Do you do a "running start" during intervals?

[Ombrax]

Let's say you're doing intervals of 5 x 1k w/ 2 min rest.

Obviously on the first piece you can't do a "running" start, since the PM starts when you start to row the first interval, but for the subsequent intervals you can start rowing, say, 15 seconds before your rest time is up. Do you do that, or do you wait for all your rest time to elapse then do a "somewhat race-like start" for each interval? Or simpler yet, do you just do a gradual coming up to speed start, and take the penalty on your avg pace for the easy start?

Sort of a silly question, but I find myself starting early so I can get the flywheel up to speed by the start of the interval.

[JerekKruger]

I usually start my first stroke a moment after the monitor shows 1s left, so very slightly before the interval had technically started, and I'll usually take two or three shorter, faster strokes to get the split down before settling into my target pace (a mini racing start I guess).

[hjs]

Do how you like, do it the same every time, for comparison reasons.

I use standing starts, main reason, most fair and gives no advantage. During races, its worse, standing start plus delay, first stroke is 4.00 pace. A cold shower if you use flying starts in training.

[lindsayh]

Sort of a silly question, but I find myself starting early so I can get the flywheel up to speed by the start of the interval.

not silly of course and there are answers in both "camps" - often debated. IMO it probably doesn't matter very much one way or the other especially for the longer intervals. Just do them the same way each time so that you can compare progress. If you are doing really hard short intervals then I reckon there is a risk of back injury if you do repeated "standing" starts similar to a full on race start (unless you are training for that close to race day). My preference is for rolling starts - most of the time the fan is moving anyway in the rest and it feels great when you nail that first stroke.

[Rod]

I don't do rolling starts unless it's a competition piece like the CTC and they are allowed because the idea is to get the best score you can.

In my normal training I always do static starts as I like to be able to compare sessions and this is the most accurate way.

If you use rolling starts for a 2k predictor session then the results will give you a false idea of what you can do for a 2k which could then mess up your pacing plan as you'll start too fast and be surprised that you can't maintain your expected pace.

To be slightly controversial.....going back to when I first started erging in 2006 rolling starts were seen as cheating and I still hold that view so don't do them unless as I mentioned...everyone can in a particular competition.....but...I don't want to sound like I'm criticising anyone .... I'm not...as with most things ...it's each to their own and if you like to do ''rollers'' then happy rowing to all that do..

[bisqeet]

i'm getting old. i'd prefer not having to do a full start everytime.
might be ok for lightweights, but i'd prefer not to ... tis only practice and for me.

as long as you do it everytime - its a point of reference.

[lwtguy]

I always start building pressure at 10 seconds to go so that I hit the starting line at full speed.

[jackarabit]

Rolling or dead wheel, the most counterproductive habit one can aquire is winding up average pace to well below target. There is no free lunch available from the short-lived (30") alactic energy system either side of clock start. I wouldn't worry much about what was fashionably holier-than-thou in the CTC circa 2006. Coasting wheel from active rest or a couple bumps from 7" prior to start work for me on second and subsequent interval iteration. Put your effort IN the piece not BEFORE and don't trigger anaerobic cell chemistry prematurely.

[gregsmith01748]

I have a foot firmly in both camps. Most of the year, I do rolling starts mainly because I am paddling though the rests at about a 2:30 pace and stopping to let the fly wheel stop seems silly. But for a couple months before sprint season, I will do standing starts to practice that part of the race. I do the same for both erg and water.

[Cyclist2]

I have a foot firmly in both camps. Most of the year, I do rolling starts mainly because I am paddling though the rests at about a 2:30 pace and stopping to let the fly wheel stop seems silly. But for a couple months before sprint season, I will do standing starts to practice that part of the race. I do the same for both erg and water.

I'm with Greg on this. I painted white stripes on every fifth fan blade on my model C so I can see when the fan is "stopped". Since there is no brake, you have to wait about 3 minutes for the fan to come to a full stop if you want to do standing starts every interval. I asked this question over on the CTC thread when the challenge specified standing starts each interval (but the rests were too short to have the fan completely stop). The concensus was to just not row at all during the rest periods and call it good - didn't have to be fully stopped.

[jbhop5857]

I have a hard time not rowing for 3 minutes to let the fan die all the way. I like the active recovery between sprints. So, I just always stop rowing with 90 seconds left on the rest. If it is a 90 second rest, I usually just get off the rower and walk around the house for a minute.

Thanks

David

[hjs]

I have a foot firmly in both camps. Most of the year, I do rolling starts mainly because I am paddling though the rests at about a 2:30 pace and stopping to let the fly wheel stop seems silly. But for a couple months before sprint season, I will do standing starts to practice that part of the race. I do the same for both erg and water.

I'm with Greg on this. I painted white stripes on every fifth fan blade on my model C so I can see when the fan is "stopped". Since there is no brake, you have to wait about 3 minutes for the fan to come to a full stop if you want to do standing starts every interval. I asked this question over on the CTC thread when the challenge specified standing starts each interval (but the rests were too short to have the fan completely stop). The concensus was to just not row at all during the rest periods and call it good - didn't have to be fully stopped.

A fan a bit spinning or a running start are very different, slowly rowing and stopping in the last minute and starting on the zero is very close to a standing start.

[G-dub]

Used to really get wheel going between 10” and 4” to end of rest. Now softly pull and roll up super easy to time start of interval. Reason for change was to not scew the predictive aspect. But racing starts every interval is too manly for me and I’d orefer to Practice that as it’s own thing. Each to their own of course.

[gregsmith01748]

You guys are so honest and careful not to cheat. I'm basically the opposite!

I watch the clock. When I paddle, I tend to take about 20 light strokes a minute. So when the clock gets down to 30, I try to get so that I'm hitting the catch as the clock turns to 29,26,23,20,17,14,11,8,5,2,boom. Depending on my energy level, I might put a bit more oomph into the last two strokes just to try to take advantage of the PM. But usually, I just add power in the stroke I take as the timer flips over to the interval count down.

[lindsayh]

You guys are so honest and careful not to cheat. I'm basically the opposite!

And of course there is no such thing as "cheating" when you are training - only if you are racing on intervals that are defined with standing starts.
Active rest between hard short intervals is a good way to go.