Got a HR monitor... Now what?

[Carl Watts]

I agree and its all about consistency, you really need to try and avoid getting sick or injured because a few weeks off feels like starting all over again.

As I mentioned before, everyone's goals are different but I think you need one come the 1st May of each year. Doesn't have to be radical, its hard to keep on improving year on year in performance terms if all your focused on is PB's but you can set distance/pace targets for the year. Motivation is the key so find something that works for you. This is my eighth season and I can only attribute it all to RowPro and setting a goal.

[hjs]

I agree and its all about consistency, you really need to try and avoid getting sick or injured because a few weeks off feels like starting all over again.

As I mentioned before, everyone's goals are different but I think you need one come the 1st May of each year. Doesn't have to be radical, its hard to keep on improving year on year in performance terms if all your focused on is PB's but you can set distance/pace targets for the year. Motivation is the key so find something that works for you. This is my eighth season and I can only attribute it all to RowPro and setting a goal.

If you want to you can always pick areas to improve. Goals indeed are important. Row pro is crap though

[bisqeet]

.... Row pro is crap though ....

i don't know - i save all of my rows as pdf's and the rows themselves are nearly all custom rows, so I can compare them somewhat.

the software could be a lot better - not being able to row online at the moment, is not doinf anyone any favours...

[hjs]

.... Row pro is crap though ....

i don't know - i save all of my rows as pdf's and the rows themselves are nearly all custom rows, so I can compare them somewhat.

the software could be a lot better - not being able to row online at the moment, is not doinf anyone any favours...

Just kidding

But training should not depend on being online or not. For most stuff, which is basework, racing is not what you want, so rowings against others has no point.

[aussieluke]

I would recommend a retest of rest hr and max hr, every few months. Both can be trained to an extent.
It's only a year ago that a 2:00/500 @r26 was my 10k pace and that was a sweaty slogfest.hr was about 155 for those rates.
A lot of meters in the saddle, a lot of advice, a 3 month stint of the Pete plan helped.
Admittedly my hashimoto effects my heart rates a lot (rest =42, max ? I saw 176, but who knows), but my present workload 5+ hm a week are nearly all at ut2 pace; r20 ,2:05, hr < 132
You are doing great. I think the key is loss of meters at a very low pace. Don't be tempted to go faster cos its easy. Too easy to build up lactate that effects the next days training....
Slow and steady produces the best results... in my h. Opinion

Funny you mention retesting...

Tonight I was playing around with my HR strap for my Garmin and noticed while sitting around my HR dropped to 48 and at one point 44. So do I take my lowest found reading as my resting HR or pick an average over a few minutes? Seems very low for me. I've done a lot of aerobic training lately but I'm no marathon runner.

Also when I finished my 4 X 1000m intervals last night I noticed my average HR on two of the reps was 179 and 178. I wasn't watching during the row (as I was trying not to pass out) but maybe my max is higher than the 183 I saw the other day.

Changing these numbers obviously changes my HR bands a bit.

Think 140 is a good general cap for me for most things anyway.

[bisqeet]

I take my rest HR, still in bed after waking up..a 4 bpm. (10%) jump might be a glitch,

[Carl Watts]

But training should not depend on being online or not. For most stuff, which is basework, racing is not what you want, so rowings against others has no point.

You just don't get it. The point is finding something that motivates you and RowPro is like having a training partner at the Gym. What you need to find is some mates like I have in New Zealand that I row with Online. The indoor rower itself is like any static bit of exercise equipment, its the most boring thing to use day in day out and hence most people quit using it and sell it after 6 months. I see them come up for sale all the time, 2 or 3 or them a week over here "Not used now for sale".

Why many people don't row online is because their results become publicly visible and they hate it. Its unfortunate it appeals to relatively so few people, I would love to see more like minded people online to row with.The software itself needs to be simplified, way too much stuff in it you simply don't need and it needs to quickly get on a mobile platform if its ever to get the numbers it needs to hit critical mass.

[bisqeet]

Not with me.
I tend to mostly do longer slower routes, so being egged on by a fellow rower is not required for the majority of rows.
Added to that is I don't plan then that far in advance. My erg is 30s from my work/home, so I usually just go and start. Before the firmware bug,I did try putting my sessions on line and waited 5 mins before starting, but I guess none wanted to join me...

[hjs]

But training should not depend on being online or not. For most stuff, which is basework, racing is not what you want, so rowings against others has no point.

You just don't get it. The point is finding something that motivates you and RowPro is like having a training partner at the Gym. What you need to find is some mates like I have in New Zealand that I row with Online. The indoor rower itself is like any static bit of exercise equipment, its the most boring thing to use day in day out and hence most people quit using it and sell it after 6 months. I see them come up for sale all the time, 2 or 3 or them a week over here "Not used now for sale".

Why many people don't row online is because their results become publicly visible and they hate it. Its unfortunate it appeals to relatively so few people, I would love to see more like minded people online to row with.The software itself needs to be simplified, way too much stuff in it you simply don't need and it needs to quickly get on a mobile platform if its ever to get the numbers it needs to hit critical mass.

I know at forhand what pace I will pull, I don,t know what time I will train often. Racing I think would certainly help. But why would I go online, pull my 155 piece and see some else pull his/her stuff, I will not pull a second more or less. Lots of people don,t need that stimulation. I train for myself, not against or for someone else. The same for my races, I Pull timetrials. Time is first, placing a lot less important.

You are right about finding mates, that sure can be helpfull. The problem is a bit that my peers don.t want to train like I do, so very little motivation to gain.

[Carl Watts]

The online rowing requires a lot of structure, I guess I'm that sort of person.

Online rows need to be scheduled up to a week in advance if you expect anyone else to join in. Set times are better than a set distance, that way everyone starts and finishes together as it would appear people hate it when your finished and having to wait up to several minutes for them to finish. Generally there is a quick chat at the finish and its an unwritten rule to hang about rather than bail straight away so there is a small social element to it.

Its ideal for regular training, typically I know the pace before the start and just aim for a distance. If you do a bit of rowing at 2:00 pace this is easy to work out or I just use the projected finish on the monitor and aim to round off to the nearest 100m.

The RP Logbook is great, just add comments and export to the C2 website. Still many tweaks could be made to the software, stuff I thought was obvious that I sugested ages ago but now its lacking in a couple of small areas now that the Concept 2 LogBook has moved on and is better utilizing all the data from ErgData, which RowPro has most of already but is not being imported into the C2 Log and displayed.