TimbukTOO Team Room

[garygOP]

I guess I would ask, what's the impetus for the change? The "X of Y members" is just informational. Perhaps something could be added like "(N members active within the past 30 days)" or something. Do you think it would spur more participation? I doubt it. Even the folks who regularly put in meters don't ever come here to read the boards. And certainly those who aren't rowing aren't checking here either. And if Cap'n's emails haranguing people to row for the various team challenges don't get people off their butts, nothing will!

To your point of clearing out people not active in the last 12 months, there is effectively a "clean out" once yearly in that when the new rowing season starts, the affiliation page only shows members who have put in meters during that season. So, everyone on the current affiliation page has by definition rowed some meters since May 1.

I don't see any reason to change. We are a virtual team. My personal status this year is a testament to remaining on the team, even when laid up. A debilitating disk injury back in December 2012, knocked me all the way to the ground- but I started back , started to build back by adding a minute a week to my rows.
There are all sorts of reasons for people to step out of the virtual boat- and we want for them to be able to get back in, as easily as possible.
That is my take on this. I am old and I go slow- but am getting back to form with a lot of patience.

[damselfly]

A big team welcome shout-out to new member Susan Kalasoski!! Welcome aboard the good ship TimBukTOO, Susan! With the hearty 158K that Susan brings aboard, 13 of 70 members (19%) logged 302,330 total meters Saturday!

Milestones achieved:
Diane steamed past 2.6M and Jim G sailed by 700K!!

Approaching milestones:
Adam is nearing 1.4M (-44,403m), Jerry is closing on 900K (-12,300m), J. K is eyeing 800K (-28,588m), Kevin is sighting 500K (-24,808m), Lisa is about to trip over 450K (-873m), and spouses Kristin and Ken are vying for 150K (-10,920m and -23,830m)

This week's frequent rowers (Sat 10/19 through Fri 10/25):
Diane M & Jerry H - 7
John B - 6
Adam M, Dana H, Gary G, J. K, Jim G, Jim C & Kenny H - 5
Barbara B, Bob L, David W & Greg H - 4

Posted Meters:
Susan K - 158,855 Welcome aboard!!
Diane M - 50,000 Double-duty!
Jerry H - 15,000 Serious meters!
John S - 14,639 And another big row!
Lisa H - 12,114 Now has the "Great Escape" theme embedded in her brain!
Ken C - 10,553 Solid!
Adam M - 9,000 Great!
Kristin C - 8,456 Keep that lead going!
J. K - 7,212 Awesome consistency!
Jim G - 5,883 Biggest row all week!
Glenn Y - 5,000 Back after a short hiatus!
John B - 4,610 Good to see you have a rest day!
Kevin K - 1,008 Nice!

[CONLEJM]

Hi Jim,

... Even the folks who regularly put in meters don't ever come here to read the boards. And certainly those who aren't rowing aren't checking here either. ...

Hi Lisa, I truly respect and appreciate all of the time and effort you & Cap'n put in to maintaining this board and motivating the Team. I may not post every day, but I do read the board a few times a day. Thank you so much for all that you do!

-Jim. (GO RED SOX!!!)

[garygOP]

I agree with everything Jim said except that last bit about the Red Sox!
Kudos to Lisa and Iz.
Gary

[Cyclingman1]

Lisa,

Instead of focusing on all of those who may not read the TimbukTOO forum posts, we should focus on those who do.
I like the daily posts that you do, there is much interesting info. I like to see how the team is doing. I like the stats. One of those stats is the percent rowing on any one day. I just think that non-participants skew that stat. Instead of keeping up with non-participants, perhaps it is better to keep a running tally of active particpants, that is, all of those who have rowed at least one day in either the last month or the current month. I do not think that is a negative on anyone. If one cannot participate for several months, then they are not an active participant. When they return, they will be. It would be interesting to see if anyone else has ideas about stats that could be interesting. I do think that your postings have a motivating impact. Granted one has to be a visitor before any data can have positive effect.

Jim Grattan

[damselfly]

Even the folks who regularly put in meters don't ever come here to read the boards.

HOLY SMOKES. This was a typo. I meant to say "always" instead of "ever". MY BAD. Of course I know that some folks do read the boards regularly!!!

I blame it on the damnable carpal tunnel splints I gotta wear all the time now. It's tough typing, and I was in a hurry to get that one out before I was headed out the door.

My apologies!!

[damselfly]

Jim, I understand your stats focus now... I still want to see what Cap'n says. It's his baby.

I do want to add though that it is very tough to come up with motivating little blurbs to add after everyone's meters when we have no idea what people are training for, how they are doing, and what challenges they might be facing, or even what cross-training they're up to. So the more folks post about about themselves and that stuff, the easier Cap'n's and my job is.

[Izzzmeister]

Even the folks who regularly put in meters don't ever come here to read the boards.

HOLY SMOKES. This was a typo. I meant to say "always" instead of "ever". MY BAD. Of course I know that some folks do read the boards regularly!!!

I blame it on the damnable carpal tunnel splints I gotta wear all the time now. It's tough typing, and I was in a hurry to get that one out before I was headed out the door.

My apologies!!

Until now, I accepted your tag lines from your e-mails, "Typos courtesy of my phone"... Now I find out it's all in the wrists! Either way, as long as they have nothing to do with YOU!

[Cikan Vuz]

I guess I would ask, what's the impetus for the change? The "X of Y members" is just informational. Perhaps something could be added like "(N members active within the past 30 days)" or something. Do you think it would spur more participation? I doubt it. Even the folks who regularly put in meters don't ever come here to read the boards. And certainly those who aren't rowing aren't checking here either. And if Cap'n's emails haranguing people to row for the various team challenges don't get people off their butts, nothing will!

To your point of clearing out people not active in the last 12 months, there is effectively a "clean out" once yearly in that when the new rowing season starts, the affiliation page only shows members who have put in meters during that season. So, everyone on the current affiliation page has by definition rowed some meters since May 1.

I don't see any reason to change. We are a virtual team. My personal status this year is a testament to remaining on the team, even when laid up. A debilitating disk injury back in December 2012, knocked me all the way to the ground- but I started back , started to build back by adding a minute a week to my rows.
There are all sorts of reasons for people to step out of the virtual boat- and we want for them to be able to get back in, as easily as possible.
That is my take on this. I am old and I go slow- but am getting back to form with a lot of patience.

I have to agree with Gary though I do see where "Cyclingman1" is coming from as the amount of members we have affects the overall team standings, member-wise.
But I know that,say I get injured again (powers that be forbid) or had other circumstances that prevented me from rowing and/or posting activity, and could not post or row, I would be saddened to know my team-members did not understand and wanted to boot me... Not everyone publicly announces when or if they cant row and/or why. Things happen, we overcome then as we can, when we can and I would like to think I could trust my teammates to be there for me if I couldn't be around for a bit, however long that "bit" might be... I too questioned the folks who signed on for the FTC, but did not row a meter; I do not understand that at all, but I also came to realize being on a "virtual" team means something different to everyone and they make their own contributions in their own way, when they can.

ok, I fell off my soapbox so shutting up now

[dpw4812]

Just wanted to add my two cents....

I login in pretty much everyday to add my stats. and I check the forum boards, even tho I don't login in everyday to post. I do read the boards.
My goals has always been to get better and stronger to row as much as I can in time allotted in the mornings and on Saturdays. I have a goal of doing 100k in one setting but that won't happen until I get my rower since I know the club won't let me sit on one that long....
I row pretty much everyday except Sundays.
I do a cycling spin class on Mondays and Wednesdays and I do intervals on Tuesdays nights.. I love how the Capt and Lisa keep up the board and all the stats. I enjoy everything they do and have been with This team since I discovered this in 2010... I only leave the team when the Military challenge comes up... "Sorry Just have to help my beloved Marine Corp. At one point I weighed in at a lofty 270 pounds... with a resting heart rate of 70 and you don't want to my blood pressure..
Now my resting heart is 50 and below and my BP is better then it was when I was 25..... I am flex between 200 and 190's .... With out this rowing.. I am not sure where I would be.. I love the solitude of steady pace and the sweat that just drips off when I stop to take a quick drink or as I pick up the pace. My wife Yolanda works to get on when ever she can but she has other favorites areas of workouts.... but she does do the spin class...

Thanks so much Capt and Lisa you guys are Champs... and First class people....


David

[Izzzmeister]

...interesting... not being able to get one’s heart rate up to 137. Being a longtime athlete with thousands of miles on the roads on my feet and on my bike, I’ve not come across that problem... Must be some info missing here.

Sorry, Jim, I started an answer on Friday at work, then got called away from my desk, then had to run to Chicago, so my response will heretofore be known as the Unfinished Masterpiece, never to quite be duplicated again...
Getting serious for a moment (since longer than that is hard on my system), I have no problem hitting 137 as a rule. For example, here are my stats from my Half Marathon (1:21:55.7, 1:56.5/500m) this past Thursday night: Average heart rate: 140. Reached 140HR by the 5K mark, 145 by the 12K mark, 148 going into my final sprint, 158 at finish.
I assume my heart's limit is about 181 (it was 184 three year's ago when I tested it, well ABOVE 220-age), though I can rarely push it above 171 now, needing multiple sprint intervals to do so, that leave me running around my apartment gasping for air, scaring my wife & all the dogs in the neighborhood. I try to finish my endurance work at about 163, essentially 90% of capacity. (I know, it's not 167, 90% of the difference between 181 and 43, my morning heart rate when I'm rested, but I still need to push myself to reach 163.)
I can almost always hit 137 on my bike too, unless our local trail is too full of red lights, people walking their dogs, or fallen tree branches. But, for all practical purposes, I consider any endurance work where my heart maintains 119 or more (181 - 43 = 138 x .55 = 76 + 43 = 119) as being worth my while, as being sufficient to create positive adaptations within my CV system.

What was going on Monday night is that I was doing this endurance work (ARC trainer [roughly equivalent to an elliptical machine], stat. bike) as a prelude to a weight workout. When doing weights, I almost always start with legs/hips (quadriceps or gluteus maximus). So, I want to avoid tiring out my legs or body too much during the endurance work, so that it doesn't negatively affect my workout. Hence, my limiting my aerobic efforts to an hour (45 min. ARC + 15 min. bike), and not being willing to exhaust my legs in an effort to get my heart up to what the machine declared to be ideal (137).
Was I happy with the aerobic aspect? Yes, I was well above 119HR. Would I have preferred my heart rate hover around 140 or 145? Yes, as long as I wouldn't get tired enough from the effort to need to decrease the weights, or to lose proper form on any lifts. So, I didn't add 5 or 10 more minutes to my biking, or up the bike's resistance past moderately difficult, just to reach the magical 137...

[Izzzmeister]

Hello, I have been rowing for a few months now and would like to join a team for motivation and to challenge myself. Your team looks like great fun and if you will have me I would like to join. If so how do I join. Thanks for any advice
Susan

Welcome, Susan! We've been looking to add a Diva for a while! We have a Damsel, a Beagle, a Hummingbird, a Hammer, a Mariner, an Iron Oarsman, an Ultra-Runner, a Mountain Biker, etc., etc. - and Lil Ol' Me... Next we need a shape-shifting alien, but I don't even know where to look for those. I have been scanning the sky, and listening to "Coast To Coast" late at night for guidance, but no luck so far...
Also, I think you're our first Susan, so I don't think we even need to change your name to something you don't recognize!

Welcome again & I hope we can contribute a little to your health, fitness & laughter! And never be afraid to post!

[Cikan Vuz]

Hello, I have been rowing for a few months now and would like to join a team for motivation and to challenge myself. Your team looks like great fun and if you will have me I would like to join. If so how do I join. Thanks for any advice
Susan

Welcome, Susan! We've been looking to add a Diva for a while! We have a Damsel, a Beagle, a Hummingbird, a Hammer, a Mariner, an Iron Oarsman, an Ultra-Runner, a Mountain Biker, etc., etc. - and Lil Ol' Me... Next we need a shape-shifting alien, but I don't even know where to look for those. I have been scanning the sky, and listening to "Coast To Coast" late at night for guidance, but no luck so far...
Also, I think you're our first Susan, so I don't think we even need to change your name to something you don't recognize!

Welcome again & I hope we can contribute a little to your health, fitness & laughter! And never be afraid to post!

I don;t think I wanna know which one of those I am... LOL

[Izzzmeister]

...we need a race report. I rowed myself this weekend in the Head of the Colorado. I'll post a summary if you post a summary.

Come on, bro! Let's get the full report - esp. if you caught a crab with 100 meters to go, so we can all get a good laugh at your expense!
Of course, we don't want to have to go ourselves to http://austinrowing.org/liveresults/day1results.html, look at Race 43.2, and see how you did at the 4,770 meter course, so why won't you just tell us?

[Izzzmeister]

I don't think I wanna know which one of those I am... LOL

I didn't know how to describe you - VW Bugster? Cikan-ing? Iron Woman? So, I left that one up to you...