New Personal Best! Brag About That New Pb!

[MartinSH4321]

30' PB - 8130m

This was the worst TT ever I think. The first 10' felt pretty good, but then my butt started to tighten up, got worse and worse, had to do some upper body strokes every minute, and in the last 5' I got cramps too. About half way I reduced the goal from 8200 to just PB, and at 4' to go I considered to HD.
It wasn't the most painful effort I had, but a bad mix of pain and frustration.
I'm pretty sure it was because of the 30R20 only 3 days ago, should have had one more day of easy training.
My fault, next time will be much better, and getting a PB with all that problems is a good sign

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
30:00.0 8,130m 1:50.7 258 1187 23 165
3:00.0 817m 1:50.1 262 1201 23 151
6:00.0 810m 1:51.1 255 1178 22 159
9:00.0 811m 1:50.9 256 1181 22 161
12:00.0 810m 1:51.1 255 1178 22 164
15:00.0 809m 1:51.2 254 1174 23 167
18:00.0 809m 1:51.2 254 1174 23 165
21:00.0 802m 1:52.2 248 1152 24 169
24:00.0 808m 1:51.3 253 1171 24 170
27:00.0 812m 1:50.8 257 1184 26 172
30:00.0 842m 1:46.8 287 1286 30 174

A max 30r20 will take it out of you just as much as a max 2k so well done on the PB.

Rating up is easier said than done and does take a bit of practice.

For you, I think you need to do some 30r24 sessions just making sure you stick to r24. Once you have mastered that rate do some 30r24 TTs before moving on the r25 or26. I think you will put out some great scores r26 but won't come over night, may take 3 months.

Thank you Nick!
You're right, I'll slowly raise my rating, a 30R24 should be good to get some practise!

[Tandstad]

30' PB - 8130m

This was the worst TT ever I think. The first 10' felt pretty good, but then my butt started to tighten up, got worse and worse, had to do some upper body strokes every minute, and in the last 5' I got cramps too. About half way I reduced the goal from 8200 to just PB, and at 4' to go I considered to HD.
It wasn't the most painful effort I had, but a bad mix of pain and frustration.
I'm pretty sure it was because of the 30R20 only 3 days ago, should have had one more day of easy training.
My fault, next time will be much better, and getting a PB with all that problems is a good sign

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
30:00.0 8,130m 1:50.7 258 1187 23 165
3:00.0 817m 1:50.1 262 1201 23 151
6:00.0 810m 1:51.1 255 1178 22 159
9:00.0 811m 1:50.9 256 1181 22 161
12:00.0 810m 1:51.1 255 1178 22 164
15:00.0 809m 1:51.2 254 1174 23 167
18:00.0 809m 1:51.2 254 1174 23 165
21:00.0 802m 1:52.2 248 1152 24 169
24:00.0 808m 1:51.3 253 1171 24 170
27:00.0 812m 1:50.8 257 1184 26 172
30:00.0 842m 1:46.8 287 1286 30 174

Congrats Martin, not the result you were hoping for, but a PB is a PB As everyone else says, with higher rating you would get even further, but I know you know that too!

[MartinSH4321]

30' PB - 8130m

This was the worst TT ever I think. The first 10' felt pretty good, but then my butt started to tighten up, got worse and worse, had to do some upper body strokes every minute, and in the last 5' I got cramps too. About half way I reduced the goal from 8200 to just PB, and at 4' to go I considered to HD.
It wasn't the most painful effort I had, but a bad mix of pain and frustration.
I'm pretty sure it was because of the 30R20 only 3 days ago, should have had one more day of easy training.
My fault, next time will be much better, and getting a PB with all that problems is a good sign

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
30:00.0 8,130m 1:50.7 258 1187 23 165
3:00.0 817m 1:50.1 262 1201 23 151
6:00.0 810m 1:51.1 255 1178 22 159
9:00.0 811m 1:50.9 256 1181 22 161
12:00.0 810m 1:51.1 255 1178 22 164
15:00.0 809m 1:51.2 254 1174 23 167
18:00.0 809m 1:51.2 254 1174 23 165
21:00.0 802m 1:52.2 248 1152 24 169
24:00.0 808m 1:51.3 253 1171 24 170
27:00.0 812m 1:50.8 257 1184 26 172
30:00.0 842m 1:46.8 287 1286 30 174

Congrats Martin, not the result you were hoping for, but a PB is a PB As everyone else says, with higher rating you would get even further, but I know you know that too!

Thank you, I'll work on my rating! Next time, with rested legs, I'll get my 8200+

[Dangerscouse]

Thank you mate, I'll work on rating up!
R28+ won't work for me I think, but maybe up to R25, and with better fitness even more.

If it's anything like it was for me when I bit the bullet and learned to row at lower strokes, you will need to accept that it's one step back to take two forward.

It is a humbling experience when you know you can do circa 400m more if you do a rate that feels natural, but it's important and as Nick suggests try doing 30r24 or maybe 1k intervals at r25, and build from there?

The thought of it is a lot more daunting than the reality probably will be; as your breathing sequence adapts you won't keep feeling like you're not getting enough oxygen.

[max_ratcliffe]

30' PB - 8130m

This was the worst TT ever I think. The first 10' felt pretty good, but then my butt started to tighten up, got worse and worse, had to do some upper body strokes every minute, and in the last 5' I got cramps too. About half way I reduced the goal from 8200 to just PB, and at 4' to go I considered to HD.
It wasn't the most painful effort I had, but a bad mix of pain and frustration.
<>

Well done Martin.

A PB is a PB, and they will get harder to achieve over time, but as others have said, there's probably plenty more to come as you rate up.

[MartinSH4321]

30' PB - 8130m

This was the worst TT ever I think. The first 10' felt pretty good, but then my butt started to tighten up, got worse and worse, had to do some upper body strokes every minute, and in the last 5' I got cramps too. About half way I reduced the goal from 8200 to just PB, and at 4' to go I considered to HD.
It wasn't the most painful effort I had, but a bad mix of pain and frustration.
<>

Well done Martin.

A PB is a PB, and they will get harder to achieve over time, but as others have said, there's probably plenty more to come as you rate up.

Thank you Max!

[MartinSH4321]

Thank you mate, I'll work on rating up!
R28+ won't work for me I think, but maybe up to R25, and with better fitness even more.

If it's anything like it was for me when I bit the bullet and learned to row at lower strokes, you will need to accept that it's one step back to take two forward.

It is a humbling experience when you know you can do circa 400m more if you do a rate that feels natural, but it's important and as Nick suggests try doing 30r24 or maybe 1k intervals at r25, and build from there?

The thought of it is a lot more daunting than the reality probably will be; as your breathing sequence adapts you won't keep feeling like you're not getting enough oxygen.

This effort was special and the first time I tried a TT at this low SPM, my last 30' I started at R24 and ended overall at R26, the 10k PB I started at R24 too and ended overall at R25. For interval workouts I rate higher, and it works too, but it's still one on the low spm side.
As the 30R20 felt so good I wnted to try a lower rating, and what's interesting (for me) is that the efforts at lower rating and same pace feel easier, and I don't know if it's only because I'm not well adapted to higher rates. I once calculated that for every SPM more I need about 4-5W more (to push 100kg up and down the slide), so the difference between R20 and R25 is 20-25W that my body has to produce more to get the same pace. Of course there has to be a balance, I can't row at R10 and produce 250W (1:52 pace) for 30', and I guess no one will do this at R40. My estimation is: For people like me (stronger than fit) the optimal SPM is a good bit lower than for people like you with balanced strength and fitness. I'm just not sure where my optimum is, but I'm pretty sure with my current fitness level it's lower than R26, but we'll see

[WIghtsculler]

I got on an erg for the first time in over a month yesterday.With gym shut down for over a month and my wife finding job after job in the garden to be completed by yesterday, the routine has gone completely out of the window. To add insult to injury (or injury to insult) I went out for a 5 k run 10 days ago and twisted my ankle. I can't even walk the dogs1

After an afternoon in the garden I hopped on the erg I have borrowed with very low expectations. I have been trying to complete a 5 k in recent months. Most of my rows have been 1.5k to 3k and when I have tried 5k I have gone off to fast and blown up so it has become a real mental wall as much as anything.

In hindsight I still went off too high but at least I finished and as it is my first it is still a PB.

18.35.0 5000 1.51.5 23
3.43.1 1000 1.51.5 23
3.40.6 2000 1.50.3 22
3.41.4 3000 1.50.7 24
3.53.7 4000 1.56.8 23
3.36.2 5000 1.48.1 25

It felt so good to be exercising again (even with my ankle still bandaged), that I got a bit enthusiastic as I settled into a good rhythm after the first k. The 3rd k it was getting tough and I was feeling hot. I must have responded by upping the rate a little to keep the wheel spinning. I blew up / wimped out after 3500 and decided to coast to the finish. After a slow 500 I got a rhythm back and came back strongly. I had a strong last 600 with a higher rate and pushed it down to 1.45 and then 1.42.

Suggestions as to how to improve would be much appreciated with regard to the following:

Pacing
A plan to improve my 5k and 2k
30 minutes scares the life out of me... How do I get over this and learn to embrace longer rows?

Cheers in advance.

[Dangerscouse]

I got on an erg for the first time in over a month yesterday.With gym shut down for over a month and my wife finding job after job in the garden to be completed by yesterday, the routine has gone completely out of the window. To add insult to injury (or injury to insult) I went out for a 5 k run 10 days ago and twisted my ankle. I can't even walk the dogs1

After an afternoon in the garden I hopped on the erg I have borrowed with very low expectations. I have been trying to complete a 5 k in recent months. Most of my rows have been 1.5k to 3k and when I have tried 5k I have gone off to fast and blown up so it has become a real mental wall as much as anything.

In hindsight I still went off too high but at least I finished and as it is my first it is still a PB.

18.35.0 5000 1.51.5 23
3.43.1 1000 1.51.5 23
3.40.6 2000 1.50.3 22
3.41.4 3000 1.50.7 24
3.53.7 4000 1.56.8 23
3.36.2 5000 1.48.1 25

It felt so good to be exercising again (even with my ankle still bandaged), that I got a bit enthusiastic as I settled into a good rhythm after the first k. The 3rd k it was getting tough and I was feeling hot. I must have responded by upping the rate a little to keep the wheel spinning. I blew up / wimped out after 3500 and decided to coast to the finish. After a slow 500 I got a rhythm back and came back strongly. I had a strong last 600 with a higher rate and pushed it down to 1.45 and then 1.42.

Suggestions as to how to improve would be much appreciated with regard to the following:

Pacing
A plan to improve my 5k and 2k
30 minutes scares the life out of me... How do I get over this and learn to embrace longer rows?

Cheers in advance.

Well done on the PB. You're only scared of doing a 30 min row as you're letting your ego dictate your pace. All of us would be worried about trying to do 30 mins at an unsustainable pace.

Doing at least 30 mins, and longer preferably, will be a good way of improving your 5k and 2k. If you do them at a slow and sustainable pace, your base fitness will improve and as you get fitter you can speed up the pace occasionally.

It may seem counter-intuitive but to get faster you need to go slower and build a base fitness. Ideally you should aim to do 30 mins, and eventually longer, at a sustainable pace that doesn't have you failing. Try 2:05 to start with and see how that feels. You want it to feel like a 7 out of 10 effort, so it might need to be faster or slower.

[hjs]

I got on an erg for the first time in over a month yesterday.With gym shut down for over a month and my wife finding job after job in the garden to be completed by yesterday, the routine has gone completely out of the window. To add insult to injury (or injury to insult) I went out for a 5 k run 10 days ago and twisted my ankle. I can't even walk the dogs1

After an afternoon in the garden I hopped on the erg I have borrowed with very low expectations. I have been trying to complete a 5 k in recent months. Most of my rows have been 1.5k to 3k and when I have tried 5k I have gone off to fast and blown up so it has become a real mental wall as much as anything.

In hindsight I still went off too high but at least I finished and as it is my first it is still a PB.

18.35.0 5000 1.51.5 23
3.43.1 1000 1.51.5 23
3.40.6 2000 1.50.3 22
3.41.4 3000 1.50.7 24
3.53.7 4000 1.56.8 23
3.36.2 5000 1.48.1 25

It felt so good to be exercising again (even with my ankle still bandaged), that I got a bit enthusiastic as I settled into a good rhythm after the first k. The 3rd k it was getting tough and I was feeling hot. I must have responded by upping the rate a little to keep the wheel spinning. I blew up / wimped out after 3500 and decided to coast to the finish. After a slow 500 I got a rhythm back and came back strongly. I had a strong last 600 with a higher rate and pushed it down to 1.45 and then 1.42.

Suggestions as to how to improve would be much appreciated with regard to the following:

Pacing
A plan to improve my 5k and 2k
30 minutes scares the life out of me... How do I get over this and learn to embrace longer rows?

Cheers in advance.

Really simple. LEARN to not race your workouts.

And make a lot more volume. Rowing is about fitness, you gain that by rowing long at a modest pace. It should be boring and far from what you could.

[KeithT]

84 hunnert going on 85, Stu? Your ambition justified imo!

Thanks Jack. Gotta make hay whilst the sun shines!

For sure. I think you can beat them all. I feel I am in a place to beat some PBs too but going to get this FM done next week if all goes as planned and then try from there. Seems the additional meters are paying off for you. I love that you (I am the same) are not satisfied with a PB - happy about it and everything but then start thinking about doing even better.

Thanks Keith. I'm always dissecting my performance and thinking about where I can improve, where I struggled etc and I'm already wondering if I can get to 8500m, but I'll take it easy for now and hopefully get another PB for the four mins next week.

Your 30k has really impressed me and you do seem like you're also in a great place and I'm really expecting you to get very close or to beat my FM PB.

Will see on FM, did some shorter rows this weekend practicing the FM start (7195 Sat. and 12195 Sunday) and sort of tapering - plan on some short easy rows Tues and Wed, and then going for the FM Friday. If I can match how I felt doing the 30K I will be fine but felt a little sluggish this weekend. I originally just wanted to finish the FM but of course I now have an idea in my head of a goal time/pace. So, will try to hit that plan and if I fall completely apart I will just finish it and learn. I picked sort of a bad time to do this FM as I haven't done some other challenges and missed out. The 4 minute is one of my better things but prob wont mess around doing it this week.

[KeithT]

30' PB - 8130m

This was the worst TT ever I think. The first 10' felt pretty good, but then my butt started to tighten up, got worse and worse, had to do some upper body strokes every minute, and in the last 5' I got cramps too. About half way I reduced the goal from 8200 to just PB, and at 4' to go I considered to HD.
It wasn't the most painful effort I had, but a bad mix of pain and frustration.
I'm pretty sure it was because of the 30R20 only 3 days ago, should have had one more day of easy training.
My fault, next time will be much better, and getting a PB with all that problems is a good sign

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
30:00.0 8,130m 1:50.7 258 1187 23 165
3:00.0 817m 1:50.1 262 1201 23 151
6:00.0 810m 1:51.1 255 1178 22 159
9:00.0 811m 1:50.9 256 1181 22 161
12:00.0 810m 1:51.1 255 1178 22 164
15:00.0 809m 1:51.2 254 1174 23 167
18:00.0 809m 1:51.2 254 1174 23 165
21:00.0 802m 1:52.2 248 1152 24 169
24:00.0 808m 1:51.3 253 1171 24 170
27:00.0 812m 1:50.8 257 1184 26 172
30:00.0 842m 1:46.8 287 1286 30 174

Great job getting the PB and fighting thru the issues. You can do better but you know that next time. I struggle with rating higher for the 30 min to, think my old PB was about same as your as far as SPM. Like you I can do fast rating for short stuff and I do expected rating for everything up to 2K but when I get loner than that my rating tends to be a little slower than most. Anyway, keep pushing.

[MartinSH4321]

30' PB - 8130m

This was the worst TT ever I think. The first 10' felt pretty good, but then my butt started to tighten up, got worse and worse, had to do some upper body strokes every minute, and in the last 5' I got cramps too. About half way I reduced the goal from 8200 to just PB, and at 4' to go I considered to HD.
It wasn't the most painful effort I had, but a bad mix of pain and frustration.
I'm pretty sure it was because of the 30R20 only 3 days ago, should have had one more day of easy training.
My fault, next time will be much better, and getting a PB with all that problems is a good sign

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
30:00.0 8,130m 1:50.7 258 1187 23 165
...

Great job getting the PB and fighting thru the issues. You can do better but you know that next time. I struggle with rating higher for the 30 min to, think my old PB was about same as your as far as SPM. Like you I can do fast rating for short stuff and I do expected rating for everything up to 2K but when I get loner than that my rating tends to be a little slower than most. Anyway, keep pushing.

Thank you Keith, now frustration is gone and I'm happy I struggled through.

The rating was on the low side but the more I think about and the more research I do the more I think a lower rating is OK for me. We both are stronger than fit (you're more balanced of course ) and therefore don't have to rate high and expend energy pushing our bodyweight up and down the rail. I did a quick research at the C2 rankings and looked for very strong 30' workouts (+8600m), I found many ratings of 25-27, only a few above. As they are much faster than me they have a more powerful stroke than me (SPI of 12-14 vs. me around 11 at R22-23). I'm sure they are that much fitter than me, but I doubt they are all that much stronger. Maybe I forgot something in my calculation, I'll slowly raise my rating and see how that feels

Good luck for your coming FM, your long rows looked very promising!

[max_ratcliffe]

<>

The rating was on the low side but the more I think about and the more research I do the more I think a lower rating is OK for me. We both are stronger than fit (you're more balanced of course ) and therefore don't have to rate high and expend energy pushing our bodyweight up and down the rail. I did a quick research at the C2 rankings and looked for very strong 30' workouts (+8600m), I found many ratings of 25-27, only a few above. As they are much faster than me they have a more powerful stroke than me (SPI of 12-14 vs. me around 11 at R22-23). I'm sure they are that much fitter than me, but I doubt they are all that much stronger. Maybe I forgot something in my calculation, I'll slowly raise my rating and see how that feels

Good luck for your coming FM, your long rows looked very promising!

I agree - the other rowers are probably not much stronger, but they might be taller and so have a longer stroke. The work done is the area under the curve, so a longer distance would equate to more work per stroke.

You may have to choose taller parents!

[Dangerscouse]

The rating was on the low side but the more I think about and the more research I do the more I think a lower rating is OK for me. We both are stronger than fit (you're more balanced of course ) and therefore don't have to rate high and expend energy pushing our bodyweight up and down the rail. I did a quick research at the C2 rankings and looked for very strong 30' workouts (+8600m), I found many ratings of 25-27, only a few above. As they are much faster than me they have a more powerful stroke than me (SPI of 12-14 vs. me around 11 at R22-23). I'm sure they are that much fitter than me, but I doubt they are all that much stronger. Maybe I forgot something in my calculation, I'll slowly raise my rating and see how that feels

That is a fair comment, and in reality rowing at a certain pace, drag & stroke is all a means to an end, so it's about finding what is most efficient for you.

I do think that there is some benefit to try and get better at higher rates, if only to work on your weaknesses, but mid rates for TTs might just be what works best for you.