Ranger's training thread

[KevJGK]

The bigger problem is that our favourite deranged, delusional, paranoid narcisstic, special one really believes that he can do it.

Sorry - but that's not even close.

His bigger problem is thinking he's clever when in reality he's a complete and utter pratt, and I mean that with all sincerity.

He's actually stealing from his family!

What percentage of their precious later years is he wasting on here?

For that reason alone he should be ashamed of himself.

[Byron Drachman]

No 60s rower has ever done 17K for 60min, so even the first hour of a FM, 1:46 @ 24 spm, would be a 60s hwt WR.

More BS.

You could hardly manage 1:45.6 for seven minutes two point three seconds. There is no way you're capable of doing 17K @ 1:45.8 (at any stroke rate) for sixty minutes.

We'll just have to record that a virtual season's best (don't know if that's a virtual PB, Byron?).

Hi Dougie,

June 28th of this year Ranger pulled a very impressive (virtual) FM@1:44. It was probably after he was (virtually) fully trained and sharpened. All those virtual sharpening sessions really paid off. Here are a few virtual FM's that are among his best. Those naysayers who say you slow down as you get older obviously don't know about our intrepid hero.

April 30, 2008: As I train for a FM, 1:45 @ 22 spm, I will indeed step on those stones-- repeatedly. I thought I was only going to pull a FM @ 1:48. Now that 1:45 has become possible, the intermediate goals don't have to be races.


Feb 11, 2010: That means that within the month, I will row a FM @ 1:45 and 60min at 1:40.

May 15, 2010: A nice summer goal from now until September would be to keep pushing up my pre-dawn meters on the erg until I get to that FM, 1:45 @ 27 spm--just naturally.

Nov 23, 2010: Over a FM, if I can indeed get there, 1:44 @ 24 spm is 10 seconds per 500m better than I could do back in 2002-2003.

Jan 14, 2011: BTW, a FM, 1:45 @ 23 spm (13 SPI), would be two minutes faster than the Open lwt FM WR, which is right around 2:30.

April 2, 2011: The FM trial that I am training for now will be my first race rowing at 95 df. When I get around to it, it looks as though I will try to hold 1:44 @ 27 spm (11.5 SPI) for the 42K.


June 28, 2011: I think I might pull 1:44 @ 24 spm (13 SPI) for a FM.

That 1:57 @ 27 spm would be a nice little number to do at the Head of the Charles!

You're not doing the HOCR. You've still not entered. Get your entry in or in 99 days you'll be sitting on the bank watching.

Yes, it you want to do the HOCR it is helpful to register, or at least try. That reminds me of the God-and-lottery joke:

From http://www.playlotteryonline.co.uk/Jokes.htm

Sam was in dire trouble. His business had gone bust and he was in serious financial trouble. He was so desperate he decided to pray for help. He began, ‘God, please help me. I've lost my business and if I don't get some money, I'm going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the lottery.’ Lottery night came and Sam didn’t win. Again Sam prays, ‘God, please let me win the lottery! I've lost my business, my house and I'm going to lose my car as well.’ Lotto night comes and Sam still has no luck. Once again, he prays, ‘My God, why have you forsaken me? I've lost my business, my house, and my car. My wife and children are starving. I don't often ask you for help and I have always been a good servant to you. PLEASE just let me win the lottery this one time so I can get my life back in order.’ Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light as the heavens open. Sam is confronted by the voice of God Himself: ‘Sam,’ says God, ‘meet Me halfway on this. Buy a bloody ticket.’

[JimR]

Byron ... I love these history lessons!

My FM trials will set my targets, and these trials are coming up soon.

One of the attractions of this thread is that it is so predictable. It is like hearing the same song you have heard hundreds of times. Maybe you don't even like the tune, but it is comforting to know that the world goes along as it is supposed to. Here are a few from the many previous such postings:

Oct 16, 2006: You'll soon see why. FM in 1:48, HM in 1:45--coming up soon, a product of this sort of training.

In the spirit of giving ... here is the signature line from ranger's first post on the UK forum ... Wednesday, June 19th, 2002 ...

ranger M/51/Hwt/5'11"/170 lbs./6:27.5 2K
Rich Cureton M 58 lwt 5''11" 165 lbs. 1K 3:07; 2K 6:28.0; 60 minutes 16690m; M 2:40:15; 100K 6:47:37. Long-term goals: M at 1:48, HM at 1:45, 17.3K hour, 10K 1:42, 30'r20 1:46, 6K 1:40, 5K 1:39, 2K 1:34, 1K 3:00, 500m 1:24, 500m @ 10MPS 1:26 @ 35 spm (15.7 SPI)

So it appears from the very beginning the 1:48 FM has been an elusive beast. More interesting is a line from the same post ...

I am working on my 5K right now. I _think_ I can now do 17:00. We'll see!

I think that next year ... on the 10th anniversary of the 1:48 FM ... C2 should do something to mark the occassion. Who knows ... maybe the FM will actually be attempted?

JimR

[ranger]

Given that a FM is done at 2K + 14, given that the 60s hwt FM WR is 1:54/2:40, and given that Rocket Roy's 2K target is 1:40/6:40, a _very_ nice first task for him as he prepares for WIRC 2012 might be to challenge, if not break, the 60s hwt FM WR.

The 60s hwt FM WR is Roy's distance target, right on the money.

I know Roy is going to race as a lightweight, but he usually doesn't get to weight until just before he races, so this task would not upset his weight-loss routine. He can just row the FM as a heavyweight and still get the reccord with a little push at the end.

UT2 for Roy's target is 1:55 (UT2 is done at 2K + 15), so, pretty much, this record-setting FM would just be a lot of UT2 rowing, in and around his UT2 target.

23 spm might be a nice choice for rate.

10.2 SPI is Roy's target for stroking power, and 1:54 @ 23 spm is right about that.

It is indeed odd, but in rowing, the rower who is best over a FM is also best over 2K.

The FM is a great 2K predictor.

You can read your (potential) 2K right off of the result of a FM trial.

A FM is done at 2K + 14.

Really, a FM just tests your technique, your effectiveness and efficiency when rowing.

The distance imposes a HR limitation.

You can't do a FM at much more than 75% HRR.

So, the question becomes:

How fast are you going when you are just working easily.

How well do you row?

For a biker like Roy, the endurance, patience, and the like, to do such a long row would be no problem.

Of course, the FM is a great 2K predictor because the 2K also tests your effectiveness and efficiency as a rower.

In a 2K, if everyone is well prepared, the rower with the best stroke wins.

ranger

[ranger]

He's actually stealing from his family! What percentage of their precious later years is he wasting on here?

My children--28, 26, and 24 years old--are all grown and have their own lives, out of the house, in other cities and states.

I am on the forum here for a half hour or so at 4 a.m. while I am drinking coffee and waking up, before I erg.

At this time, everyone else here at my cottage here is Door County, WI (my wife, my brother, his wife, etc.) is asleep.

ranger

[ranger]

In the spirit of giving ... here is the signature line from ranger's first post on the UK forum ... Wednesday, June 19th, 2002 ...

ranger M/51/Hwt/5'11"/170 lbs./6:27.5 2K
Rich Cureton M 58 lwt 5''11" 165 lbs. 1K 3:07; 2K 6:28.0; 60 minutes 16690m; M 2:40:15; 100K 6:47:37. Long-term goals: M at 1:48, HM at 1:45, 17.3K hour, 10K 1:42, 30'r20 1:46, 6K 1:40, 5K 1:39, 2K 1:34, 1K 3:00, 500m 1:24, 500m @ 10MPS 1:26 @ 35 spm (15.7 SPI)

So it appears from the very beginning the 1:48 FM has been an elusive beast.
JimR

Naw.

Given that the signature line says that I was 58 when I posted this, the year was 2009.

Sure, I've been working on developing the skills to be able to do a FM @ 1:48 for several years.

I think I've got it now.

We'll see.

ranger

[ranger]

Sun is coming up.

Time to go row.

ranger

[mikvan52]

It is indeed odd, but in rowing, the rower who is best over a FM is also best over 2K.

The FM is a great 2K predictor.

You can read your (potential) 2K right off of the result of a FM trial.

Wrong, wrong, and wrong...
Why do you keep up with repeat posts?

The FM is unnecessary for great 2k performance. This makes is a marginal predictor, not a great one.

[ranger]

Beautiful morning here in Door County, WI.

Clear, 70 degrees F.

Nice 10K OTW in my Fluid over at Europe Lake, just before dawn.

I was the only one there.

Erging later on today.

ranger

[ranger]

The FM is unnecessary for great 2k performance. This makes is a marginal predictor, not a great one.

I didn't say that it was necessary.

And that it is unnecessary doesn't have any bearing on whether it is a great 2K predictor.

If you do it, it is a great predictor, as is your UT2 pace.

If you don't, hey, it's just your loss.

Sure, as in other things, you can prepare for a 2K by cuttin' corners.

But there is no reason to cut corners, if you don't need to.

ranger

[aharmer]

On the previous page Byron documented your claims of being ready for a FM at 1:48 every couple weeks for about 4 years now. Do you have any explanation for why you've been ready to go for four years but have never done it?

[JimR]

In the spirit of giving ... here is the signature line from ranger's first post on the UK forum ... Wednesday, June 19th, 2002 ...

ranger M/51/Hwt/5'11"/170 lbs./6:27.5 2K
Rich Cureton M 58 lwt 5''11" 165 lbs. 1K 3:07; 2K 6:28.0; 60 minutes 16690m; M 2:40:15; 100K 6:47:37. Long-term goals: M at 1:48, HM at 1:45, 17.3K hour, 10K 1:42, 30'r20 1:46, 6K 1:40, 5K 1:39, 2K 1:34, 1K 3:00, 500m 1:24, 500m @ 10MPS 1:26 @ 35 spm (15.7 SPI)

So it appears from the very beginning the 1:48 FM has been an elusive beast.
JimR

Naw.

Given that the signature line says that I was 58 when I posted this, the year was 2009.

No .. the signature line above and in a previous post was the very earliest post you made on the UK forum. When a post is made on the forum (UK and US) it has the date and time it was posted ... so I consider the forum software more accurate that your "remembering".

So the 1:48 FM that first appeared in 2002 and has yet to be attempted by you nine-plus years later certainly doesn't suggest your current claims are likely to happen!

JimR

[NavigationHazard]

The sig file is separate from the stored posts. When you update it, it retroactively applies the new sig to all prior posts.

[ranger]

On the previous page Byron documented your claims of being ready for a FM at 1:48 every couple weeks for about 4 years now. Do you have any explanation for why you've been ready to go for four years but have never done it?

Sure, I could have done a FM at any point over the last few years.

I am in great shape.

I suppose I have just been careful not to be too premature in considering my work on technique complete, and clearly, I have been (repeatedly) right in this.

For me, there is no reason to race at all, at any distance, until my technique is fixed.

Why row badly?

Rowing badly just slows you down.

Been there, done that.

I have only had the drag low for a half year or so.

I have only been getting the catch right for a few months.

I have only been getting finishes right for a month or so.

And so forth.

Similar technical advances stretch back--and back, and back--all the way to 2003.

The overall result has been a 30% increase in my stroking power, a 30% shortening of my drive time, a doubling of my ratios, a 45 kg.F increase in my peak force, etc.

Nice!

ranger

[bellboy]

On the previous page Byron documented your claims of being ready for a FM at 1:48 every couple weeks for about 4 years now. Do you have any explanation for why you've been ready to go for four years but have never done it?

Sure, I could have done a FM at any point over the last few years.

I am in great shape.

I suppose I have just been careful not to be too premature in considering my work on technique complete, and clearly, I have been (repeatedly) right in this.

For me, there is no reason to race at all, at any distance, until my technique is fixed.

Why row badly?

Rowing badly just slows you down.

Been there, done that.

I have only had the drag low for a half year or so.

I have only been getting the catch right for a few months.

I have only been getting finishes right for a month or so.

And so forth.

Similar technical advances stretch back--and back, and back--all the way to 2003.

The overall result has been a 30% increase in my stroking power, a 30% shortening of my drive time, a doubling of my ratios, a 45 kg.F increase in my peak force, etc.

Nice!

ranger

Christ Almighty! You are not splitting the atom you know?!! You are measuring watts on a stationary piece of exercise equipement. Yet despite it all should you ever be brave enough to post a video of your much vaunted technique it wil be ripped to shreds by far more accomplished rowers because what you think you are doing you are invariably doing nothing like it. Praying mantis anyone?