21000m challenge wiped out by PM5

[Noseve]

Well, that was annoying!

Brand new to rowing, my brand new Model D was delivered 10 days ago and has 78k on it. Out of interest, I signed up for the Solstice Challenge of rowing 21k on June 21st.

After around 15k, my rear was so painful that I reluctantly had to step off the rower to grab a cushion for the seat. I was happy to add the 30 seconds or so to my time, as I have no idea of my own sensible pace targets yet. I resumed rowing and all was fine.

With just 1814m left, I was almost in tears and wondered whether I had been stupid to carry on, thinking that I may have actually injured myself (it turns out that I had probably just exhausted my glutes, as an hour or so after the row I was fine). I had to stroll around to try and loosen up enough to finish. This took no more than a minute. When I sat down I found that the PM5 had gone to sleep. Another stroke brought up the display, showing zeroes everywhere! All my hard work gone! How depressing.

I was not as angry as I may have been, because having to pause previously meant that in my own mind I hadn't met the challenge anyway, but the email telling me about the challenge had clearly stated that the 21k didn't have to be rowed all in one go, as long as the workout was of a distance of exactly 21k. This implies that one could walk away and return, maybe rowing 4x 5250m if desired.

What should I have done?

My logbook shows a row of 19,000-odd metres, but obviously I don't have my name on the challenge board of honour, which would have been nice. As more of a sprint-type athlete (squash, 5-a-side etc) it would have felt like a real achievement.

I seem to remember having seen a timeout setting, but no warning that it brought into play potential workout interference like this.

[Citroen]

1. Upgrade the firmware on your PM5.
2. Upgrade Ergdata on your phone.
3. Put down the lost workout to experience.

Ergdata did it to me in South Africa where it mushed a set of intervals.

[Cyclist2]

If you don't have any external electronics hooked up, the PM records the workouts in its own memory. If you finished the day with more than the 21,000, whether all at once or not, then go to "memory", "list by date", and the workouts you did on that day will be there. You can enter them manually in the C2 logbook and still get credit.

I do all my logbook entries manually. To me, it's about the rowing, not the toys. My PM3 gives me all the performance data I need, and I can hook up a heart rate monitor if I want that data. My pen and paper never fail, and my desktop computer works fine to enter workouts. Peruse the forum and a big percentage of topics are the problems people have with USB sticks, Ergdata, uploading, etc. Keep it simple is my mantra.

[Noseve]

Thanks, Citroen
As it happens, after 12k of staring at my empty phone holder it eventually dawned upon me that I hadn't connected the app - which didn't go down well - so Ergdata was not at fault here. The PM5 is running ver. 166, the latest, so neither would that appear to be a potential solution.
If there's no way round it, it would at least be handy to have definitive confirmation of the time limits involved. Perhaps there's an aggregate throughout the course of a workout?
But you are correct in that I shall just have to take it on the chin (if not the a*se!).

[Noseve]

Thanks, Cyclist2.

I was replying to Citroen as your post came in. You can now see that this is not an Ergdata, or data transfer issue of any kind. It seems that my ignorance of the manual entry facility has cost me in this case. I didn't set foot on the rower again during the Challenge day - 21st June - so don't have an aggregate of 21k. The email mentioning the challenge did make it clear that the workout distance needed to be precisely 21000m, so I understandably thought that was that.

Thanks for the manual entry tip. I assume that this would result in an unverified entry, would it?

My focus is now to discover the algorithm the PM5 employs to decide when to wipe out a workout in progress. I am better informed about seat pads now, so hopefully will not have to interrupt a workout again.

[MPx]

The timeout should be 4 mins during an active piece or 2 mins if just looking at the PM. If you need longer either timeout can be reset by pressing a button on the PM - eg cycle round the options on the units button. If connected to Ergdata it seems to stay active...

[johnlvs2run]

the email telling me about the challenge had clearly stated that the 21k didn't have to be rowed all in one go, as long as the workout was of a distance of exactly 21k.

I believe the criteria was exactly 21k or more. You could have done an additional 2k and met the criteria.

[Carl Watts]

No point ever doing exactly 21,000m, you would always do a HM or Half Marathon and set the monitor up with 21,097m and this is a rankable distance rather than a meaningless distance.

Just add it to experience, these things happen. Once your more familiar with the Erg you will be fine. As you have already discovered a HM is pretty hard first up.

[Cyclist2]

Thanks for the manual entry tip. I assume that this would result in an unverified entry, would it?

The logbook is for your convenience only, so the only verified workouts you really need are the ranking pieces (Nobody at C2 is auditing the entries in their challenges, so I'm sure there are meters entered that weren't rowed, or other bogus entries. Who does that benefit? Only cheating yourself.)

To verify a workout in the PM only, manual entry method, call up the workout in the list, then press the 4th button down on the right twice (the one with blank screen next to it on the readout) and you'll get a 16 digit verification code up in the right hand corner. When you manually enter a ranking piece, a box shows up for this code. Put it in there, and your ranking piece will be verified. (A code shows up for any workout, actually, but I've never used it - the box in the log book entry page doesn't show up when you enter a non-ranking piece).

You'll get this all figured out pretty quickly. Good job on an almost HM right out of the gate. My glutes hurt just thinking about that early effort!

[Noseve]

Thanks everybody - very constructive, with no flaming. Seems like a very civilised forum!

Cyclist2 - that's useful about the verification code. I had assumed that I'd always be using Ergdata (which I understand automatically verifies the workout) and wasn't aware of that procedure.

Carl & Johnlvs2run - yes, you're both correct, I seemingly misread the instructions and thought that it did have to be precisely 21k. As far as rankings are concerned, I'm not bothered about these yet, at least not until I have some idea of my pace. At the moment I'm taking chunks out of my previous attempts, so haven't found my level yet. I use the pace boat at my previous pace for this.

MPx - 4 minutes? Amazing how time flies when you're in excruciating agony! That's very useful info, especially about Ergdata keeping things alive. So it seems that I had placed myself in a fairly precarious state the moment that I started rowing, without Ergdata connected. I forgot it once before on a 5x2k WOD and that was a bit galling, but not like this. I shall have to cram some sort of trigger into the phone holder, as it seems to be a blind spot with me. Usually muscle memory would already have made it part of the setup routine. This will come, I'm sure.

Anyway, first impressions are all-important and I must say that my long-considered decision to go with a Concept2 appears to have been a good one, based upon: my first contact with Customer Support; this forum; finally, of course, the machine itself. Apart from one particular poster on here - who clearly has an axe to grind with C2 - I've yet to read anything negative about the rower. Very pleased all round.

[johnlvs2run]

MPx - 4 minutes? Amazing how time flies when you're in excruciating agony!

My Pm5 appears to always go off in 2 minutes or less. However, you can keep the monitor on with a simple phone charger and a printer A / B cable plugged into the back. Supposedly this also bypasses the battery and helps it to last longer, but I am not sure if that is the case.

[Noseve]

My Pm5 appears to always go off in 2 minutes or less. However, you can keep the monitor on with a simple phone charger and a printer A / B cable plugged into the back. Supposedly this also bypasses the battery and helps it to last longer, but I am not sure if that is the case.

That's definitely worth knowing - thanks.

As it happens, I think that my PM5 is actually powered by the flywheel during workouts, which is a nice touch.

[Dangerscouse]

Anyway, first impressions are all-important and I must say that my long-considered decision to go with a Concept2 appears to have been a good one, based upon: my first contact with Customer Support; this forum; finally, of course, the machine itself. Apart from one particular poster on here - who clearly has an axe to grind with C2 - I've yet to read anything negative about the rower. Very pleased all round.

Good to hear.