Ranger - News To Shock

[[old] NavigationHazard]

I just got off the phone with the Cincinnati venue. It was a bit hard to communicate due to the noise in the gym, but I do have some news:<br /><br />Apparently Ranger showed for his race, started, and DNF.<br /><br />I'm speculating, but it could be that his ribs are bothering him more than he realized. No doubt he can elaborate, if he wishes.<br /><br />I realize he's likely to take a lot of stick from a lot of people but not from me. I'd actually like to see what he can do these days at his best. I don't think it will be close to as good as he does, in his more exuberant moments, but that's a whole different (and long-running) argument....

[[old] PaulS]

Mark P. was at the same race so perhaps there will be some interpretive details coming, however I hope that this was not anything more than being a bit surprised at the reintroduction to racing "without breaks" after a couple years of alternative training. Afterall, we were told that this was going to be an "easy row".<br /><br />Exciting w/e here at Ergomania: Pete Marston raced in the Mens Open class after having been away from training for 2 weeks, working in the desserts of AZ. He aquitted himself quite nicely by sticking to a conservative plan and being wise about that.<br /><br />He did however blaze out of the start and get the dogs chasing him early, the eventual winner spent quite a bit of time inspecting the inside of a bucket after the completion of the race.

[[old] John Rupp]

<!--QuoteBegin-NavigationHazard+Jan 29 2006, 07:19 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(NavigationHazard @ Jan 29 2006, 07:19 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->it could be that his ribs are bothering him more than he realized.  No doubt he can elaborate, if he wishes. </td></tr></table><br />Nav,<br /><br />Thanks for the update.<br /><br />I likewise am looking forward to Rich's more recent upbeat training continuing to help him get back on track.

[[old] John Rupp]

Any times from ergomania, for Pete or PaulS etc?

[[old] PaulS]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Jan 29 2006, 08:50 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Jan 29 2006, 08:50 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Any times from ergomania, for Pete or PaulS etc? <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Pete was about 6:25 or so, full results are not posted yet.<br />There were 3 CRASH-B Qualifiers, one from Alaska.<br /><a href='http://www.regattacentral.com/news/012706_p.html' target='_blank'>ErgoMania News</a>

[[old] John Rupp]

Peter "Lekisch, 65, will make his second trip to the world indoor championships. He qualified in the men’s age 65 – 69 category after clocking a 6:57.3 to win the men’s veteran B singles. The retired real estate attorney, who holds the age-category cross-continental cycling record of 12 days 20 hours in the annual Race Across America, took up indoor rowing in 2003 to recover from a cycling accident. The CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Championships take place Feb. 25 at the Agganis Arena in Boston."<br /><br />That's close to the heavy record he holds of 6:55.0.<br /><br />Ed Alderman has the lightweight record of 7:01.5.<br /><br />

[[old] mpukita]

I can't tell you what happened to Rich. He started just fine, settled into a smooth stroke, was bringing his rate down <u><b>very </b></u>nicely, and then just put the handle down. He was down to an aggregate 1:39 pace (about 150 to 200 meters in) and just stopped ... not abruptly as one might with a pull, but slowly, as one might if an old injury started to rear its head.<br /><br />It was unfortunate, because Big Nik, who won the race in 6:45 (or so, I forget the time) and who was seeded #2 to Rich, would have been strong competition and it would have been a great race ... side by side.<br /><br />I'm sure Rich will share what happened.<br /><br />I was able to watch because I was in the heat that went off right after.

[[old] george nz]

Hard to see it being a recurrence of the injury given the reports of late and that it was an AT row so must be something else? - maybe shock. Maybe the odd bit of testing at home is not such a bad idea.<br /><br />Do we know if he made weight?<br /><br />Started with a 5 race build up to WIRC and down to a 3 race build up with no guide to form yet - wonder if Boston is still going to happen?<br /><br />George

[[old] John Rupp]

It could be the injury, as he was doing sprints again the last couple of days.<br /><br />Or it might just be the same as the last 3 years, that he's been doing so much low rate and 10 mps stuff that he's not yet used to starting at race pace and continuing.

[[old] mpukita]

I forgot to add, and George's post reminded me, that I believe Rich raced as a HW. I do not remember seeing his entry line "x-ed" as a LW when I was checking results to see where I stacked up. I may be wrong here, because I wasn't looking for it specifically, but I did scan every time by the LW "x-es" to see if anyone beat me, and I think I would have remembered the DNF. They (the Cincinnati organizers) gave medals in open fashion for all in their "Masters" category, which included Masters, Seniors, Veterans, etc. Since I'm new to this, I do not have the various categories memorized ... sorry.<br /><br />Apologies to Rich if this is incorrect.

[[old] Taylor Miller]

Come on Nav. You are being a bit nice about Ranger. Most of<br />you others are too. Don’t get me wrong. Nobody wishes anyone<br />to fail and certainly not to get injured. But let us remain REAL.<br />If he can perform five 2k’s in training back to back (with breaks!)<br />and with the last couple of them being on or around WR time – then<br />he can complete a 2km – yes just one – surely. Five hours training a day<br />and Ranger cannot sit on the machine and exercise for less than seven minutes.<br />Actually if it is true he completed only 300m – make that about 60 seconds.<br />I am just looking at the REAL facts here. <br />He has previously set three WR’s. He has previously won <br />big major competitions. He has a 5 hour a day one million<br />metres every 21 days training schedule, he bastardizes <br />most of the performance results from other forum <br />contributors – yet he does provide some comical relief <br />each day as we read the forum – such a brash, <br />disrespectful attitude.<br />But come one!!! Stop this…”oh poor Rich – hope he hasn’t hurt his ribs again”…banter and go back and read a few (???20) of his posts on what was going to happen this sunday. If I was a bookmaker – I’d be shorting the odds of the Bulgarian and a couple of others for the WIRC.<br />

[[old] NavigationHazard]

A) You have to read between the lines when Ranger reports workouts. Since he adamantly refuses to tell you all the relevant details, such as actual elapsed time or distance, duration and frequency of rest intervals, etc. it's quite impossible for outsiders to get a handle on what he's actually been doing. <br /><br /> If you've been reading the UK Forum at all, you should know that I have as much reason as anyone to tap-dance on Ranger's head. I've been belittled, annoyed, bothered, dismissed, and lectured as much (or more) than anyone not named Dennis Hastings or Mike Caviston. But oddly enough, I'm not going to criticize him without hearing what he has to say about what happened in Cincinnati. When I last heard from him he suggested he was genuinely injured. That's good enough for me unless or until I find out otherwise. I hope he would extend me the benefit of the doubt were the circumstances reversed. <br /><br /><br />

[[old] FrancoisA]

<!--QuoteBegin-ranger+Jan 28 2006, 10:40 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(ranger @ Jan 28 2006, 10:40 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->A minute on, a minute off, 1:32 @ 36 spm seems fine now. These are just challenging enough at the ends to get more and more facilitation to the task, but I still recover quickly and don't seem to have much residual tiredness at all for the next interval. In fact, I might be able to do these indefinitely. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />I am just speculating here, but something of catastrophic proportions must have happened to Ranger for not completing his 2k race. After all the expectations he has generated through his hyperbole and with an ego of such colossal proportion, most of us would have preferred to die rather than face the humiliation of a DNF!

[[old] mpukita]

<!--QuoteBegin-FrancoisA+Jan 29 2006, 07:45 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(FrancoisA @ Jan 29 2006, 07:45 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-ranger+Jan 28 2006, 10:40 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(ranger @ Jan 28 2006, 10:40 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->A minute on, a minute off, 1:32 @ 36 spm seems fine now. These are just challenging enough at the ends to get more and more facilitation to the task, but I still recover quickly and don't seem to have much residual tiredness at all for the next interval. In fact, I might be able to do these indefinitely. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />I am just speculating here, but something of catastrophic proportions must have happened to Ranger for not completing his 2k race. After all the expectations he has generated through his hyperbole and with an ego of such colossal proportion, most of us would have preferred to die rather than face the humiliation of a DNF! <br /> </td></tr></table><br />I would say I agree Francois, and I was disappointed, because he was very smooth at the start, nice powerful stroke, and zeroed in on a strong aggregate rating quickly, but smoothly. I was just about to yell, "Come on Rich, use that new stroke!" and was <b>stunned </b>when he put the handle down -- it was done in the way one would do it if there had been a false start ... as if a bit annoyed ... but not abrupt. At that point, I lost contact, because my daughter was tugging on my shirt to go sit on my erg for my race. I never got to meet Rich face-to-face, which was another disappointment.

[[old] Porkchop]

<!--QuoteBegin-NavigationHazard+Jan 29 2006, 06:36 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(NavigationHazard @ Jan 29 2006, 06:36 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--> If you've been reading the UK Forum at all, you should know that I have as much reason as anyone to tap-dance on Ranger's head.  I've been belittled, annoyed, bothered, dismissed, and lectured as much (or more) than anyone not named Dennis Hastings or Mike Caviston.  But oddly enough, I'm not going to criticize him without hearing what he has to say about what happened in Cincinnati.  When I last heard from him he suggested he was genuinely injured.  That's good enough for me unless or until I find out otherwise.  I hope he would extend me the benefit of the doubt were the circumstances reversed. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />You're a gentleman, NavHaz.