6:28 2K

[ranger]

Precisely. Thank you for making my point so well and demonstrating why your claims are entirely bogus.

Not bogus, just historically unprecedented.

The minimal physiological decline with age is .3 seconds per year.

A lwt 6:16 at 60 would be a decline of just over .4 seconds per year from the Open lwt WR, so it would be _very_ close to that limit.

A comparable rate of decline for a 60s hwt over 40 years from the Open hwt WR would come out to be 5:53.

That's 31 seconds under the 60s hwt WR.

ranger

[ranger]

From your blog almost 3 months ago, you obviously meant BIRC 2010?!!

"16K on the erg: warm up and then race pace intervals (1:34).

Goal on these race pace intervals by BIRC: 20 x 500m, 4 x 1K, 1 x 2K ( ).

To stay completely relaxed on these race pace intervals, I seem to prefer 34 spm to 32 spm."

Steve

In the summer, I had planned to go to BIRC 2009, and so near the end of the summer, I was gearing up for some faster rowing.

But as it turns out, I have decided I really can't come up with the money for the overseas travel this year.

So I am puttting off sharpening until December and January, just before the WIRC 2010 qualifiers.

This gives me more time for distance rowing, which should be done before sharpening, anyway.

ranger

[snowleopard]

Precisely. Thank you for making my point so well and demonstrating why your claims are entirely bogus.

Not bogus, just historically unprecedented.

The minimal physiological decline with age is .3 seconds per year.

A lwt 6:16 at 60 would be a decline of just over .4 seconds per year from the Open lwt WR, so it would be _very_ close to that limit.

A comparable rate of decline for a 60s hwt over 40 years from the Open hwt WR would come out to be 5:53.

That's 31 seconds under the 60s hwt WR.

ranger

I don't mean your 6:16 fantasy. Any idiot can put down unrealistic goals. I mean this claim:

This last year, I cobbled through at WR pace for my age and weight, without even training or it.

You did not row a 2K at anywhere near WR pace last year. You are lying.

[ranger]

When I race this winter, I'll use Stephansen's stroke (11.7 SPI)--exactly.

Given my age and therefore more limited aerobic capacity, I'll just hold a lower rate--36 spm rather than 42 spm.

Back in 2003, I also rated 36 spm when I raced, but rowing poorly/ineffectively at 10.5 SPI.

Technically, I am quite a bit better now.

Rocket Roy also rates 36 spm in a 2K--but at 9.5 SPI.

ranger

[ranger]

Yea.

After doing a lot of foundational training, rowing well at low rates, distance rowing is pretty simple.

Like this:

Hold as much of your technique steady as you can, but rate 28-30 spm with a lighter stroke that, despite the high rate, keeps your heart steady under your anaerobic threshold.

I suppose this might be just a personal preference, but I like to lighten up by cutting the slide.

This makes full use of my back and core while reducing the load on my legs.

This keeps catches sharp and timing precise while taking advantage of my biggest physical assets.

With this short slide but explosively full use of my back, this stroke really "swings."

Short, light legs, looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggg strong back.

Swing it!

If you row well, this light stroke at 28-30 spm will be in and around 10 MPS.

At 28 spm, 10 MPS is 1:47.

At 29 spm, 10 MPS is 1:43

At 30 spm, 10 MP is 1:40

These rates and paces are sufficiently fast (or slow) for any sort of distance rowing.

1:47 is an excellent FM pace.

1:40 is an excellent 5K pace.

As you would like, given the distances rowed, these rates and paces keep a light stroking power relative to rowing well at low rates (13 SPI for lightweights, 16 SPI for heavyweights), and with a very controlled spread of effort per stroke (1.5 SPI), as the rate rises (from 28 spm to 30 spm).

10 MPS @ 28 spm is 10.2 SPI.

10 MPS @ 29 spm is 11 SPI.

10 MPS @ 30 spm is 11.7 SPI.

As I perform these strokes, these differences in stroking power are easily negotiated by just adding a few inches of slide for each additional spm.

To go faster, I just add a bit of length with my legs.

For me, this spread of rates and paces for distance rowing is especially nice.

10 MPS @ 30 spm (1:40, 11.7) is WR 2K pace for my age and weight, and is right at my target 2K stroking power (11.7 SPI).

From the upper reaches of this distance rowing (e.g., 5K trials), I just need to shorten the distance to 2K, lift the rate to 36 spm, and hold my stroking power constant at 11.7 SPI, trading rate for pace.

1:34 @ 36 spm is 8.87 MPS.

To avoid low rate rowing, warm ups can also be done at 10 MPS and 25-27 spm, with an even lighter and shorter stroke.

10 MPS @ 25 spm is 2:00 pace.

10 MPS @ 26 spm is 1:55 pace.

10 MPS @ 27 spm is 1:51 pace.

For me, these warm ups approach core, back, and arms only.

I don't have to use much slide at all.

If I make full use of my core, back, and arms I can row 2:00 @ 25 spm without using my legs.

ranger

P.S. At full slide, I use 27 inches of the rail. When I am rowing 10 MPS, 1:47 @ 28 spm, I am at half slide--exactly. I use 13.5 inches of the rail.

[hjs]

Short, light legs, looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggg strong back.

Swing it!

hahahaha 5/6 years training and it all leeds back to your 2003 style, you are such a joke

[hjs]

In the summer, I had planned to go to BIRC 2009, and so near the end of the summer, I was gearing up for some faster rowing.

But as it turns out, I have decided I really can't come up with the money for the overseas travel this year.


ranger

Are they paying so bad over there, I can,t believe that

You simply found out that you got slower again and you don,t want to be the laughing stock of the uk form community at birc.

[hjs]

When I race this winter, I'll use Stephansen's stroke (11.7 SPI)--exactly.



ranger

You will do the same as last year, not 13 spi, not 11.7 spin but around 10

[ranger]

Short, light legs, looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggg strong back.

Swing it!

hahahaha 5/6 years training and it all leeds back to your 2003 style, you are such a joke

Sure, I still use my back and core a lot.

Those who don't gut their stroke in the middle.

But no, my stroke is not at all the same as it used to be in other ways.

I now lead with my legs, delaying my back.

Then, when I race, I go to full slide.

This gets me 30 kgs. more peak pressure than I used to get back in 2003 and frontloads my force contour into a left-leaning haystack.

My recoveries, ratio, posture, slide control, and action at the footplate are also entirely different.

ranger

[ranger]

you don,t want to be the laughing stock of the uk form community at birc.

6:52 or so won both the 55s and 60s lwts at BIRC 2008.

I set the BIRC 55s lwt championship record with a very modest 6:42 back in 2006.

No one has come close to that since.

ranger

[hjs]

Short, light legs, looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggg strong back.

Swing it!

hahahaha 5/6 years training and it all leeds back to your 2003 style, you are such a joke

Sure, I still use my back and core a lot.

Those who don't gut their stroke in the middle.

But no, my stroke is not at all the same as it used to be in other ways.


ranger

true, in 2003 you where quit a bit faster, much more power in those days............

[ranger]

In 2003 you where quit a bit faster

Quite a bit?

No, just a second or so, and not in the same conditions at all.

When I pulled, 6:28 in 2003, I was fully trained, with months and months of both distance rowing and sharpening (although with no quality foundational rowing at all, just with some strapless rowing at 20 spm and 10 SPI, pretty lousy stuff).

From 2003 to 2006, I just did foundational rowing, slowly building up from 10 SPI to 11 SPI to 12 SPI.

In 2006, I pulled 6:29.7 at the Baltimore Burn, pulling 12 SPI, without even training for it, just on the basis of this foundational training, without any distance rowing, much less hard sharpening.

Yea, given the minimal decline with age (.3 seconds a year), now, four years later, I have probably lost a second over 2K from there.

But I have also made some improvements.

In my foundational rowing, from 2006 until earlier this year, I went on to 13 SPI, and even 14 SPI, 15 SPI, and 16 SPI.

So where does that put me now?

Not a bad place, I think.

I get about a dozen seconds each from distance rowing and sharpening.

I am now doing distance rowing and will continue through November and December.

I will sharpen in January and February.

I am no longer doing any foundational training at all.

I have left that behind entirely.

A good name for foundational training might be "learn to row."

So I no longer have any need for it.

I now row well.

ranger

[hjs]

In 2003 you where quit a bit faster

Quite a bit?

No, just a second or so, and not in the same conditions at all.

When I pulled, 6:28 in 2003, I was fully trained, with months and months of both distance rowing and sharpening (although with no quality foundational rowing at all, just with some strapless rowing at 20 spm and 10 SPI, pretty lousy stuff).
14 SPI, 15 SPI, and 16 SPI.

ranger

The "truthmachine" will speak soon

[ranger]

The "truthmachine" will speak soon

About what I did in 2006?

Nope.

Not soon.

Already did.

ranger

[ranger]

in 2003 you where quite a bit faster

The 6:29.7 I pulled in my 2006 race in Baltimore was pretty surprising, given that I didn't even train for it (with distance rowing and hard sharpening).

I was just doing foundational rowing.

To this point, at least, no other 55s erger my size has come within a light year of pulling sub-6:30.

The 55s _heavyweight_ race at WIRC 2006 was won in 6:34.

The 55s lwt WR is 6:38.

Only one 60s erger of _any_ weight has pulled sub-6:30--Paul Hendershott--and he is, what, 6'4, 220 lbs.?

Paul pulled 6:24 when he was 60.

It will be interesting to see what I can do next year at WIRC 2011, when I turn 60.

The 60s lwt WR is 6:42.

ranger