Haddon Hammers 2/4/18

[Edward4492]

7:19.3 2nd Place

We had five masters in today's race. Mixed ages; 35, 50,54,64 and myself at 62. My plan was to target breaking 7:20. Really feeling a bit vindicated after my last event (7:25) three weeks ago where I was sure there was an issue with the start timing and a glitch on the monitors. Today's race went exactly according to plan. First stroke showed a 2:10 average, by ten strokes in I was on my target pace of 1:49; hit the 1500m to go mark at 1:49.0. Started to settle in and decided I would not go slower than a 1:51. By the 1000m mark I was sitting right on 1:50.0. From 1000m down to 500m it had crept up a bit to 1:50.4; so I started to push a little. At 200m I was at 1:50.0 and started to see the average drop to 1:49's as I pushed the sprint for the final 150m, finishing with 1:49.8 average. Felt like perfect pacing; I think I have another second or two in me. We'll see. I started something a little off-the-wall in training prep this week. I'd been practicing my starts, doing 250's from a dead stop and doing the piece with the goal of settling into race pace as quickly as possible. Given my issues a couple of weeks ago, I decided to do a couple of starts by bumping the wheel to get the clock running, and then do a racing start. My first pull was in the 4-5min range; and I had to pull it down from there. May sound ridiculous; but I was able to get an idea of how hard I had to go and was able to get the average down by the end of the 250m. Having a plan for any situation tends to mitigate the panic, I think I'll incorporate this into my race prep.

Next week is my target event for the season, Center City Slam. They have a 60-69 class (no LWT class however). So far five people are signed up. This one I'll start out at the same pace as today; but being in that it's head to head in my age group I'll be treating it as a race for finishing position, not time.

Mark, nice race down there in Texas. Good luck at WIRC!

[Cyclist2]

Nice job, Ed! I'm sure you have more.

I've noticed in both my races that in the first 5-10 strokes the average pace is above 2:00 and slowly comes down. I ignore it, knowing what my desired pace is and sticking to it. It has to be a software issue, not a rower issue.

Just a note to all you 60-64 lightweights; The guy from the Texas Rowing Center signed up for WRIC with no name listed is the guy I mentioned in my SWEAT writeup that pulled a 6:57.0. His name is C. Jung.

[Rod]

Just a note to all you 60-64 lightweights; The guy from the Texas Rowing Center signed up for WRIC with no name listed is the guy I mentioned in my SWEAT writeup that pulled a 6:57.0. His name is C. Jung.

Well done Ed and Mark, good efforts both of you!

Looks like the 60-64 Lwt race (that I'm also in) just got a whole lot tougher!

[Edward4492]

Thanks Rod, that 60+ LWT class became brutal this year. It reminds me of a couple of years ago when I pulled my best CB time of 7:06 and finished 8th out of 19. You'll fair well.....be in contention for the win for sure. Mark, I think it's the reality of the time lost between when you see "ROW", the clock starts, and you react and start to put time against the clock. Today seemed like the normal splits I'm used to seeing.

[Rod]

I've noticed in both my races that in the first 5-10 strokes the average pace is above 2:00 and slowly comes down. I ignore it, knowing what my desired pace is and sticking to it. It has to be a software issue, not a rower issue..

The ''issue'' is as Ed mentioned, your ''reaction time''....don't forget that in a race the clock is starting you....in a gym or at home you are starting it...so there is a time difference of about a second which makes your initial average pace look a lot slower than normal.

A lot of people get caught out by this and start going way too fast way too soon to try and overcome it which leaves them struggling towards the end of the race when an otherwise more sensible pacing plan would see them going strongly to the finish.....so beware.

Most people have 2 PB's, one for times done at races and a second one for ''Time Trials'' where you test yourself in non race conditions and you are starting the monitor, the difference is the second that gets added at a race...where as mentioned.....the monitor starts you.

[DavidA]

7:19.3 2nd Place

We had five masters in today's race. Mixed ages; 35, 50,54,64 and myself at 62. My plan was to target breaking 7:20. Really feeling a bit vindicated after my last event (7:25) three weeks ago where I was sure there was an issue with the start timing and a glitch on the monitors. Today's race went exactly according to plan. First stroke showed a 2:10 average, by ten strokes in I was on my target pace of 1:49; hit the 1500m to go mark at 1:49.0. Started to settle in and decided I would not go slower than a 1:51. By the 1000m mark I was sitting right on 1:50.0. From 1000m down to 500m it had crept up a bit to 1:50.4; so I started to push a little. At 200m I was at 1:50.0 and started to see the average drop to 1:49's as I pushed the sprint for the final 150m, finishing with 1:49.8 average. Felt like perfect pacing; I think I have another second or two in me. We'll see. I started something a little off-the-wall in training prep this week. I'd been practicing my starts, doing 250's from a dead stop and doing the piece with the goal of settling into race pace as quickly as possible. Given my issues a couple of weeks ago, I decided to do a couple of starts by bumping the wheel to get the clock running, and then do a racing start. My first pull was in the 4-5min range; and I had to pull it down from there. May sound ridiculous; but I was able to get an idea of how hard I had to go and was able to get the average down by the end of the 250m. Having a plan for any situation tends to mitigate the panic, I think I'll incorporate this into my race prep.

Next week is my target event for the season, Center City Slam. They have a 60-69 class (no LWT class however). So far five people are signed up. This one I'll start out at the same pace as today; but being in that it's head to head in my age group I'll be treating it as a race for finishing position, not time.

Mark, nice race down there in Texas. Good luck at WIRC!

Great job!
Congratulations.

David

[Marsh_Creek_Sculler]

Good job Ed! Always nice when a race goes according to plan. I'll seen you there at Center City on Saturday. You know what my goal is

[Edward4492]

I see you already accomplished your goal "unofficially". Thrilled to be in the same heat with you; more thrilled to be in with 60+ group, hoping to do well there. Five guys in my class so far, no handicaps, so it's head to head. I had been watching the Mainline Slide registration looking for your name to pop up, I saw you on CCS reg tonight and I knew right away what the plan was. Can't wait, talk to you on Saturday.

Thanks David! All us "midget class" guys need to stick together!