Hessen Open

From the CRASH-B's to an online challenge, discuss the competitive side of erging here.
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H2O
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Hessen Open

Post by H2O » December 16th, 2018, 2:12 pm

The Hessen Open indoor championships took place today where I was a participant and regrettably also the comic relief. The event was big and very well run, easily two dozen warm up ergs, bike erg on display, roomy and the air only slightly oxygen deficient.

I was in for 1K and two time 350 as part of a four and an eight. Since my back has been slightly irritated lately I reduced the volume considerably in the last week doing all intense stuff on the assault bike (which I now like quite a bit).

In preparation I practiced race starts and found that what works best for me is: one long, one short and from then on
long. I had a race plan (which is now irrelevant given the way the race unfolded) part of which was not to pull off too hard in the beginning since I expected to have more power than usual on account of being well rested.

Sure enough during warmup I did have much more power than usual and the back was fine no problems. Looking at the participants I expected to be the slowest rower in the heat with the competition in my age group coming from a rower who four years ago pulled 3:09 and who was now probably able to pull 3:11. The only way I was going to beat him was if he had a really bad day and I a really good one.

With these thoughts in mind I am sitting at the start and the signal is given. One long, one short -- and I am sitting on the rail having pulled myself off the seat. At this point I was dumbfounded. This has happened to me only once before, years back in training which I dismissed as an odd inexplicable event. For a split second I thought about handling down, but you cannot do that, it is unsportsmanlike.

I had to get back on the seat in which I was not very skillful since untrained and get going again. The race plan was out the window and I remember seeing splits of 1:29 which I haven't seen in decades. Soon later though I saw 1:38s thinking this is too slow but it does not matter anyways. Finally I was through with it but did not even look at the time,
my coach told me it was 3:17.xx, not exactly a professional performance.

Next up a 350. I learned my lesson and did not sit on a towel to lower my center of gravity. It worked,
I remained on the seat. Then another 350. Unwary I pull into it and sit on the rail again but this time 10 strokes in.
And again a second time about 20 strokes in. I was completely speechless but back on the seat much more quickly than before - of course to no avail.

The only good news is: the back is fine and its off to the boat house for endurance training which I have neglected for too long already.

Dangerscouse
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Re: Hessen Open

Post by Dangerscouse » December 16th, 2018, 4:28 pm

Shame about coming off the seat, better luck next year if you're doing it. I did the same thing when I did my ultra distances ending with a sprint and sat on a cut up yoga mat in a pillow case.

It's really quite hard to get yourself back on when you don't want to let go of the handle.
51 HWT; 6' 4"; 1k= 3:09; 2k= 6:36; 5k= 17:19; 6k= 20:47; 10k= 35:46 30mins= 8,488m 60mins= 16,618m HM= 1:16.47; FM= 2:40:41; 50k= 3:16:09; 100k= 7:52:44; 12hrs = 153km

"You reap what you row"

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Ombrax
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Re: Hessen Open

Post by Ombrax » December 18th, 2018, 12:22 am

Once, before I used gloves, the handle slipped out of both hands during my final sprint, and in an instant I was sitting behind the erg, with my legs straddling the rear support. Luckily I was the only on in the gym at the time, so it was not as embarrassing as it might have been...

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