Holiday Challenge - How Do You Do It?

[old] drkcgoh · Post by **[old] drkcgoh** » December 3rd, 2004, 11:52 pm

Just made the HC 200k yesterday after 8 days of erging & training for 4 race walks. Have to taper down for a 12K race tomorrow, a 10K next week & a 7K the week after. Body fat's gone down to 14.2% from 16%. but weight's going slightly up to 148 lbs. KC63

[old] Sunflower · Post by **[old] Sunflower** » December 5th, 2004, 5:03 pm

Hello: I'm new to the whole Erg thing and so is my hubby. We got our rower in October and have been using it sporadically until the Holiday Challenge came up. Now we're both going for it. He is doing a better job then me of regularly working out. I've bought Advent calendars for each of us as an extra incentive and tracking tool. For each 8000 meters completed one gets a piece of chocolate. It's all in good fun. I'm at 62 K now. Mr. Sunflower has done probably 8K over that.

[old] brianric · Post by **[old] brianric** » December 5th, 2004, 5:49 pm

Just hit the 200 K mark. I guess there not set up yet to order the t-shirt. Then again, I'm approaching the 3 million mark and I have not received my 2 million meter reward.

[old] Tom_Pinckney · Post by **[old] Tom_Pinckney** » December 6th, 2004, 9:49 am

I feel "small time" to some of you. Since I was on a 10 dqy cruise (I only gained one pound and have since lost it), it threw me behind a bit. However, I"m doing 8000 meters a day to catch up. Interestingly enough, I find a big difference in how I feel (better) now that I'm rowing 8000 meters rather than the 5000 I was doing before. Actually getting high after I row. FYI: I am taking it easy as a new rower. I am getting my 8000 as follows: 1500 meters warm up at 4:00 pace; 5000 meters at 3:00 pace; 1500 meters at 4:00 min. cooldown. I put in 10 very hard strokes every 1000 miles to get my strength up. I am 59 years old and have several injuries I work around. By pacing myself, I feel that eventually I will get in great shape (and hopefully less pain from my injuries) from rowing. I have lost about 12 pounds since I started rowing in September.

[old] Canoeist · Post by **[old] Canoeist** » December 6th, 2004, 10:47 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE (Tom_Pinckney @ Dec 6 2004, 01:49 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Interestingly enough, I find a big difference in how I feel (better) now that I'm rowing 8000 meters rather than the 5000 I was doing before. Actually getting high after I row.  </td></tr></table> Endorphins, very powerful and adictive chemicals produced by the body, enter the blood system after about 20 minutes of hard exercise. Cheers, Paul Flack

[old] Tom_Pinckney · Post by **[old] Tom_Pinckney** » December 7th, 2004, 8:19 am

Thanks - yep. I find myself feeling high (sometimes) even when I'm not working out.

[old] SimonB · Post by **[old] SimonB** » December 11th, 2004, 3:37 pm

Is there anywhere on the C2 site to see the cumulative meters rowed by all participants during the holiday challange? I can see honor boards and my own total, but don't see anywhere the total for all members. Ta. S.

[old] afolpe · Post by **[old] afolpe** » December 11th, 2004, 5:03 pm

Anyone else ever feel like the Holiday Challenge lends itself to doing a certain number of "junk meters"? For example, I went out this morning and kayaked hard for 3 hours, about 15 miles with a 15mph+ wind flying around out there, surfing (fun!!)and then fighting back 7.5 miles into the stupid wind (not fun at all !!). Ordinarily, I would have called it a day exercise-wise, after that, but, I had to get in my meters on the C2 (I need to finish by the 17th, because I'm going away and won't have an erg for 4 or 5 days). So, I just finished doing one of the slowest 10K pieces I have done in a long time (41:10)- one of the first times in a long time I have been over 40:00. These seem like just meters for the sake of meters- does doing this sort of easy slow stuff do anything good for you at all? Andrew

[old] SimonB · Post by **[old] SimonB** » December 12th, 2004, 12:13 pm

For those of us that 'dream' of pulling 41:10 I would say that no meters are junk !!! They all count for something In your case it looks like a warm-down session....

[old] Dr. Z · Post by **[old] Dr. Z** » December 13th, 2004, 1:02 pm

No junk meters needed. I discussed the Holiday Challenge with several other rowers at the boatclub. The general concensus was that anyone following their usual training program would easily reach the 200K target. The only really slow meters I've done during the challenge have been 20 min pieces I've done with my 12 year old son who's doing the Kids' Challenge. If he wants some company to keep him going, no way these are junk meters!

[old] afolpe · Post by **[old] afolpe** » December 13th, 2004, 2:55 pm

Never mind- I was feeling crabby. I agree that it's not a huge challenge getting in 200km in that time period, although I think it does make you tend to do long pieces, rather than "short, sharp" pieces. It also forces you to row when you don't really want to, which I suppose is good for mental discipline and all those other Puritan values. So I forced my weary and bleary self through a fast 30min and a moderate 60 minutes, after getting in another hard kayak session yesterday morning. Now at 160km and closing... Andrew (who is scheduled to do sprints with a younger resident this evening- argh.)

[old] rickm · Post by **[old] rickm** » December 13th, 2004, 3:23 pm

I should be done within the next couple of days. Most I've done is 15K at one time but alot of pieces close to that. I have TV and DVD to watch movies. High Damping (8 or 9), low stroke rate(20-22). Want to get this done so I can working on speed for 2K which is my weakness. I do one tough workout a week with group but have long warmup and cooldown to get the Klicks in.

[old] Canoeist · Post by **[old] Canoeist** » December 13th, 2004, 3:49 pm

I finished the HC on Sunday with a marathon. I was only pulling 1:51 pace, but I certainly don't consider those junk meters. (It was all I could pull, even though I can pull under 1:20 for short bursts.) Paul Flack

[old] Sunflower · Post by **[old] Sunflower** » December 13th, 2004, 10:45 pm

I'm at 131, 015 m and just got the day 16 treat from my Advent calendar (for 128K) It has been fun pushing myself and trying different work-outs; as I'm quite new to the Erg and rowing. I really do weights more often as a workout and I'd have to say taking Glutamine supplements I take for that are a great help to recovery - especially when driving to work at 7 AM on Monday after 16 K workout on Sunday to catch up. There have definitely been not-fun times too, but I feel good about having pushed and pulled through them. And its been good to think that I may be fending off some of the fat from all the Christmas time goodies that are apearing. Have fun y'all.

[old] Canoeist · Post by **[old] Canoeist** » December 14th, 2004, 9:05 am

Sunflower, Your idea of an Advent calendar with a small tangible reward for each day rowed is a very clever idea! I will have to remember your idea next year. My 11 year daughter is doing the challenge this year. (She has rowed 26K out of 50K for the kids row.) I would like to motivate my hyperkinetic son to sit still long enough to grab the handle and put on the footstraps. I think the "treat a day" would work for him. He can only focus on one day at a time! Good luck obtaining the remainder of your treats! Paul Flack

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