Author Topic: Cross Training: Rowing  (Read 226490 times)

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #25 on: 25 October, 2009, 02:10:33 pm »
Female rowers?  Never crossed my mind...  O:-)

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #26 on: 27 October, 2009, 11:10:35 pm »
Well I thought it would be a good idea to get a Concept II session in at the gym before going on the water.  Not having been on a rower for 2 months.

Did 5000m in 19:32.8, which is a 28s improvement on my PB.  ::-)

They have a challenge at the gym at the moment - top 3 times in various classifications.  I'm the first guy to do a 5000m in my class (male, >5'11").  I'm much faster than the only other 5000m time up, which is <5'11 class.  Will be interesting to see how quickly I'm beaten.  Last time they did this, was almost 10 years ago and I was much, much slower - about 20'40 or so.


simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #27 on: 03 November, 2009, 09:41:05 pm »
No-one has done a time anywhere near my time for last week.  Including me, I could only manage 19:58.0 tonight (though I deliberately took it a bit easier; frankly I don't like my stomach threatening to do Bad Things during exercise).  It meant I had a lot more left at the end as I managed to get down to 1:30/500m during the sprint to the line (instead of 1:40).

There's still only one time for 5000m up there, it's over a minute slower than mine iirc.  In the shorties group.


Chris S

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #28 on: 04 November, 2009, 10:40:47 am »
I couldn't quite match Simon's youthful exuberance this morning, but it was good for me I think:



Interesting how the stroke rate went up as I got more and more frenetic! No doubt my form went to pot too!

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #29 on: 04 November, 2009, 03:19:09 pm »
My "youthful" exuberance was all gone this morning.

Combination of last night's efforts, plus poor sleep = struggling up Coldhams Lane bridge.  Really lacking in power, and then a real struggle after going over the bridge as I'd used everything on the bridge.

Chris S

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #30 on: 10 November, 2009, 10:12:57 pm »
8:37.4 for 2000m tonight  :D

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #31 on: 11 November, 2009, 01:23:57 am »
That's good progress. I wanted to do some of that but too knackered and sore. I listened to my body. Maybe tomorrow.

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #32 on: 22 November, 2009, 02:40:19 pm »
Finally got round to visiting the gym again today.  I did 2000m on the rower in 7:30.7.  5.7s slower than my PB - cycling 100km yesterday probably won't have helped.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #33 on: 22 November, 2009, 04:08:27 pm »
Someone needs to mash up a Concept II and a Wii controller to let individuals crew a Viking longship.   :thumbsup:
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #34 on: 22 November, 2009, 08:22:50 pm »
... or a trireme??  :demon:

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #35 on: 22 November, 2009, 09:21:46 pm »
Whole gym vs gym battle boat championships!  The perky girl who does the Les Mills classes yelling "RAMMING SPEED!"

*little moment*

I'll shave my head and get a drum...
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #36 on: 22 November, 2009, 09:48:31 pm »
I've been lurking on this thread for a while now, as I've got a Concept 2 rower in my garage, and I try to use it in the winter months when my cycling mileage takes a nosedive.  I started back on the rower about ten days ago, and my usual (fairly unstructured) strategy is just to warm up, then to row for 30 minutes at a pace that I can sustain for that length of time.  I'm a relative lightweight (around 71 kilos), and I'm also an old git (just turned 59).

Tonight I had my first attempt at a time for 2000m - it took me 8:22.9, and I definitely went off too fast at the start, so I was really struggling to maintain the pace towards the end.  I'm aiming to get under 8 minutes, so watch this space!  Don't hold your breath though - it may take a while to reach my goal.

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #37 on: 25 November, 2009, 09:44:55 pm »
8:20.9 tonight for 2000m - 2 seconds faster than last time.  A sub-8 minute time seems a long way away at the moment.

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #38 on: 25 November, 2009, 10:04:05 pm »
'bout a month?  ;D

My goal is further away by that reckoning - I've gone backwards.  ;D

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #39 on: 25 November, 2009, 10:24:12 pm »
Holiday challenge starts tomorrow, try and rack up 100K by Xmas.  Bit of a thon flavour to it this year too.

Clicky:
http://www.concept2.com/us/motivation/challenges/individual/holchal.asp

AC
'Accumulating kilometres in the roughest road conditions'...

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #40 on: 25 November, 2009, 10:35:52 pm »
Count me out of that.  :hand:

Marco Stefano

  • Apply some pressure, you lose some pressure...
Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #41 on: 26 November, 2009, 10:12:55 pm »
I used to have a 2k race pace calculator from somewhere, but I can't find it.   :-[

Basically, you work out the 500m splits for your target time, then it's -2 secs for the first 500m, +2 secs for the middle 1k, then -2 secs (hopefully) for the last 500m and wind for the finish from 300m out. Even if you feel brilliant in the first 500m, stick to the plan, or you will get bitten later.

Also, go off silly hard in the first 10 strokes and then settle to race pace - we have a small alactic anaerobic respiration system which can be regarded as 'free', but once gone is gone, and you'll only have the wherewithall to use it at the start.

I talk a good race, me.    Wheeze. Bleurgh.  :sick:

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #42 on: 26 November, 2009, 11:00:21 pm »
Basically, you work out the 500m splits for your target time, then it's -2 secs for the first 500m, +2 secs for the middle 1k, then -2 secs (hopefully) for the last 500m and wind for the finish from 300m out. Even if you feel brilliant in the first 500m, stick to the plan, or you will get bitten later.

Also, go off silly hard in the first 10 strokes and then settle to race pace - we have a small alactic anaerobic respiration system which can be regarded as 'free', but once gone is gone, and you'll only have the wherewithall to use it at the start.

I talk a good race, me.    Wheeze. Bleurgh.  :sick:

Thanks.  It all sounds like good sense - I'll give it a try next time I do 2000m, probably at the weekend.

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #43 on: 29 November, 2009, 12:39:46 pm »
Basically, you work out the 500m splits for your target time, then it's -2 secs for the first 500m, +2 secs for the middle 1k, then -2 secs (hopefully) for the last 500m and wind for the finish from 300m out. Even if you feel brilliant in the first 500m, stick to the plan, or you will get bitten later.

Also, go off silly hard in the first 10 strokes and then settle to race pace - we have a small alactic anaerobic respiration system which can be regarded as 'free', but once gone is gone, and you'll only have the wherewithall to use it at the start.

I talk a good race, me.    Wheeze. Bleurgh.  :sick:

Thanks.  It all sounds like good sense - I'll give it a try next time I do 2000m, probably at the weekend.

Well, I tried it this morning - normally I'd be out on my bike on a Sunday morning, but the weather here is a bit iffy, so I decided to use the rower instead.  1000 meter warm-up, then onto the 2000 metre row.  I was aiming for 8:16, so the plan was to do the first 500 in 2:02, the next 1000 in 4:12 and the last 500 in 2:02.  It worked a treat, I stuck more or less to the plan and came out with a final time of 8:14.8, so thanks for the advice, Marco :thumbsup:

I'm also trying to do the "100,000 metres by Christmas Eve" challenge, referred to by Andy Cox upthread.  21000 metres done so far (in four days), only another 79000 to go in 25 days.  Eminently achievable, I think, barring injury or illness.   My plan is to do four sessions per week at 7000 metres per session.

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #44 on: 29 November, 2009, 03:06:07 pm »
Lalalalala I can't hear you.  :hand:

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #45 on: 29 November, 2009, 03:48:44 pm »
Go on, you know you want to ;D.

Marco Stefano

  • Apply some pressure, you lose some pressure...
Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #46 on: 30 November, 2009, 12:26:44 pm »
Well, I tried it this morning - normally I'd be out on my bike on a Sunday morning, but the weather here is a bit iffy, so I decided to use the rower instead.  1000 meter warm-up, then onto the 2000 metre row.  I was aiming for 8:16, so the plan was to do the first 500 in 2:02, the next 1000 in 4:12 and the last 500 in 2:02.  It worked a treat, I stuck more or less to the plan and came out with a final time of 8:14.8, so thanks for the advice, Marco :thumbsup:

I'm also trying to do the "100,000 metres by Christmas Eve" challenge, referred to by Andy Cox upthread.  21000 metres done so far (in four days), only another 79000 to go in 25 days.  Eminently achievable, I think, barring injury or illness.   My plan is to do four sessions per week at 7000 metres per session.

Blimey, it worked!  ;D 

Barring injury or illness, hmmm... I did Concept 2's 1,000,000 metres in 6 months for Comic Relief some years ago, and planned for about 10K 4 times a week. Following illness & injury  ::-) , the last 6 weeks were 12.5K at least 4 times a week, with the last session on Comic Relief night.  :-[

Next tip: 1000m is a very short warm up for a 2K race pace trial. Mine would be more like 20 mins, with several bouts of 30 secs race pace / 30 secs light after 15 mins. You should be hot and sweaty before you start your 2K, and it takes that long to get enzyme systems up and running. Should be worth a few seconds.


Wascally Weasel

  • Slayer of Dragons and killer of threads.
Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #47 on: 30 November, 2009, 12:39:54 pm »
I really should use or sell my C2 rower - just gathering dust at the minute.  Must get it set up and get back to it.

I used to do some reasonable times (well below 8 minutes) but I put a lot of that down to technique as I'm an ex-rower (mind you I wasn't that good a rower, one year I was in the ignominious crew that came last in the Thames eights head race.  One crew even crashed in to the bank just afte Barnes Bridge and was stuck there for a while.  They still beat us  :-[)

Might try to get back in to it for the new year.  I'll make a deal, if I'm not rowing again by this time next year I'll sell the rower on here for a reasonable price (it's a model D bought back in 2004 I think).

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #48 on: 01 December, 2009, 09:26:05 pm »
30:00 => 7432m.

Garmin Connect -
      Activity Details for
            Untitled  


Nice rise in the heart rate as I upped the pace at the end.  I kept having to remind myself I was doing 30 minutes as the pace was creeping up.

Felt pretty comfortable at that pace for 30 mins apart from slipping grip due to sweat.  I've got blisters again.   :hand:

simonp

Re: Cross Training: Rowing
« Reply #49 on: 02 December, 2009, 12:35:26 am »
Go on, you know you want to ;D.

I've chosen my charity.  23 days left, 7432 metres on the clock only.

I basically now need to row 10,000m 3 times a week to make this.

You buggers.  >:(