Boston Erg Marathon

[[old] bmoore]

Paul,<br /><br />I'm in. The wife gave me permission. (A pretty big deal since she'll be taking care of the four kids on one of my days off). Now I just need to keep the training up beyond CRASH-Bs, and extend the level 3 workouts a bit after that. Tonight's workout was 21.5k, so it's not going to be a tremendous stretch to build to that, but it's still a marathon.<br /><br />Any helpful hints on mental strategies with this long row will be helpful. I'm sure it will help to be "on stage" with the other rowers there for support.

[[old] Canoeist]

HM are good practice. When you get halfway in the marathon, you know that you can easily do 21K.<br /><br />Go slower than HM pace from the start. You will still be feeling fairly fresh at the halfway point.<br /><br />Raise or lower your feet halfway through. Add a seat pad. Change your stroke every 900m for 100m. Do anything that keeps your backsides from cramping!<br /><br />Take a drink every 5K. It gives you something to look forward to and breaks the marathon into manageable chunks.<br /><br />Row with others. That will give you inspiration to finish.<br /><br />Good luck,<br /><br />Paul Flack<br />

[[old] Canoeist]

<!--QuoteBegin-H_2O+Dec 21 2005, 02:13 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(H_2O @ Dec 21 2005, 02:13 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-ranger+Dec 18 2005, 06:00 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(ranger @ Dec 18 2005, 06:00 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br />If big guys like Jon Bone (Navigation Hazard) pulled 6 watts per kg, he would row a 5:00 2K (1:17.5 pace).<br /><br />ranger<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />This comparison is unfair for the following reason:<br /><br />Strength is proportional to the muscle crossection while weight is proportional to the volume.<br />Now as size increases the volume grows faster than the area (by one order of magnitude roughly speaking) so the quotient of weight to strength falls off.<br /><br />So smaller is better when it comes to weight/strength ratio.<br /><br />The same is true for structural integrity under impact.<br />Say you fall off a cliff.<br />Your kinetic energy at the bottom is proportional to your weight (volume) but your structural integrity to the crossection of your bones, sinews etc.<br /><br />That's why you can drop an ant down El Cap and it will happily crawl away at the bottom but don't try it yourself.<br /><br />Smaller is better in many ways. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />A nice analysis of the strength to weight issue. Two good animals to look at are the elephant and the ant. The elephant is very strong, but can pick up only a fraction of its weight. The ant is light and waak, but can pick up several times its own weight.<br /><br />Dropping an ant from El Cap also has a lot to do with surface area for a given weight. The ant has so much more surface area per pound that wind resistance is a huge facor on maximum velocity.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />P

[[old] ranger]

<!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Strength is proportional to the muscle crossection </td></tr></table><br /><br />O.K., I was exaggerating just a little.<br /><br /> <br /><br />But the bigger you are, the more potential muscle crosssection. Lean body mass and Vo2max are also related in regular ways: the more lean body mass the more Vo2max.<br /><br />Yes, the watt/kg favors the lwts. As I understand, the watts/kg measure is a pretty good and fair indication of erging performance, though, especially if erging is supposed to be a measure of how fast you can potentially move a boat. Some erging venues hold races that are decided on the basis of watts/kg. <br /><br />The standard "weight adjustment" between someone such as Jon and a lwt of similar age, such as Graham Watt is 33 seconds. So Graham's 6:25, when weight adjusted, would be like Jon rowing 5:52. Or calculated in the other direction, Jon's 6:20, when weight-adjusted is equivalent to Graham rowing 6:53.<br /><br />ranger

[[old] NavigationHazard]

Comments moved to the "Adjustments" thread, in a (probably futile) attempt to avoid the hijacking of this one....

[[old] rickm]

<!--QuoteBegin-Canoeist+Dec 29 2005, 10:24 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Canoeist @ Dec 29 2005, 10:24 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->HM are good practice.  When you get halfway in the marathon, you know that you can easily do 21K.<br /><br />Go slower than HM pace from the start.  You will still be feeling fairly fresh at the halfway point.<br /><br />Raise or lower your feet halfway through.  Add a seat pad.  Change your stroke every 900m for 100m.  Do anything that keeps your backsides from cramping!<br /><br />Take a drink every 5K.  It gives you something to look forward to and breaks the marathon into manageable chunks.<br /><br />Row with others.  That will give you inspiration to finish.<br /><br />Good luck,<br /><br />Paul Flack <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Thanks for the tips paul. I did 20K the other day and felt fine except..my butt. Not to get too technical but the butt-bones were killing me. Tried a new pad "sore no more" and it helped a little. Any ideas o'master of the marathon? Also what HR level are you rowing at. I was at sub-aerobic <130 and finished the 20K in 1:24. <br />

[[old] FrankJ]

<!--QuoteBegin-rickm+Jan 1 2006, 05:35 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(rickm @ Jan 1 2006, 05:35 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br />Thanks for the tips paul. I did 20K the other day and felt fine except..my butt. Not to get too technical but the butt-bones were killing me. Tried a new pad "sore no more" and it helped a little. Any ideas o'master of the marathon? Also what HR level are you rowing at. I was at sub-aerobic <130 and finished the 20K in 1:24. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Rick,<br /><br />I'll jump in on this one. I have always had problems with the seat of the erg and it has taken quite a bit of experimenting to find one that works long enough to row a marathon. I started with folded towels then used several layers of bubble wrap. I have now progressed to a triple layer pad made from a waffle foam pad used by campers. I have cutouts around the bones in my butt and the top of my hamstrings. I looked at some of the pictures online of rowing seats and tried to make my foam look like what I saw.<br /><br />I would suggest starting with bubble wrap. Actually my second favorite was bubble wrap covered with an old warn piece of towel. I actually have 2 waffle pads that are similar but just slightly different. Gives me a break if I swap them half way through the marathon. Good luck!<br /><br />Frank

[[old] rickm]

<!--QuoteBegin-FrankJ+Jan 1 2006, 06:27 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(FrankJ @ Jan 1 2006, 06:27 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-rickm+Jan 1 2006, 05:35 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(rickm @ Jan 1 2006, 05:35 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br />Thanks for the tips paul. I did 20K the other day and felt fine except..my butt. Not to get too technical but the butt-bones were killing me. Tried a new pad "sore no more" and it helped a little. Any ideas o'master of the marathon? Also what HR level are you rowing at. I was at sub-aerobic <130 and finished the 20K in 1:24. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Rick,<br /><br />I'll jump in on this one. I have always had problems with the seat of the erg and it has taken quite a bit of experimenting to find one that works long enough to row a marathon. I started with folded towels then used several layers of bubble wrap. I have now progressed to a triple layer pad made from a waffle foam pad used by campers. I have cutouts around the bones in my butt and the top of my hamstrings. I looked at some of the pictures online of rowing seats and tried to make my foam look like what I saw.<br /><br />I would suggest starting with bubble wrap. Actually my second favorite was bubble wrap covered with an old warn piece of towel. I actually have 2 waffle pads that are similar but just slightly different. Gives me a break if I swap them half way through the marathon. Good luck!<br /><br />Frank <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Frank,<br />Thanks for the suggestions - will try for a HM this weekend and use one of your suggestions.<br />Rick

[[old] Samroot]

I'll be running the Boston Marathon. The only way I can get my wife to go to Boston with me is if she does something competitive also. She is not the hangout and shop type. So,she has expressed an interest in participating in the erging marathon. She has become an avid erger since being introduced to it in 2001<br />in New Zealand on our way to the WAVA Championships in Brisbane. She did two erging half marathons last year. So if her training plan works out over the next 3 months she is definitely on for the erging marathon.

[[old] FHM]

[FONT=Times]An update on the erg marathon planned for Patriots day. We seem to have a good line on ERGs, working on the exact location. The ideas behing this are 1) to have fun 2) to raise some money for our Breast Cancer Center at the hospital. We would like rowers to have some financial sponsorship.<br /><br />In order to plan for ERGs and Space, it will soon be time to count heads. Anyone seriously interested should contact me at:<br /><br />fmillham@partners.org<br /><br />Thanks<br /><br />Fred Millham

[[old] Samroot]

My wife,Debra Benton,has been training very hard over the last 7 weeks training for the Boston Erg Marathon. Over the past three weekends she has done a half marathon and two 25ks. This weekend we were going to take a break,and do the Canadian Indoors in Toronto, just to see if what we could do on a lot of volume and very little speed work,and for the great experience it is.<br /><br />All that might have changed late this afternoon. She went for a physical last week and the Dr. discovered a lump in her breast. She had a sonogram assisted biopsy this week and received preliminary word today that the cluster was cancerous. She won't be able to get a hold of her Dr. till tomorrow,but the Dr. who did the biopsy seemed to think a mastectomy might be necessary.<br /><br />If my wife can get breast cancer,anybody can get breast cancer. She takes very good care of herself.<br /><br /><br />True to her nature,she still wants to do the Canadians this weekend. We'll see.<br />She is a very determined person. In 2000 at the age of 43,two months before Olympic Track & Field Trials,she pulled off a clutch performance to make qualifying time in the 20k Racewalk. She went on to acquit herself very well at the trials. Starting in last place, on leaving the stadium, she picked off at least half a dozen before running out of steam to finish in the middle of the pack,on a very hot Sacramento day. If there is any possibility she'll be erging in Boston in April.<br /><br />I'd like to encourage everyone to participate if at all possible in Fred Millham's<br />worthwhile and wonderful event in support of the hospitals breast cancer center.<br />If you can't participate,support it.<br /><br /> Sam Neal

[[old] Jim Barry]

Sam, <br /><br />I'm sorry to hear about your wife's diagnosis. Wishing her the best for a full recovery. She sounds like one to beat it! <br /><br />I hope you two can make it to Toronto. <br /><br />--Jim

[[old] Byron Drachman]

Hi Sam,<br /><br />I'm sorry to hear about your wife's diagnosis. I think you and she will find this interesting:<br /><br /><a href='http://www.sass.msu.edu/PinkRibbonCrew.html' target='_blank'>http://www.sass.msu.edu/PinkRibbonCrew.html</a><br /><br /><a href='http://hub.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... 90315/1143' target='_blank'>http://hub.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... 143</a><br /><br />Many of the pink ribbon crew are also active members of our local rowing club, so I get to row with some of them sometimes. Words can't describe how much fun it is to be around the pink ribbon rowers and row with them.<br /><br />Byron<br />

[[old] Samroot]

<!--QuoteBegin-Jim Barry+Feb 3 2006, 03:43 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Jim Barry @ Feb 3 2006, 03:43 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Sam, <br /><br />I'm sorry to hear about your wife's diagnosis.  Wishing her the best for a full recovery. She sounds like one to beat it! <br /><br />I hope you two can make it to Toronto. <br /><br />--Jim <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Thanks Jim <br /><br />She did her race after getting assurances that she wasn't going to make things worse. And she reached 4 million meters in the same day!<br /><br />Nice running. I just started back last week after having a strained achilles.<br />

[[old] Samroot]

<!--QuoteBegin-Byron Drachman+Feb 4 2006, 12:43 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Byron Drachman @ Feb 4 2006, 12:43 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi Sam,<br /><br />I'm sorry to hear about your wife's diagnosis. I think you and she will find this interesting:<br /><br /><a href='http://www.sass.msu.edu/PinkRibbonCrew.html' target='_blank'>http://www.sass.msu.edu/PinkRibbonCrew.html</a><br /><br /><a href='http://hub.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... 90315/1143' target='_blank'>http://hub.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... 143</a><br /><br />Many of the pink ribbon crew are also active members of our local rowing club, so I get to row with some of them sometimes.  Words can't describe how much fun it is to be around the pink ribbon rowers and row with them.<br /><br />Byron <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Thanks for the links Byron! Its very encouraging to see women come through this ok and prosper. Working out,being in shape,and being competitive are very important to her. We go to the Dr. on Thursday to find out what the deal is. In recovery she wants to be able to do something to stay active and stay sane.