Ranger's training thread

[PaulH]

I will be sharpening for the next six months.

Tut tut, ranger, making that mistake again - you'll be sharpening for about another 3 weeks, then maintaining for the following 5 months.

[ranger]

BTW: You still haven't answered: "What pace are you going to go out at ?... Re: Head of the Grand. You said 2:05.

I will just rate 26 spm, give or take (with a low of 24 spm and a high of 28 spm), trying to row as well as I can, and let pace take care of itself, as conditions dictate.

ranger

[ranger]

Unwilling to train and put it all on the line

So.

My non-training and unwillingness to put it all on the line turned out to be six seconds faster than you, even though you are a year and half younger and the OTW National Champion?

Hmm.

No need to belittle yourself.

I have been training hard. No need to claim I haven't.

I have been racing hard. No need to claim I haven't.

To this point, I just haven't been sharpening before I race, because I have been struggling with technique.

No longer.

My problems with technique are fixed, as far as I can tell.

So I am now preparing to race.

ranger

[ranger]

BTW, when I say that I have been trying to improve my technique, I don't mean just how I look, or what I know I should do, etc.

I mean I have been trying to improve my stroking power, given the same effort.

I mean that I have been trying to improve my technical effectiveness and efficiency.

More particularly, I mean I have been trying to learn to row perfectly for a lightweight of any age, with "row perfectly" meaning "pull 13 SPI," easily and naturally at all rates and paces.

Sorry, but OTErg, you don't row well if you pull 9 SPI, even though that's all that 60s lwts to this point have been able to muster.

I am happy to hear what standard training plans have to say about this.

I haven't heard anything yet.

Standard training plans just try to improve your fitness.

For anyone who has WR rows, this is irrelevant.

Your fitness is already maximal.

ranger

[BrianStaff]

Over these years, I did a bit of 1' on, 1(0)' off

[snip]

But that's about it.

Fixed it for you...what's a zero between friends anyway.

Would you say that this aptly describes you real-life daily training? - much different from your fantasy postings we see quite regularly

[ranger]

Over these years, I did a bit of 1' on, 1(0)' off

[snip]

But that's about it.

Fixed it for you...what's a zero between friends anyway.

Would you say that this aptly describes you real-life daily training? - much different from your fantasy postings we see quite regularly

No, my training has been excellent, and is especially good now.

I am now rowing easily and naturally at 13 SPI and low drag (118 df.).

I don't know for sure, but before WIRC, I think I'll get to 20K, perhaps even to a FM, pulling 13 SPI @ 20-22 spm.

My cross-training, both OTBike and OTW, is now excellent, too.

Because of this cross-training, I am now at weight.

So, as far as I can tell, everything is now in place to reach my long-term targets.

The only thing missing is some hard sharpening.

I just need to ramp up my anaerobic capacities to the max.

And race.

ranger

[ranger]

The art, and therefore mystery, that surrounds rowing, both OTErg and OTW, involves technique--how to use the whole body, efficiently and effectively, to generate force, movement, etc.

Standard training plans for rowing are all about fitness.

They have nothing to say about technique.

ranger

[DUThomas]

I don't know for sure, but before WIRC, I think I'll get to 20K, perhaps even to a FM, pulling 13 SPI @ 20-22 spm.
...
So, as far as I can tell, everything is now in place to reach my long-term targets.
The only thing missing is some hard sharpening.
I just need to ramp up my anaerobic capacities to the max.

As I understand you, sparky, the point of your sharpening is to build up your anaerobic capacity, which is a significant component in a 2K. But rowing a 20K or FM is chiefly aerobic, with minimal involvement of your anaerobic energy system. Shouldn't you already be able (or very close to able) to do your 20K or FM at a 1:47-1:50.5 pace @ 20-22 spm?

And you'll post a screenshot, right?

[lancs]

I don't know for sure, but before WIRC, I think I'll get to 20K, perhaps even to a FM, pulling 13 SPI @ 20-22 spm.

I for one will be intrigued to know how you convert your current absolute inability to row this pace and rate for 10k into an ability to row twice the distance in a matter of months. So, please do keep us informed of when this occurs. You could start by letting us know how far you get at that pace and rate at the moment. I'd say around 4k?

[Steve G]

Over these years, I did a bit of 1' on, 1(0)' off

[snip]

But that's about it.

Fixed it for you...what's a zero between friends anyway.

Would you say that this aptly describes you real-life daily training? - much different from your fantasy postings we see quite regularly

No, my training has been excellent, and is especially good now.

I am now rowing easily and naturally at 13 SPI and low drag (118 df.).

I don't know for sure, but before WIRC, I think I'll get to 20K, perhaps even to a FM, pulling 13 SPI @ 20-22 spm.

My cross-training, both OTBike and OTW, is now excellent, too.

Because of this cross-training, I am now at weight.

So, as far as I can tell, everything is now in place to reach my long-term targets.

The only thing missing is some hard sharpening.

I just need to ramp up my anaerobic capacities to the max.

And race.

ranger

Pleased you are at weight, what are you in pounds ?

Steve

[mikvan52]

Over these years, I did a bit of 1' on, 1(0)' off

[snip]

But that's about it.

Fixed it for you...what's a zero between friends anyway.

Would you say that this aptly describes you real-life daily training? - much different from your fantasy postings we see quite regularly

No, my training has been excellent, and is especially good now.

I am now rowing easily and naturally at 13 SPI and low drag (118 df.).

I don't know for sure, but before WIRC, I think I'll get to 20K, perhaps even to a FM, pulling 13 SPI @ 20-22 spm.

My cross-training, both OTBike and OTW, is now excellent, too.

Because of this cross-training, I am now at weight.

So, as far as I can tell, everything is now in place to reach my long-term targets.

The only thing missing is some hard sharpening.

I just need to ramp up my anaerobic capacities to the max.

And race.

ranger

Afternoon in ranger-land are so vapid and pathetic.
What prompts him to repeat this every day? I hope for the sake of those around him that he doesn't speak these things too: endlessly droning on about his excellent cross training that yields....... => not one single result all spring and summer on the erg.

And those "excellent" OTW sessions: (?) WTF does he do out there... Oh yes, he "sees" things from time to time.

Just a few days now until he cancels his Head of the Grand debut... 2:10 average won't look so good as a stat.... evidently , if you plug ranger's "2:05 ?" into a universal translator, that's what comes out ... 2:10... He'll take a powder instead of power... probably will run into something....

If he ever did the 6k of the Black Fly (which he threatened to do at one point), It would be the age-old "double the D add 5" 2:15... 62 year old Jack Meyer would beat him by 30 seconds at the very least.
We'll leave Dietz for later...

[mikvan52]

And ... this just out... There's a new favorite at WIRC: Paul Wenham... will beat ranger... It's been reported that he's loaded for bear...

Here's the scouting report of all 55-59 lwt entries:

Brown, Steve
Hamilton
(no result)

Cureton, Richard
Ann Arbor, Michigan
6:41.4 (race) 2/21/10

Harvey, Martin
Sub 7/ Little Eaton Hornets
(no result)

Lester, Robert
Wallingford
7:21.6 (indoor rower) 11/22/09

Little, Neil
Old Wrecks IRC
7:19.0 (race) 2/21/10

Loeffen, Pete
RowPro Rowers
(no result)

Wenham, Paul
Leeds
6:47.8 (race) 2/21/10


Word has it that ranger will go out in the lead, falter, handle-down, and then crawl in for 2nd... Wenham wins!

[BrianStaff]

And ... this just out... There's a new favorite at WIRC: Paul Wenham... will beat ranger... It's been reported that he's loaded for bear...

Here's the scouting report of all 55-59 lwt entries:

Brown, Steve
Hamilton
(no result)

Cureton, Richard
Ann Arbor, Michigan
6:41.4 (race) 2/21/10

Harvey, Martin
Sub 7/ Little Eaton Hornets
(no result)

Lester, Robert
Wallingford
7:21.6 (indoor rower) 11/22/09

Little, Neil
Old Wrecks IRC
7:19.0 (race) 2/21/10

Loeffen, Pete
RowPro Rowers
(no result)

Wenham, Paul
Leeds
6:47.8 (race) 2/21/10


Word has it that ranger will go out in the lead, falter, handle-down, and then crawl in for 2nd... Wenham wins!

That was Paul's time in 2010

In 2009 his time 6:51.7 - so that means he's getting faster with age.

[ranger]

Given my age (59.7) and stroking power (12.5 SPI), in this first stage of race preparation, if I keep my technique steady over 2K, I am now working with a _very_ narrow range of racing rates: 30-34 spm.

At 12.5 SPI, each stroke per minute increases my pace a second per 500m, give or take.

1:38 @ 30 spm
1:37 @ 31 spm
1:36 @ 32 spm
1:35 @ 33 spm
1:34 @ 34 spm

1:37 @ 31 spm is both my lightweight pb and 10MPS.

ranger

[ranger]

Mike VB--

What pace did you pull at the Head of the Housatonic this last weekend?

I was trying to figure it out, given the short course.

2:06?

The equivalent of about 20:20 at the Head of the Charles?

21:00 for 5K?

And you rated 28 spm?

So, is that what you are going to shoot for this coming weekend?

2:06 @ 28 spm?

Given that you do 1:48 for 5K OTErg, your OTW rowing, then, at least for longer distances, is about 18 seconds per 500m over your erg times?

ranger