TimbukTOO Team Room

[CONLEJM]

Hey Mark, I wish you all the best on your Blackburn Challenge. I bet when you are in the actual race, and are surrounded by your competitors, you'll get some wind in your sails (so to speak) and will finish within the time limits. I hope you also have great weather for it, and it is a memorable experience for you. Don't forget your eye-patch, peg-leg, and flintlock pistols!

I gave blood Friday, and I knew today would be a throw-away day because of it, but I tried for a PB on the 10K, made it about 60% of the way and then fizzled out. Will keep giving it a try until I nail it. Shooting for 36:00, which I know I can do.

[Quatroux]

Well, I've been training for the Blackburn Challenge for a while now. You must complete it in no more than 6 hours. I did a "test" paddle today on the Hudson River. Kingston to Saugerties and back-about 22 mile near as I can figure. Against the tide both ways (falling tide leaving Kingston, rising leaving Saugerties). Did it in 6 hours and 40 minutes. 5 or 6 stops of maybe 2 minutes each. It's going to be close-wish me luck on the 14th.

I'm genuinely excited for you. I can't wait to hear how it goes.

[The Blacksmith]

Thanks Everyone!! Kind thoughts and encouragement help Actually I think I did quite well yesterday. It ended up over 90 and humid-and I'm not sore today. I'm sure part of the problem was lack of hydration and too much heat. I am putting a footbrace in the dory which will make it much more efficient. There is no footbrace now so you get much less power in the stroke-once I can use my legs more, I'm sure it'll pick up my pace.
Thanks again,
Mark

[Izzzmeister]

They say everyone is less than Six Degrees To Kevin Bacon. Yesterday, everyone around here was within one degree of Fried Bacon! Can’t blame anyone for taking yesterday off…
All hands on deck, avoiding the fry-wheel! 5 of 37 members (14%) logged 77,792 total meters Sunday!

Milestones achieved: John S hit 250K!!
Approaching milestones: Fred (-4,816m) & Nancy (-6,881m) aim for 100K!

Posted Meters:
John S - 42,195 Full Marathon!!!
Gary G - 10,447 Trying to make rain…
Yisroel H - 10,000 Very fast row, but playing catch-up…
Fred B - 9,150 Huge!
Nancy W - 6,000 Building to longer rows!

[Izzzmeister]

Thanks Everyone!! Kind thoughts and encouragement help Actually I think I did quite well yesterday. It ended up over 90 and humid-and I'm not sore today. I'm sure part of the problem was lack of hydration and too much heat. I am putting a footbrace in the dory which will make it much more efficient. There is no footbrace now so you get much less power in the stroke-once I can use my legs more, I'm sure it'll pick up my pace.
Thanks again,
Mark

Since rowing is supposed to be 70% legs, 20% upper body & 10% arms, the more you can transfer to your legs, and the more firmly you're lodged in, the faster you'll go, and the less tired you'll be. (Your legs are made for repetitive exercise, your arms much less so.) And yes, the adrenaline, and the pace of others, will get you to the finish line under the time limit. I'd still do a couple more trial runs, tho.
You'll do great on the 14th!

[Izzzmeister]

...I did a "test" paddle today on the Hudson River. Kingston to Saugerties and back-about 22 mile near as I can figure...

We used to vacation around there. We'd stay at the Kingston Holiday Inn, go up to Taconic State Park, go to the waterfalls around there (I think it was called BishBash Falls, by the NY/CT/Mass. border), or west to the Ellenville area. Gorgeous area, we even took a cabin up there one year.
BTW, I think Kingston, NY was actually the capitol of the US for 6 or 8 days while the Founding Fathers were on the run from the British...

[damselfly]

I don't know how many degrees I am from Kevin Bacon, but I know it's enough degrees around here to fry him!! It was 108 in St. George where we stayed on our first night. Cooler here in the Heber/Park City area, but still pretty toasty.

Hey Mark, putting that foot brace in sounds like woodworking -- do you have to contract that out since it's not metal? Just kidding -- I know you're multi-talented!

You will do great!!

[The Blacksmith]

I can do woodwork-the only problem with wood is when I put it on the anvil and forge it, it disintegrates-doesn't do well in the fire either

[CONLEJM]

Does anyone have advice on how to best use the damper in their training? Lately I've been training with the damper set at 7 or 8, and then when I try for a PB I drop it to 5. That seems to work well. However I noticed when I do shorter distances (< 2K meters), it seems beneficial to keep the damper at a higher level. Just wondering how other people train. Thanks!

[Izzzmeister]

Does anyone have advice on how to best use the damper in their training? Lately I've been training with the damper set at 7 or 8, and then when I try for a PB I drop it to 5. That seems to work well. However I noticed when I do shorter distances (< 2K meters), it seems beneficial to keep the damper at a higher level. Just wondering how other people train. Thanks!

Personally, I try to use the advantage of upper body strength, so I train at 7.
I do HMs at 6.5, FMs at 6, 500m at 8, 1K at 7.5.
If I practice "water rowing" - rythmic power pulls followed by longer recovery (e.g., 18 or 20 strokes per minute) - I'll set it to 4.5, which is about 112 drag factor, roughly equivalent to rowing on water.

P.S. I broke 16K in the RNS with 16,063m in the hour race, leading my heat. (Some 35yo did 16,110 in Heat 2.)

[Quatroux]

At any damper setting, though, you can choose to row easy or row hard. Most people initially prefer to use the higher damper settings (7 to 10) for rowing hard because they don’t have to move as fast to generate a lot of power. Moving more slowly gives you more time during the drive to coordinate the stroke. At a low damper setting (1 to 3), you need to coordinate your drive more quickly in order to generate power. Rowing at a high stroke rate is another way of “moving faster to generate higher power,” but there is a trade-off as “wasted energy” becomes a factor, particularly if your goal is to achieve your best time for a set distance.http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library ... Rowing.pdf

Here’s how I train (thanks for asking):
• "feet out" – no straps
• damper setting of 1 (unless I’m on a new erg and I have to remember my target watt range)
• average 20 spm
• nose-only breathing

I've grown into this style after my first million meters. This works for me because I want to focus on balance, form, and controlling my heart rate. I will never be the fastest guy in the gym and my training isn’t going to get me to the CRASH-B’s.

What I can do is "compete" on distance. My goal is to someday row a 100k. It may be the slowest 100k ever, but it will get done. I can hang my hat on this. Until then, I feel great knocking out a 10k, HM, or FM. I see consistent improvement and probably won’t change anything until I plateau. At that point, I’ll likely look for some in-person coaching.

I look forward to reading about a few other training patterns. I’m sure we’re all different, but I hope to be in the lead for the oddest of all.

[The Blacksmith]

Hey Izz-if you're ever around the area-I'm about 10 minutes from the Holiday Inn

[Quatroux]

Hey Izz-if you're ever around the area-I'm about 10 minutes from the Holiday Inn

Do you really want to look behind the curtain and see the real Izz???

[Izzzmeister]

Hey Izz-if you're ever around the area-I'm about 10 minutes from the Holiday Inn

Do you really want to look behind the curtain and see the real Izz???

I switched to the Alfred E Newman pic because he looks like a slightly better looking version of me, sans eyepatch and fencing scar. Mark would recognize me immediately, and start beating me about the head & shoulders with an iron hummingbird.

[Izzzmeister]

To quote the Wicked Witch of the West, “I’m melting! I’m melting!”
All hands on deck, on the hottest rowing team! All hands on deck! 6 of 37 members (16%) logged 83,515 total meters Monday!
Milestones achieved: Jim C yanked 700K!!
Approaching milestones: Kyle pulling for 800K (-29,689m), Yisroel nearing 500K (-15,074m), Adam on the cusp of 450K (-1,000m), Ron working himself to the bone for 150K (-18,619m), Fred (-4,816m) & Nancy (-6,881m) still aim for 100K!


Posted Meters:
Ron M - 22,000 Glad you’re back in commission!
Yisroel H - 18,164 Topped 16K/hr in Race Night Series row!
Jim C - 16,000 Looks vaguely familiar…
Kyle J - 15,000 Continuing to inspire us…
Adam M - 9,000 Nice distance!
John S - 3,351 Gets right back on after his FM!