26 weeks to the Pittsburgh Indoor Sprints. My goal is 6:40 as a 41 year old lightweight male.
My training will look like this from now until then:
My bread and butter workouts will be as much uninterupted work as possible ranging from 20 to 40 minutes of absolute work per day(5 days per week). I'll do intervals with short rests as needed - as when the heat and humidity are too difficult to handle.
1 week (this week): 228w @ 21 s/m
4 weeks: 234w @ 21 s/m
4 weeks: 240w @ 22 s/m
4 weeks: 246w @ 22 s/m
4 weeks: 252w @ 23 s/m
4 weeks: 258w @ 23 s/m
4 weeks: 264w @ 24 s/m
1 week taper
With 7 weeks to go I'll add in two different types of sprint workouts:
500m sprints @ 350w (1:40/500m pace) &
2:14 sprints @ 350w.
My Monday sprints will be 2:14 sprints and will start at X8 with 2:14 rest and gradually changing over 6 weeks will end @ X3 with :20 rest.
My Wednesday sprints will be 500m sprints and will start @ X9 with 2:00 rest and gradually changing over 6 weeks will end @ X4 with :20 rest.
The taper will involve low volume but lots of speed work with lots of rest between intervals.
Many people have said that people who don't train much (like myself) don't need a taper. I disagree. I train for one day's worth of competition per year, I might as well be well rested for that one day. In addition, I've noticed that all year I walk up stairs like an old man; my legs always have a low level ache in them. One week per year (plus vacation weeks), I walk up stairs with a bounce.
I'm not sure on race day whether I'll race in the Senior Masters Lightweight men's race or in the open Lightweight men's race.
Pittsburgh Indoor Sprints
Pittsburgh Indoor Sprints
Jim SWCSPI Pisano
As a newbie at indoor rowing (1 million meters on 7/16/2006) I am amazed at this 2k training preparation. The following is interesting to me based on my personal experience:
1) You base your workouts on power output. I guess that is the bottom line. This is a great plus for indoor rowers with computer monitors like the PM3.
2) The stoke rate for your workouts starts at 21 and progresses to 24 s/m. I have got to try that. Right now, I feel comfortable doing 2k at 32 s/m. Not to give away race day strategy, but at what stoke rate will to try to compete?
3) You are training for the 2k from the sprint side with multiple shorter intervals. What is the significance of the time 2:14? I would like to try training down to the 2k from longer distances. Do not know if that makes since.
4) What is a taper? Do you have a period of time before the competitive race that you do nothing? I seem to need 2 days off training to do my best times. Although I am not yet committed to competitive training.
Interesting post. Thank for sharing.
1) You base your workouts on power output. I guess that is the bottom line. This is a great plus for indoor rowers with computer monitors like the PM3.
2) The stoke rate for your workouts starts at 21 and progresses to 24 s/m. I have got to try that. Right now, I feel comfortable doing 2k at 32 s/m. Not to give away race day strategy, but at what stoke rate will to try to compete?
3) You are training for the 2k from the sprint side with multiple shorter intervals. What is the significance of the time 2:14? I would like to try training down to the 2k from longer distances. Do not know if that makes since.
4) What is a taper? Do you have a period of time before the competitive race that you do nothing? I seem to need 2 days off training to do my best times. Although I am not yet committed to competitive training.
Interesting post. Thank for sharing.
[M52H PB 2k 6:59.4 8/7/2006, 10k 37:47.5 7/24/2006, 1 million meters 7/16/2006. Concept2 model D, damper setting 5, drag factor 128]
Forgive me for screwing up the quote function but generally I'm qoting Gravaman in this post.
1) You base your workouts on power output. I guess that is the bottom line. This is a great plus for indoor rowers with computer monitors like the PM3.
Gravaman, I like watching watts. If you notice the progression goes up by 6 watts per 4 weeks. As you get higher and higher in the progression, the change becomes proportionately smaller, which seems right because as you're peaking you are reaching more difficult levels in a more gradual manner. If you progressed by an equal change in pace, the power change would not be as gradual
2) The stoke rate for your workouts starts at 21 and progresses to 24 s/m. I have got to try that. Right now, I feel comfortable doing 2k at 32 s/m. Not to give away race day strategy, but at what stoke rate will to try to compete?
I'll be racing at whatever it takes to hit 350w(6:40). If last year's race in Boston is any indication, my natural stroke rate is 32 strokes per minute but as the race progressed, I was pressing for 320w and my stroke rate came up and I ended at 34 spm.
24 is 75% of 32. I think of my training work as 75% of my 2k intensity. So I hope to end my training in February with my stroke rate and my wattage at 75% of my 2k goal stroke rate and wattage.
3) You are training for the 2k from the sprint side with multiple shorter intervals. What is the significance of the time 2:14? I would like to try training down to the 2k from longer distances. Do not know if that makes since.
2:14 is 1/3 of 6:40 which is my 2k goal. Dr. Stephen Seilor suggests doing sprints for 2 minutes or more because - I may not remember correctly - it takes about 2 minutes for myoglobin to lose it's ability to keep intracellular acid/base balance.
I have 500m sprints in there because if I can do that last workout consisting of 4 X 500m with :20 rest, then I gain confidence that I can do the 2k at the required pace - particularly after a taper week.
I think lots of aerobic work is good training for the 2k. But in addition to lots of aerobic work, a good strong stroke is necessary for a good 2k. I think if you combine aerobic work with a good strong stroke, you get a recipe for success.
4) What is a taper? Do you have a period of time before the competitive race that you do nothing? I seem to need 2 days off training to do my best times. Although I am not yet committed to competitive training.
A taper is a training volume reduction to help rest for a race. I have complete rest the day before a race. The taper is an important issue which probably can be discussed among the forumites under a whole 'nother heading. I was alluding to the fact that according to some, my volume of training is not enough to merit a taper.
Interesting post. Thank for sharing
I've read alot over the years at this forum and learned from this forum. So I thought I'd throw a few ideas out there to provoke some thought and maybe help people think about their own training. We all have different strengths and weaknesses and different time constraints. Maybe we can get ideas from each other that might help.
1) You base your workouts on power output. I guess that is the bottom line. This is a great plus for indoor rowers with computer monitors like the PM3.
Gravaman, I like watching watts. If you notice the progression goes up by 6 watts per 4 weeks. As you get higher and higher in the progression, the change becomes proportionately smaller, which seems right because as you're peaking you are reaching more difficult levels in a more gradual manner. If you progressed by an equal change in pace, the power change would not be as gradual
2) The stoke rate for your workouts starts at 21 and progresses to 24 s/m. I have got to try that. Right now, I feel comfortable doing 2k at 32 s/m. Not to give away race day strategy, but at what stoke rate will to try to compete?
I'll be racing at whatever it takes to hit 350w(6:40). If last year's race in Boston is any indication, my natural stroke rate is 32 strokes per minute but as the race progressed, I was pressing for 320w and my stroke rate came up and I ended at 34 spm.
24 is 75% of 32. I think of my training work as 75% of my 2k intensity. So I hope to end my training in February with my stroke rate and my wattage at 75% of my 2k goal stroke rate and wattage.
3) You are training for the 2k from the sprint side with multiple shorter intervals. What is the significance of the time 2:14? I would like to try training down to the 2k from longer distances. Do not know if that makes since.
2:14 is 1/3 of 6:40 which is my 2k goal. Dr. Stephen Seilor suggests doing sprints for 2 minutes or more because - I may not remember correctly - it takes about 2 minutes for myoglobin to lose it's ability to keep intracellular acid/base balance.
I have 500m sprints in there because if I can do that last workout consisting of 4 X 500m with :20 rest, then I gain confidence that I can do the 2k at the required pace - particularly after a taper week.
I think lots of aerobic work is good training for the 2k. But in addition to lots of aerobic work, a good strong stroke is necessary for a good 2k. I think if you combine aerobic work with a good strong stroke, you get a recipe for success.
4) What is a taper? Do you have a period of time before the competitive race that you do nothing? I seem to need 2 days off training to do my best times. Although I am not yet committed to competitive training.
A taper is a training volume reduction to help rest for a race. I have complete rest the day before a race. The taper is an important issue which probably can be discussed among the forumites under a whole 'nother heading. I was alluding to the fact that according to some, my volume of training is not enough to merit a taper.
Interesting post. Thank for sharing
I've read alot over the years at this forum and learned from this forum. So I thought I'd throw a few ideas out there to provoke some thought and maybe help people think about their own training. We all have different strengths and weaknesses and different time constraints. Maybe we can get ideas from each other that might help.
Jim SWCSPI Pisano
Re: Pittsburgh Indoor Sprints
So 13 weeks have gone by and I have not progressed quite as far as I would have liked. I'm 4 weeks behind after only 13 weeks. I blame it primarily on a leg splitting incident which was detailed in other posts. I've been piddling around at the 240w/ 22 s/m level with varying degrees of success.jjpisano wrote:26 weeks to the Pittsburgh Indoor Sprints. My goal is 1 week (this week): 228w @ 21 s/m
4 weeks: 234w @ 21 s/m
4 weeks: 240w @ 22 s/m
4 weeks: 246w @ 22 s/m
4 weeks: 252w @ 23 s/m
4 weeks: 258w @ 23 s/m
4 weeks: 264w @ 24 s/m
1 week taper
But I must progress. Despite struggling with 240w @ 22 s/m, I will slightly bump up the rate to 23 s/m in hope of making the next jump in intensity a little easier.
The last 13 weeks will be changed to:
4 weeks: 246w @ 23 s/m
4 weeks: 252w @ 23 s/m
4 weeks: 258w @ 24 s/m
1 week taper
My final goal is now set for 258w/.75 which equals 344w - probably around a 1:41/500 pace bringing me in around 6:44.
With 7 weeks to go, I'll mix in two different tyes of sprints at 344w. One type of sprint will be 500m sprints and the other type of sprint will be 2:15 sprints - both at 344w.
With one week to go, I'll taper, which theoretically will look like this:
Monday: warmup and 1k (@ 344w, ~3:22) X 3 (with adequate rest between them, like 6:38)
Tuesday: warmup and 500m (@344w, ~1:41) X 4 (with adequate rest between them, like 3:19)
Wednesday: warmup and 250m (@ 344w, ~:51) X 5 (with adequate rest between them, like 1:39)
Thursday: warmup and 250m (@344w, ~:51) X 3 (with adequate rest between them, like 1:39)
Friday: rest
Saturday: race, shoot for 344w
We'll see how it goes.
Jim SWCSPI Pisano
So, it's 7 weeks to Pittsburgh and I've been progressing slowly . I'm OK with doing 246w @ 23 s/m. (Last year my relatively long uninterupted work maxxed out at 240w & @ 23 s/m) I've been doing 246w @ 23 s/m on my Model B, Concept 2 and when I have a chance to use a Model C, I've been doing workouts at 252w & @ 23 s/m. My drag factor on the B is around 104-106, I think I'm on the 13 tooth sprocket and on the Model C, my drag factor is 130.
Now I figure what my sprints will be for the next 6 weeks. I think I'll be able to handle 252w @ 23 s/m OK by the end of the 6 weeks and that means I should be able to train my sprints at 252w/0.75 which is equal to 336w(about a 141.5/500m pace) - not quite my goal for the year which was 350w(a 1:40/500m pace). 336w would bring me in over 2k at around 6:46, not quite my 6:40 goal. Oh well.
So tommorrow I'll do 9 X 500m @ 336w with 2 minutes rest.
Tuesday I'll do relatively long uninterupted work at 246w/252w @ 23 s/m.
Wednesday, I'll do 8 X 2:16 @ 336w with 2:16 rest rest.
Thursday and Friday, I'll do more relatively long uninterupted work.
Maybe an extra non-sprint workout on the weekend if I find the time and then repeat 5 more times.
I'll diminish the numbers of intervals by one each workout while also diminishing the rest times in my sprint workouts so that in the end,
the last Monday of Sprints will be 4 X 500m @ 336w with :20 rest and the last Wednesday of Sprints will be 3 X 2:16 @ 336w with :20 rest.
Then I have a taper week, involving lots of speed work with lots of rest built in to the workouts.
If I can pull off a 336w 2k, I will be extremely satisfied. I believe that would be at the limit of my present abilities. But I'm taking one day at a time. Just getting through each workout. Each workout is a test.
Now I figure what my sprints will be for the next 6 weeks. I think I'll be able to handle 252w @ 23 s/m OK by the end of the 6 weeks and that means I should be able to train my sprints at 252w/0.75 which is equal to 336w(about a 141.5/500m pace) - not quite my goal for the year which was 350w(a 1:40/500m pace). 336w would bring me in over 2k at around 6:46, not quite my 6:40 goal. Oh well.
So tommorrow I'll do 9 X 500m @ 336w with 2 minutes rest.
Tuesday I'll do relatively long uninterupted work at 246w/252w @ 23 s/m.
Wednesday, I'll do 8 X 2:16 @ 336w with 2:16 rest rest.
Thursday and Friday, I'll do more relatively long uninterupted work.
Maybe an extra non-sprint workout on the weekend if I find the time and then repeat 5 more times.
I'll diminish the numbers of intervals by one each workout while also diminishing the rest times in my sprint workouts so that in the end,
the last Monday of Sprints will be 4 X 500m @ 336w with :20 rest and the last Wednesday of Sprints will be 3 X 2:16 @ 336w with :20 rest.
Then I have a taper week, involving lots of speed work with lots of rest built in to the workouts.
If I can pull off a 336w 2k, I will be extremely satisfied. I believe that would be at the limit of my present abilities. But I'm taking one day at a time. Just getting through each workout. Each workout is a test.
Jim SWCSPI Pisano
-
RowtheRockies
- 6k Poster
- Posts: 853
- Joined: March 22nd, 2006, 3:21 pm
- Location: Colorado
Jim,
I was going to pm you since I hadn't seen you around for a while. Your training looks really sound. I am intrigued with your method of reducing the number of intervals and the rest time. I have already set my course for the Mile High Sprints in 6 weeks so can't change midcourse but might give that a try in a training cycle after the sprints.
Wish you best of luck in Pittsburgh and do keep us up to date with your training progress. I am not sure which would be more painful. rowing a straight 2K or rowing 4X500 at 2K pace with 20 seconds rest!!!!! That has got to feel like the fastest 20 seconds ever.
Rich
I was going to pm you since I hadn't seen you around for a while. Your training looks really sound. I am intrigued with your method of reducing the number of intervals and the rest time. I have already set my course for the Mile High Sprints in 6 weeks so can't change midcourse but might give that a try in a training cycle after the sprints.
Wish you best of luck in Pittsburgh and do keep us up to date with your training progress. I am not sure which would be more painful. rowing a straight 2K or rowing 4X500 at 2K pace with 20 seconds rest!!!!! That has got to feel like the fastest 20 seconds ever.
Rich
40 YO 6'1" 180 lbs. Rowing at 7,000 Ft.
SB's
[img]http://www.c2ctc.com/sigs/img1213378765.png[/img]
SB's
[img]http://www.c2ctc.com/sigs/img1213378765.png[/img]
It didn't go as expected. Somewhere around a 6:58.
Before going into details I want to compliment Concept2 and the Three Rivers Rowing Association for a really wonderful event. I really like how the monitors were set. You could keep your eye on your nearest competitor during the race. Racers could tell how far ahead or behind in meters the rowers were. Races were running almost like clock work, though a little bit behind schedule which I didn't mind. It gave me a little bit more time between races. (Yes I raced twice) I met a bunch of people including Nicholas Kip, Jurriaane Gurretsen and Rodger Radke.
In the first race of the day, Nicholis Kip was in the erg right in front of me, I got to witness him finish well before me. I believe he won The Senior Masters Men Race.
Juriaane Gurretsen is a 50ish lightweight who pulled a 6:44.1 at Pittsburgh. I could tell when he was warming up that he knew what he was doing. Perfect smooth stroke with explosive catch. For his race he had his monitor set accidentally for elapsed time and it unsettled him just enough for him to miss his goal by 0.1 second.
Roger Radke was my coxswain for my second race. He greeted me on my erg as he marched to his erg during the first race of the day. After that race, we chatted and he agreed to cox me for the second race. I'm sorry I disappointed him. I couldn't respond to his excellent motivational attempts. He used the word "relentless" alot.
I rowed twice. I rowed in the 40-49 year lightweight men's race and two hours later I rowed in the open lightweight race. The first race took just enough out of me to hinder my second race. I didn't have the zip in the legs.
During the first race, I raced three other lightweight masters men. I was going to save my personal best attempt for the open lightweight event. My strategy for the first race was to stay ahead of the pack and hold on.
The monitor made it easy for me to keep track of where I was with respect to the other rowers. I basically stayed a meter or two ahead of Rick Hughes of Steel City Rowing Club until about 600m to go and then I thought I'd better put some meters between him and me in case he has some monster sprint. So I pushed a little harder and with about 100m to go I was up 30 meters. I did a moderate sprint to end it and I came in around a 7:10.
Around two hours later I was on the erg once again in the open lightweight race with a bunch of college kids. With Rodger as my coxswain I was off and erging, almost immediately I realized that my monitor was set for the wrong units - not to panic my race plan was simple I was going to do my first 500m @ 321w which translates to a 1:43 pace so I told Rodger during the first stroke or two I'll be shooting for a 1:43 pace. My plan then was to go up to a 328w effort (a 1:42 pace) and defend that to the end.
Problem is a 1:43 stroke was not an easy cruising stroke yesterday. It felt like I had to really crank it. Within a short time I realized the zip in my legs just wasn't there. 1:44 and 1:45 strokes were the norm. Despite Roger's best efforts, I was cruising along at around 1:44.7 pace.
I don't know my exact time but it was significantly slower than I was expecting. I believe that first race took just enough out of me to significantly slow me down.
I learned a lesson. I bit off more than I could chew.
So yesterday was a suboptimal performance for me. But I've had some good training rows this year. My training has been consistently at a higher level than last year and yet my 2k was slower. It is disappointing but in the end I'm still in better shape than I would be if I had not even tried.
Which brings me to my final point, what a great machine the Concept2 is. It's incredibly well built and it continually challenges me. I'll just climb back on soon enough and give it another go. After all I wouldn't want to squander all that aerobic capacity that I've developed.
Before going into details I want to compliment Concept2 and the Three Rivers Rowing Association for a really wonderful event. I really like how the monitors were set. You could keep your eye on your nearest competitor during the race. Racers could tell how far ahead or behind in meters the rowers were. Races were running almost like clock work, though a little bit behind schedule which I didn't mind. It gave me a little bit more time between races. (Yes I raced twice) I met a bunch of people including Nicholas Kip, Jurriaane Gurretsen and Rodger Radke.
In the first race of the day, Nicholis Kip was in the erg right in front of me, I got to witness him finish well before me. I believe he won The Senior Masters Men Race.
Juriaane Gurretsen is a 50ish lightweight who pulled a 6:44.1 at Pittsburgh. I could tell when he was warming up that he knew what he was doing. Perfect smooth stroke with explosive catch. For his race he had his monitor set accidentally for elapsed time and it unsettled him just enough for him to miss his goal by 0.1 second.
Roger Radke was my coxswain for my second race. He greeted me on my erg as he marched to his erg during the first race of the day. After that race, we chatted and he agreed to cox me for the second race. I'm sorry I disappointed him. I couldn't respond to his excellent motivational attempts. He used the word "relentless" alot.
I rowed twice. I rowed in the 40-49 year lightweight men's race and two hours later I rowed in the open lightweight race. The first race took just enough out of me to hinder my second race. I didn't have the zip in the legs.
During the first race, I raced three other lightweight masters men. I was going to save my personal best attempt for the open lightweight event. My strategy for the first race was to stay ahead of the pack and hold on.
The monitor made it easy for me to keep track of where I was with respect to the other rowers. I basically stayed a meter or two ahead of Rick Hughes of Steel City Rowing Club until about 600m to go and then I thought I'd better put some meters between him and me in case he has some monster sprint. So I pushed a little harder and with about 100m to go I was up 30 meters. I did a moderate sprint to end it and I came in around a 7:10.
Around two hours later I was on the erg once again in the open lightweight race with a bunch of college kids. With Rodger as my coxswain I was off and erging, almost immediately I realized that my monitor was set for the wrong units - not to panic my race plan was simple I was going to do my first 500m @ 321w which translates to a 1:43 pace so I told Rodger during the first stroke or two I'll be shooting for a 1:43 pace. My plan then was to go up to a 328w effort (a 1:42 pace) and defend that to the end.
Problem is a 1:43 stroke was not an easy cruising stroke yesterday. It felt like I had to really crank it. Within a short time I realized the zip in my legs just wasn't there. 1:44 and 1:45 strokes were the norm. Despite Roger's best efforts, I was cruising along at around 1:44.7 pace.
I don't know my exact time but it was significantly slower than I was expecting. I believe that first race took just enough out of me to significantly slow me down.
I learned a lesson. I bit off more than I could chew.
So yesterday was a suboptimal performance for me. But I've had some good training rows this year. My training has been consistently at a higher level than last year and yet my 2k was slower. It is disappointing but in the end I'm still in better shape than I would be if I had not even tried.
Which brings me to my final point, what a great machine the Concept2 is. It's incredibly well built and it continually challenges me. I'll just climb back on soon enough and give it another go. After all I wouldn't want to squander all that aerobic capacity that I've developed.
Jim SWCSPI Pisano
-
RowtheRockies
- 6k Poster
- Posts: 853
- Joined: March 22nd, 2006, 3:21 pm
- Location: Colorado
Jim,
I'm sorry you're race did not go the way you intended it to but you understand that you are capable of a much faster time so that is good. I totally agree with you that you can't squander all the hard meters you have put in over the last months. Take a few days to recoup from your races and just go for it. Nail your goal time.
Rich
I'm sorry you're race did not go the way you intended it to but you understand that you are capable of a much faster time so that is good. I totally agree with you that you can't squander all the hard meters you have put in over the last months. Take a few days to recoup from your races and just go for it. Nail your goal time.
Rich
40 YO 6'1" 180 lbs. Rowing at 7,000 Ft.
SB's
[img]http://www.c2ctc.com/sigs/img1213378765.png[/img]
SB's
[img]http://www.c2ctc.com/sigs/img1213378765.png[/img]
Sorry for the late response. Pittsburgh was great and I look forward to next year. It was my pleasure to be your coxswain and I find you delivered a great race given that you had won your gold medal in the other race only 90 min. before. I am getting ready for Boston and hope to get to <7:10. That's gonna be tough.
Enjoy life, pull hard, no excuses
52 YO, 6'1", 168lbs
52 YO, 6'1", 168lbs