Good for you Carole! 58 that's hysterical I can't even picture 58 spm, did you get whiplash? or collide with yourself on the slide?! you are the pluckiest. I will email you for the picture!

Carla

Here's the picture you've all been waiting for...



Yet again, Carole showing what a great sport she is (and without a glass of wine in her hand too, rare!)

Rowing with one foot and one hand : : too much even for Carole!

Carol,
And people thought I had guts when my back went out during the race at BIRC. You're incredible!!!! Clearly dedicated to the sport you love.

Dwayne

Tsunami Disaster Appeal - Indoor Rowing Money Raising Event

Guys,

Firstly, apologies for being so quiet on the forum of late. I strained my back (again!!!) on the 14th Jan and it's no better today! I've been very jealous of the great performances put in recently (especially Carla!). Anyway, down to the important stuff..

Not sure whether you're aware of this event happening in the UK. Details of it can be found at:

Indoor Rowing Challenge Event
C2 UK Forum Thread

If any of the UK team members want to participate (anything from 15 minutes to an hour) then take the link to the C2 UK Forum above and express your interest and preferential rowing time. I've put myself down for 12:30 for an hour (I certainly hope my back's better by then!!).

It's all for a great cause and there's some prominent UK rowers taking part (aswell as me ); Graham Benton, Peter Marston, Rocket Roy, Sir Pirate, Gary Blackman (who's doing 6x30mins!)

Cheers for now,
Niall

Hey there Taffs,
Hit the 10M mark today. Trying to catch that buggered crew Team Oarsome.

How's everyone else coming with their meter production?

Speedy

AWESOME going Dwayne!! 10 Million Metres, WOW!

I haven't done any rowing since 14th January due to a back strain and I'm climbing the walls!! I want this back sorted so I can back on the ergo!! And pronto!!!!

All I can do right now is read the commentary on all the great rowing the rest of you guys are doing (and watch Prufrock get further and further ahead of me; feel good Bernard??).

By the way, I finished my rowing challenge and have raised £1317 for little Sophie so I'm really pleased.

Hang in there, Niall!

It is very frustrating to be "benched"! While your back is healing, you might find lap swimming a way to keep some fitness until you can row again. A mile a day in the pool is a pretty good maintanence workout (vary your strokes, though, I did it for years all free style and found it pretty wearing on the rotators). It's very good for your back and really helps stretch it out, too. Never mind that most pools have hot tubs as well! And do get a Swiss ball, if you don't have one. I should be doing more of the ab exercises on mine, but I do use it a lot for stretching and getting my back limber every morning.

Your charity million meter challenge was really inspiring to all of us!

Anyway, don't be a stranger.

Carla

Speedy
Well done on hitting the 10million,how you do it is beyond me. The rest of
the team and myself will have to try to follow your example so we can catch team oarfull.

Nial
Congrats on your achieving your goals.

Taffians
The Pirate and his crew are running a row down in March at the Sutton Arena.
Three events,Bleep test on the cp2,A 1000m race and 1000m 2 person race.
You can get the entry foms on the UK site. The Pirate sent me the forms saying us Taffs we not Tuff enough for this show. Lets prove him wrong

Chippy

10000000,meters,
im only a novice but that sounds pretty good to me!
well done speedy.
Porky.

10000000,meters,
im only a novice but that sounds pretty good to me!
well done speedy.
Porky.

The best rower of us all. Outstanding Niall!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Speedy,

I just gotta know....how many lifetime meters have you logged? How can you do so much volume without breaking down?

All I can say is I'm glad you're Welsh!

No chance of that Carla, I can assure you. I'm here to stay as a proud TA team member.


Coming from you and in such great company as the rest of you guys, I feel very humbled by such a statement. Thanks Speedy, that means a lot to me!

I didn't check, but I think I'm over 22M.

One of the reasons I'm doing so much volume, is that I'm trying to make it around the world (40M+ lifetime) by December of this year. That's the goal anyway.

Speedy

Just another to reach 1,000,000 this season? Or will you do the 22,199 needed by doing a HM and a fast 1k?

Hiya Godfried,

I think you are referring to my saying something about maybe being able to do another million this season? I'll finish the first million for this season this week, and then have about 12 weeks to try to get in a second million. Not sure I can do quite that much volume, but that's what I meant, not that I was just going to finish of this million.

Cutting another 5 minutes off the marathon is just slightly within the realm of possiblity. First, I have to get so that the distance doesn't feel long. So I am planning on doing a marathon every few weeks.

Chippy/Chris,
Surprise! Surprise!
Here's a photo from the Cardiff GP which I've just come across. Good action photo of Chris with Chippy in the background thinking about Chip Butties by the looks of things! (If anyone wants to suggest captions for this photo, don't let me stop you!)

Cardiff GP 2004 - Chris and Chippy

And another one!!! Does this camera love Chris or what!!!

Where's the Pain Chris?

Congratulations on the million metre challenge, Niall. I hope the back improves. Ten million metres in nine months is a bit good Dwayne!

Your marathon time is a bit frightening, Carla. Excellent rowing.

I have been a bit busy with work, houses and getting to know Yorkshire a bit better. I've done a few rows this week, but I haven't got round to adding them to my total.

Start rowing regularly again tonight, with an hour.

Happy erging folks.

Bernard

Having never seen a photo of Chris or Robert, my first response would be.....someone scappled Chris!!!!! And they got to Robert too!!! Just playin' in it?

Chippy....you look absolutely bored man. Was it really that bad??

Speedy
I

Speedy
The look in the photo is one of worry cos i know its my turn next to blow my lungs
out Shampoo is not first on my shopping list or Chris's and we always have
the race cut on row day, Must be a photo of me rowing in there some where,
Probably to frightning to print.

Chippy

Oh, SCALPED!!!! Didn't know what Speedy meant by that until I was enlightened by the shampoo and haircut commentary.

How do those dang quote buttons work? They don't seem to do anything over here.

I think anyone who shows up at an event and rows a race looks darn good no matter what their hair looks like!

Chris/Robert,
You know I'm only funnin' ya right??

That's what butties do in it?

Speedy

Speedy
Whats more worring about the photo is not the lack of Hair but the lack of arms on Chris. Think he needs a 6 week course pumping iron with Graham and Sue at
the bat cave.

Chippy

Hello Taffians,very few mtrs from the Bat Cave this week, Sue away in York and still suffering from her cold!! I`ve played squash for Caldicot wed. 2nd team Thur 1st team so no erging prior to matches.
Speedy, excellent effort on the 10 mill.and congrats to all other team members on their achievements!!
Chris,Suzi commented that on seeing your photo, it was most unusual to find a pair of pipe cleaners attatched to shoulders!!
Nos da boys
P.S. Mikez,we beat the South Wales Police on Thur

THE 13 WEEK TAFF CHALLENGE

Ok, here it is. There are 13 weeks left of the 2005 season. Here's my list of 13 challenges.
Scoring:
1) 1 point for each challenge completed (whether or not you hit the right paces)
2) 1 point to the rower with the fastest time or longest distance achieved
3) 1 point for actually holding the paces you are supposed to

Rules: Challenges must be rowed during their week. Email me with your target time or distance, based on your PB paces and including the specified rest time, and again with your results. I will post everyone's points on the first day of the next week.

#1 1/30--2/5 1/2 hour row at your PB pace, but do a 100m sprint every 1K
#2 2/5--2/12 1/2 hour row at 20 SPM; goal, your current 30 min PB
#3 2/13--2/19 Total distance: 10K Start at your 5K pace & do 100m sprints every 500m, rest 30 seconds after the sprints
#4 2/20--2/26 4 x 5K at your 10K PB pace, 5 min rests between
#5 2/27--3/5 1 hour row, 10 min @5K PB pace, 10min @HM pace
#6 3/6--3/12 1/2 hour row, 10 min @ 30 min PB pace, 10 min at 6K PB pace, 10 min at 5K PB pace
#7 3/13--3/19 4 x 10K at your HM pace. Rest 10 minutes between pieces.
#8 3/19--3/26 1/2 hour row at 20 SPM; goal, your current 30 min PB
#9 3/27--4/2 Total distance: 10K Start at your 5K pace & do 100m sprints every 500m, rest 30 seconds after the sprints
#10 4/3--4/9 1 hour row, 10 min @5K PB pace, 10min @HM pace
#11 4/10--4/16 4 x 10K at your HM pace. Rest 10 minutes between pieces.
#12 4/17--4/23 4 x 5K at your 10K PB pace, 5 min rests between
#13 4/24--4/30 Marathon: if you've never done one, just do it. If you have: cut .5 seconds off your PB pace.

Everyone who completes the 13 Week Taff Challenge earns the right to add a special Taff Challenge design to their signature. (My son will set that part up for me.) The top 3 scoring rowers will be designated Bronze, Silver and Gold Taff Challenge winners.

Game on, anyone?


...I wonder if I can do any of'em myself. They look pretty grim to me, eh butties?

Only 1 point for me on the 13 Week Taff challenge so far....I tried #1. My PB pace is 2:03.4 (7291m). Started out fine, with the first 8 splits well under target (2:02.1, 2:02.9, 2:01.2, 2:03.1, 2:00.6, 2:02.7, 2:00.9, 2:03.0. Then a 2:11.2 (water! water!), 2:02.5, 2:09.4, 2:02.4, 2:15.3 (choking on spit), 2:00.2, and ending with 1:57.9 (7286m).

It was actually 5 meters less than my PB, but a darned good workout. Obviously I started out too fast--I should have made myself do the 2:03, but I had the monitor set on meters so I could see when to do the 100m sprints every 1K, so I was sort of guessing on the avg pace. Doing the sprints every 1K really made the half hour zip right by.

WHAT? You want me to do those in ONE session? Don't I have the whole week to do it? Spread the 1/2 hour over 7 days? That's about all I could handle these days!!
Can I base the PB pace on when I was pg 3 years ago because that's about where I'm at right now! (not pg - just SLOW)!

Happy challenging everyone. I'll be cheering you on! Maybe in about 3 weeks I'll be able to join the fun...

Debra

Debra you crack me up!
How are all your papers coming? Are you still swamped?

You can use your Season's Best if your PB is old and you can't do it, never mind add sprints in.


That OK with everyone?

Also, you get 1 point for your first attempt, even if it's not successful, but if you don't hit your target, you can try as many times that week as you want to to get the second point (and the third point, if you are Speedy!)

Anyone else going to play?

Good for you Carla.
Showing the rest of us lazy so-and-so's how to get this team motivated with good, structured sessions.

Way to go Carla!

Not sure when I'll be able to join in 'cause of the back (may miss the first couple of weeks) but I'm definitely up for this.

Niall lazy git >>>>>> hobbles thataway .....

HE double hockey sticks actually!

I will be done the worst of it by this Friday and then do a 2 week placement. Then I should be able to get my butt back into shape. I've only been able to manage about 35 to 40k a week. I hope to bump that up to 50-60k. I'm not so sure about those very, very long workouts near the end of your challenge Carla. I usually only 'get' about an hour to 'play'. Maybe you can have a little chat with the hubby and kids for me about getting me more time?!? (it's always good to have hope!)

Happy rowing all! Have a lot of fun with that challenge eh butties!

Debra

Carla,
You don't mess around with the challenges do you? Any idea how hard the first one is going to be???? I'm for it though. Let's rock&roll Taffs!!!

Speedy

Hey Speedy,

Yeah, it was not that much fun--as you can see, I didn't quite succeed at it myself, and my 30 minute PB was probably a bit "soft" at that. Your PBs most likely are not, so all the challanges will be harder for you than the rest of us. But you are most likely to get the "fastest time" or "highest meters" point on them all than the rest of us, even if you don't manage to actually succeed at the challenge, if you know what I mean. So I am not too sorry for you, champ!

The first one, if you succeed at it, should get you a PB in the 30 min. I am going to try it again in a few days, and be better about sticking to 2:03 (slower than I did it last time) in the early part so I can make it all the way through. Also I will make sure I'm not dehydrated and avoid the tongue stuck to roof of mouth and choking part, which is not fun.

Should be interesting to see how many of these challenges I can survive! I may regret ever dreaming this up!

[
#1 1/30--2/5 1/2 hour row at your PB pace, but do a 100m sprint every 1K
#2 2/5--2/12 1/2 hour row at 20 SPM; goal, your current 30 min PB
#3 2/13--2/19 Total distance: 10K Start at your 5K pace & do 100m sprints every 500m, rest 30 seconds after the sprints
#4 2/20--2/26 4 x 5K at your 10K PB pace, 5 min rests between
#5 2/27--3/5 1 hour row, 10 min @5K PB pace, 10min @HM pace
#6 3/6--3/12 1/2 hour row, 10 min @ 30 min PB pace, 10 min at 6K PB pace, 10 min at 5K PB pace
#7 3/13--3/19 4 x 10K at your HM pace. Rest 10 minutes between pieces.
#8 3/19--3/26 1/2 hour row at 20 SPM; goal, your current 30 min PB
#9 3/27--4/2 Total distance: 10K Start at your 5K pace & do 100m sprints every 500m, rest 30 seconds after the sprints
#10 4/3--4/9 1 hour row, 10 min @5K PB pace, 10min @HM pace
#11 4/10--4/16 4 x 10K at your HM pace. Rest 10 minutes between pieces.
#12 4/17--4/23 4 x 5K at your 10K PB pace, 5 min rests between
#13 4/24--4/30 Marathon: if you've never done one, just do it. If you have: cut .5 seconds off your PB pace.

Carla
Ill have a lash at it,might have to start towards the end of the week as i am full of a cold at this time.

Chippy.

Ok....getting a bit ahead of myself, but I just took a good look at #2. Holy Crap Carla!! A 30 min PB at 20 SPM?!???!?!?! Are you nuts??!!!! I'd like to see anyone in the world do that one. Hear that World?? I challenge you!

Speedy

They ARE supposed to be CHALLENGES...

It doesn't have to be a new PB. Just try to match your previous best (that's all, heh heh.)

I tried it about a month ago. I got 7087m, about 200 meters short of my PB. I think I have to be able to get a bit more than 12 mps to hit it just right and I was averaging about 11.8, if my math is any good.

Can't wait to see if anyone can manage it!

You still get a point for the effort, and a point if you do better than anyone else!

How'd you make out on #1?

Carla

Haven't done #1 yet. Not sure if I'm going to do this one actually (it's a maybe right now). I've got a 3k relay race this coming Saturday, so this would normally be a taper week (and keeping a 1:37 average for 30 min isn't exactly a taper kind of thing). We'll see. My main thing, is that I don't want to disappoint my teammates.

Dwayne

Gee, my monitor must be broken...it never says 1:37 at all!

Hey there Taffs. FYI - Our very own Robert Redmond (aka Chippy) is the Rower of the Day!!! Check out his photo (if you've never seen him before) on your log page, then click 'Rower of the Day'.

Speedy

Carla,
For Pete's sake woman....you're 913 meters away from 1M (999,087). Get on that blasted machine and yank the chain a few times!!

Last night before I rowed I checked my meters and did some DUMB-O math in my head....thought I had 22K to go, so I did 11 and figured I'd do the other 11 tonight...but it was only 12K total! Imagine, I homeschooled my kids, who are now taking Differential Equations at the community college as high school students, and I still can't subtract in my head!!!

Hey, what's the format of the relay race, is it a total of 3K, or do you do 3K, or what? and who's on your team?

Yo Chippy, do they always keep you behind bars?

Six members on the team. Four rowers, two assistants (to help with the exchanges, hold straps, etc.). 3k total meters. Each rower must hit the erg at least once (how often you exchange is up to you). We're planning on exchanging every fifteen strokes, so that will give you an idea of how often the exchange will be taking place.

On our first attempt, we had a 9:37 (the WR is 7:41 I think). Second practice was a 8:50. So I'm guessing come race day we'll go below 8:30.

Speedy

Carla,
You need to do a 10k while you're training is going so great! Take advantage of it. You could easily move from 5th place to 3rd.
Here's the challenge - I'll try not to totally lose my mind in the next 3 days and you try to go below 41:38. Okay? I think that's fair, don't you?

Debra

To all of you who have seen Chippy for the first time, i do feel sorry for you. My my big? i mean older brother has hounded me for over four decades. He as always just wanted to fight, infact i was in London all weekend for my daughters sixteenth, and he even rung me up there, and i quote "whats happening?" i asked, " whats happening is your going to get a hiding, because ever since i had the tonic you gave me ive been ill".
I for one am glad to see him behind bars, i must say one thing though, Chippy you sure is ugly.

Round bloke.

Ah....Brotherly love!!

Hey Debra,
I tried a 10K last night but just didn't have it and ended up doing 2 x 5K, neither of them anything to write home about (21 min and then 22 min +- a few secs). But when that happens I just figure it's better to row 2 crappy 5Ks than to not do it at all, which was what I felt like doing!
#5 is just NOT acceptable so one of these days I'll have to do something about it!