Ranger's training thread

[mikvan52]

Hi Byron!

Maybe instead of doing his rowing homework, ranger is working on his classroom 'chops'..
Perhaps another doozie of a lesson plan on rhythm:

no full use of the slide, no solid leverage at the footplate, no use of the toes, no swing of the back, no compresison at the catch, no internal rhythm to the stroke cycle, and so forth. If you are a 55s lwt, there is only one way to do 14.8 SPI easily. You need to learn how to row. Every stroke ...
by ranger
October 23rd, 2007, 2:10 am
(note: 14.8 has been tempered to 13 in 2010. It will probably be 12 next year)

(other citations)

.the rhythm of the erg
.When I get the rhythm right
.this is all more than a little esoteric if you are not an aficiando of rhythm, but I like to rhythmize rowing
. some sort of pulsing rhythm
. I like to count out a rhythm
. the overall rhythm of my stroke cycle
. Rhythm creates time. So, for me, rhythm is God.
. I am grooving myself into the rhythm of this combination of things.
. I also have really caught on to the rhythm of the Danish Lightweight Rowing Stroke
. my natural rhythm if I am working continuously for extended periods
. my theory of poetry, in all of its dimensions. Descriptively, the theory contains a treatment of poetic rhythm, poetic language, poetic rhetoric, and poetic symbolism, as well as an explicit theory of how they interrelate.
. this is the meter/rhythm of my racing stroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5D07c0dJuQ If I just play "wipe out" in my head
. Go with the flow. Rhythm is at the root of things.
. I'm getting into a nice rhythm of my bike

I like "rhythm is God"
Om!

... all the while listening to "wipe out" in his head
-duder!!

this "in the head" stuff is quite telling...
I doesn't have to be there (like actual race times)... ranger "thinks" and therefore it all exists for him.
ranger and God are on a first name basis by now...
perfection has much to do with this

[PaulH]

I will be sharpening for the next six months to see whether I can make this happen.

It's easy to slip in to old habits, isn't it? You mean you'll be sharpening for the next month or so, and then maintaining. Only a few weeks to go and you'll be able to row sub-6:20!

[ranger]

Only a few weeks to go and you'll be able to row sub-6:20!

Things have really sorted themselves out this morning, as far as sharpening goes.

Nav is right that it is pretty hard to catch the wheel at high rates and low drag.

It is more relaxing for me with the drag about 145 df., rather than 118 df.

This lengthens the drive (from .55 seconds to .62 seconds), ups the pace (about four seconds per 500m at the same rate), the reduces the rate (from 36 spm to 32 spm at race pace)--simultaneously.

At 145 df., I now pull 1:34 @ 32 spm (13 SPI, 10 MPS)--just naturally.

That's perfect rowing--in both stroking power and MPS--for a lightweight of any age.

Ratio is still 3-to-1, but now at 32 spm instead of 36 spm.

.62 seconds for the drive.

1.86 seconds for the recovery.

_Very_ relaxing business.

Given the lower rate (32 spm rather than 36 spm), sharpening becomes a lot simpler, I think.

For the next month or so, the best approach, I think, is to eliminate almost all low rate rowing and do double sessions of race pace work, 1:34 @ 32 spm, in as many variations as I can dream up, followed by a 90min ride on my bike after each session.

If this becomes too much, I can also reduce the OTW rowing that I am doing.

This schedule will confront, head on, my two major devils over the last eight years--sharpening and making weight--by doubling my daily effort on both, while eliminating other distractions.

Then in November, I can up the rate and do AN work like 8 x 500m, 1:30 @ 36 spm (13 SPI).

Well, here goes.

It looks as though, at BIRC 2010, I am going to try to take 200 perfect strokes: 13 SPI, 10 MPS, 32 spm, 1:34.

6:16

If I can pull it off, in all but the formalities (e.g., doing it again at WIRC three months later), I will break six WRs simultaneously--40s lwt, 50s lwt, 55s lwt, 60s lwt, 55s hwt, and 60s hwt.

I hope Sir P is getting ready.

I think he's gonna have to shit some gold bricks.

ranger

[macroth]

So are you going to race at 145 or 118? Just yesterday you said you would never race or do most of your training at high drag.

Another 24-hour revolution in rangerland!

[ranger]

So are you going to race at 145 or 118? Just yesterday you said you would never race or do most of your training at high drag.

Another 24-hour revolution in rangerland!

145 df. is not high drag.

It is entirely normal.

118 df. is low drag.

I will both train and race from now on at 145 df.

ranger

[mrfit]

Let the futzing with drag begin....


Nav was right you are a muppet? or right you have no idea what you are talking about?

[PaulH]

So are you going to race at 145 or 118? Just yesterday you said you would never race or do most of your training at high drag.

Another 24-hour revolution in rangerland!

Actually it was just under 23 hours. Is that a new PB?

[hjs]

So are you going to race at 145 or 118? Just yesterday you said you would never race or do most of your training at high drag.

Another 24-hour revolution in rangerland!

145 df. is not high drag.

It is entirely normal.

118 df. is low drag.

I will both train and race from now on at 145 df.

ranger

hahahahah mister wack it up from 118 to 145............ some sharpening must be yielding not much results. I no time he will ne back at max. hauling that anker

[macroth]

So are you going to race at 145 or 118? Just yesterday you said you would never race or do most of your training at high drag.

Another 24-hour revolution in rangerland!

145 df. is not high drag.

It is entirely normal.

118 df. is low drag.

I will both train and race from now on at 145 df.

ranger

It is certainly higher than what most lightweights use for a 2K, in particular 59.x year olds, and higher than I've raced at at any weight.

Be that as it may, since you've only ever performed well at higher drags, you're probably making the right choice. Comparing yourself to the Danish lightweights was always a mistake.

I see you're also still fiddling around with your sharpening strategy. What happened to "train all the bands like in the WP"? It looks like the best coach in the world is in panic mode.

[ranger]

Let the futzing with drag begin....


Nav was right you are a muppet? or right you have no idea what you are talking about?

Rowing isn't talking.

I am not a quasi-60s lightweight pulling 1:34 @ 32 spm (13 SPI, 10MPS) in a 3-to-1 ratio, normal drag, 1 46df., just naturally.

Nothing more to be said.

That's what I have been preparing myself to do for the last eight years.

200 perfect strokes--and I hit my target for 2K.

6:16

All I need to do is sharpen and make weight.

ranger

[macroth]

I am not a quasi-60s lightweight pulling 1:34 @ 32 spm (13 SPI, 10MPS) in a 3-to-1 ratio, normal drag, 1 46df., just naturally.

Nothing more to be said.

So perfectly Freudian, so perfectly true.

[ranger]

It looks like the best coach in the world is in panic mode.

No, just the opposite.

I now have the stroke I need and so can relax.

All I need to do now is drill on race pace.

1' on, 1' off.

500s.

750s

1Ks

1500m

2K

ranger

[ranger]

t is certainly higher than what most lightweights use for a 2K, in particular 59.x year olds, and higher than I've raced at at any weight.

Yea, but I don't row like a 60s lightweight.

I row like a 30s heavyweight.

145 df. is what Nav uses, etc.

As I remember, Graham Watt used something similar.

So did Rod Freed.

They were 50s lwts when they rowed their great times for 2K and other things.

ranger

[lancs]

It is more relaxing for me with the drag about 145 df., rather than 118 df.

Well that was just about the most predictable change of mind ever!!

I'm assuming that sharpening isn't going too well Prof? Anything to report to us yet?

[macroth]

I don't row like a 60s lightweight.

I row like a 30s heavyweight.

Last year you were 10" slower over 2k than an untalented 30s heavyweight whose only erging for the year was 6 weeks of "sharpening" once or twice a week before WIRC. And you were already predicting 6:28.