About the really long-distance erging...

[patrickschmidt]

I've been erging for about 20 years, since I started with a graduate school on-the-water team. Lately, I've been particularly motivated by the challenges--because they're truly challenges. I don't know if, when everything combines (family, work, etc.), I'll be able to complete the 200k Holiday Challenge, for example. I think of myself as better at the longer distances, but that's usually 40 to 60 minutes at a pace that doesn't leave me much spare capacity.

So I'm always blown away when by Day 2 or 3 of the challenge, some people have gone well beyond 100k or even 200k.

If you regularly row more than 30k or even 50k a day, how do you do it? Do you do it in one sitting or many? Do you take a really slow pace compared to what you would do a 10k? How do you overcome day-to-day fatigue?

Because when I row 15k, I really feel it the next day, and when I row 10k for four or five days in a row, I get to the point where my legs feel like jelly.

I appreciate the feedback.

[lindsayh]

the ultra long distance people just spend time and generally are older and can afford to just sit and paddle - not racing just meters.
The most "famous" is a lady named Darlene Brennan from the Ancients club who has regularly manages 2 to 3 million meters in a month in the challenges. She averages about 3:00 - 3:30/500m and about ten hours a day in maybe 3 to 5 sessions.
https://www.concept2.com/news/meet-ultr ... ne-brennan

[Dangerscouse]

I don't think any of us on here do those kind of distances in such a short space of time for the Holiday Challenge.

I have done ultra distances for a personal challenge that I set myself and in my experience it was better to take days off and do long rows when I did get on the rower, but that does take up a lot of your spare time.

I found that you need to build up a tolerance to the really long sessions, but that does take a while and lots of metres and I always had a day off the erg the next day.

As a good example I regularly do 10 miles but I did a 20 mile session a few weeks ago for the first time this year, admittedly with no carbs, gels etc, and I felt awful for the rest of that day; far worse than I used to last year.

[hjs]

A bit like cycling or walking, go easy and you can go on for hours every day.

[Bamboozle]

These are valid questions you are asking. I only started rowing 4 years ago. This season I set my goal pretty high and want to row at least 5 million meters. To achieve this goal I had to tweak my training schedule. Since my job is becoming more and more demanding, excuses to not row after work because I feel exhausted, were found too easy.

So I decided to row before work. And starting on May 1st, I have been doing so since then. So on weekdays, I get up at 4:30am and row for an hour and then go to work. On days without work I usually row in the afternoon. Only exception from this schedule was a 12 day vacation.

Depending on how I feel I row between 14k and 15k weekdays and 21k on the other days.

And now, finally, to answer your questions.

It is tough, sometimes even brutal. You feel weak and exhausted most of the times. But at the same time, you feel fit and strong. I know, it sounds crazy, but I don't now how to describe it better. The first 5-10 minutes of a row, you are fully aware of your body, because you feel every muscle "aching". This is the time you have to listen to your body to get the feeling if it is "just" exhaustion or if something is wrong. It is ok to work against the pain. But do it carefully. If the pain is getting worse you have to adjust the intensity.
After this time it usually gets better. You get into the flow, find your rhythm and just row. Listen to your body and it will tell you what is possible. I usually try to mix rows. A faster row followed by 2-4 slower rows to recover. And yes, I never thought this possible, but it is possible to recover rowing. Just row slower.

Most of the time rowing every day is more about mental then physical strength. Your body can work much more and harder than you think. If you listen to the signs you know when to take it easier. But just feeling exhausted is not one of those signs. I have had so many days when I was just about to quit after starting to row. It takes a lot of will power to keep on going. And every time after rowing I was happy I did not quit. Because you then have this "that was not so bad" feeling.

This was the tough part. And now for the brutal

I started to participate in the Crazy Bear Challenge (30 HM in 45 days up until Christmas Eve) which startet on Nov. 10th. So, to get to work in time I now get up at 4am and do a HM every day. Yesterday I did #15. Still not sure if it is crazy or a challenge.

So, to sum it up. You can do it. It takes a lot of will power. You can use slower rows to recover.

Regards Juergen

[Mark E]

Same deal in running. I have friends that race ultra marathon distances and are really amazing runners who are successful at shorter distances too. Others who plod tons of miles and are not fast but that’s what they enjoy for a challenge. I know some impressive masters runners who compete in the mile and in sprints. I wouldn’t say that any distance is “harder” or “better” than any other. At the end of the day you are doing it with other humans who have chosen the same challenge that you enjoy. If you’re competitive than those are the people you are competing with—impossible to know how you’d fare at other distances until you try them. Long distance erging seems similar to me—it’s a different kind of challenge to try, no better or worse than shorter distances but it certainly requires more training time.

[jackarabit]

Endurance varies as the inverse of pace—doing nearly nothing too fast for comfort or way too much so slowly that almost no one notices. Tough choice between the challenge of anoxia and the challenge of boredom!

[Dangerscouse]

A bit like cycling or walking, go easy and you can go on for hours every day.

I have got to agree with this too. I did a lot of my sessions at 1:58ish pace as this was the sweet spot for HR and I didn't get any cardiac drift out of my UT2 zone until I went over circa 50km. When I slowed down to 2:10 -15 pace it was notably easier and I did, quite literally, row for hours.

[hjs]

A bit like cycling or walking, go easy and you can go on for hours every day.

I have got to agree with this too. I did a lot of my sessions at 1:58ish pace as this was the sweet spot for HR and I didn't get any cardiac drift out of my UT2 zone until I went over circa 50km. When I slowed down to 2:10 -15 pace it was notably easier and I did, quite literally, row for hours.

We had a teammate, who erged for good causes. He took his erg to malls etc. And more or less erged all day, not seldom 2 marathons a day. Pace was very modest, effort like a working day for jobs being on your feet. Never erged for pace or anything. He made the meters though.

[johnlvs2run]

I started to participate in the Crazy Bear Challenge (30 HM in 45 days up until Christmas Eve) which startet on Nov. 10th.

That's an awesome challenge, in which I definitely would have taken part had it been publicized on the forum, or in the list of challenges,
However your post is the first that I've heard of it.

[jackarabit]

Crazy Bear is a big deal on Rowpro. Dean Didion who was a regular here for several yrs. did that series and an additional 50 or so M/2s every year.

[jackarabit]

Fresh baked Crazy Bear thread @ viewtopic.php?f=29&t=166741