Ranger's training thread

[ranger]

But you don't do it for an uninterrupted 2K!

I haven't tried yet.

But I certainly will this winter--at least five or six times.

And then dozens and dozens of times after then--off into the future.

ranger

[ranger]

But you don't do it for an uninterrupted 2K!

Not "don't."

"Haven't."

Sure, you don't do something until you do it.

But to do something, especially in a sport like rowing, you first have to make it possible, if not probable.

No 60s lwt has ever had even a remote possibility of pulling sub-6:30, much less sub-6:20.

No 60s lwt has ever pulled sub-6:40.

Only three lwts have ever pulled sub-6:30 when they were 50 years old, and the normal decline with age from 50 to 60 is 17 seconds over 2K.

Only I have ever pulled sub-6:30 at any age above 50 (I pulled a lwt 6:28 when I was a couple of months shy of 53).

But! But!

For me, pulling a lwt sub-6:30 at 60 is now not only possible.

It's highly probable.

And even sub-6:20 is possible.

Interesting situation.

ranger

[whp4]

But you don't do it for an uninterrupted 2K!

I haven't tried yet.

But I certainly will this winter--at least five or six times.

And then dozens and dozens of times after then--off into the future.

ranger

Try all you want, fail every time.

[lancs]

And even sub-6:20 is possible.

Well, yes. Possible in the same sense that Sir P shitting in the Queen's handbag is possible. In fact, Sir P has provided the same amount of evidence that he is able to shit in the Queen's handbag (whilst she is still holding it) as you have at being able to row anywhere near a 6:20 2k....

[lancs]

Interesting situation.

ranger

This is actually one of the things that irritates me about your lies Prof. It's the fact that you try and suggest that you're even remotely capable of coming near to a sub 6:30 as a lwt, when you're not.

So really, it's not that interesting at all. You're just a very odd 59 year old who has both a personality disorder and internet access..

[ranger]

It seems strange that a guy who is only 5'11", with skinny legs and about average arms and shoulders would have any problem staying at 165# and under.

Bob S.

Yea.

I'm just a 95 lb. weakling.

No shoulders.

No arms.

Skinny legs.



However, given this, it is a little puzzling, no?, that my stroke is now 10-15% stronger than Stephansen's?

At BIRC 2010, I'll pull 13 SPI, perhaps 13.5 SPI, at race rates (30+ spm).

At BIRC 2010, I suspect that Nav, who is _huge_, will only pull 12 SPI--at most--as Stephansen does, who is 100 lbs. lighter than Nav and forty years younger than me.

Other 60s lwts at BIRC 2010, who are my age and weight, will use a stroke that is 9 SPI, 50% weaker than my pull at 13.5 SPIa, even though we will row at right around the same rate.

I guess these other 60s lwts have a weak pull because they have broad shoulders, thick legs, and big arms, which show that they are as strong as hell.



Go figure.

Fact is stranger than fiction, I guess.

ranger

[ranger]

The major limitation that prevents older rowers from rowing fast is natural stroking power.

If Nav had a natural stroking power of 16 SPI, as most good young heavyweights do, he would pull 6:00 for 2K rating 30 spm.

I don't think that this loss of natural stroking power with age has much at all to do with brute strength or aerobic capacity.

It has to do with technique--leverage, balance, length, quickness, timing, relaxation, posture, flexibility, rhythmicity, etc.--full-body, skeletal-motor fitness, "gymnastic" facility, etc.

How about this vision?

Nav doing a pommel horse or tumbling routine--demonstrating his full-body skeletal-motor quickness, dexterity, precision, and power to weight ratios.

Or this:

Nav dancing on his toes like a young Ali.

ranger

[hjs]

I think we all missed the most starting revelation ranger has ever delivered ... From October 11th, 2010 ...

... I am certainly not very sharp yet ...

Truer words were never written!

JimR

You are wrong Jim, He is very sharp, 6.4x is simply the best he can do at this age.

[snowleopard]

Fact is stranger than fiction, I guess.

In the absence of the former it would certainly require a guess on your part

[PaulH]

I suppose I won't be fully sharpened this year, either, until WIRC.

That's simply not true - you've finished sharpening already, so you're set to perform fully sharpened as of right now.

[mikvan52]

Back to training:

Somewhere THIS MORNING between 1:29 & 3:03 AM .... RANGER rowed on his erg.
What did he do; more low intensity? I know I don't sharpen this way?
If he did any speed work: what was his longest meterage w/o a break and how long did it take him? What was the rate range?
What was ranger's weight at 1:28 am this morning?

Ah, such difficult and mystical questions to the old weight-cutter of the great North Woods!

It's always surprising to see the "filler" posts in this situation (when ranger as about to race). Non of the promised stats that would be coming when he was fully trained. Instead, hopeless boring reprises of information about the distant past that we all know by heart.

Would some one say something interesting about something recent please? Juice lady! Why so quiet?

[ranger]

This rowing at low drag continues to get curious-er and curious-er.

This morning, I have been doing a lot of 1:35 @ 30 spm (13.7 SPI).

So, if this continues, it looks as though I will only have to rate 30 spm to hit my target at BIRC 2010.

Heck, and with a rate as low as 30 spm, for a little lightweight like me, more of an AT rate than a TR rate, over the next week, I don't see why I can't work toward an at-home 2K @ 30 spm as a dress rehearsal for BIRC 2010.

No need to vary the rate.

Just a need to click off the 190 strokes I need for 2K, one every two seconds.

1:35 @ 30 spm (13.7 SPI) is pulling well over 10 MPS.

10.53 MPS

The 55s lwt WR is 1:39.5.

So, for me, 1:35 is 4 seconds per 500m under WR pace.

The 60s lwt 2K WR is 1:40.5.

1:35 is is five seconds per 500m under that.

120 df.

ranger

[ranger]

This morning: nice 90min of skipping before eging.

Next:

OTBike for 90min.

Then off to work.

ranger

[ranger]

Somewhere THIS MORNING between 1:29 & 3:03 AM .... RANGER rowed on his erg.

No, I jumped rope for 90min between 1:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.

Then I erged for 90min from 3:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m..

Then I ate breakfast.

I'll bike from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

Then off to work.

ranger

[mikvan52]

That is a fierce work load:

Skipping, erging, biking!... for all that time
Are you doing it for weight control?
I fail to see how such grueling endurance work increases your speed and/or can be considered sharpening...

Your take on this would be welcome.
Why didn't you knock your weight down in August and Sept. and then sharpen in late october and early Nov.?
Do you really get that heavy?

Sharpening, in principle, involves lowering meters rowed and increasing intensity.

Here's what I call a sharpening workout. I did it a couple weeks before a hammer effort:

http://concept2.co.uk/forum/blog.php?u=7679&b=71236

Short!
Maybe you're doing stuff like this too but don't care to report it in any detail ?
Personally I'd stay away from whacking my glycogen supply with junk effort.

Perils of the 'glory weight'... I'm guessing...