Introduce yourself

[ambo]

I figure it's only good manners to actually introduce myself since I've been lurking y'all for a while now. So here goes...
I am older than I'd like to admit but since my youngest turned 25 yesterday and my oldest will be 30 in a couple months it's getting harder to deny. I am not really a stranger to the erg as we have had an old C2 Model C sitting in our basement for years. We bought it used from the local rowing club when our daughter took up rowing in high school. Best money we ever spent as that $500 turned into an NCAA scholarship with 2 B1G rings and 4 straight trips to the NCAA championships. The erg followed her down south after she graduated but when she returned to Canada 5 years later and immediately moved out west there was no room in the van. And so it was that the erg ended up in our basement again, collecting dust for the last 2 years.
Fast forward to this spring when life events very rudely intruded on our relatively uneventful existence and that erg just seemed like an answer and an escape all rolled up into one neat package. And not surprisingly, the erg has been very kind to my basketball-ravaged knees so that has helped keep me on track too. I'm 5'11" so have been experimenting with the foot position lately to see if that makes a difference in rowing motion and overall knee comfort.
I started erging on July 3. So far I have logged 309,886m. (Almost finished the Dog Days Challenge as well.) As far as strategy, I will first offer up the information that I have flown by the seat of my pants my whole life so the fact that I have even devised anything resembling a plan is an accomplishment in itself. That being said, and following advice from forum (and the voices in my head) I have been taking a day off during each week, and 2 last week for a trip out of town, to help in recovery/rest but otherwise it has been full steam ahead. I did a 2K earlier this week, quite by accident and then, when I started the piece, it became sheer curiosity. I hit 9:12.7. I have watched enough 2K races to know that (a) I will not win any awards with that and, (b) I did not race with the same urgency that I saw at those Indoor Races but I also do not have to impress any coaches or boat mates so I'm good with that for now. I favour distance workouts over timed workouts cuz my brain has somehow managed to convince my body that it has more control over the workout that way. Illogical I know but so far it's working. Also I have made changes in my diet. While it wasn't horrible before I was aware that it could be better and have made significant gains in that respect.
After pimping out my Model C I now have a shiny new PM5, heart monitor, bluetooth earbuds (what did the world do before Spotify?), and ErgData. I'm all set. Except I don't have a clue what to do with half the info that comes off Ergdata. It probably isn't critical but I'm wondering stuff like:
~What does Stroke length tell me and does it matter if it is .95 or 1.25? What would be a fair target range?
~Is there a specific 500m split that is better for fitness than other splits given my beginner fitness level? Like should I stick to 2:30-2:45 splits or should I aim for 1:30? (Ha! Just kidding about that one but you get the idea.)
~Should I be working at a consistent split for all workouts or varying it across different distances/workouts?
~Does it matter that I find my SPM constantly creeping up to 25-26 and I have to focus very hard on keeping it at 21-22? (Yes, the tip from the forum about rowing without straps does help slow my rate down.)
~I started out using a Drag Factor of 100 but have bumped it up to 108-110 but what should I be aiming at for heart rate for long distance-lower intensity sessions, particularly as my fitness gains slow down.
~I have a very short attention span (Squirrel!!!) and so find the WOD very helpful in mixing things up and keeping my attention but should I be less haphazard in my approach? (BTW, any suggestions on how to be less haphazard in my general approach to everything else would be greatly appreciated by my obsessively-organized husband but I guess there are other forums for that!)

I know that some of this info is buried in the forums and I am working my way through them but there is a lot to dig through. So...long story short - hello.

[lindsayh]

I After pimping out my Model C I now have a shiny new PM5, heart monitor, bluetooth earbuds (what did the world do before Spotify?), and ErgData. I'm all set. Except I don't have a clue what to do with half the info that comes off Ergdata. It probably isn't critical but I'm wondering stuff like:
~What does Stroke length tell me and does it matter if it is .95 or 1.25? What would be a fair target range?
~Is there a specific 500m split that is better for fitness than other splits given my beginner fitness level? Like should I stick to 2:30-2:45 splits or should I aim for 1:30? (Ha! Just kidding about that one but you get the idea.)
~Should I be working at a consistent split for all workouts or varying it across different distances/workouts?
~Does it matter that I find my SPM constantly creeping up to 25-26 and I have to focus very hard on keeping it at 21-22? (Yes, the tip from the forum about rowing without straps does help slow my rate down.)
~I started out using a Drag Factor of 100 but have bumped it up to 108-110 but what should I be aiming at for heart rate for long distance-lower intensity sessions, particularly as my fitness gains slow down.
~I have a very short attention span (Squirrel!!!) and so find the WOD very helpful in mixing things up and keeping my attention but should I be less haphazard in my approach? (BTW, any suggestions on how to be less haphazard in my general approach to everything else would be greatly appreciated by my obsessively-organized husband but I guess there are other forums for that!)
I know that some of this info is buried in the forums and I am working my way through them but there is a lot to dig through. So...long story short - hello.

Hi there and welcome - you are right there is a heap of information on these threads esp the what training... "newbie threads". It sounds like you have made a good start already
- stroke length may be useful but it is very individual and probably not as important as some other metrics. The longer the better in general as long as technique remains strong
- training zones is a whole topic in itself but in general training for fitness for beginners means longer sessions (say 30-40') at slower stroke rates (say 22-26) at slowish and steady pace. It is actually a mistake to push too hard. As a guide a training pace for fitness to start with might be your approximate 2k pace (say 2:15+) plus 15/20" so a good goal to start would be about 2:30/2:35 for 5k extending to 10k rather than trying to get faster
- pacing your sessions can vary for sure. Variety is a great idea and if you want to break up longer pieces into intervals then that can work well. for example you could do 5'-8' on 2'/3'R 4 to 6 times and pace it a bit faster. Then there are shorter faster intervals say 6/8x 1'-3' on say 1'R and you could approach your 2k pace or something like that. Interval sessions are a good way of dealing with attention span deficits (I'm in the same boat) and increases the need for concentration on both pace and stroke rate.
- for me the "program" you follow needs to be one that you can commit to and its shape and structure is less important than keeping it going. if you were hoping to be a racer then eventually some extra focus but simply doing what is fun and interesting is way more important. I would look at a combination of single steady pieces and maybe some intervals for variety. Just find something that works and can give you 30-60 minutes maybe 5/6 times a week. The WOD approach is good. Have a look at what sessions are being reported above and steal the ones that appeal.
- as you get fitter you can get faster but the aim of the game is to maintain a HR (heart rate) at <80% of your maximum for the main cardio pieces - don't rush it!
- HR training is fine but not really easy without knowing what your real maximum is which can only be done with a full on max test as there are no formulae that really help. (there are some good threads about this). The 2k pace or % of watts are a reasonable proxy. You could start using a chest strap monitor to get a feel for where your heart is going.
- there is nothing wrong with really going hard once or twice a week once your fitness is back on track aiming for >90% MHR t
- stroke rate is important I guess but not very - drifting up to 25/26 is fine IMO and you have done well to keep it relatively slow in that range. If you were up in the 30s with a weak stroke that might be different
- drag factor is not really important IMO as long as you are in a sensible range and 100-115 is fine - just use what you feel most comfortable with
- don't worry too much about not being very organised - there are some who are and love all the numbers and charts etc and others (I'm guilty) who just do it with an overall template and a less organised approach - FWIW I have done about 20 million meters in the past ten years mostly without a lot of detail or documentation - only really reported here to keep a track

good luck and be patient! The great thing is that you have maybe a year of "newbie" gains that are very satisfying. It is a great fitness tool

[ambo]

Thank you lindsayh for your response. It is helpful to get some clarification before too many bad habits set in, although I do love my bad habits. Came across some C2 videos about intensity on strokes and am focusing on form and intensity (specifically split times) Interestingly, last night maintained fairly steady 22spm and lowest ave split yet for a piece I've re-rowed a number of times so have a set of numbers for comparison. Oddly, it didn't seem any harder than other rows. Hmmm...

[jackarabit]

When I hear a lady newbie mention 1:30 pace even in jest, i know she’s got game! Ambo, you got the kit, got the hunger, got the self-confidence. Be patient. Volume training is crucial to an aerobic sport. Don’t race your training but don’t be afraid to blip the throttle either. I never heard of a newbie guy who abstained from testing his 2K until he developed an elegant rowing stroke. Some things just beg to be done wrong way round! So have the fun of discovery as well as the discipline for time-efficient and injury-free development. This forum is a friendly and informal source of instruction. Make it work for YOU

[EmmyE]

Heya gals! I’m a fairly new rower, just started in April. I’m not a sprinter — while they’re (super) fun, I quite quickly become fearful I’ll get tired, which ruins the fun a bit, and then, inevitably, I do get tired. So, a vicious cycle!

But, in my (admittedly short) rowing career thus far, I’ve discovered that distance rows have my heart. I haven’t done many timed tests but my 6k was around 2:17 & 10k is consistently around 2:20. These are both more than comfortable — not pushing it too hard — paces. I’m doing a half marathon soon and I really (really!) want to hit around 2:20. I realize that it’s a big stretch to take a 10k at 2:20 to a 21+k at 2:20, but again, I’m soooooo into distance — totally happy to sit on an erg for longer than I probably should be either sitting there or happy about it lol. So I’m wondering if I can just approach a half marathon as a cozy 2:22-2:20-2:18 for 4k each, then maintain a no-more-than 2:18 for the remainder of the bulk, then sprint it out at the last 1000k or so and pull this off?? (I would not go above 25s/m until the very end).

I guess my question is — can I actually pull this off? Or do I need to reality check myself? How do you all set goals for longer distance rows, only having a 2 or a 6 or a 10k time to go on?

Thank you!! Love this community so much .

[jackarabit]

Emmy, I’d feel more confidant of your chances after you do an all-in 10k @ 2:15-2:16 pace or several continuous distance rows of 60-80’ @ 2:20 average or both. On a positive note, it’s you set the bar and you who must make the jump so best of luck.

[Dangerscouse]

Heya gals! I’m a fairly new rower, just started in April. I’m not a sprinter — while they’re (super) fun, I quite quickly become fearful I’ll get tired, which ruins the fun a bit, and then, inevitably, I do get tired. So, a vicious cycle!

But, in my (admittedly short) rowing career thus far, I’ve discovered that distance rows have my heart. I haven’t done many timed tests but my 6k was around 2:17 & 10k is consistently around 2:20. These are both more than comfortable — not pushing it too hard — paces. I’m doing a half marathon soon and I really (really!) want to hit around 2:20. I realize that it’s a big stretch to take a 10k at 2:20 to a 21+k at 2:20, but again, I’m soooooo into distance — totally happy to sit on an erg for longer than I probably should be either sitting there or happy about it lol. So I’m wondering if I can just approach a half marathon as a cozy 2:22-2:20-2:18 for 4k each, then maintain a no-more-than 2:18 for the remainder of the bulk, then sprint it out at the last 1000k or so and pull this off?? (I would not go above 25s/m until the very end).

I guess my question is — can I actually pull this off? Or do I need to reality check myself? How do you all set goals for longer distance rows, only having a 2 or a 6 or a 10k time to go on?

Thank you!! Love this community so much .

Hi Emmy,

I have done more than my fair share of long distances and I regularly do 10 miles on a Monday morning, so I can speak from a very experienced viewpoint.

The big question is how "comfortable" was 2:20 for 10k and how often have you done this distance? Only once?

It is very easy to convince yourself that it's "only another 11k" but it is a big difference; not as much as a HM and a FM, but I do notice the difference between 10 miles (16,093m) and a HM and this is only 5k.

If I was you, I'd try and do a few sessions building up to 15k or 10 miles just to gauge how it feels. You will notice the difference and the best way to know what you're capable of is doing something similar. Try it at 2:20 pace and see how you feel. Mental strength comes into play as well your fitness when you do a HM, so actually knowing you can do something at least close to the distance is a big boost when it inevitably starts to bite.

My gut feeling is you should target 2:25 if you can't do any longer distances prior to the HM as I suspect you will surprised by how much harder it feels, and you don't want to burn yourself out too early and really struggle near the end; every stroke is horrible when this happens.

Best of luck with it but don't under estimate it.

[jackarabit]

Incidentally, the average for the “bulk” or big chunk (21k) of the HM distance, based on your spitballed pacing, would be closer to 2:19 than to 2:20, Emmy. That’s 42” difference between calculated vs. hoped for result over the 42 500m splits of the HM.

It took me 13 completed .5Ms to improve my best time from 104’ to 99’. 300”overall improvement/13 attempts=23” average improvement per attempt. 42” of slop in the maths would have been the death of me!!

Rounding down the difficulties of imposing challenges is a sure path to disappointment. Preparation before prognostication always

[EmmyE]

Emmy, I’d feel more confidant of your chances after you do an all-in 10k @ 2:15-2:16 pace or several continuous distance rows of 60-80’ @ 2:20 average or both. On a positive note, it’s you set the bar and you who must make the jump so best of luck.

Thank you jackarabit! I will do a 60’ tomorrow and report back. If I don’t maintain a 2:20 I shall hang my head in shame... but then, will try again. My problem is I don’t *really* know what “all in” means, practically speaking — there don’t seem to be great resources online for what one should shoot for, women particularly (hence my post here). My last 500m was 1:56. But again, I hate sprints!

I row 40+k a week since starting. There must be a good guide out there somewhere for reasonable goal-setting but I have not been able to find one! Or at least not for women. Any and all assistance in preparation AND prognostication is much appreciated .

[jackarabit]

For half and full marathon training plans. Eddy Fletcher comes to mind.

There are training goals or performance waypoints in all preparation. Stu and I have hinted at a couple, most obvious being conditioning to continuous distance. (Ex.: The half is a waypoint on the road to the full.)

And for test, time trial, and competition goals, the Concept 2 rankings allow you to compare your event times to results reported by all women or sorted by age group, best intro. here—>

https://www.concept2.com/news/using-onl ... ining-tool

“All in” means giving your all, leaving it all on the erg, getting comfortable with pain and discomfort as the price of admission to more of the same,

[lesliem]

I've been reading your posts here, and I'm excited to join a group of such awesome women!

I'm 44, a college professor, and I currently live in Boise, Idaho, though I'm from Long Beach, California.

I first hopped onto a Concept2 erg a few times as a kid back in the 1980s, as my aunt and uncle had one next door, and they were eager to teach me good technique. (They both were Olympians, so the bar with regard any kind of rowing or athleticism was high, and even though I thought the erg was fun, I wasn't interested in entering that world at any level.)

I didn't have regular access to an ergometer as an adult until very recently, when I acquired one for my home. I love it!

I don't yet have any specific goals, and to be honest I'm not quite sure how to set reasonable ones. I've always been the least athletic and competitive person in my (athletically exceptional and very competitive) immediate and extended family. As a result of comparing myself to my family members, my self-image suffered.

However, in the couple of weeks I've had the erg, my self-image of myself as not fit, or even not able to get fit, has shifted. Looking at the online rankings helps a lot, as it provides me with objective, external data that hey, I'm not as far behind the curve as I think I am!

I love all the cheering on and friendly advice I see in these forums. I look forward to learning from all of you.

[EmmyE]

I've been reading your posts here, and I'm excited to join a group of such awesome women!

I'm 44, a college professor, and I currently live in Boise, Idaho, though I'm from Long Beach, California.

I first hopped onto a Concept2 erg a few times as a kid back in the 1980s, as my aunt and uncle had one next door, and they were eager to teach me good technique. (They both were Olympians, so the bar with regard any kind of rowing or athleticism was high, and even though I thought the erg was fun, I wasn't interested in entering that world at any level.)

I didn't have regular access to an ergometer as an adult until very recently, when I acquired one for my home. I love it!

I don't yet have any specific goals, and to be honest I'm not quite sure how to set reasonable ones. I've always been the least athletic and competitive person in my (athletically exceptional and very competitive) immediate and extended family. As a result of comparing myself to my family members, my self-image suffered.

However, in the couple of weeks I've had the erg, my self-image of myself as not fit, or even not able to get fit, has shifted. Looking at the online rankings helps a lot, as it provides me with objective, external data that hey, I'm not as far behind the curve as I think I am!

I love all the cheering on and friendly advice I see in these forums. I look forward to learning from all of you.

Welcome, Leslie! I love Idahoans AND Californians AND professors AND rowers . You’re in excellent company! Is there anything at all you’re aiming toward (even secretly??), or just looking for some like-minded ladies to support your newfound love of the erg? Either way, I’m (one of many) your gal!

My own introduction to rowing has really changed my perspective on... many things. If you can get through a 500m, or a 6k, or whatever it is, you can get through anything. And I mean, ANYTHING . So glad to have you here!! It will be SO FUN. Buckle up!

[lesliem]

Welcome, Leslie! I love Idahoans AND Californians AND professors AND rowers . You’re in excellent company! Is there anything at all you’re aiming toward (even secretly??), or just looking for some like-minded ladies to support your newfound love of the erg? Either way, I’m (one of many) your gal!

My own introduction to rowing has really changed my perspective on... many things. If you can get through a 500m, or a 6k, or whatever it is, you can get through anything. And I mean, ANYTHING . So glad to have you here!! It will be SO FUN. Buckle up!

Thanks for the warm welcome, EmmyE! Right now, I'm just looking to improve my fitness, and it's so much easier with an erg in the house instead of at the gym 20+ minutes away. Plus I really do enjoy the erg. I did a 6K yesterday and was very happy with my pace, especially since I'm just starting on this journey, but I know there's plenty of room for improvement. I plan to see what my organic rate of improvement is before I set any goals; I like to set moderately ambitious goals, but if they're unintentionally realistic, I tend to give up fairly quickly.

In the short term, I need to play around with the damper setting a bit because the drag factor during my workouts is lower than recommended elsewhere in these forums and on the Concept2 site. I'm seeing a drag factor of 78-84 at a damper setting of 4, which is odd, as The Concept2 site states "A brand new indoor rower will have a drag factor of about 90–100 at a damper setting of 1." If anyone has any explanation for why the drag factor on my new rower is lower than expected, I'm eager to learn more.

[jackarabit]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J-PVMQQ2LTM

Removing the cruft from the perfmetal exhaust band of the rower fan housing after heavy use restores airflow and consequently original range of DF. In the meantime, you can probably achieve a reasonably quotidian df of 110 by shifting the damper lever toward ‘10’.

For departure from spec on new C2, best contact C2 customer service. They are as friendly and responsive as it gets these days and they honor their warranty ime.

[graycyn]

Thought I should say hi! I'm in my 60's and just joined the forum.

I always thought rowing sounded interesting, but none of the gyms I belonged to ever had rowers. Not in California, nor North Dakota, nor here in rural Oregon, at least not at first.

But, my local gym finally snuck one in when I wasn't going to the gym!

I'd been having a lot of knee pain and avoiding exercise and the gym. My doctor sent me to an orthopedist, who sent me to physical therapy. So my PT was setting up exercises for me to do on my own at the gym, and there it was! Opposite the Keiser leg press machine. A Concept 2 Model E.

I was shocked and delighted, and promptly asked my physical therapist if it would be a good non-weight bearing exercise for me. He didn't think so. Neither did my orthopedist when I asked her. But I knew I was going to try it anyway...

I got on YouTube to watch videos so I could learn how. It was a rocky start. My fitness was poor, at 230 pounds, my belly kind of got in the way and I had trouble getting the stroke movements down. Three minutes left me whipped! BUT, my knees didn't hurt doing it!

So I would use it to warm up for my knee exercises and I started thinking I wanted one of my own. But then I fell and broke both wrists, DELAY, ugh! But last April, after completing PT on my wrists, I got my own Model E! And my rowing went better when I could practice more. Further, after a couple months, I was able to remove the knee braces I'd been wearing for a year! Great stuff!

Setback this past summer when I got diagnosed with a boatload of back troubles. Crazy, because I'd hardly ever had back pain before, but apparently a LOT was going wrong under the hood over the years and finally broke out in pinched nerves and leg pain. I can still row, but I'm not supposed to do long sessions. Any little thing can set the pain off, but I'm hanging in there!

Happy to be here! I think my black Model E is beautiful, and I'm so glad I took the plunge!

What with all the bad spine stuff, I don't have any specific erg goals at present, I just want to get regular exercise and hopefully lose some more weight. Taking it day by day!