What OTW Training have you done today

[Byron Drachman]

The temperature was a few degrees below freezing but at the moment the river is flowing. This morning I did a short row, 9K, with two friends. One friend was celebrating her birthday. We did a 3x (one empty seat in a quad.) We had a long stretch of one of those rare, magical moments. We were in harmony. All blades were off the water during the recovery, the boat was set, and the sounds of the oarlocks were at the same time. The only sounds were the oarlocks, the water rushing against the hull, and the lovely sound at the finish when you get a clean release. I love this time of year. The river is quiet and peaceful.

We're hoping for a repeat tomorrow and hoping to do a longer row. You never know at this time of the year. It is still below freezing, and when you go to the river it can be flowing or frozen over.

Avoiding muscle in placing the blade, in the final stage of the recovery, is important. If, at rest, the squared blade is held just above the surface of the water and the grip on the handle is released, the blade enters the water pretty damn quickly - and sits at about the correct depth without any assistance. Therefore, the emphasis should be on not slowing this naturally fast entry of the blade into the water.

Dave, I always enjoy your comments. It sounds to me like you are an excellent coach.

[Rockin Roland]

Therefore, the emphasis should be on not slowing this naturally fast entry of the blade into the water. This needs relaxed shoulders, loose grip on the handles, and speedy movement upwards of the arms. Is this whhat yuu mean bby "not muscling thhe catches"?
Cheers,
Dave.

Quick hands at the catch is very important but when racing one must avoid going too far by creating tension in the lower arms and hitting the water too hard at the catch. If you do that you loose the feeling of your catches and the ability to maintain correct blade depth, at least for the first part of the drive. I call that muscling in the catches but some people may wish to use different terminology to expain the fault.

[Rocket Roy]

Therefore, the emphasis should be on not slowing this naturally fast entry of the blade into the water. This needs relaxed shoulders, loose grip on the handles, and speedy movement upwards of the arms. Is this what you mean by "not muscling the catches"?
Cheers,
Dave.

Quick hands at the catch is very important but when racing one must avoid going too far by creating tension in the lower arms and hitting the water too hard at the catch. If you do that you lose the feeling of your catches and the ability to maintain correct blade depth, at least for the first part of the drive.

As a raw beginner that is what I find hardest to get my head around.

1]...Feeling the water on the blade------ this is an odd, almost existentialist idea from an ergers point of view because how can you feel water on the blade? The blade is surrounded by water! I guess this comes with experience, I am only now starting to feel the weight of the water that my blades are picking up after 4 months and 75 outing's OTW. Mind I could just be a bit thick and slow on the uptake

2]...Getting the correct depth with the blade being fully in the water and no loom.

[Byron Drachman]

1]...Feeling the water on the blade------ this is an odd, almost existentialist idea from an ergers point of view because how can you feel water on the blade? The blade is surrounded by water! I guess this comes with experience, I am only now starting to feel the weight of the water that my blades are picking up after 4 months and 75 outing's OTW. Mind I could just be a bit thick and slow on the uptake

2]...Getting the correct depth with the blade being fully in the water and no loom.
Lwt 55+ World Record Holder 6.38.1 (2006)

Hi Roy,

I try to let the water determine the correct depth of the blade but I am still working on these.

The river is on the verge of freezing but right now it is still flowing. My two good friends and I did a 3x again and we did 16K, followed by a pizza and apple pie party at my house. I made the pizzas and apple pie. Well, not exactly apple pie. I make the filling with pieces of apple, walnuts, raisins, oatmeal.

Here is a photo of the last page of the logbook, which is on the counter in the boat house. What does it tell you? The answer is below.

logbook_Dec_18_2011_c_r.jpg (67.47 KiB) Viewed 9914 times

The answer:

One might jump to the conclusion that there might be a small problem with OCD. Naaahhhh. Not me. The answer is that on Dec 10,11, and 12 the river was iced over.

[Rockin Roland]

Sounds as if you had that race stitched up though Interesting to hear how the speed of the boat picked up after you increased the length but not the spm.

No, not necessarily. I was only about a canvas in front and it was less than half way. He is a more accomplished sculler and I was rowing at my very best. He was right on my case so any mistake from me or failure to maintain good form right to the very end would have been enough for him to surge and get pass me. When you are under pressure from a more experienced sculler it doesn't take much to be forced into a position where you try too hard and your technique starts to faulter.

[Rockin Roland]

Byron,
Looking at your log book it would be reasonable to assume that first light is currently at 7.30 am, the 15th of December was a very ordinary day and that your the only one mad enough to row at this time of year. As a contrast I'd love to see some log book entries for the middle of peak season.

[Byron Drachman]

Byron,
Looking at your log book it would be reasonable to assume that first light is currently at 7.30 am, the 15th of December was a very ordinary day and that your the only one mad enough to row at this time of year. As a contrast I'd love to see some log book entries for the middle of peak season.

Hi Roland,
I have an entry for every day since the second week of March, when the river unfroze. Sunrise is around 8:00 this time of year. In the middle of summer I start much earlier. BTW, I think I understand your comment about the four. In my limited experience it is harder to set than a quad. Our club has a four and it almost never gets used. Our quads get plenty of use.
Byron

[Rocket Roy]

Byron, it looks like a one man boatclub! Does no one else go OTW there?

[Byron Drachman]

Byron, it looks like a one man boatclub! Does no one else go OTW there?

Hi Roy,
Our club is active in the summer. After Thanksgiving just about nobody else goes out. I think it is very easy to extend the season in a fairly safe manner. Assume that sooner or later you will be immersed in the cold water and dress like a cold water kayaker. Of course nothing is perfectly safe. I had a nice row this morning and as usual I had the river to myself. It was unusually warm for this time of year.
Byron

[Rocket Roy]

Byron, it looks like a one man boatclub! Does no one else go OTW there?

Hi Roy,
Our club is active in the summer. After Thanksgiving just about nobody else goes out. I think it is very easy to extend the season in a fairly safe manner. Assume that sooner or later you will be immersed in the cold water and dress like a cold water kayaker. Of course nothing is perfectly safe. I had a nice row this morning and as usual I had the river to myself. It was unusually warm for this time of year.
Byron

The other guys don't know what they are missing do they? They obviously are not serious scullers....

[Nosmo]

Saturday's workout. 3x 3K @ 30-32.
First part of the video is the W8+ warm up. First piece starts at 6:19. Shots of me starting at 7:48 ( a little at 6:19 at the start of the first peice). I got off the docks late so didn't get a good warm up. The W8+ had a good line up and they took off pretty fast, so although this was the beginning I was suffering.

Same old same old for me. A little deep, a little too much tension in the shoulders, and a small lunge at the catch.

[Byron Drachman]

Saturday's workout. 3x 3K @ 30-32.
First part of the video is the W8+ warm up. First piece starts at 6:19. Shots of me starting at 7:48 ( a little at 6:19 at the start of the first peice). I got off the docks late so didn't get a good warm up. The W8+ had a good line up and they took off pretty fast, so although this was the beginning I was suffering.

Same old same old for me. A little deep, a little too much tension in the shoulders, and a small lunge at the catch.

Holy Toledo!!! You are flying. I'd love to look that good sculling.

[Nosmo]

Holy Toledo!!! You are flying. I'd love to look that good sculling.

Thanks Byron. Mostly I was showing off the weather we have here!

[Snail Space]

Same old same old for me. A little deep, a little too much tension in the shoulders, and a small lunge at the catch.

That may be so, but that stern wake looks nice and continuous to me. A slight dip of the stern at the catch might result from that slight "lunge" that you confess to - which I probably wouuldn't have noted without being prompted.

Cheers,
Dave.

[Rocket Roy]

hey Nosmo, That looks really good in my book, wish I was as good as that.

I expected them to have to drop back and find you, yet there you were ahead of the 8+ amazing. They looked to be motoring too.

Where in the world are you? It looks like Florida to me.