Rojabo Training

[NavigationHazard]

Bob - in math terms, other things are equal if and only if other things are equal....

As for doing something like rowing a flat out 2k and only a 2k each and every day, a sample size of 1 means roughly squat to the general population. Offhand, I'd say the odds are that some other training regimen would serve most people better. But I doubt that the guy doing it will give up what seems to be working. There's usually a 'virgin in the volcano' aspect to athletes and self-authored training plans: you throw the virgin into the volcano every year to keep it from erupting because you always have and it's 'worked' so far. Then one day the volcano does what it will. Generally the conclusion will be that the sacrificial ritual was performed wrong (she wasn't a virgin!), not that the rite never had anything to do with the outcomes you were getting....

[mikvan52]

Bob - in math terms, other things are equal if and only if other things are equal....

As for doing something like rowing a flat out 2k and only a 2k each and every day, a sample size of 1 means roughly squat to the general population. Offhand, I'd say the odds are that some other training regimen would serve most people better. But I doubt that the guy doing it will give up what seems to be working.

..and it could be "nature" rather than "nurture"...

Maybe the guy would win no matter what... because of aptitude...

[rayg1]

Well I thought I would post an update. After a week of Rojabo Traning and enjoying it very much, I got impatient. It had been since late September since I had a 2K test so I decided to take Navigation Hazard's advice and toss the "2K predictor" stuff out the window and just go for it!

I have a goal of rowing sub 7:00 for the 2K so I set my pace to that, I began to row a steady 1:44/500m pace with the plan of giving it everything I had in the last 200m sprint.

The first 1K went very well and felt amazing, in fact I may have hurt myself by going out too fast as my pace bounced around the 1:42 to 1:43 range in the first 500m.

However, in the second 1K with around 700m to go, I hit a wall, my legs were obviously loosing power and my HR and breathing rate were pretty much maxed out....unfortunatley I fell off the pace to around 1:48.

In the last 300m I managed to hold 1:45 to 1:46 pace and finished my 2K test in 7:06.9

I'm pleased with the results and it a great improvement on my old PB of 7:24. I did do a hard squatting and weightlifting workout on Monday so I may have been able to shave a few more seconds with fresher legs but I doubt the 7:00 mark would have been broken.

Regardless, I'm enjoying the training and enjoying seeing results.

I will continue to train and post updates.

[NavigationHazard]

Cheers -- keep the PBs coming! The more 2ks you do the better you'll get at pacing them. I think you're probably closer to that 7:00 mark than you realize.

[sander]

Looking at your PBs, I would say that your 2K could be a lot faster. Somewhere around 7:11. Then a nice achievable goal could be to go sub 7 for the 2k, then improve your other PBs. Just to make it more interesting.

In the last 300m I managed to hold 1:45 to 1:46 pace and finished my 2K test in 7:06.9

I'm pleased with the results and it a great improvement on my old PB of 7:24. I did do a hard squatting and weightlifting workout on Monday so I may have been able to shave a few more seconds with fresher legs but I doubt the 7:00 mark would have been broken.

Excellent result! Faster than I predicted, and indeed you might break 7:00 really soon. My goal is to do a 2k under 7:00 before the end of the year.

[rayg1]

Looking at your PBs, I would say that your 2K could be a lot faster. Somewhere around 7:11. Then a nice achievable goal could be to go sub 7 for the 2k, then improve your other PBs. Just to make it more interesting.

In the last 300m I managed to hold 1:45 to 1:46 pace and finished my 2K test in 7:06.9

I'm pleased with the results and it a great improvement on my old PB of 7:24. I did do a hard squatting and weightlifting workout on Monday so I may have been able to shave a few more seconds with fresher legs but I doubt the 7:00 mark would have been broken.

Excellent result! Faster than I predicted, and indeed you might break 7:00 really soon. My goal is to do a 2k under 7:00 before the end of the year.

Thanks for the support sander, I see your times are steadily droping as well! You've been putting in some great work!

I too feel that I could break 7:00 sometime soon but I feel that I will continue to train until around Feb or March before I try again. Unfortunatley, I won't be able to row in January for a bout three weeks due to some activities and trips with my work.
I'm kinda bummed about that but still have the goal of sub 7:00.

Good luck in your quest as well.

[rayg1]

Nav and Sander,

What is the general exertion level supposed to be for Rojabo? My impression was that it was supposed to be fairly intense. Of course I understand somedays will be easier than others but here was a workout Rojabo had me do the other day:

Min. Work/Rest: 8/3+ 4/2 +3/2 + 2

SPM: 20 22 24 26

Target watts: 195 215 235 254

I don't want to sound cocky.... but I couldn't help but to find this workout easy. I was winded on the last interval but just barely and I recovered after nearly 10 seconds of stopping. Should I take the tests again or just continue with the program and hope that Rojabo gave me a break today?

I am only a novice afterall.

[NavigationHazard]

In general you need to look at the workouts in context, i.e. what comes before and after them. They're also going to be periodicized, meaning that their intensity is supposed to rise/fall in patterns determined by your goals, your training availability, and your Rojabo index (basically a reflection of how much of a workload you're able to handle based on your profile and tests). If you get to the point where you have several workouts in a row that seem easy, and especially if the workouts are a variety of types (e.g. B and C) while still seeming easy, it's probably time to do a new set of tests. The program will prompt you to do them every month anyway. But when improvements are coming rapidly this may not be quick enough for maximum return on your workout time....

Mind you, finding the workouts relatively easy is a good situation to be in. It means you're getting better faster than the program thinks you 'should.'

[sander]

Hi

For me, it varies. On Monday I had a 2x12min/3, 20spm. It seemed extremely easy to me. First, I don't get the advantage of 2x12min/3 vs 1x24min.

However, the rest of the week looks pretty tough (at least for me):
Wednesday: 20 min 26spm 1:50 (466p) which would mean I would shatter my PB. Looking at my PBs, I would say I could do a 6km at 1:53-1:54 pace, not faster. I will find out on Monday when I will do a 6km test. Unfortunately, I couldn't do the training yesterday because I was traveling. I am thinking of trying it today (at a slower pace), but for tomorrow, the program tells me to do the following: 8min/3 + 6min/3 + 5min/2 + 5min spm: 20/22/24/26 (438p).On Sunday, it will be 8min/3 + 5min/3 + 5min spm: 26/28/30 (513p).

So, sometimes the trainings are easy and sometimes quite heavy. It also depends on other factors such as health, quality of sleep, work stress, food quality, etc.

Once in a while there is a training that I know beforehand I will not be able to do. However, I have the feeling that at least trying and failing helps me. Usually, the rates go up during the interval and at some point I cannot hold the target pace. I have the feeling that the struggle helps me improve.

[rayg1]

Hi

For me, it varies. On Monday I had a 2x12min/3, 20spm. It seemed extremely easy to me. First, I don't get the advantage of 2x12min/3 vs 1x24min.

Exactly. I had this same workout yesterday and although I sweat alot, my heart rate and breathing were no where near their max. I come from a running background where long and slow distance is encouraged to put in raw distance to build a base of endurance strength for hard interval workouts and for when you race. I can only think that this must be an equal concept in rowing.

In other words, you can not, and should not kill yourself every single workout. I can buy into that notion.

Regardless I am absolutely loving my rowing training, had I known about rowing/crew when I was younger and still in school I would have done this instead of run - the sport fits my 6'0" 194 lbs frame SO MUCH BETTER!!!

I only wish I had enough money to purchase a shell and start OTW. Perhaps I should join a boathouse or a club and learn there first but I am completely hooked on rowing!

Cheers Sander! Good luck with your sub 7:00 2k goal, you and I have the same goal and I feel we are both making great progress towards it.

[sander]

Regardless I am absolutely loving my rowing training, had I known about rowing/crew when I was younger and still in school I would have done this instead of run - the sport fits my 6'0" 194 lbs frame SO MUCH BETTER!!!

I only wish I had enough money to purchase a shell and start OTW. Perhaps I should join a boathouse or a club and learn there first but I am completely hooked on rowing!

Cheers Sander! Good luck with your sub 7:00 2k goal, you and I have the same goal and I feel we are both making great progress towards it.

If it is possible in your area, I would definitely recommend joining a boathouse or a club before you invest in your own shell. You get good rowing friends to give you advice, you get to row in a team, try out different boat types, and take part in the social events. Also, there's a safety aspect. When you row from a club or boathouse, there is always someone who knows that you're out on the water. Further, it gives you time to find out the different types and makes of equipment. You will be able to make a better purchase. You might even get the opportunity to buy a good shell second hand. Finally, if it turns out that on the water rowing is not what you expected, your investment is relatively low.

I started on the water when I was 12. Rowed at various clubs in various cities and countries. I now own a single and co-own a 2x/2- . It's fantastic to row in your own perfectly rigged shell, but I couldn't do without the trainings in the 8+, 4+, and if I could find the crew, I would love to start a 2km race in the 4x- again.

[dchurbuck]

Has anyone attempted to follow a Rojabo program on slides? I just invested in a set to spare my lower back the inevitable over-use injuries that plague me every winter but can't, no matter how much I concentrate -- get the stroke rate down low enough to maintain my target wattage. I understand slides encourage a higher stroke rate, but wonder if I should just do whatever I can to get close to the targets and call it a day, or re-test my power/endurance to get an adjusted set of numbers.

Eventually I'll need to go back to standard erging as the Crash-B's draw near, but for now the slides are a god-send for my aged lumbar/sacrum.

[sander]

Has anyone attempted to follow a Rojabo program on slides? I just invested in a set to spare my lower back the inevitable over-use injuries that plague me every winter but can't, no matter how much I concentrate -- get the stroke rate down low enough to maintain my target wattage. I understand slides encourage a higher stroke rate, but wonder if I should just do whatever I can to get close to the targets and call it a day, or re-test my power/endurance to get an adjusted set of numbers.

I would suggest a recalibration.

[rayg1]

All,

What are your total meters averaging out for Rojabo workouts? Mine are somewhere between 5-7K (not including warm-up and cool down). At times with "A" and "B" class workouts this dips even lower to 2K-3K.

My question is, is this enough meters to establish a good base of endurance/fitness? I can remember interval workouts when I ran track of 400m repeats that added up between 5-8 miles of running with limited rest (200m recovery walk). I know running doesn't directly correlate with rowing but it seems to me that I should be putting in more distance?

Do you guys have any thoughts on this? Perhaps if I increased my workouts to twice a day Rojabo would add on more distance?

Thanks for your input.

[sander]

My rojabo trainings amount to about 10km in a little more than 40 minutes, including 10 minute warming up and 10 minute cooling down.

When I followed the Pete plan my average training was about 13km.

I just re-tested and now my trainings look like they will take an hour or so.

My rojabo meters now show 367 points, 6:42 actual max, 6:28 potential max. My stroke has become stronger at the higher rates and I managed to row the endurance test up to 28spm with 1:40 left. I would believe my actual max to be 6:5x but not 6:42.

On Saturday, I did a 6k test, which was originally scheduled for today but I did it on Saturday to accomodate for the endurance test today. I finished in 22:44. Looking at my current personal best times (1k, 15min, 6k), everything points to a 2k around 7 minutes, plus or minus 5 seconds.

What does rojabo mean with actual max. Is it what I could do today, if I were a bit tougher?

Does someone else see these big swings from month to month in the endurance test results? Out of three tests, the outlier seems to be the past month where I didn't manage to finish 26spm. The difference is that I did that one in the morning and the two others in the evening.