That'll do for me, Niall!

Hi Daren



Great Show! Welcome aboard!



Bernard

GREAT SHOW GUYS & GIRLS!!!

Well done to all you Taffiens

Sir Pirate

Thanks for the post Sir Pirate, much appreciated.

Welcome Daren.

Well Taffs. This is my final entry for a while (which means that blasted Canadian will over take me in the Honors Board!!). I'm off to marriedland. I'm hoping there is an erg on the ship so I can at least get some meters in while I'm away. I'll talk to all of you in about two weeks.

Speedy

Speedy,

Very best wishes for wedded bliss and make sure you have enough energy post honeymoon for erging!

We'll miss your metres and look forward to your return.

Hi Dwayne




Very best wishes for the big day and I hope you have a great time on your honeymoon. Looking forward to hearing from you in two weeks.


Bernard

Best wishes for the wedding, honeymoon and marriage, Dwayne.

I'm entered for BIRC, too. I bit the bullet a couple of days ago. I'm somewhat nervous about it because I've only been rowing for 6 weeks, but I hope to pick up some tips and meet some people from the forum (I've been using the UK C2 forum since I started).

I hope to be able to finish under 7:10, possibly faster depending on how things go between now and then.

Speedy,
You told me that the "Honors Board" wasn't a competition (back when I was at the top). Try not to think of that 72 year old Ancient Mariner kicking your butt (like he has anything better to do) while you're on your honeymoon.

Have a great time (forget rowing) and enjoy your time off !!!

Dwayne--have a wonderful honeymoon...I'm sure you'll be too busy to miss us...but we'll miss you!

Martin--yup, but I'm behind you! Did 12K mixed "junk" meters after a 21 mile bike ride. I tried shoes on, shoes off, toes out, toes in, one foot on the floor....trying to make sure I'm not going past vertical, I think that may have been why I kept trashing the achilles... it will be junk meters for a while, slow and careful. I am not sure if they are really worthwhile from a fitness standpoint, but at least they keep our totals up.

Welcome Daren! I didn't look yesterday at the standings and was really surprised to see us #5! what a kick! That will sure help take up the slack while Speedy is away.

Carla

CONGRATULATIONS AUSSIE TAFF!

On your first HM. 1:23.49 is a great time! I'm sure you'll do even better on you next ones, because the first time you can never really believe you're going to go that far in the first place. What did that give you for a Nonathlon score?

Keep up the great work! If you do an HM every week or so, imagine how your meters will climb!

Carla

I'm sunk now!

Thanks Carla, I was over the moon after doing it. How does the Nonathlon thing work? I've seen it mentioned in posts but have no idea where to look it up etc.

Any tips on taking fluids whilst rowing - I felt I didn't handle that side of the row vey well at all.

No danger of a HM that frequently Carla, next goal is that 30 mins one then perhaps try to improve my 2K time to bridge the (substantial) gap between Chris/Ricky and myself. So it's 'junky' long metres for TA for me too ! They all help one's underlying fitness.

Hope the achilles settles down. I found it usually take about 3 -6 months before feeling 'right', having experienced a tear in one in the 80's which 'flares' up every now and again. Light jogging every so often may help (wasn't detrimental for me anyway) to strengthen it a bit more once it 'feels' OK. Rowing and biking probably don't 'work' it as much in a load-bearing/strengthening sense.

Shall we catch Niall before the 8th ? 300K is now in sight for you

Martin

Welcome to the team Daren, you'll find it more fun doing the metres than when on your own. You certainly have done a MASSIVE amount of metres since starting mid August - do you just eat,sleep and erg ?! Fantastic.

Go for the BIRC -sounds like most of the UK-based Taff team members will be going, with Bernie a definate attendee (sub 7 ?) and Niall almost a cert. Maybe Chris, Chippy and Ricky can hire a mini-bus and round everyone (Jasmine/Andy, Sue/Graham, Carlton, Mr Parry etc) up to get everyone there !

Well dione on those metres Chris so soon after the Op. Though with so many Taffs lined up now for a tilt at the 1 M mark you'll have to get that gammy leg into overdrive ! The 'smart' money's on Daren to be first over but then again he has to stop erging and turn up at work someday ......

Best wishes for your upcoming wedding Speedy.

Quiet day for me today, let the back recover after yesterday.

Martin

Nonathlon was designed by Paul Harris, who also helped set this new forum up. Go to www.matrix.uk.net/nonathlon . There are 10 events--500, 1K, 2K, 5K, 6K, 10K, HM, Marathon, 30 min and 60 min. Somehow they have mathematically figured out what the optimal speed is for each age & sex of rower, and 1000 points is a perfect score (if you're faster, you get more than 1000 points). If you do all 10 events you get an extra 100 points, and the lowest score is dropped. The way they figured it out it makes it possible for men & women of all ages to compete "on a level playing field", in theory, anyway. At the end of the season there are fun prizes. Right now there are about 200? rowers signed up for it. I haven't looked in a while but I think Speedy is #1 so far. There is a gold and a silver award, and the bronze award is given to those who have scored, I think, 85% of the gold's score. Or something like that.

Anyway, it's a lot of fun, and gives you motivation to actually do all the events. Give it a try!

Carla

Thanks Carla, I've registered. looks like a lot of fun.

Currently I'm got 7 categories covered, all 900+ points each. Total of about 6500 which puts me about halfway (97th) I think. Just got to do a 500, 30 min and the FM. Yet another forum to satisfy my competitive instincts !

Looked for you but couldn't see you on a quick scan - how are you faring ? Speedy is still #1.

Martin

PS I enjoyed the Maths too !

I'm hard to find way down at #128. I've only done 6 events. They are all over 900 except my miserable 2K, total score is 5565. So I still have to do an HM, a marathon, a 500, and a 1K. or something like that. I'm not sure if the low score is actually a 2K or a 1K but I just haven't been even trying anything fast yet. Still need substantial improvement in basic fitness and lower back strength before I try anything too radical.

My Nonathlon season was dreadful last year, I didn't do very many events. But the my first season at it I did end up with a bronze award. I think I ended up # 56 or something like that, though I didn't do a marathon.

I intend to do all the events this year, including the marathon. I have really wanted to do a marathon for a long time.

Have fun with it! By the way, when you put in a new score, your name will change color for that day.

Guess it doesn't take much to get me excited!

Carla

Great Carla, we're both over 900's for almost all events. Let's help each other and make it a clean sweep of 900+'s for all 10 events (except my 500m - see below).

I particularly liked the part where one's lowest score is 'replaced' by 100 points if all 10 events are logged. My 500m times are really CRAP (best last season was 1:37) compared with longer distances - just can't seem to get the hang of short stuff. So I can just do any old 500 as the score will be 'ditched' no matter how hard I try

Any other Taffs (apart from Speedy) in the Nonathlon ?

Martin

Hi Godfried, they sound like good scores. A little while ago you had a go at the FM but had to pull out halfway if I remember right. Are you trying again soon ? I want to try one in the next few weeks - any tips (eg how to take in fluid 'on the run').

Not far for you to that 1 Mill mark now.

Martin

Hi all


Thought I'd do my little bit to make up for Dwayne's absence. Did a 16k paddle this morning - there was no-one in the gym so I indulged myself. I was too knackered to row yesterday and had an early night last night. Hopefully, there will be no-one in the gym later today when I do my AT stuff. Not my favourite session!

This preparation for BIRC is hard work, but enjoyable in a masochistic kind of way! I'm working on the irrational theory that if I get into a good training habit it will stick for throughout my erging life. It should also add a few kms to TAs burgeoning total.

I forgot to congratulate you on your half marathon, Martin; so congratulations. Erging 7'00" is a pipe dream for me at my present stage. At BIRC I'll just row as fast as I can for as long as I can and stop when I finish. Hopefully, I'll have a clear indication of what it takes to erg competently and what kind of training I'll have to do to improve my times after BIRC.

You don't half work hard Godfried!

Bernard

All right---can we get a good listing here of everyone's Nonathlon names?

I'm easy....seat5/Carla=seat5
Speedy/Dwayne=BigD
Daren/=Llamatron you really have to explain this one!
Bore Da!/Chris=dirtychris71 alright, where did the 71 come from?
Godfried=Godfried
AussieTaff/Martin=AussieTaff


Anyone missing from this list that's on Nonathlon? If you're not on Nonathlon, join up! Wouldn't it be the coolest if all the Taffs earned Bronze awards (well of course I think we have the gold in the bag with BigD!)

I'm encouraged to find my old HM times are somewhere in the right ballpark with you guys, as the best one I've managed was 1:32.02. I plan to do my first one this year before New Year's and I imagine it will be a few minutes faster than that.

Great work everyone on the meters--let's try hard to keep the Taff flame burning while Dwayne is of in la-la land!

I have more "junk" meters planned for today--I figure if I can't really haul I can at least sweat enough to feel like I deserve to be on the planet!

Carla

Re: Nonathlon

I've just registered and entered my best times for this season (although I have to stress the 10K time is the only one where I've tried for a time).

To make it nice and easy, I've registered as "Niall" so you should find me nice and easily. Current score is 3147 (position 192) but once I'm back rowing, I'll have a go at the 30mins and 60mins times aswell as trying to get a more respectable time for 1K and 2K (and maybe 500m too). Any attempts at a HM will probably have to wait until later in the year. After I finished my 14K row the other week, the thought of having to do another 7K filled me with dread. I've only done a HM twice before and my PB is around the 88 mins mark (see below).

I'm missing all this rowing at the moment; I'm very much like a caged lion at the moment and can't wait to start again next week (the back's coming on nicely now but I want to heed my doctor's recomendation for a 2-week break).

Thanks, Daren! just had a hard time seeing the connection between llamas and rowing, but now that I know there isn't one, it makes perfect sense...

Niall--glad you joined Nonathlon, you're going to love it. Of course lots of the really great rowers don't even have times entered for Nonathlon right now because they are on the water, so everyone will get bumped down a few when they show up (same in the rankings).

And good for you for being patient and not rowing when you shouldn't like I probably am. Is it OK for you to be doing Swiss Ball stuff while you're on the bench or does that have to wait, too? Also, I have always been able to ride my bike, even when I could hardly walk, so that might be something you could do and enjoy in the last bit of good weather we are having.


Carla

Morning all,

Thanks Guys for all the info re doing a Full Marathon. Having run one (1983) I am painfully aware of the unique nature of the FM compared with shorter distances and the need to pay closer attention to the 'little things' logisticswise.

Great idea Chris re the Camel - I remember now my daughter used one when doing Kayak marathons with her school. As I will try to find a 'private' erg rather than sit on the one at the gym for 3 hours (and risk derision/expulsion !) appearance will not be an issue I hope !

Your experience to date Godfried (5 HM's yet FM still eluded you) has sounded a note of caution - perhaps I should get a few more HM's under the belt before going for the big one. Thanks for posting about it, you've probably saved me rushing in prematurely. So I might wait for you Carla/Niall !

Now for my 'DUH' question - people talk about taking a 'break' (to drink,eat, stretch ?) during really long rows. How is this achieved without the Time on the monitor stopping ? Once the flywheel stops the Time stops so in the HM I did the other day I did a couple of weedy (2:40's) pulls whilst attempting to guzzle a drink to keep the the flywheel spinning and the time ticking away. I didn't preset anything - is that the way to keep the time running even if the flywheel is stationary?


Great to hear about all the Taff HM efforts, looks like we are all (except Speedy of course) pretty much the same. 85-90 mins. Awesome to see you are up there timewise too Carla, I think TA needs one of your lists in a post to show the 'League ladder' - tonight's homework ?!
Game definately on Chris now that I'm delaying my FM attempt - hurry up and get that leg up to HM speed and we'll see what you've got.


Good to see you are taking the sensible approach to your back injury Niall - remember to ease back into the Kms after such a long layoff doing zero Kms.

Cheers

Martin

Martin--You have to set the monitor for the time/distance of the piece for it to really time you accurately, as you have found, for otherwise the timer stops when you stop rowing. In order for the timer to keep going you have to preset the workout.

After I posted last I took a look at the pace calculator, and found that though 1:32 sounds pretty close to 1:29, it's really not if you check the average pace, which I stupidly did and burst my own bubble. So I have my work cut out to really be in the same "league" as you guys. On a full marathon those few minutes probably doesn't make any where near as much difference, but then again on a really long row like that I'm liable to be even slower. sigh.

Hey Chris, I never knew what the hardware was doing inside your leg in the first place. Glad to hear it's out--how does it feel rowing now? Hope it's all better soon.

Godfried--I know what you mean about hating that avg pace to drop because you've stopped. It seems like it takes forever to go back down again. My usual mistake is to haul away as hard as I can to get it back down fast and then exhaust myself and ruin the piece. It takes discipline to just pick the pace you are aiming for and stick to it--it will slowly go back down again as long as the stop wasn't very long. The worst is when you stop to drink, and try to do that too fast so as not to ruin the avg., and then choke on the water, swallow a ton of air, almost have a coughing fit, and then burp the rest of the workout. Why do we do this, anyway????

Carla

Thanks Carla, I'll try that out tomorrow at the gym whilst I'm doing sufficient Kms to slip past you again. After consultation with the official Taff HM 'League Ladder" handicapper it has been decreed that in your case a 1 minute reduction in time applies for each injury. So for an achilles, wrist and back you get 3 minutes - putting you well and truly in the "league" (1.32.00 was more than good enough anyway)

Speaking of ladders - thanks for the list of Taffers partaking in Nonathlon. Now I can follow team members progress more easily than trying to find people in the rankings section. How's this for dumb thinking - when I first saw the term Nonathlon on the forum I thought it referred to something for non-athletes ! It's only now I realise it's based on Decathlon-type naming convention, using 9 (in Latin ?) instead of 10. Must be that Welsh toffee brain I was born with

Martin

PS Got your Concept2 shirt yet ?

Hi


I rowed 7,000 metres of intervals last night and a recovery 10000 metre row this morning.

I have registered for the nonathlon as Prufrock but have only entered one score. I'll have a go at the others when I've finished with this BIRC thing.


Bernard

SuperCanoa recently did a marathon on-line as part of Le Tour

Some very good advice is here:
Canoeist's Advice

as well as other good advice in the same thread.

If you want to read about first time experiences including mine see
SuperCanoa Marathon comments

Hello everyone Just like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to GRAHAM 56 today and still dancing.....

Rickster, Suzy, Chippy and everyone at TEAM TAFF ATTACK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAHAM KEEP UP THE TRAINING ALL THE BEST

RICKSTER

just seen the posts about Nonathlon - I am on here as robcantrow (currently ranked No. 63 with 7474 points

Graham
Happy birthday big fella , i suppose Sue and and yourself have had your usual quiet sunday,running up the Sugar Loaf mountain,pumping iron then the ergo..

Robert Parry
Nice to here from you matey.

Chippy

:Thanks Robert Redford,yes Sugar Loaf then erg, weights yesterday. Whiskey and Birthday cake now.

Welcome to all the new Taffians on the team.

To Aussie Taff Gwent is now back to it's original Monmouthshire County Status.

Sue & Graham

WELCOME DEBRA!!!!

You are going to so much love being on this team! It's a blast and I hope you post on here a lot about what you are doing and how it's going. I'm glad you joined up!

What excuse do you have for being "Welsh"?

Carla

A very big Welsh Welcome to Debra.

I see Supercanoa are now but a spec on the horizon behind us in 6th and we've very much made 5th our own!

I'm getting nervous excitement about being able to start the rowing again this coming Thursday. I went to the gym today and did 30 minutes on the bike and it was very tempting to jump on the erg but I fought it all the way!

Hopefully my back will be in excellent shape on Thursday and I can start joining in the fun of contributing some metres to Taff Attack!

Watch out Mr Redford, looks like the Canadian Taffs are a canvas away from you.!!!!!

Beware of GIRL POWER.!!!

Suzi