Ranger's training thread

[ranger]

You have just spent a few thousand dollars to tootle around in a new boat?

Sure, equipment is one of the five elements of boat speed.

All ergs are pretty much the same.

Boats aren't.

C2 doesn't give me money to buy a new boat, like they give me money to get to Boston/WIRC.

If they did, sure, I wouldn't spend money on a new boat, either.

I would wait for C2 to buy it for me.

ranger

[ranger]

Others win olympic gold after only a few years

Sure.

But they aren't 60 years old.

I didn't get in a 1x until I was 54 years old.

I have never been on a rowing team.

I have never had a coach.

I have never raced.

Mike VB, Bob Spousta, and Jim Dietz are all rowing coaches with a half century of distinguished accomplishment OTW.

This doesn't bother me, though.

Sure, I will need quite a bit of time to get my technique in order, given my late start.

But technique is only the third most important element of boat speed.

Don't believe anyone who tells you that it's not.

In rowing, physical capacity and training are much more important elements of boat speed than technique.

If you are a broken down old man, you can't go anywhere very fast in a 1x.

Mike, Bob, and Jim better start looking over their shoulders.

I'm comin' after them.

ranger

[ranger]

When I am fully trained up for it in a couple of years, I think I will be able to do 1:57 for 5K OTW.

I would be delighted with that.

That is right around the course record for the Grand Masters (50s) race at the Head of the Charles.

No Veteran (60s) rower has done much better than Dietz's 2:06.

I will be 60 in seven months.

ranger

[ranger]

I would be delighted to see Dietz show up at WIRC 2011 and show us his superior physical capacity by wowing us all on the erg.

Not much chance of that, I think.

For good reason.

If you don't use it, you lose it.

C'est dommage.

ranger

[hjs]

Others win olympic gold after only a few years

Sure.

But they aren't 60 years old.


ranger

Indeed, just like you are not and certainly where not the last 8 years.

[ranger]

how long does it take to learn to row OTW

A lifetime or two, I suspect.

Give it a try.

You'll see why.

Raise the rate to 40 spm and hold it there for 1K, keeping your technique clean and your stroking, smooth and relaxed.

See how you do.

Try it every day.

Stop when you think you have mastered it.

Then check the calender.

That will tell you how long it takes to learn to row OTW.

ranger

Steve--

If you have never done this, you are just shooting your mouth off.

You don't know what you are talking about.

ranger

[ranger]

Indeed, just like you are not

There are no Olympic rowers over 40.

And I suspect that there are no Olympic rowers who didn't start rowing before they were 20.

ranger

[lancs]

Reading Ranger trying to enter into a discussion about VO2 and exercise physiology has been most amusing this morning. Stick to English Prof, you're just making yourself look even more stupid than usual, which is an impressive feat in itself...

[ranger]

Sitting down on an erg and jerking the chain for a great score w/o a competitor beside you is not racing the "old men".

Mike--

Not sure what you are referring to here.

On the erg, Dennis Hastings was a much more formidable competitor than you.

You have never done better than a couple of seconds per 500m off of the WR.

Dennis got within a second or so.

I broke the WR three times, by two seconds, then three seconds, then four, when I didn't even know how to row.

I beat Dennis by five seconds, head to head, at the biggest venue (WIRC), in WR time.

You have never done anything of the sort on the erg.

ranger

[hjs]

Indeed, just like you are not

There are no Olympic rowers over 40.


ranger

ehhhhh are you finally getting some sense

[ranger]

Reading Ranger trying to enter into a discussion about VO2 and exercise physiology has been most amusing this morning. Stick to English Prof, you're just making yourself look even more stupid than usual, which is an impressive feat in itself...

My reference is not to VO2max but to HRR.

What do you think is stupid about HRR?

Could you explain?

Do you think that the Interactive Plan is stupid?

If so, I guess you should be talking to Terry O'Neill.

ranger

[mikvan52]

(snip)

Mike VB, Bob Spousta, and Jim Dietz are all rowing coaches with a half century of distinguished accomplishment OTW.

(snip)

In rowing, physical capacity and training are much more important elements of boat speed than technique.

If you are a broken down old man, you can't go anywhere very fast in a 1x.

Mike, Bob, and Jim better start looking over their shoulders.

I'm comin' after them.

ranger

[/quote]

I'D LIKE TO PUT AN END TO ONE THING:

I am not in the same class as Dietz and Spousta.
I do not have a lengthy past of distinguished rowing as they do.
I came to the sport in youth, had minor success, was on no elite national teams, returned to competition in my 50's. This is nothing like men like Jim!... 20+ victories at the HOCR... DIamond Sculls competitor at Henley... Fabulous coach of a top program (U Mass)... competed and coached on the int'l scene.
Spousta remains a course record holder at the HOCR and a multi-time winner. He has remained a force to be reckoned with for decades and has produced times that I will never be able to match.

I, OTOH, have no HOCR head racing victories. Even if I'm fortunate enough to win some year, it will never measure up to the records of these two men.

It is true that I have beaten these athletes on occasion but to put these wins in proper perspective you have to look at entire competitive records. I am "small beans" there.
They are also a few years my senior which means that their aging decline is more advanced than mine... so even if I do beat them now, it should be factored that I'm an "E" class and they are "F"s

Might I add that the "banter" about them being broken down is inaccurate and irritating.
My hope is that Cureton, in the pursuit of maintaining a "ranger-esque" persona, is merely hyping this line of reasoning to support the flagging status of his racing reputation as he, like all his age, grows older and slower.

~ Mike van Beuren

[mikvan52]

Sitting down on an erg and jerking the chain for a great score w/o a competitor beside you is not racing the "old men".

Mike--

Not sure what you are referring to here.

Read what I wrote then:

Who have you competed against recently?
That's the succinct question?
add to that: No WIRC, No BIRC, No Euro's to your name...
You row at obscure events w/o other ergers of equal CURRENT renown to yourself.



Roy Brook and Dennis Hastings and roadrunner beat you that last time out (was that Amsterdam, if memory serves, 2006 (?))

Read about Roy Brook's facing ranger here:

http://concept2.co.uk/forum/blog.php?u=2491&b=22231

[PaulH]

If you have never done this, you are just shooting your mouth off.

You don't know what you are talking about.

How many OTW events have you taken part in? What's that, 100% less than me? I guess you're just shooting your mouth off then. How honest of you - in this respect it appears you aren't what you've acknowledged you are more generally, i.e. a liar.

[ausrwr]

Indeed, just like you are not

There are no Olympic rowers over 40.

And I suspect that there are no Olympic rowers who didn't start rowing before they were 20.

ranger

As usual, you've got no idea. A quick pick shows you to be wrong.

James Tomkins and Juri Janssen were at the 2008 Olympics at 43 and 41.
As to not starting rowing before 20, Kim Crow, the current AUS 1x, started at 20 and medalled in W8+ after 10 months' rowing. She also went to Beijing. As did Pip Savage, who learned to row in her early 20s.

Be honest, you know absolutely nothing about elite rowing or the people in it.