1:37
10.5 SPI 6:32/1:38
10 SPI 6:36/1:39
9.5 SPI 6:40/1:40
9 SPI 6:44/1:41
8.5 SPI 6:48/1:42
8 SPI 6:52/1:43

On this row at 22 spm and a UT2 HR (70-75% HRR), 2:00 pace comes at right about 9 SPI and a 6:44 2K, which is your best effort lately.

13 SPI is 1:46 pace, e.g., the 50s hwt WR for 60min. This is rowing perfectly for a lightweight of any age.

1:49 @ 22 spm with a UT2 HR (70-75% HRR), which predicts a 6:16 2K, comes at 12.5 SPI. That has been my goal for the last seven years.

1:49 for a HM is four seconds under the 60s lwt WR--and in this scenario, with a UT2 HR, rather than top-end UT1.

So, this is right around 9 seconds per 500m beyond current level of achievement for 60s lwts, or 36 seconds over 2K.

And that seems to be exactly right.

6:16 is right around 36 seconds faster than 6:52, which might be kind of an average for the best 60s lwts from year to year.

The 60s lwt American record is Greg Brock's 6:56.

6:52 is probably about what you pull right now.

When you are 60, you'll have a hard time pulling 7:00.

ranger

[ranger]

What is so _hugely_ fishy in all of this is not the units of measurement (SPI).

They are just fine.

SPI (natural stroking power) does indeed win races.

What is so hugely fishy is how someone like me--the same age, the same size, using the same level of effort, etc.--as other 60s lightweights can just pull along with 50% more wattage on each stroke.

What the hell am I doing to get this done?

If we knew, it might sure help you slow folks out, no?

This 50% difference in wattage on each stroke (i.e., an SPI that is 50% higher, given similar physiological conditions) is like the difference between a 70 MPH fastball and a 105 MPH fastball in baseball.

A pitcher with the former can't play in the big leagues at all. Everyone he faces would hit home runs. His fastball would seem like batting practice to anyone in the major leagues.

The latter would be the most amazing dominator in the history of the sport. He would be unhittable.

ranger

[snowleopard]

He would be unhittable.

Never fear ranger, I'm sure there's a long line of folk that could hit you

[ranger]

Mike--

What in the _world_ are you doing mechanically and technically wrong to lose 50% of the easy power in your stroke?

You don't _look_ like a dwarf or a 95 lb. weakling.

You are a strapping six feet tall, taller than I am, certainly, and you even have some muscles here and there, even if you _are_ as old as the hills.

Racing at 9.5 SPI is _ridiculously_ ineffective and inefficient stuff.

No one should ever even consider it.

13 SPI is rowing well for a lightweight.

I now pull 13 SPI, and I am older and shorter than you are, and am pretty new to the sport.

If someone with your brains, brawn, and experience, not to mention your commitment to the sport, finds themselves racing at 9.5 SPI, they should just stop and regroup.

Go back to the laboratory.

Spend some more time at the office.

Fix what's wrong.

No reason to waste your time rowing like shit.

Especially if you are a rowing coach.



For God's sakes, dude, you're the 55s lwt hammer.

Buck up to the responsibility.

ranger

[ranger]

Yep.

With my sweep stroke, I am now pulling a perfect 13 SPI.

So I am doing race pace (1:34) at 32 spm.

That's right on 10 MPS.

I am now doing perfect race preparation for a lightweight of any age.

A nice routine, for just playing around, getting used to this rowing, is alternating 1:44 @ 24 spm (13 SPI) with 1:34 @ 32 spm (13 SP) in a fartlek pattern.

Great stuff.

Beats rowing 2:00 at 18 spm, I guess.

2:00 @ 18 spm not only doesn't win races.

It's rowing like shit.

ranger

[ranger]

If I meet my goal and pull 6:16 at WIRC 2011, when I am 60, I will lower the American record by 40 seconds, 10 seconds per 500m.



That's a quite a bit, no?

10 seconds per 500m is right about the difference between the Open lwt WR and the 55s lwt WR.

ranger

[ginster]

If

I have removed all the unimportant, irrelevant information from your previous post for the benefit of others.

[PaulH]

In addition to all the rowing 1:37 @ 30 spm, over the next month, I will want to get to 60'r20 @ 1:50.

ranger

What's the update, ranger?

[Carl Watts]

Why did you guys cut in an ruin Rangers WR attempt at the most number of consecutive posts in a thread ?

Now he is posting with breaks as well as rowing with breaks !