What OTW Training have you done today

[Rocket Roy]

are your hands (blistered) or do you cease to get them after a while?

Now, if only I could limit the effects of lactic acid....

Oh to get to a stage where I actually produce some lactic acid in a boat....

[mikvan52]

Today:
13k (UT workout)
low rate without a monitor => This helps me keep my focus on the rowing rather than artificially holding a pace average.

[Nosmo]

How do I stop going too deep with the blades? Getting on right hand to touch my leftwrist on the recovery seems to help. Any other ideas?

Roy,
A good drill is row with the wide hands. Start by having only the index finger on the rubber grip. The catch will feel completely different. You won't hit the catch as hard and it is easier to feel the water level. You can put the hands even further apart, so all of the hand is on the carbon fiber shaft, but you are much more likely to crab and flip, so only do this if you don't mind going for a swim. (and if you haven't it is a really good idea to intentionally fall in a few times so you know it is not a big deal.)
Macon blades are also useful for getting a feel for where the water is. I bought a set last year and regularly switch back and forth. I've even raced with them. Macons will also help If your problem is not squaring before you place the oar in the water. They don't automatically square in the water which hatchets do. Many crews start the year with Macons and switch to Hatchets when the competition heats up.
Another good drill is to row with blades half out of the water.

[Rocket Roy]

Thanks for the tip Nos, I will try that with the single finger drill.
My boat last night was rigged much better and I could get a proper lean back in as well, whereas in the previous boat last week the handles touched at my chest and I couldn't move the feet back either. Anyway much better last night. But that is a good drill to encompass.

from my blog uk.

Slept badly, I always do if I have to wake early and we had to get up at 5.30 am to catch a flight back from Portugal. Arrived Gatwick at 1pm. By 5 I was on the Lake at Dorney with my friend Dave. Lovely water and no one else on the lake. A full 2 hours going up and down the lake keeping in the centre of the lane too, never touched a single bouy. And the rigging on this 1985 wooden boat seemed to be perfect, not one crab! It had a canvas top and back, and at the end it had shipped about 2 gallons of water....
I found that it was taking me 25 strokes to do 250m, so doing 10mps.---- 200 strokes for the 2k.

Things are looking better.

[Byron Drachman]

Macon blades are also useful for getting a feel for where the water is. I bought a set last year and regularly switch back and forth. I've even raced with them. Macons will also help If your problem is not squaring before you place the oar in the water. They don't automatically square in the water which hatchets do.

Amen. Another nice thing about Macons is that they are easier on the ribs and the back. They don't grab the water as well as the bigger blades, so your instincts take over and the stroke becomes smoother and longer (at least in my mind they do.)

Training today: 13K this morning, and I am fried because I had two younger, stronger scullers closing on me and I didn't want to get run over so I had to work hard.

This afternoon: A double with my masters' mixed 2x partner (young enough be my granddaughter--just old enough to make the master's age group), starting to get ready for our next head race.

[Nosmo]

Another nice thing about Macons is that they are easier on the ribs and the back. They don't grab the water as well as the bigger blades, so your instincts take over and the stroke becomes smoother and longer (at least in my mind they do.)

Wouldn't quite put it that way. It is more like the hatchets tolerate bad technique more so they allow one to hurt ones ribs and back.

I know of a few coaches who don't think hatchets are really slower. They claim the data and race times don't show an increase in speed in the real world. In good conditions they may be, but it doesn't take very many times for the additional area to slap rough water for the hatchets to slow one down. Macons seem to be a bit more popular in the open water community. Makes sense, but I always seem to use the hatchets when I have hard competitive workouts...

[Rocket Roy]

Wouldn't quite put it that way. It is more like the hatchets tolerate bad technique more so they allow one to hurt ones ribs and back.

I think that is how I did my intercostal in my 2nd week OTW, I'm now in my 6th week and it's still not healed.

[Byron Drachman]

A short row, about 5K, this morning. At between 2 and 3K out my partner got a pain in the back, so I rowed us back in the double. One the way out we were doing some drills: rowing with the blade squared on one side and feathering on the other side for a bunch of strokes, then switching sides. I love doing drills, especially ones that concentrate on bladework.

[mikvan52]

Wouldn't quite put it that way. It is more like the hatchets tolerate bad technique more so they allow one to hurt ones ribs and back.

I think that is how I did my intercostal in my 2nd week OTW, I'm now in my 6th week and it's still not healed.

Hate to say it.. but maybe you should take a break... Can you ride your turbo bike instead of rowing?

[Rocket Roy]

Wouldn't quite put it that way. It is more like the hatchets tolerate bad technique more so they allow one to hurt ones ribs and back.

I think that is how I did my intercostal in my 2nd week OTW, I'm now in my 6th week and it's still not healed.

Hate to say it.. but maybe you should take a break... Can you ride your turbo bike instead of rowing?

Break?? I've just had 4 days off!

No, all turbo and race bikes sold. I do have a 2nd hand rowperfect as well as a C2, now if only this old body would stop pulling muscles I'd be fine.

[Rockin Roland]

Wouldn't quite put it that way. It is more like the hatchets tolerate bad technique more so they allow one to hurt ones ribs and back.

I think that is how I did my intercostal in my 2nd week OTW, I'm now in my 6th week and it's still not healed.

If you plan to row through injury then get yourself a set of Croker oars with cut off blades(area of blade is trimmed down to reduce the load). This is done by the Croker factory and these oars are often chosen by lightweight rowers. Easier on the body. Otherwise take a break and stay off the erg (unless its a dynamic erg).

[Rockin Roland]

Yesterday after work I did some interval work in my single. The sun is setting much later now so I can get a full training session in without the need for lights. The water was flat so it was ideal for speed work. I did some pyramids (10 strokes hard, 10 slow, 15 hard, 15 slow, 20 hard etc. etc.)

Recently I had raised my seat by 1cm but my heights by one spacer clip only. Felt good even at speed around 30 or so spm when the boat was up and running. My catches could have been quicker at times but all and all I was pretty happy with the way I moved the boat.

This Saturday we re-commence sweep rowing for the new season. I can't wait. Sculling has it's moments but I'll take a sweep oar any day over two short skinny oars. And in my opinion it's more technical and satisfying to row well in a big fast sweep boat then being on your pat malone in a single.

[Rocket Roy]

Roland, I can't believe that raising and altering your position by such small margins can make a difference that you can feel. I mean obviously I believe you but find it incredible that such small movements affect the stroke. I guess for guy's that are good and the stroke grooved then you would notice it.
I barely notice a different boat from the one I used last time I was OTW.

I now have a rowperfect, 2nd hand but I'm upgrading the black box so it will be an old machine with the latest technology on it. The old black box had a phone jack on it and a 8 point plug on the other end.

The thing I notice is after 20 mins on the rowperfect, getting onto my C2 feels like a Rolls Royce. Because the RP is wobbly with the seat and the chain feels lumpy. But I do like the RP.

[Nosmo]

Roy,
One of the best things for my sculling that happened to me was getting tendinitis in my forearms and elbows. It forced me to take it easy and focus on my stroke. I've heard the same thing from others, so it seems to be common. To really improve technique one seems to need to back way off, and those of us who are competitive can have problems doing that. Just backing off is of course not sufficient, having good coaching really helped.
I've never tried the cut off Crockers, but it makes sense to me. Don't know if they would be better than macons, but they would have a higher resale value if you don't like them. In any case you should probably shorten your outboard.

[mikvan52]

To really improve technique one seems to need to back way off, and those of us who are competitive can have problems doing that.

Couldn't agree more!