Cross Training: Rowing

[simonp]

When I was 25 I couldn't do 1500m.

[Manotea]

Ahem. 40:50.

[simonp]

Ahem. 40:50.

Not at all bad!

[Chris S]

Oh my. My slowest 10k ever... 52:36 

Back to back 200s is not good for rowing form  .

[simonp]

I did my pb 3 days after riding 330km (61k each way to/from a 210).  Three later, after I rode the final of my 4 600s.

This may go towards explaining why I was overtrained and my face kept peeling off until about a month ago.

[simonp]

5000m, first rowing since late June. Had to keep reminding myself to keep it steady: 20:34.7. Then 30 minutes treadmill at 8kph.

[Manotea]

Oh my. My slowest 10k ever... 41:25

Also my second 10k ever...

[simonp]

I'd quite like to do another 5K soon.  But I have to remember that I have all this other stuff I'd like to do.

So, I just did 42 lengths of the pool tonight.

[simonp]

Remember this?

Concept2: Holiday Challenge

Well, it's that time of year again. Who's up for spending the month leading up to Christmas killing themselves on the rowing machine?

[Swarm_Catcher]

Remember this?

Concept2: Holiday Challenge

Well, it's that time of year again. Who's up for spending the month leading up to Christmas killing themselves on the rowing machine?

Me, why not! ... must make a note of the start date ...

[Chris S]

Remember this?

Concept2: Holiday Challenge

Well, it's that time of year again. Who's up for spending the month leading up to Christmas killing themselves on the rowing machine?

OK. 

[andrew w]

Remember this?

Concept2: Holiday Challenge

Well, it's that time of year again. Who's up for spending the month leading up to Christmas killing themselves on the rowing machine?

The PM2 monitor on my machine has recently died on me.  I've ordered a PM3 (for £200, ouch!) and I hope to get it fitted shortly.  As long as I can get it to work OK, I'll be signing up for this.

[simonp]

I did my first 5k for some time last night. 20:38.3. Took it easy.

[Manotea]

Riding up to the AGM during the first week of the challenge period makes this more than a challenge...

[simonp]

I did it last year starting on 1st December.

[simonp]

5000m again. Upped the pace to 1:51 at 500m and then at 100m went to 1:37. 187bpm.

[Manotea]

5K tonight mostly around 2:07. Finished circa 21:00.

[Chris S]

5K tonight mostly around 2:07. Finished circa 21:00.

Top work Mr O'Tea. And Simon.

Now - are we making a team for the November challenge thingy?

[Manotea]

5K tonight mostly around 2:07. Finished circa 21:00.

Top work Mr O'Tea. And Simon.

Now - are we making a team for the November challenge thingy?

Happy to but I'll not be starting until 30th Nov and I'll lose another couple of days in December.

[simonp]

Despite last night's 5000 and today's half hour running I managed a 19:41.0. About 8.7s slower than my PB. Then 20 minutes swim.

Legs <===== heavy.

[mike]

I did a 2K! a steady 7.45 (over a minute down on my best ever), starting gently then finishing at 1.35 for the last hundred or so (which surprised my legs & lungs).

still hate the damn machines.  Not sure i've got the mental steel to get beyond 2k any more.  

[saturn]

OK, I've read a good chunk of this thread, wondering if I should give it a go so sell it to me!

I only ever do 1km, just making sure I do it in under 5 mins because I only go on the rower for a break between other things. Typically I do 20 mins bike, circuit of the weights machines, 5 mins rowing, 10 mins cross trainer or maybe treadmill, another weights circuit, 20 mins bike max effort.

I've no specific objective just general fitness, improving cycling endurance and introducing a bit of balance to counteract concentrating on cycling. Would I benefit from more time / effort rowing? Should I start by doing 1km faster or increase the distance first? BTW, to do the 1km in 4:30 requires a hard effort and I wouldn't be able to continue for much longer at that pace. I don't mind dropping the cross trainer in favour of more rowing but I still want to do the other stuff so I don't want the rowing to reduce me to jelly and I can't see me ever doing anything like 5km but if someone wants to try to sell it to me, go ahead.

Oh yes, one more question, I couldn't see any reference to resistance level above - how do you decide what resistance level to use?

[Manotea]

OK, I've registered on the concept2 log as Manotea and created team YACF and requested creation of club affiliation YACF.

The holiday challenge is a individual thing but we can track/communicate using the club affiliation YACF and/or by liting each other a training buddies through our individual profile.

The team registration only applies to team challenges, the next one running through Jan2011.

I've also a forum (of course) which you register to separately. The question is whether to have a TeamYACF thread over there or continue to chat here, or a bit of both.

[Chris S]

Oh yes, one more question, I couldn't see any reference to resistance level above - how do you decide what resistance level to use?

There's a sequence here: Cross Training: Rowing

[Manotea]

OK, I've read a good chunk of this thread, wondering if I should give it a go so sell it to me!

I only ever do 1km, just making sure I do it in under 5 mins because I only go on the rower for a break between other things. Typically I do 20 mins bike, circuit of the weights machines, 5 mins rowing, 10 mins cross trainer or maybe treadmill, another weights circuit, 20 mins bike max effort.

I've no specific objective just general fitness, improving cycling endurance and introducing a bit of balance to counteract concentrating on cycling. Would I benefit from more time / effort rowing? Should I start by doing 1km faster or increase the distance first? BTW, to do the 1km in 4:30 requires a hard effort and I wouldn't be able to continue for much longer at that pace. I don't mind dropping the cross trainer in favour of more rowing but I still want to do the other stuff so I don't want the rowing to reduce me to jelly and I can't see me ever doing anything like 5km but if someone wants to try to sell it to me, go ahead.

Oh yes, one more question, I couldn't see any reference to resistance level above - how do you decide what resistance level to use?

Hi Saturn.

IANARower.

I mostly use the erg as a warmup before moving on to the weights in the gym, mostly core and upper body stuff as riding fixed gives my legs all the exercise they need. I mostly do 2km (~8:00) and occaisionly a 5 (21:00) or 10 (42:00). It has taken me about 8months to work up to this level, and it was a struggle to do 1km when I started. My target/approach was first to acheive the distance and then work on time/working harder. I find using the erg is as much about mental strength as workrate. Focusing on technique makes every stroke so much more efficient but requires concentration which is hard to maintain at lower fitness levels. Happily as you get fitter and technique improves it gets easier, so that you 'relax' into the session and time goe by more quickly, but 5km is till a challenge and 10k a real test (I've only done a couple of 10s so far). Doubtless some will say that if its getting eaier then I'm not working hard enough! I think I'm just about fit enough to follow the Workout of the Day on the concept2 website and will use this as the basis for the January team challenge.