Weight Loss Success Stories... please share!

[carlb]

I listen to music on my phone while I'm rowing so I've been taking shots of my best times. Sounds like it's worth recording every time too and keeping track.

Keeping a log does motivate. The challenges C2 has are good motivators and work off your log.

Easy way to log is to get a C2 LogCard and take it with you to the gym, slide it in and it records all your works. At home and run the C2 Utility software so a few clicks will update your online log from the card.

C2 sells the cards for $6.50, the card reader $41, software is free. I see this thread says http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7921 other readers will work, the Omnikey CM 3121 is on Amazon for $26.

You might also consider Heart Rate monitoring to know how hard you are working. I like my Sigma Sport PC15 for $60. It records everything. For a PM to record 1 HR/interval to the card you have to have the $25 Polar thing from C2 that plugs into the PM, I wouldn't mess with that. The HR does not end up in online log. If your gym rowers have PM4's they support ANT without any extra fob.

[speedwell]

Great info carlband teddythebeer - thank you. The one at the gym is pretty beat up but I'll get a card and see if I can make it work. Would love to track this stuff online. Will go add my times to the rankings and see if I can make some upward progress.

[teddythebeer]

The one at the gym is pretty beat up but I'll get a card and see if I can make it work.

Just remember - you can always enter meters manually, so you can start log them right now.

[Bob S.]

BTW, which setting for the damper should I be using? Does it make a difference to the time? I only thought about it this morning so I guess I can try different values. All my times were set at level 5 which I was told is most like rowing on water.

Note that the important datum is the drag factor, not the damper setting, although they are related.

Damper Setting & Workout Intensity:

http://www.concept2.com/us/training/bas ... ensity.asp

Understanding Drag Factor:

http://www.concept2.com/us/training/adv ... factor.asp

I know what you mean about rowing like you're escaping a shark I'm usually completely spent at the end of a session - especially 10K. The one I hate most is 500m sprints - I'm so out of breath at the end - I feel like I'm going to die.

I hope that you don't just stop there. It is important to continue with light exercise after a heavy workout to let the body settle back down to normal activity, i.e. an active cool down period, just like is done with horses on the "hot walker" after a race. Warm ups before a good workout are also strongly recommended.

Bob S.

[speedwell]

Thanks for the damper links Bob - I'll investigate.

Good advice too - I do stretch after a session - the bit that hurts most after a 10K workout is my backside. I find it hard to stand and even harder to sit down to clean off the machine afterwards. I find a good stretch there helps immensely. The foam rollers have become popular at my gym and using one on those muscles feels great.

[Bob S.]

Thanks for the damper links Bob - I'll investigate.

Good advice too - I do stretch after a session - the bit that hurts most after a 10K workout is my backside. I find it hard to stand and even harder to sit down to clean off the machine afterwards. I find a good stretch there helps immensely. The foam rollers have become popular at my gym and using one on those muscles feels great.

I have been going by the WU and CD times recommended in the UK C2 Interactive Programme (sic). They use five intensity levels for the training sessions, ranging from light enough to carry on conversations to intense enough that you are past your aerobic limit. The first obviously involves long rows from 30 minutes on up and the last consists of short, very intense intervals, with short rests (either passive or active) in between. The recommended warm up and cool down rows for each level are:

UT2 (Aerobic endurance, 65-75%HRR) 5-8' each.
UT1 (Intense aerobic, 70-80%) 8-10' each.
AT (Threshold, 80-85%) 10-12' each.
TR (Transport, 85-95%) 12-15' each.
AN (Max, 95-100%) 15-20' each.

On another training plan, the Wolverine Plan developed by Mike Caviston, the importance of both warm up and cool down (i.e. as light exercise, not just stretching) is strongly emphasized. I don't remember seeing numbers for that, but the same principles apply, short WUs and CDs for long, easy pieces and long WUs and CDs for the short, intense workouts.

Bob S.

[speedwell]

Great info. Thanks Bob.

[eric]

i was around 208 in september, now it's march and i'm 185 -- happily -- !!

23 lbs. --

-- i row 90 minutes a night, skipping here and there, for 18,200 meters, burning around 1,020 cals. -- it's a lot -- for me -- !!

i pass the time by watching roku --

-- right now, i'm on spartacus, the series -- truly enjoyable!

the only way i ensure i am keeping pace and will reach my goal is to constantly check my cals / meters at 15 mins in, 30, 45, 60 and then every 10 mins. thereafter -- it's a nice mental diversion, too -- !!

[eric]

also, at the end of each rowing session, i take a phot of my erg display and text it to my girlfriend, in texas -- that's a motivator --

-- and then i make it the daily background wallpaper on my cellphone -- silly, but it motivates me all day long -- !!

[gregsmith01748]

Eric, Great work. 23 lbs is a lot to drop. Holy cow, you row a lot of meters!

Do you ever change the format of your workouts? I found that speed work really increased the calorie burn (and my motivation)

[eric]

@greg - i don't change the workouts -- i am just happy to row, when i get the chance -- 90 mins is a big window to make each day -- !!

i change the tv shows i watch -- that seems to keep me stimulated --

also, i have found that rowing earlier in the day is MUCH easier than later at night, trying to get to 1,000 cals. burned as my goal --

[speedwell]

I managed to get down below 41mins (40:52) for my 10K row but I'm having trouble improving on that - I really want to get below 40mins.

What do folk here find best to improve times? Go out fast, get some in the bank and hang on at the end, steady sub 2min/500 or go out slower and then ramp up out of the comfort zone as close to the end as you dare. I've tried the first and last - middle seems like it'd be best but I find it hard to maintain the same pace over a long period.

Do people find breathing hard during the whole of the 10K? After the first few minutes I'm right on the edge of panicking because I feel unable to breathe - manage to push through but it's not pleasant. I was hoping to feel a sense of exhilaration for most of it but that might be overly optimistic Maybe when I lose the last 60lbs I'll feel better..

[gregsmith01748]

@speedwell: at 10K, the row is almost entirely aerobic, so working on your aerobic base is the key to improving your times. That does not necessarily mean that you should just go and row long pieces every day. One idea would be to pick out the 10K pace that you want to achieve, say 40:00, and do shorter intervals that total up to 10K or longer distance.

So, you might try doing 4 x 10' intervals with 2 minutes of rest at a 2:00/500m pace. Do the first 3 at 2:00, and then try to do the last one faster. You could also do 3x15' on 2 or 3' rest the same way. One thing that I have found important is to get some time rowing at the pace you intend to do for the time trial, so you can try out different stroke rates and see how you feel.

As for pacing in the piece, I am a big believer in going out at exactly the pace you want. To be truthful, I always end up going a little faster, but not much. Remember that power required is cubed for increases in speed, so doing a 10K all at 2:00 takes less energy than doing half at 1:55 and the other half at 2:05.

[speedwell]

Great advice Greg - thank you once again. Very interesting note about power cubed too. I'll give the 4x10mins a go and see how it works out.

Cheers.

[Bob S.]

Great advice Greg - thank you once again. Very interesting note about power cubed too. I'll give the 4x10mins a go and see how it works out.

Cheers.

Here is a site that gives the resulting numbers for the (inverse) cubic relationship of watts to pace:

http://concept2.co.uk/training/guide/watts_conversion

Bob S.