Hello all

[Cody Harding]

Hi all, just wanted to introduce myself and ask a few questions.

About me:
M, 30, 85kg, 5'11", Canadian

Row: (this year stats)
500m 1:47
1000m 3:47
2000m 7:46
5000m 19:44

Goals:
2014 - 1 000 000m
January - Build aerobic base/volume work.
February - Test pieces. want sub 7:00 2k

So for this month I am just trying to accumulate time on the rower and get comfortable with uncomfortable. The couple of years leading up to now I stayed in the 500m zone and occasionally ventured into a 1k.
I row 3-10k a day now and that number is going up… I am becoming obsessed with it.

My questions:
Am I at a disadvantage because of my weight and size?
Is ERGDATA for the iPhone a good investment?

Thanks for all your help,

Cheers,

Cody

[PaulH]

Hi Cody,

You are at some disadvantage - to be an ideal erger you should either be 10kg lighter, or 4 inches taller, or both! But given what you have there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get sub-7, so long as you're fit enough.

Sorry, can't help on ergdata.

Cheers, Paul

[hjs]

The wr for lightweights is sub6, so yes you are not in the best position, but sub7 is very well possible.
Focus on learning a good full stroke first, thats an important start, when you got that right you can focus more on a scedule. For now any time on the rower will help.

Welcome and enjoy

Looking at your 5k you are now around 7.30 ish level.

[Cody Harding]

Thanks guys,

Have been trying to focus on stroke… I find my comfort zone is 29SPM, I think 11 o'clock at the end of stroke and 1 o'clock at the catch…

My 5k is the only thing I "went for" this year… Will try to get sub 19 some point this year.

[hjs]

Thanks guys,

Have been trying to focus on stroke… I find my comfort zone is 29SPM, I think 11 o'clock at the end of stroke and 1 o'clock at the catch…

My 5k is the only thing I "went for" this year… Will try to get sub 19 some point this year.

Rate and pace are related, the faster you go the higherbth rate. Easier slowest sessions should have a lowe rate. Pure sprinting would be above 40 for the rate.

[Bob S.]

Thanks guys,

Have been trying to focus on stroke… I find my comfort zone is 29SPM, I think 11 o'clock at the end of stroke and 1 o'clock at the catch…

My 5k is the only thing I "went for" this year… Will try to get sub 19 some point this year.

You should be able to row comfortably at a wide range of stroke rates. Otherwise, you have to change the amount of work done per stroke to change the pace. It would be bad form to change length of your drive - that should be constant except for very high rate sprints like at the last 30 seconds or so of a race or time trial. The drive should always be hard and quick, so there is not much that you can do to vary the drive time unless you are doing a light paddle for an active rest between intervals. Drive times are generally 0.7 +/- 0.2 seconds. The only thing that can have a wide range of recovery times and that can be as long as 5.5 seconds (at the minimum readable stroke rate - 10SPM, and the minimum drive time - 0.5s). A minimum recovery time is harder to pin down. It depends on the rate. But even at 40SPM, there are few that would be able to go at that rate using a maximum drive time, i.e. 0.9s. That rate and drive time would require a 0.6s recovery time. Note that the recovery to drive ratios of these two extremes are 11/1 and 2/3. The normal R/D ratios are between 3/1 and 1/1.

Bob S.

[dwalk]

You are slightly heavier than I am, about the same height, and 12 yrs younger. I can pull sub 7 at a 20sr without much trouble, so just keep putting in the work and you'll get there. It's harder for those of us that are not 6'3" or over, but you can get fast. Right now I'm low 6:30's and my training has been anything but consistent.

[Cody Harding]

Damn dwalk! those must be some strong stokes!!! i will focus more on power than SR the next few goes… let you know how it goes.