Ranger's training thread

[JimR]

Ironically, all of the major training plans for rowing say nothing at all about how to row well at low drag, yet it is just how well you row at low drag that determines how fast you go when you row.

Having read and used the Wolverine Plan I think your statement is false.

I am sure you believe it when you say these things but I can't figure out if you are just clueless or intentionally misinterpret training plans just so you can claim to have figured out a better one ... "the ranger plan".

The bigger issue issue you have with selling "the ranger plan" is that it has never been successfully used by anyone ... including the author.

By hey ... maybe someday!

JimR

[ben990]

ranger,

I propose that we call your rowing "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy, Can't Break 7:00 Anymore [1]".

When is your next race?



[1] At low drag. Bump up the drag, row as a heavyweight, and I predict you will be around 6:50. Maybe.

Ya gotta actually :

1. Show up
2. Pull the handle
3. Try for ~7 minutes
4. Don't blow up

[ginster]

For rowers the same size, if you are just stroking naturally, what determines how fast you go at 26 spm is not your aerobic capacity but how well you row.

ranger

this may be true to some extent for 1-10 strokes, but how fast you go over 2km, is way more dependant on your aerobic capacity, as you are now finding, given that you have neglected yours for so long whilst practising RWBs. Its no good having a big engine, if you can't find the fuel to run it.

Neglected my fitness?

Hardly.

My fitness has been maximal for a decade.

Even though I am 60 years old, I can run my HR at 170 bpm for an hour.

My resting HR is 40 bpm.

Just stroking naturally, all good lightweights, of whatever age, can do 20K at 26 spm.

At 12.7 SPI, that's right around 1750 strokes.

10 x 2K (no rest)

11.5 MPS

Most good lightweights do a 2K at 36 spm, not 26 spm.

20K is done at 2K + 10

How fast you go when you are rating 26 spm doesn't depend on your aerobic capacity.

It depends on how well you row.

If you only pull 9 SPI when you are just stroking naturally, you only go 1:54 @ 26 spm, not 1:42.

To go 1:42, you have to rate 37 spm.

Sure, rating 37 spm is stressful aerobically, a heck of a lot more stressful than 26 spm.

ranger

now I know this might be flogging a dead horse ( or perhaps saving a cowboy). But, if your fitness is maximal, and your work on stroke development is done.. why the heck couldn't you race at the weekend? What else is there?

[JimR]

now I know this might be flogging a dead horse ( or perhaps saving a cowboy). But, if your fitness is maximal, and your work on stroke development is done.. why the heck couldn't you race at the weekend? What else is there?

He isn't "comfortable" with his technique yet ...

JimR

[claus hansen]

Ranger: Actually Eskild is getting faster again (maybe because he's going for his fifth olympics) - results from open danish lw championship last weekend: 504-Herre åben Letvægt 2000m

Plac. Navn (Klub) 7 Danske Studenters Roklub 3, Eskild Ebbesen

500m 1000m 1500m 2000m

1:32.3 (1:32.3 - T40) 3:07.4 (1:35.1 - T36) 4:42.8 (1:35.4 - T36) 6:14.8 (1:32.0 - T42)

[ranger]

Ranger: Actually Eskild is getting faster again (maybe because he's going for his fifth olympics) - results from open danish lw championship last weekend: 504-Herre åben Letvægt 2000m

Plac. Navn (Klub) 7 Danske Studenters Roklub 3, Eskild Ebbesen

500m 1000m 1500m 2000m

1:32.3 (1:32.3 - T40) 3:07.4 (1:35.1 - T36) 4:42.8 (1:35.4 - T36) 6:14.8 (1:32.0 - T42)

Nice to hear.

Thanks for the information.

Good luck to him.

ranger

[ranger]

if your fitness is maximal, and your work on stroke development is done.. why the heck couldn't you race at the weekend?

In my training, I am now getting comfortable at 26 spm, 13 SPI, and low drag (119 df.).

When I am completely comfortably with this rowing, I will be ready for distance trials from 5K-HM, 26-30 spm.

Then, when I am done with distance trials, I need to do some training at higher rates, 32-40 spm: 1' on, 1' off, 500s, 750s, 1Ks, etc.

Then I need to do at-home 2Ks of various sorts: negative splitting, 2 x 2K, 4 x 2K, etc.

Then I will be fully prepared to race.

All of this has nothing to do with fitness or technique.

It is just race preparation.

Everyone prepares to race in pretty much the same way for pretty much the same benefit.

All distance trials are solid 2K predictors, as are sharpening workouts at higher rates (e.g., 8 x 500, 4 x 1K, etc.), and at-home 2Ks (e.g., a negative split 2K, 4 x 2K).

So, really, your fitness and technique determine how fast you can go over 2K.

Race preparation has nothing to do with, as long as you do it.

Race preparation just gets you ready to perform over 2K what your fitness and technique predict.

ranger

[ranger]

Having read and used the Wolverine Plan I think your statement is false.

What is false about it?

Since 2002, when he set the 40s lwt WR, pulling 6:18, Caviston has just gotten slower and slower--precipitously.

Why?

First, he couldn't match his former times.

Then, he couldn't win.

Then, he couldn't even qualify for WIRC.

Why?

ranger

[JimR]

Having read and used the Wolverine Plan I think your statement is false.

What is false about it?

Since 2002, when he set the 40s lwt WR, pulling 6:18, Caviston has just gotten slower and slower--precipitously.

Why?

First, he couldn't match his former times.

Then, he couldn't win.

Then, he couldn't even qualify for WIRC.

Why?

ranger

Which has nothing to do with what you said or my reply ... you are so focused on being argumentative that you can't discuss anything it seems.

JimR

[ginster]

if your fitness is maximal, and your work on stroke development is done.. why the heck couldn't you race at the weekend?

In my training, I am now getting comfortable at 26 spm, 13 SPI, and low drag (119 df.).

When I am completely comfortably with this rowing, I will be ready for distance trials from 5K-HM, 26-30 spm.

Then, when I am done with distance trials, I need to do some training at higher rates, 32-40 spm: 1' on, 1' off, 500s, 750s, 1Ks, etc.

Then I need to do at-home 2Ks of various sorts: negative splitting, 2 x 2K, 4 x 2K, etc.

Then I will be fully prepared to race.

All of this has nothing to do with fitness or technique.

It is just race preparation.

Everyone prepares to race in pretty much the same way for pretty much the same benefit.

All distance trials are solid 2K predictors, as are sharpening workouts at higher rates (e.g., 8 x 500, 4 x 1K, etc.), and at-home 2Ks (e.g., a negative split 2K, 4 x 2K).

ranger

what a load of s***e - what is " getting comfortable with something" in terms of rowing.... you've decided on your stroke, you've grooved it for billions of metres, and your fitness is maximal - there are no more gains to be had. At what point is it going to become clear to you that no amount of bashing 10 strokes and then having a rest is going to get you any closer to pulling a 2k at the levels you think you are capable of.

[ranger]

there are no more gains to be had

True.

I didn't say there were.

There is only race preparation to do now (AT, TR, AN), and I will be fully ready to perform.

My UT work is done.

In my training, 26 spm is now my minimum rate.

ranger

[macroth]

if your fitness is maximal, and your work on stroke development is done.. why the heck couldn't you race at the weekend?

In my training, I am now getting comfortable at 26 spm, 13 SPI, and low drag (119 df.).

When I am completely comfortably with this rowing, I will be ready for distance trials from 5K-HM, 26-30 spm.

Then, when I am done with distance trials, I need to do some training at higher rates, 32-40 spm: 1' on, 1' off, 500s, 750s, 1Ks, etc.

Then I need to do at-home 2Ks of various sorts: negative splitting, 2 x 2K, 4 x 2K, etc.

Then I will be fully prepared to race.

All of this has nothing to do with fitness or technique.

It is just race preparation.

Everyone prepares to race in pretty much the same way for pretty much the same benefit.

All distance trials are solid 2K predictors, as are sharpening workouts at higher rates (e.g., 8 x 500, 4 x 1K, etc.), and at-home 2Ks (e.g., a negative split 2K, 4 x 2K).

So, really, your fitness and technique determine how fast you can go over 2K.

Race preparation has nothing to do with, as long as you do it.

Race preparation just gets you ready to perform over 2K what your fitness and technique predict.

ranger

In other words, you will never race "prepared" again. Because you will never become "comfortable" with your 13spi stroke, which has everything to do with the fact that you're getting old and as such your fitness is lacking.

On the other hand, nobody prepares for racing by doing the entire range of distance trials, then sharpening workouts, then a series of at-home 2Ks. That's just a long list of rows that you won't do, ie a long list of excuses for being 30+ seconds slower than your so-called potential.

All you really need to do are the sharpening workouts, and to actually row a 2K at the half-dozen races you have planned this winter.

Speaking of which, after chickening out in Indy, do you still plan on racing in Mississauga this week-end? How about Cincinnati in two weeks? Those are virtually as far away as Indianapolis, and your last chances to qualify for Boston, as I'm sure you know. What do you need, 6:44? You're just a few weeks of sharpening away from 6:16, 6:44 should be a cakewalk! Somehow, the way things are going, I think you'll be a no-show at WIRC - again.

[ranger]

nobody prepares for racing by doing the entire range of distance trials, then sharpening workouts, then a series of at-home 2Ks

On the contrary, everybody who is anybody prepares that way.

What are the rankings? Records of distance trials.

What is the CTC? Records of trials and sharpening workouts.

For the USIRT, we were asked by Teti, etc., to do _both_ 5K trials (on a regular basis) and an at-home 2K, in addition to negative-splitting 2Ks (e.g., 1K @ 2K + 2, 500m @ 2K + 1, all out to the end).

The Wolverine Plan has its followers doing sharpening workouts every week, both long intervals (2-3K) and short (500s, 1Ks).

Etc.

No one is fully ready to race a 2K who hasn't done all sorts of trials (and maximal workouts) at all sorts of distances and combinations of distances.

ranger

[ranger]

you will never become "comfortable" with your 13spi stroke

On the contrary.

I am comfortable with it now.

ranger

[ranger]

You're just a few weeks of sharpening away from 6:16, 6:44 should be a cakewalk!

Yes.

ranger