Ranger's training thread

[mikvan52]

ranger adage: "When in doubt about making a post, include a reference to the time 6:16"
.
.
.
(as if it has any bearing on anything about ranger-rowing)

Example: ranger cannot break 6:40 therefore say "I plan to row 6:16"

[ranger]

ranger note to self: "studiously avoid the importance of form from here until the cows come in"

No, as with everyone, I work on form constantly, both OTW and on the erg.

In fact, it has been my major concern since 2003.

As a result, I am getting better every day, both OTW and on the erg, although I think my improvment on the erg is probably reaching a limit.

Not so OTW.

I suspect that my OTW rowing will continue to improve for another decade.

ranger

[ranger]

Last year, I had a 23 seconds per 500m gap between my OTW times and my erg times at the same rate.

Now that gap is 18 seconds per 500m.

That's a _gigantic_ leap forward.

ranger

[mikvan52]

pretty easy to suspect something when you have no performances of record

[ranger]

pretty easy to suspect something when you have no performances of record

Training is not a performance.

Performances are not training.

My first "performance" on the erg was 6:27.5 when I was 51 years old.

I trained a lot for it, though.

At the time, the 50s lwt WR was 6:31.6.

Nothing "suspect" at all about good training.

Every day, day after day, training is an opportunity to get better.

Hard to say what "performances" are.

Redundancies?

Wastes of time?

Ego-trips?

If you race your training, you sell your future down the river.

ranger

[ranger]

pretty easy to suspect something when you have no performances of record

Yes, suspiciousness is serious character flaw.

Skeptics are fools.

You can probably get over it, though, if you train hard enough.

It's never to late to improve yourself, both personally and otherwise.

ranger

[ausrwr]

Today, Rich, we hit 1:19 @ r42 in our 4+ at Henley. Properly calibrated speedcoach, too.

We did about 18k OTW, paddling at 1:58 pace, R18-19.

Like yours, these are pretty irrelevant numbers. But unlike you, we are showing up on Wednesday and racing.

No excuses, no bullshit. For a change, Rich, try writing some cheques with your mouth that your body CAN cash.

You obviously still have no idea what moves a boat. If you reckon technique isn't in the top two, it's going to be a rude year or so of lying to yourself about your performance and technique.

You're not rowing the best of anyone in the country your age. You're probably not rowing the best in the country of any 90 year old.

Ergs don't float. Sjekowski. Biggest erg in the world for years. Couldn't make a National team of any shape or form.
Dave Simon. Much maligned, perhaps unfairly, but didn't pull his 5:40-low in the boat. I could go on for ages about why you won't succeed on the water.

[ranger]

Mike--

All of your "performances" on the erg, both in races and in training, didn't get you anywhere near a good erg time.

Why not?

ranger

[ranger]

You obviously still have no idea what moves a boat.

Questionable claim, given that I was just out in my Fluid, doing 1:56 @ 31 spm.

No one my age is rowing any better, including Dietz and Spousta, who, between them, have won the Head of the Charles a couple of dozen times.

ranger

[ranger]

Ergs don't float.

Sure, but ergs tell an important story.

For instance, adjusted for weight, Spousta and Mike VB do right about the same on the erg.

And they do right about the same OTW.

Why?

On the other hand, compared to younger rowers, they are both 12-15 seconds per 500m slower, on both the erg and OTW.

Why?

Technique has nothing to do with it.

ranger

[mikvan52]

All this going back and forth about the erg and the boat.
Rich: You are a great erger. You'll have to settle for that alone because there is no evidence of any PERFORMANCE activity on the water even though you claim to have rowed more meters than me there.

Why can't you simply fill in the blanks on any sustained workout?

Meters = (quantity)
Time = (duration
w/o a stop

I've "seen" sub 1:40 pace on my NK... often.. so 2F-what !...It doesn't indicate anything about my ability to win a race.

I do not over-compete. It may seem like that to anyone who doesn't compete against peers.

Let's talk about a 60 year old of note> Jack Meyer.
He finishes in the money all the time and has for a decade. Why not compare erg and OTW scores with him.
That would be "unprecedented" for you
He will continue to kick your ass from here on out at 5k in both disciplines. You studiously ignore discussing his record in your quest to show how uniquely superior you are.

When's your first OTW race going to be, BTW? Which distance will you choose? 1k? 5k? 10k? rwb -K?

Why not post something concrete or are you just using summer to develop an unusable monster-base that you'll never sharpen: that's my estimate of your double-top-secret training regime.

Well, at least "wash-ups" are clean....

[Byron Drachman]

When's your first OTW race going to be, BTW?

http://www.a2crew.com/content.aspx?page ... e_id=48531

That would be a good choice for a first regatta since he knows the course and it is only 1K. But we know that will never happen.

[PaulH]

I have never had any instruction

Liar

[ranger]

Let's talk about a 60 year old of note> Jack Meyer.
He finishes in the money all the time and has for a decade. Why not compare erg scores with him.

Happy to.

What does he pull for 2K on the erg?

I haven't noticed.

At WIRC 2011, I am going to pull a lwt 6:16.

ranger

[ranger]

Let's talk about a 60 year old of note> Jack Meyer.
He finishes in the money all the time and has for a decade. Why not compare erg scores with him.

2:07 pace for 3 miles is great, but I'll now do it at 24 spm.

But when I race the Head of the Charles, I will rate 30 spm.

Meyer's 2:07 pace is _sixteen_ seconds per 500m slower than younger rowers.

That's a _very_ steep decline with age.

4 seconds per 500m per decade.

At WIRC 2011, on the erg, I am going to try to reduce this to _one_ second per 500m per decade.

None of this--either my work on the erg or Meyer's decline with age OTW---has anything to do with technique.

Clearly, physical capacity and training are the two most important elements of boat speed.

Compared to Meyer's 16 seconds per 500m decline with age, technique is irrelevant.

It is only relevant to those like you who have also had steep declines with age.

ranger