Question about intensity vs. spm...

IMready2row · Post by **IMready2row** » May 18th, 2006, 8:29 pm

Okay, I see that this has been covered else where, but I am new and need to revisit this question.

I did a work out today that was very enjoyable. BUT, I was supposed to keep my spm at 26, vary my intensity and beat my 500 split pace each time.

Okay... first off, staying at 26spm and keeping a quick pace was very difficult for me

. Most of the time, I kept it at 27spm. I tried to play around with pushing very hard and pulling slow, pushing hard and pulling hard, pushing slow (to keep at 26spm) and pulling hard, but just couldn't get anything consistent and wasn't sure if the "intensity" was changing.

The piece was 14 x 1:00 @ 26spm/:30 r; easy, harder, hardest.

I just don't think I did it correctly. My pace varied from 2:12.7 - 2:37.0 and spm varied from 26 - 33. Obviously, I did the 2:12.7 while doing the 33 spm.

Jeez, someone help me before I take up all the space in the forum!

PLEASE explain how to increase intensity there by speeding up my pace, while keeping my spm steady at 26.

Kinley · Post by **Kinley** » May 18th, 2006, 9:03 pm

Maria,

Your stroke shouldn't change too much as you vary the rate (spm). Jump off the foot stretcher, open your back, quick finish, then hands away. If you want to drop the spm, slow down after your hands are past your knees. Slow slow slow slide to the catch (beginning of the stroke) then jump off the foot stretcher again.

Don't try to take up extra time during the drive. Keep the drive quick! Kill time during the recovery. The more time you kill on the recovery, the lower your rate.

>>>------> Kinley

Sean Seamus · Post by **Sean Seamus** » May 18th, 2006, 9:41 pm

when keeping the stroke rate steady, and increasing the pace / 500m with every work interval, you will find that PRACTISE makes perfect

applying force in a smooth boooof! and then again and again, and then upping the boooof to Boooof and then BOOOOOF, BOOOOOF, BOOOOOF, ahhh, the delights of erging.

practise / focus / push / relax /

maybe try starting at an easier (for you) pace, and building up in increments that fit your current ability, until you have developed a bit. Some of the advanced drills really are advanced.

If you have done approximately 100,000 meters to date, then you will look back at the million mark, and sigh at how much more you know, and how much more again lies ahead.

IMready2row · Post by **IMready2row** » May 19th, 2006, 8:15 pm

Kinley wrote:Maria,

Your stroke shouldn't change too much as you vary the rate (spm). Jump off the foot stretcher, open your back, quick finish, then hands away. If you want to drop the spm, slow down after your hands are past your knees. Slow slow slow slide to the catch (beginning of the stroke) then jump off the foot stretcher again.

Don't try to take up extra time during the drive. Keep the drive quick! Kill time during the recovery. The more time you kill on the recovery, the lower your rate.

>>>------> Kinley

I did much better this evening and I thank you for your advice. It was really what I needed to understand what I needed to do.

I did 6 x 500m @25spm varying the intensity from easy to medium to hard. I was able to vary the pace between 2:23.3 to 2:10.6 and keeping steady at ~25spm. I was VERY pleased!

when keeping the stroke rate steady, and increasing the pace / 500m with every work interval, you will find that PRACTISE makes perfect

Sean - you are correct, practice DOES make perfect and thanks to you and Kinley coaching me, I am getting the hang of it

Once again, thank you so much. I will keep you posted.

Keep rowing!